Equipped for the Crusade: Items
Just remember that your top priority in every 5-level interval should be to keep your armor, weapon (and implement if you use one) and neck item up to date. Plan it right and you'll still have plenty of room for other nice things.
Armor
Lv. 2+
Dwarven (PHB): Bonus to Endurance as a property, and a free surge-value heal per day. Good value.
Martyr's (AV): The at-will gives up a point of your AC to give to adjacent allies. Can be useful sometimes.
Screaming (AV): Bonus to Intimidate as a property, along with a per-encounter attack debuff from range. Nice.
Veteran's (AV): Property gives you +1 to attack and all defenses on action point use. This one used to be a lot more powerful, but even now it's still pretty solid.
Lv. 3+
Heartening (AV): Dwarves and anyone else who gets a minor-action or less second wind will look at this one for its property granting a healthy amount of temp HPs.
Lifegiving (AV): Necrotic resistance with a daily last-resort healing power. Not bad.
Meliorating (AV): Better defense every time you reach a milestone in the day. Awesome, especially if you don't have the Dexterity to take full advantage of Agile Armor. And this is in a lower pricing bracket than that one.
Versatile (AV): At-will lets you sacrifice a point of AC to remove speed and skill penalties. Can be handy, at least until you get access to plate that lets you ignore such penalties at no cost.
Lv. 4+
Armor of Durability (AV): Property grants bonus to personal healing surge use. Good one.
Black Iron (PHB): Resistance properties against two of the more common damage types used by enemies (fire and necrotic). Solid.
Reinforcing (AV): Property grants an +1 item bonus to all defenses when you get hit in melee for the round after. The potential isn't as high as Meliorating, but it's more consistent. Another good choice if you can't take full advantage of Agile.
Salubrious (AV): This one is outstanding if you get enough sources of regeneration at some point in your career. Late Paragon and Epic are where this one is likely to really shine. Yet another good one for those who can't use Agile to its fullest.
Verve (AV): The property means you don't die as easily. Solid.
Lv. 5+
Agile (AV): A trap ... until you close in on Lv. 30, then it becomes awesome if you have any sort of DEX modifier. At that point there are no other masterwork armors a level or two above to grab your immediate attention.
Battleforged (PHB): Stronger second wind when bloodied. Not bad for a Dwarf or anyone else with a minor-action or less second wind.
Shared Suffering (AV): Encounter power makes an enemy pay for inflicting you with ongoing damage. Not bad.
Lv. 8+
Bloodiron (AV): +2 item bonus to AC against a target you thump for a round. Nice.
Lv. 13+
Coral (AV): Worth a look if your campaign involves a lot of water travel.
Lv. 20+
Spectral Plate (AV2): Ignore speed and check penalties in this plate, along with a daily move action power where you're insubstantial and phasing. Very solid.
Lv. 24+
Soulwarding (AV): Resist two common enemy damage types (necrotic and psychic) and protection against attacks that make you lose healing surges. Nice.
Lv. 27
Gallant (AV2): Half-surge's worth of free healing for yourself when you use Lay on Hands on an ally. Excellent. Combine with the Pious Champion feat and you can either heal two allies and yourself some, or one ally and yourself a lot.
Weapons
Lv. 2+
Bloodclaw (AV): Actually not bad for two-handed weapon Straladins to take in the first half of Heroic Tier, which they can use with Blood of the Mighty or Heedless Fury. After that point, ditch this entirely.
Vicious (PHB): The basic d12 per plus crit weapon. Decent.
Lv. 3+
Frost (PHB): This weapon really earns its stripes in Paragon Tier, when you can use Wintertouched and Lasting Frost together to set up combat advantage whenever you hit with it.
Inescapable (AV): Stacks bonuses to hit with every miss until you hit the enemy. Solid.
Vanguard (AV): Good for chargers.
Lv. 4+
Battlecrazed (AV): Good damage bonus when bloodied.
Medic's (AV): Extra healing for an ally when you use Channel Divinity, and the daily gives you a second use of Channel Divinity in the encounter. Solid.
