Just how viable is a pure melee cleric now?

[Zachski]

This is a pretty straight-forward conversion of my Trapper Priest into pure cleric:

Battlecleric (F2P)
Cleric 20
Chaotic Good Human


Stats
               28pt     32pt     Tome     Level Up
               ----     ----     ----     --------
Strength        16       16       +2       4: STR
Dexterity        8        8       +2       8: STR
Constitution    14       16       +2      12: STR
Intelligence    10       10       +2      16: STR
Wisdom           8        8       +2      20: STR
Charisma        16       16       +2      24: STR
                                          28: STR

Skills
          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
         ------------------------------------------------------------
Concent   4  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
Heal      4  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
Spellcr            2     2     2     2     2     2     2     2     2  18
UMD       2     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     11
Tumble       1                                                         1
         ------------------------------------------------------------
         12  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4


Feats

 1        : Power Attack
 1 Human  : Cleave
 3        : Empower Healing Spell
 6        : Great Cleave
 9        : Quicken Spell
12        : Improved Critical: Slashing
15        : Two Handed Fighting OR Maximize Spell
18        : Improved Two Handed Fighting OR Empower Spell
21 Epic   : Overwhelming Critical
24 Epic   : Greater Two Handed Fighting OR Intensify Spell
26 Destiny: Perfect Two Handed Fighting
27 Epic   : Epic Damage Reduction
28 Destiny: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting OR Elusive Target
29 Destiny: Dire Charge OR Fount of Life OR Deific Warding
30 Epic   : Stunning Blow OR Epic Fortitude
30 Legend : Scion of: Arborea OR Celestia

 2 Cleric : War Domain

 1 Deity  : Follower of: Onatar
 6 Deity  : Onatar's Forge


Enhancements (80 AP)

Radiant Servant (41 AP)
Healing Domain, Pacifism, Positive Energy Burst, Improved Empower Healing, Positive Energy Shield, Radiant Servant
Extra Turning III, Altruism III
Improved Turning III
Intense Healing III, Unyielding Sovereignty
Endless Turning III, Incredible Healing III, Divine Health
Positive Energy Aura, Cure Focus

Warpriest (31 AP)
Smite Foe, Resilience of Battle, Sanctuary, Blur, Haste
Divine Might III, Sacred Touch III
Smite Weakness, Wall of Steel III, Inflame III, Inflame: Saving Throws III
Inflame: Energy Absorption III, Strength
Ameliorating Strike, Strength

Human (5 AP)
Damage Boost, Strength
Improved Recovery

Divine Disciple (3 AP)
Emissary: Light
Spell Critical: Universal

Leveling Guide
War0 Smite Foe; War1 Divine Might I, II, III
Hum0 Damage Boost; Hum1 Improved Recovery; Rad0 Healing Domain
Rad1 Altruism I, II, III; Rad1 Extra Turning I
Rad0 Pacifism; Rad2 Improved Turning I; Rad1 Extra Turning II; Rad2 Improved Turning II
Rad1 Extra Turning III; Rad2 Improved Turning III; Rad3 Unyielding Sovereignty
Rad0 Positive Energy Burst; Rad3 Intense Healing I
Rad3 Intense Healing II, III
Rad4 Endless Turning I, II
Rad4 Endless Turning III; War1 Sacred Touch I; War0 Resilience of Battle; War1 Sacred Touch II
War1 Sacred Touch III; War2 Wall of Steel I, II, III
Rad4 Divine Health; Rad4 Incredible Healing I
Rad0 Improved Empower Healing; Rad5 Positive Energy Aura; War0 Sanctuary
War2 Smite Weakness; War2 Inflame I, II
War2 Inflame III; War3 Inflame: Energy Absorption I, II, III
War0 Blur; War4 Ameliorating Strike; War2 Inflame: Saving Throws I
War2 Inflame: Saving Throws II, III; War3 Strength
War4 Strength; Rad5 Cure Focus
Rad0 Positive Energy Shield; War0 Haste; Rad4 Incredible Healing II
Rad4 Incredible Healing III; Hum0 Strength
Rad0 Radiant Servant; DD0 Emissary: Light; DD1 Spell Critical: Universal

I went Onatar for the extra Melee Power from Onatar's Forge. Olladra and Sovereign Host are also viable options, as we're not using deity weapon bonuses on this build. Chaotic Good is partly for flavor, mostly for Blessed Blades; feel free to change alignment as you see fit.

At early levels (1-4), go S&B with whatever's the best weapon(s) you've got. [Onatar grants warhammer proficiency at level 1.] At level 5 you gain all weapon proficiencies, at which point you switch to your favorite 2H weapons. [As always, Carnifex FTW. ]

At level 15, you need to decide if you're going with the THF feat chain for better melee DPS; or extra metamagics for better healing (remember that metas apply to SLAs and Positive Energy Burst for free).

Whoa, thanks a lot! I wasn't expecting this level of help, so I appreciate it.

[Morrissey87]

I'm leveling a battle cleric now, Aasimar with the fallen bond, Destruction Domain (I was between this domain or war domain, Holy Sword seems awesome but doublestrike too), Follower of Onatar seemed the only viable option, the other was Vol but I would have need to invest more on dex to get twf or balance ranks for swf. So far is fun, tanky and ok dps with good sustain and support, can buff myself with cleric spells and plan to take empower heal later with the radiant sla and racial healing hands. I just took the good guard warpriest enhancement. Are those enhancements any good? the burden of sin and good guard? the good guard doesn't seem to scale further.

[unbongwah]

Destruction Domain (I was between this domain or war domain, Holy Sword seems awesome but doublestrike too)

There are lots of ways of adding doublestrike; there aren't nearly as many ways of adding competence crit bonuses like Holy Sword. Particularly on a pure cleric, your choices boil down to Holy Sword or Vistani.