"P" - Stands for Perfection. Paras rock!

Ok, so I admit it's not a popular opinion...but please hear me out.
I've played this game for 21 months now....and while this means nothing (I know that there are scores and scores of players "better" than I will ever be)....it has at least given me some time to have fun and play around w/the classes in a way that best fits my personal style.

BTW, my opinion is based only upon PvE. I have no opinion on PvP.

Anyways...I REALLY enjoy my paragon. I've maxed out most of the other chars...and for me..and the way I play, Paras are the most powerful class out there. I've taken him through Nfall & Factions & am currently in the desert w/him in Proph.

I like to normally equip AoF, ToF, GFTE, Burning Ref, Fall Back, Charm Anm, Comf Anm & some type of self-heal.

I'll then travel w/Koss, one of the monks & either the Sin or Dev hero.

All of them also have a Ranger secondary.

And ALL 4 of us have a Dire Bear pet.

(As most of you know..Bears are the only pet w/an actual attack skill. "Brutal Mauling". While this does no extra dmg...., as an attack skill....it DOES trigger Paragon shouts/chants :-) )

As soon as we're close to a target, I'll cast Aof, ToF, then Burn Refrain on someone....then attack a target. As we all rush in....I'll cast Fall Back to pretty much negate most ranged dmg to my melee guys on their way in. By the time we get there...some of the burning refrain has been triggered. With decent points in ldrshp, my energy stays near max and I just keep spamming buring refrain w/the chants while chucking my spear. With mostly melee heros & FOUR BEARS all triggering chants & shouts...pretty much all foes burn constantly and constantly take critical hits. I stay directly behind the melee guys so chants,etc have no trbl reaching.

I've been able to clear most of the three campaigns using just these heros.....but when I do add henchies...it's always 1 monk & 1 or 2 warriors.

I will sometimes subsitutue Olias for the sin/derv. Set up as an MM, he also has the bear. I'll use him when I know that we're facing a single powerful foe. (Shiro, etc). May seem odd to take a MM where there are no corpses.....BUT the bears die off quick, get turned into minions....and then rezed as bears again. Next thing you know Shiro is constantly on fire, has a mob of minions AND bears on his butt and a melee guys doing non-stop critical hits.

Shiro was stomped in 1:26 using the above method.

I will also use Dev as a secondary from time to time...w/points in Earth. Makes me pretty hard to kill. I'll use this build a lot w/other "real players"...as I will likely be one of last ones standing...I can use Fall Back to get out of dodge, then come back in, do a rez...and the cast Fall Back again so that they heal as they run back w/me. Repeated as needed.

Both Factions & Nfall were cleared w/out the aid of Eles, Mes, Rits or Necros (exp Olias once in a while as above). Almost 100% w/heros and henchies.

With the exception of 55's, etc...I'd say that Paras can meet or exceed the survivability of any class.

I have no doudt that many of you can pick apart how I play my Para...& why "x" would be better in "y" etc.....but, for me and the way I play...it's still the most fun and powerful class out there.

Shiro is a bad example. Of course he's easy, duh. 1:26 is relatively bad. Beat Varesh in less then 2 minutes, then we'll talk.

PvE in general is a bad example of Paragon effectiveness. It's too easy. Many, many people have beaten PvE with heroes/henchmen. And I doubt all of them used a Paragon.

Use Paragon in PvP, then we'll talk.

No one said Paragons are "bad," but they are certainly not good alone.

My paragon was the first character that got very far into a campaign very quickly and very skillfully, and for that I will never delete my paragon, even though I haven't played them for a month or more :/ (Busy in the dervish haha!)

I personally love my spear-made paragon. Those healing nerfs barely effect me.

Use Paragon in PvP, then we'll talk.

And its because of this that the paragon went through several skill balancing.

Either way, pve or pvp, the paragon is still a pretty decent class. Don't make it somethings it's not.

What you're describing is b/p team and has nothing to do with paragons.

That team works much better with 2 or 3 barrage rangers with paragon secondary, and a warder mixed in. Barrage and zealous bow fuels your adrenaline and energy much faster that paragon can. It may not work for leadership skills, but there's plenty of non-leadership skills to choose from.

This is a gimmick pet build, nothing more. So relating this to paragons in any way is very redundant.

Please don't missunderstand my point. I have nothing but respect for all the classes. Played 'em all & had a blast. BUT....there has been a lot of "Paragons are useless" talk posted lately.......and as someone who's done the cookie-cutter stuff and wants something new but effective.....Paragon rocks. Was not meant to be a build post. My fault for overpresenting that side of it. I guess my main point is that, at worst, Paras are on par w/any other char...and in many ways exceed them.

Excellent armor, excellent self-heal, excellent ability to inflict damage, excellent energy refresh...and excellent overall team buff. My "bear-team build" is just how I've choosen to have a good time w/the char. Leadership skills are key for ME..as I like the bears to also be triggering AoF, etc....they assist in keeping all burning..and w/ToF negating an excelent amount of dmg to all, it lets us fry 'em while we take quite a bit less dmg. I understand that many have done all chapters w/just heros/hench (V was in about 4 mins by the way..sorry). My point was that, if someone wants to try out a new char & escape what has become the norm grinding...Paras offer an excellent new way to stomp.

For me....he is almost like a spear-chucking, well armored, eng reg SS w/excellent self-heals & the ability to buff team either on offense or def.....and a built-in rechargable res skill to boot.

I think my feelings are that each charater is what you make them out to be...as is guildwars be it PVE, PVP, or sitting in an outpost and chatting (something I really do not understand).

I routinely break the rules...I had a warrior mesmer running heavy illusion magic...My mesmer weilds a bow, my general Morghan hero carries a staff with +15 Energy, when I BIP, I use a sword with +5 E adn 20% enchant...

My monk has half a skill bar of smiting prayers cuz...I want to kill things as well.

that paragon dire pet build is not a gimmick...it is a good use of the team concept and a synergy of some skills not necessarily expected to go together...Way to use all the skills on you and your heros as well as the pet...

for the record, ALL my heros have pets...its fun to try that with everyone carrying troll ungent.

LOL! I'm pretty sure that "1:26" is not almost an hour and a half. Since he "stomped" Shiro, I'm guessing it's 1 minute, 26 seconds.

Discuss....

Yes...it was 1 min, 26 sec. And "stomped" is not meant to be a brag. Only a description of the fun. I have no doudt that other combinations of builds/chars & individual players can do it...or anything else better/faster. Only included in order to give "evidence" that Paragon is a worthy class. As much as it's been nerfed.....I'm honestly still amazed that it's STILL so well-rounded & potent.