Best Paladin Build in Lords of the Fallen

Mournstead is a dark and wretched land. To purify it of the demonic Rhogar and let Orius’s light shine once more demands a unique Lampbearer. With strong steel and a catalyst burning with Radiant magic, you can turn back the tide of darkness once more. This brutal Soulslike won’t make that easy, however. Paladin builds are extremely fun and effective, even for newcomers to the genre, but there are still a few places your build could go awry. When made correctly, the Paladin is a fearsome warrior in PvE and PvP alike, capable of shifting seamlessly from melee to magic. Here’s everything you need to know about the best Paladin build in Lords of the Fallen.

Lords of the Fallen Paladin Build Playstyle

The Paladin build splits its focus between Strength, Radiance, and Endurance. High stats in these Attributes allows the Paladin to wield heavy weapons and wear heavy armor while remaining at Medium Encumbrance. A high Radiance also allows you to wield a number of potent Catalysts, essential for casting Radiant magic. This build is primarily focused on PvE but has solid PvP potential, depending mostly on your spell and equipment selection. Smite Salts and Holy damage will let you decimate enemies with a vulnerability to Holy, and for everything else you’ll use a modified sword and board strategy, substituting a Grand Hammer for the traditional longsword.

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LotF Paladin Starting Class and Attributes

The best starting class of the standard selection is either the Hallowed Knight or Orian Preacher. You’ll end up investing in both eventually, so the biggest difference is which Attribute you’ll build first. The Hallowed Knight is a heavier class, starting with superior weapons and armor. The Orian Preacher, meanwhile, keeps things lighter and begins the game with a Radiant Catalyst to enable holy spellcasting. If you’ve already completed the game’s Radiant ending, you’ll unlock the Radiant Purifier class. It’s another great option for a Paladin build, so if you’re contemplating your second run, that might be a good place to start.

If you go with Hallowed Knight, Strength, and Endurance should be your top priorities. For Orian Preacher, on the other hand, you’ll want to devote yourself to Radiance first to enhance your spellcasting. Radiant Purifier is a solid choice for either style of Paladin build early in Lords of the Fallen. The game’s first areas are arguably harder to clear when using a magic class, so bear that in mind when making your class selection. Here’s how the starting Attributes of the Hallowed Knight and Orian Preacher measure up:

Weapon and Armor

A hybrid build like this one needs to strike the right balance between melee and magic. There are several excellent choices for Radiant weapons, including Pieta’s sword. This build favors another weapon dropped by another boss, however. Defeat the Sacred Resonance of Tenacity to claim the Sacred Resonance Hammer. This Grand Hammer has demanding stat requirements, needing 25 Strength and 18 Agility to use. Some players will prefer a weapon that scales only with Radiance, but since we’re investing heavily into Strength for this build, the Sacred Resonance Hammer makes more sense. Its overwhelming Physical and Holy damage make it an exceptional choice.

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In your off-hand, you’ll wield the Sanctified Huntress Shield. It fits the aesthetic of this Paladin build perfectly. It also happens to provide decent resistance for a Light Shield in LotF. Its requirement is a mere 10 Radiance as well. For armor, you’ll wear Fitzroy’s Helm, Judge Cleric’s Armor, Fitzroy’s Gauntlets, and Pieta’s Leggings. This armor combination strikes a good balance between Physical, Holy, and Wither Mitigation, keeping you safe from most damage types in the game. Paladins aren’t known for their dual-wielding, but if you’d prefer to ditch the shield, Pieta’s Sword is an excellent choice, given its Radiance scaling.

Catalyst and Spells

Wilmarc’s Catalyst, received for helping the petrified woman in Forsaken Fen, is an excellent choice of Catalyst. It requires 18 Radiance but offers 4 spell slots in exchange. The Radiant Purifier Catalyst is arguably even better. Though it has one less spell slot, its base Spellpower is higher and requires only 15 Radiance. Having just 3 spell slots would be a problem, but you can correct that with the Miner’s Pendant, discussed below.

The best spells for this Paladin build include Aura of Tenacity, Sanctify, Lacerating Weapon, Consecrate, and Blessed Reflections. Of these, Blessed Reflections and Consecrate are arguably the best overall. That said, there are several variables to consider, including your own playstyle. Using Consecrate’s AoE effect for area control pairs well with Blessed Reflections. Zone your opponent out with the former and then punish them with the latter. It’s a solid combo that will serve you well throughout your time in Mournstead. Indeed, combos like that are one of the reasons the Paladin build is one of the best in Lords of the Fallen.

Pendant and Rings

The Miner’s Pendant is excellent, but its usefulness depends upon which Catalyst you choose. You get more value from Miner’s Pendant when it’s paired with the Radiant Purifier Catalyst than Wilmarc’s Catalyst. It’s only a difference of one spell slot, so pairing the Pendant with Wilmarc’s Catalyst isn’t the end of the world. It’s a bit of a lost opportunity, however. If you’d rather lean into your martial side than your spellcasting, take the Pendant of Induration instead. It boosts your physical defense, which is a simple but substantial help.

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As for rings, Vessel Root and Bramble Ring are ideal for your holy spellcasting side. The former increases your maximum mana, while the latter allows you to gain health upon inflicting Smite. If you’d rather feed your melee abilities, the Ring of Bones is always a safe choice. It massively increases your carrying limit. That means you can mitigate the penalty for equipping heavier armor and weapons. Consider rounding out your Paladin with the Ring of Nourishment and Dark Crusader’s Convalescence for healing, a great choice for any build-in Lords of the Fallen.

Lords of the Fallen is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.