*Zealot* Ar/Def Help...

[TheBassman]

As some may know, I've finally finished my zealot. :cool: And decided to Melee PvP for the 1st time in... a month or so.

My Zealots gear:
'Cham' Perfect Veil of Steel
'Zod' Perfect Eth Arkaine's Valor
EBotD Beserker Axe [382%]
Verdungo's HCord [37/13]
'Eld' Stormshield
Gorerider WBoots [193%]
SteelRend OG [36%/16]
2 x Angelic Rings
Angelic Amulet

My only concern is my AR & DEF aren't quite high enough. I'm in the process of raising my defiance level for the bonus... but I'm not sure if I will have enough.

My Defense stands at ~23k-ish [229xx] or something and my AR is currently ~15K [151xx]

Would Dual Ravens + Highlord's and Hsarus Boots + Belt Give me more AR/DEF then my current setup? is there any gear switches i can amke to increase these stats?

~LesC

[Arutha]

an exile would certainly kick up your def, but then you would of course need another source of dr, an eth up'd shaft would work nicely. And what charms do you use? ar/lifers?

[Diabolico x64]

Would Dual Ravens + Highlord's and Hsarus Boots + Belt Give me more AR/DEF then my current setup?

Most likely not. Besides, the sacrifice you'll be making with your boots and belt will be too great.

If you can afford it, I recommend that you get an Exile shield and a CoA. The Exile will give you the defense that you are lacking, and the CoA will make up for the lost DR of taking off the Stormshield. Depending on the number of sockets in the CoA, put runes in there with first priority on Cham, and second on Ber. Then, for more DR, replace your body armor with something else (since you're getting defense from the Exil anyways) -- either something that could be socketed with a Ber, or something with inherent DR, like a Shaft.

I know these are major changes to your current setup, but this will work the best, in my opinion.

[TheBassman]

Thanks, but it seems I forgot to mention something about my zealot. I use temple gear, so no aura-stacking, CTC Lifetap, all those fun little perks non-temple gear give. Which means... No Exile. That's why I was wondering if there were any alternatives to boosting my AR & DEF.

~LesC

[Diabolico x64]

Not sure what you mean by "temple gear", but if it's the rules of some clan or something, I can understand that. Here's another setup for you...

I still recommend changing the Veil of Steel to a CoA. CoAs can get up to as much as 4 more defense than a non-eth Veil of Steel (399), so that's not a problem. CoA will give you +1 skills, which will increase your AR (Zeal skill), damage, and defense, and it has FHR if you need it (I noticed there's not much of that in your current setup, but I did not look at the FHR tables; you'll have to calculate what you need). It also has two sockets, which you can fill with a Ber and a Cham.

Next, you replace your Stormshield with a HoZ. Your Bered CoA and Verdungo's will give you up to 38% DR, so you won't need the Stormshield's DR much. You can either get an ethereal Zodded HoZ for more defense, or stick a Ber rune into a non-eth one to get a total of 42% DR (I would recommend the latter). A HoZ will also give you various additions to your skill levels, which will make your AR, damage, and defense higher as well. A HoZ also has +20 strength, which will help with the strength that you lost to taking off the Veil and Stormshield. It also has some nice resists, as well as the least dexterity needed for max blocking with a paladin. Lastly, it also has the 20% Bonus To Attack Rating modifier that will be very helpful to your problem.

Next, you should see about replacing your Steelrend gloves for more AR, namely, Lava Gout gloves. They'll give you a chance to cast a level 10 Enchant, which will give you +101% AR. They also add some fire resistance, which is nice, as well as some IAS (which I'm assuming you don't need?). Upgraded would be even better.

Lastly, make sure you have some AR charms in your inventory. These can either add more damage, more life, both, or just plain AR. Grand charms are best.