Block from Initiate seems to be very low, though. I have a shield user with hoplite 3 and lancer with hoplite 3, both are zero CON builds but shield user seems to block much more when Finestra is up than Lancer with Initiate + Finestra. The uptime of the skill is also terrible.
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It’s not that terrible as you may think.
The duration scales greatly per level, and probably you’ll be around with a cleric 2 to cast divine might, lessening this problem quite a bit.
Also the block reduction debuff lasts for 10 seconds and are re-applied whenever you hit an enemy, so, the overall block penetration lasts for 10 seconds more than the skill cooldown.
yeah…but what is broken about initiate it isn’t the block, but the block pen, a cata+lancer can have over 6xx of block pen without even 1 point of dex.
I just made a swordie so I can be Lancer. Seems like so much fun. I really feel Cataphract is more appealing, imo, but everyone saying how blah it is right now made me go Hoplite. 
Maybe in the future they’ll balance it a bit.
I love my Cata3. just don’t take anything less than Cata3.
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I know! They’re 2 different classes with different roles!
Hoplite is fine at both C2 and C3, however. C2 loses some skill % modifiers and Finestra crit, but it has a 100% Finestra uptime and pierce debuff. Spear throw is 5xOH now anyway.
In my opinion, Finestra 15 is a must. With Zega + Skill Gem and Divine Might, Finestra lv 19 is a God given buff.
Shielded, it can make any basic shield to have insane block rate values, and Critical Rate is the hardest status to get nowadays, so every critical rate you can get is welcome.
Spear Throw is also a very good skill. It makes up for the Lancer weak point that is lack of AoE range.
Also its a great filler while Lancer/Dragoon rotation is on CD.
I would go for Hoplite 3 whenever I can. I’ve only went Hoplite 2 on my Corsair farming build, that I got doppel on R8 only for Double Pay Earn. R9 i’m going for Hoplite 3 without any doubt unless a new farming mechanic is introduced on newer classes.
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I have a cata/goon/lancer and can confirm that my damage comes from gae bulg, double slash and lancer skills alone, at the moment the only good thing cata has its trot and only that, i love cata but im not blind to the facts and i knew the class was nerfed to the ground when i decided to go this build but im hoping they will buff it soon, they already changed doom spike and the CD from dragontooth but that’s not enough.
At the moment:
Earth wave: Does little to no damage in high level content, not to mention boss battles
Doom spike: Same problem that EW has, little no damage good thing the long cast was fixed in KR
Steed charge: Eh, i used to like this skill, it seems like in KR they increased its range so cant say much untill test it myself
Rush: Does ok damage, but that’s all
IMO cata needs something outside of damage to make it have more synergy with all the other swordsman classes, this class has little to no buffs or interactions so its 3 circles for pure dmg skills (wich are bad at the moment) so in the end its just 3 circles for trot.
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Also there is a thing that I’m in love with Hoplite 3 besides Finestra - Spear Lunge at lv 10 is quite a strong single hit skill for 2 overheat plus it’s god like debuff. Also a Critically strike lv 15 Pierce hits HARD on boss.
What is even better, both Pierce and Spear Lunge attributes are cheap to level up, so both skills can reach almost the same damage potential of Lancer Crush/Quintain if you invest some money on both skills.
I wish Pierce had an overheat though :T
I really hope they balance Cataphract in the future. 
It’s a really appealing class to me, hehe.
All cataphract needs is true multi hit on his skills. (Currently fake)
Charge bar removal and 2 overheat on earth wave and doom spike.
That way it’ll at-least be on par with other none damage focused classes. (Trot and early 2 handed spears being the main gimmick of the class.)
While I agree with you in a way, I think Earth Wave and Doom Spike would still be weak even with 2 overheats. Catas need better interaction with higher rank classes like Dragoon 2 or Lancer. Something like getting +100% more damage on Cata Skills from Dethrone debuff and Crush debuff would finally make it a worthwhile class.
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If I was to pick something for it to synergize with I’d chose to make it more worthwhile to pick it for Lancer rather than Dragoon. (Leaving Hoplite > Dragoon and Cataphract > Lancer Spear builds.)
Off topic but it’s kind of a shame fencer skills require a rapier to be used, though I guess you can swap between weapons the C1 skill that gives a debuff to make piercing skills do more damage would be awesome on any spear based build.
Edit: Nvm, that’s just defence ignore (Which I guess equals more damage?)
Hoplite > Fencer would probably be the best piercing class combo in the game, if only finestra could be used regardless of weapon type. (You can also swap to a spear to proc Spear lunge.)
If they gave one OH for every Catapracth skill and remove the charge it would already boost it a lot, the problem with that would be in PvP because would mean the double of Knockback.
Hoplite 3 is good choice right now is more because of the 20% more damage that the atribute against medium monsters, most of the time normal monsters are of that size. Spear Trow is a nice AoE filler too.
Totally agree, cata has nothing to offer but damage skills, interactions are cool and can help people to take one build over another, all that cata has its KD’s wich can be useful in TBL but totally suck in PVE.
True dat, lancer is a mounted class unlike dragoon, however if we get any interaction with any spear circle from sword i’ll be happy, well well at least we have godly block penetration i guess.
I forget about PvP, it’s just one of those things I tend to ignore in games. (Usually it’s broken, unbalanced, unrewarding and can easily be ruined by a moments lag.)
Maybe have it how other skills are where it’s effect is slightly different in PvP, such as it having only 1 overheat during PvP?
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