Rending (AV): Axe only; follow up a crit with a melee basic attack. Solid.
Sunblade (AV): A heavy blade with an at-will Radiant keyword and damage option. It can also shed a lot of light to negate concealment in dark places. Your first lightsaber, and a solid option, especially if you didn't take Holy Strike, Virtuous Strike and Bless Weapon.
Vigilant Blade (D 381):The first of several weapons that serve as a combination of weapon and implement, which reduces your item dependency (and thus saves money). This heavy blade (or, curiously, light blade) lets you shed bright light at-will for dark places and night scenarios, and the per-encounter power that lets you switch places with an ally being attacked and set up combat advantage against the assailant is also nice.
Lv. 5+
Flaming (PHB): Poor Tieflings can't catch a break, can they? Just when it looked as if this weapon was gonna be worth it for them at last, the update comes along and breaks their hearts. You have to wait until Epic Tier, and Hell's Burning Mark, for this to be even remotely worth the investment.
Lightning (PHB): A flavorful, and finally viable option, thanks to nice things like Storm Sacrifice and (if you're in Eberron) Mark of Storm. Unlike Flaming, this one can be worth the cost.
Lv. 8+
Cunning (AV): If you're into dealing save-ends effects with weapons, you'll want to consider this weapon for the penalty to the first save against it inflicts. Good even after the errata.
Disrupting (DA 09): Can be a flail or hammer (or a mace, but Paladins don't use those). Serves as a weapon/implement combo and is more effective against undead. Fair enough, but Crusader's is better.
Unforgettable Cudgel (AV2): What did I just say about Paladins and maces ... oh wait, this one may actually be an exception. The 19-20 crit range on all divine powers brings the DPR into competitive standing with a warhammer. And you can choose to save-ends daze an enemy on a crit instead of deal the extra damage. Not a bad option for late Heroic on up through Paragon if you're looking for a combo weapon/implement, especially if you have extra things to trigger with crits. It does lose its luster going into Epic, though.
Lv. 9+
Crusader's (AV): A hammer that serves as a weapon/implement combo. Half of the damage is radiant, which makes it very good for those who abuse radiant vulnerability, and the daily power gives you a second use of Channel Divinity in an encounter.
Githyanki Silver (MOTP): Heavy blade only, and boy is this one nasty. Take the Psychic Lock feat and have fun. If you're a Chaladin, use with Enfeebling Strike on top of that.
Lullaby (AV): One of the very few daily-power-only weapons worth a look. In this case, it's because the daily is a Sleep power. Comes in hammer or flail.
Lv. 10+
Blackshroud (AV): Concealment when you off an enemy. Comes in axe or heavy blade. Not bad.
Weapon of Evil Undone (AV2): A weapon/divine implement combo that comes in any weapon a Paladin will think to use. This one is particularly special because it works with all divine powers that can be cast with a holy symbol. That's important for some Half-Elves.
Lv. 12+
Jagged (AV): Crit deals heavy save-ends ongoing damage instead of extra damage die, and it crits on 19-20. Comes in axe or heavy blade. Nice.
Lv. 13+
Bloodiron (AV): Essentially doubles the crit damage dealt, and the d10 per plus figures makes that quite worthwhile.
Bradaman's (AV2): Part of the Arms of Unbreakable Honor set, but it does just fine on its own. It's a weapon/implement combo available for all the main Paladin weapon types. The best part, however, is the ability to Divine Challenge two enemies. Hospitalers and Champions of Order, in particular, will covet this one greatly.
Desiccating (AV): Cumulative weakening of Fortitude (save-ends) with every hit. Not bad against Brutes.
Farslayer (AV): At-will power lets you melee basic attack from 5 squares away. Can come in handy.
Withering (AV): Cumulative debuff of AC (save-ends) with every hit. This one is more all-purpose than Desiccating.
Lv. 15+
Radiant (AV): At-will Radiant keyword switch, just like the Sunblade. When the switch is on, it also deals an extra item bonus to damage, which by itself makes it superior to its far more flavorful counterpart. However, if you're wearing the Iron Armbands of Power, you can stick with the Sunblade, as item bonuses don't stack.
