I was messing around with a Cleric the other day, and specifically his summoned hammer spells. http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=18301 A 14/18 ratio 1HB weapon (or 26/18 against undead), which seems to proc every 3rd swing seems mighty OP at level 60. I was comparing skill caps against a Paladin/SK at 65 and I get 1HB - 265 vs 295 Defence - 255 vs 285 Offence - 200 vs 225 Dodge - 255 vs 280 The gaps don't seem to extreme for the purpose of toe-to-toe melee/tanking and if both are wearing Defiant, the armour is the same. The key I guess is lack of Double Attack, Triple Attack, Parry and Riposte. Question is, have people tried it? And I mean with these Cleric Hammers specifically, and also specifically within these level ranges which is where my character will stay.
Yes, and (in my opinion), if you want to be a good cleric, I'd even say it's necessary. Your going to have to use every trick you have to stay alive sometimes, which happens to be a really good way to learn what you can do, and what you can't. I was a BC from 1-89, then skipped 89-96 because it just wasn't feasible, then after the 97 hammer I found I could do it again. I can tank for DH runs if there is no dedicated tank, and have been seen tanking named on Brother Island, all the way through, and without losing anyone. It's scary, and you better have a good healer with you, but it's fun. The only draw back with a BC is your typically gonna be solo, as I have found a lot of people are uncomfortable with a cleric getting beat on.
There is a small but potent contingency of us who enjoy that battle cleric role. It still doesn't mean that we don't heal, it means we have learned to handle multitasking and broadening our skill set beyond what many are comfortable with. I'm no where near the BC that roxxanna and a few others are as I "majored" in being the best puller that I can be. But for exmaple, level 61-65 I was tanking for groups who needed to do Anguish signet keys. I pulled, healed and tanked to get them their drops. (I did the same thing for VP key, Vex Thall key, and so on years earlier. During PoP expansion I was one of two clerics only on server who ever solo'd in Sol Ro's Tower. The nice thing is in the levels you mention, the "ward" spell becomes available and adds to what you're doing. Obviously undead is the better way to go, but it's not the only one. And when I did all of this (and more), mercenaries weren't even invented yet, ... so you can become so much more as well with a mercenary (and we can use 3 of the 4 effectively depending what role we want to play as tank or healer.
I use to do the battle cleric thing a lot, it added a lot of fun to the class. The sad fact is though with the addition of mercs the efficiency of being a battle cleric has dropped off. At the level range 55-65 it is far more efficient to use a War Merc or even a dps Merc. (This prob explains why you really don't see battle clerics too often) At 55-65 it certainly can be done for fun but it does not come close to just using a Merc. You could still Melee with a tank Merc though because they don't seem to need much healing.
I'd say the efficiency has increased. Battle clerics are much more effective at keeping themselves alive than making monsters dead. A mercenary can't can't do the former at all boosts the latter very well.