Lv. 19+
Blade of Bahamut (AV): If you worship Bahamut, this heavy blade is a weapon/implement combo and helps reduce your item dependency. Solid crits, d10 per plus, along with a CHA-based blast 5 attack power that heals your allies a bit.
Moradin's (AV): If you worship Moradin, this hammer is a weapon/implement combo and helps reduce your item dependency. It deals great crits, too, d12 per plus.
Lv. 25+
Brilliant Energy (AV): Like the Sunblade, a far more interesting and flavorful lightsaber than the technically superior Radiant Weapon. If you're wearing Iron Armbands of Power then the disparity disappears, and you get solid crit damage of d10s per plus and a very nice encounter power that lets you attack Reflex with an attack that would normally target AC.
Holy Avenger (PHB): This weapon, which can also be used as an implement, is one of the best damage-increasing options for Paladins who throw around a lot of light. The bonus damage on Radiant powers applies to both weapon and implement usage, making it excellent for all breeds of Paladins. The daily is a +5 to all NADs for potentially the whole party for a turn when you need it. Comes in axe, hammer, or heavy blade.
Lv. 29
Sorrowsong Blade (E2 KotG): This heavy blade is like Githyanki Silver but even better, as all attacks with it deal half psychic damage, permanently. And now that damage types and keywords have been clarified, what this means is that not only does it work with Psychic Lock, but attacks with this weapon don't lose their original damage type, either. Major win.
Holy Symbols
Lv. 8+
Symbol of the Champion's Code (AV2): There is literally no reason to use any other symbol. Moreover, there's no reason not to have one of these after late Heroic Tier. Even if you never make any attacks with it, the bonus to Challenge and Sanction damage is something you simply don't pass up. Even if your symbol is a plus or two below attack-caliber for your level, it will make a difference.
Neck
Lv. 2+
Amulet of Mental Resolve (AV): +2 item bonus to saves against charm, illusion and sleep. Good early on.
Amulet of Physical Resolve (AV): +2 item bonus to saves against weakening, slowing and immobilizing. Also good early.
Lv. 4+
Cloak of Distortion (AV): Not really worth it in Heroic Tier, anymore. It does get a lot better later, though.
Healer's Brooch (AV): Extra hit points on all of your own healing powers. Great one for the healing-inclined.
Lv. 5+
Amulet of Life (D 381): Encounter power lets you spend an additional healing surge on top of any power that lets you use one. Pretty good, if rather pricey. Best taken if you have bonuses to your surge value.
Lv. 8+
Periapt of Recovery (AV): +2 bonus to death saves. Nice.
Lv. 15
Brooch of Vitalty (AV): Increase your max HPs. Simple, and awesome.
Lv. 25
Life Charm (AV): Also known as: You (almost) never die.
Arms (Bracers)
Lv. 6
Bracers of Mental Might (AV): Good one for Chaladins who picked up an item bonus to damage in another item slot. Opens you up to perhaps pick a STR-based power or paragon path.
Iron Armbands of Power (AV): If you don't have an item bonus to damage from anywhere else, this is your default arms slot item. Period.
Lv. 14
Counterstrike Guards (AV): If you got your item bonus to damage from somewhere else (such as a Radiant Weapon), this is a great item to take in place of the Iron Armbands, making your Defender Catch-22 ever deadlier with its MBA payback from an enemy's miss.
Arms (Shields)
Lv. 9
Recoil Shield (AV): Per-encounter knocking prone of an enemy who hits you in melee. Nice.
Lv. 15
Shield of Fellowship (AV2): Lets you transfer THPs you gain to an ally next to you. Think of the possibilities in conjunction with things like Bolstering Strike and Virtue.
Feet
Lv. 2
Acrobat Boots (PHB): Minor action to stand up from being prone. Good one early.
Boots of Adept Charging (AV): Shift after a charge. Nice.
Lv. 3
Catstep Boots (AV): Half-damage, land on your feet from a fall. Good for this tier.
Lv. 7
Boots of the Fencing Master (AV): +1 item bonus to AC and Reflex whenever you shift, and you get to shift 2 squares every encounter. Good one.
Rushing Cleats (AV): A vital item for polearm specialists.
Lv. 8
Boots of Quickness (AV): Untyped bonus to your Reflex defense. There's a version of it at each tier. Reflex is likely to be your weakest defense; you may or may not care about it.
Lv. 9
Boots of Eagerness (AV): Extra move action per encounter. Nice.
Lv. 12
Battlestrider Greaves (PHB): Essentially negates the speed penalty for plate. Not bad.
Dragonborn Greaves (AV): Extra defense and speed when bloodied. Nice.
Lv. 13
Winged Boots (PHB): Your first item that prevents fall damage completely. Also comes with a daily flight power.
Lv. 14
Oceanstrider Boots (AV): +1 item bonus to speed and you can walk and stand on water and other non-hazardous liquid surfaces. Very nice.
Lv. 18
Dimensional Stride Boots (AV): +1 untyped bonus to Reflex, with a per-encounter teleportation power. Good.
Phantom Chaussures (AV): Concealment for moving 3 or more squares. Awesome.
Lv. 24
Boots of Caiphon (AV2): +2 item bonus to Reflex, and you get to sacrifice a little damage in exchange for a nice-distance shift. That damage isn't nearly as much as you'd take from an OA, so a great deal all around.
Lv. 25
Airstriders (AV): You get to fly. Along with taking no damage from falls. Great.
Sandals of Avandra (AV): +2 item bonus to speed, and shift half your speed at-will. Awesome.
Lv. 28
Boots of Teleportation (AV): At-will teleportation. That should say it all.
Hands
Lv. 6
Breaching Gauntlets (AV): Reduce some resistance against your attacks. Good for this point.
Lv. 9
Gloves of Storing (AV): Interesting, and handy at times.
Lv. 10
Strikebacks (AV): Per-encounter immediate reaction attack against an enemy who hit you, creating a sick Catch-22 if your punishment ability is what it ought to be.
Lv. 11
Gloves of Ice (AV2): Practically a must if you're playing with the Lasting Frost synergy.
Lv. 12
Gloves of the Healer (AV): And this is one for the more healing-oriented. A bonus on all your healing spells, including Lay on Hands.
Lv. 18
Gauntlets of Destruction (PHB): Makes all your attacks brutal 1. Good option if you're not already using a brutal weapon.
Lv. 20
Many-Fingered Gloves (AV2): Wear an extra ring. Very beneficial.
Lv. 22
Foe Caller Gauntlets (D 381): Pull 'em over, cancel their attack, and strike a punishment-stacking MBA once every fight. Very nice.
Head
Lv. 4
Casque of Tactics (AV): Until you can comfortably afford a Helm of Battle, this will do.
Helm of Opportunity (AV): More accurate OAs = better front-line defender.
Lv. 6
Horned Helm (PHB): If you charge a lot this is good for the extra damage.
Lv. 7
Phrenic Crown (AV): If you have any save-ends attacks at all against Will, the penalty to enemies' first saves against the effect helps ensure another round of misery. Used to be even more powerful, but it's still good.
Lv. 8
Circlet of Indomitability (AV): Untyped bonus to Will, and a version comes at each tier. Most Paladins will have either Wisdom or Charisma high enough to care about Will, so this one's a great all-purpose benefit.
Coif of Mindiron (AV): Per-encounter prevention of daze if Will is attacked. Gets even better in later tiers, when it also prevents stuns and eventually domination.
Lv. 9
Helm of Battle (PHB): Item bonus to initiative for you and nearby allies. Nice.
Lv. 14
Goggles of Night (PHB): Darkvision is nice if you don't have it already.
Helm of Able Defense (AV2): +1 item bonus to Will and an extra +2 to all defenses until your first turn at minimum. Quite good.
Lv. 21
Essence of the Wisp (AV2): +2 item bonus to Will, and an at-will power that pulls enemies who dare use ranged attacks against you a couple squares as an immediate action. Can help you lock down enemies who prefer to stay at range.
Eye of Discernment (AV): Practical immunity to blinding is the main draw here, and that's pretty major.
Lv. 22
Helm of Ghostly Defense (PHB): Necrotic resistance and per-encounter insubstantial. Nice.
Lv. 23
Eye of Awareness (AV): +2 to Will and +5 to initiative. Very good.
Rings
Lv. 13
Ring of Giants (D 378): Stronger crits, which is good if you're damage-focused. The daily power is only for Primal powers, but that's not the important part.
Lv. 15
Ring of Aquatic Ability (AV): A ring slot is where you're most likely to put swim speed/underwater breathing properties.
Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (AV): Item bonus to damage on all close attacks. Including close bursts and blasts with your weapon. Note this is not redundant with Iron Armbands of Power since that item applies only to powers designated "melee."
Lv. 16
War Ring (AV): Stronger crits. Good if you're going for damage.
Lv. 17
Ring of the Radiant Storm (AV2): If your main damage type is either Lightning or Radiant, you'll want to take a good look at this one. Rerolling damage and keeping the better result is a nice boost.
Lv. 21
Ring of Tenacious Will (AV): Uses Charisma to determine number of healing surges instead of Constitution. Practically a must for Chaladins who boost Wisdom as a secondary stat exclusively.
Lv. 22
Luminary Ring (AV): Increase the range of powers that heal or give bonuses, nice things like Wrath of the Gods. Apparently this includes attack powers that do those things as well, not just utilities, which makes this even more amazing.
Lv. 24
Ring of Regeneration (PHB): Item bonus to healing surge value as a property, and the daily, after a milestone, gives you regeneration 10 and gives you back a healing surge. Good.
Lv. 25
Gargoyle Ring (AV): Save against petrification, even when you are petrified. Nice.
Lv. 27
Ring of the Phoenix (AV): Solid fire resistance property, and a very nice self-resurrection daily power.
Shadow Band (AV): Concealment all the time. Great fun.
Lv. 29
Ring of Free Time (AV2): Resist 5 all constantly is awesome enough. Then there's the one extra minor action per encounter from this ring ... which turns into an extra minor action every single round after the first milestone. Incredible, since Paladins tend to use their minor actions a lot. For certain builds, particularly those with sustain-minor powers, this could even be essential.
Waist
Lv. 2
Belt of Vigor (PHB): Item bonus to healing surge value. Solid start.
Lv. 6
Cincture of the Dragon Spirit (AV): If you're allowed liberal use of the Intimidate skill in combat this could be handy for Straladins.
Lv. 7
Belt of Sacrifice (PHB): Item bonus to nearby allies' healing surge value. Great property, especially if you use Lay on Hands and some of the Paladin's healing surge trigger spells. Ignore the daily.
Rope of Slave Fighting (AV): Attack normally when prone. Nice. The Paragon Tier version cancels combat advantage when prone as well.
Lv. 8
Belt of Vim (AV): Untyped Fortitude bonus. Comes in a version at each tier. Just a great all-purpose benefit.
Lv. 10
Diamond Cincture (AV2): Item bonus to Fortitude with the opportunity to spend more healing surges if you need to. Good one, for sure, but since you can easily pick up ways to use your own healing surges every encounter, it's not the be-all, end-all like it is for some other classes.
Lv. 21
Baldric of Valor (AV): Bonuses to attack, saves and defenses for action point usage. Nice.
Lv. 23
Belt of Vitality (AV): +2 untyped bonus to Fortitude, and once per day get back up when you make a death save. Very nice.
Wonderous Items
Dragonshard Augments (Eberron)
Lv. 2
Eberron Shard of Lightning (EPG): The shard of choice for those who use Lightning Weapons, as well as Avatars of Storm.
Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold (EPG): Lasting Frost users go straight for this one.
Lv. 3
Siberys Shard of Radiance (EPG): Untyped bonus to Radiant damage rolls. If you have Holy Strike or Virtuous Strike, you want this as soon as possible. Paragon and Epic Tier versions available, too.
