what is the paladin unit for?

In this match for example: B1863337
my team created 4 paladins for a metal cost equal to 40,000, while the opposing team built a zenith for a metal cost equal to 38,000, with the difference however that the zenith has a range equal to 8,800 elmo while the paladin 950.
Clearly my team lost in a few minutes and destroyed our base.
In short, what's the point of making paladins when you can easily make a zenith inside a terraformed bunker far from the battlefield?
Maybe it's time to make those who want to use this weapon take a little more risk (like other superweapons), halving its range, or increasing its metal cost even more.

paladins are very strong units on smaller maps

I disagree Skel. Even the team that made paladins took metal away from the rest of the team.
That's not the answer.
The problem is that when two teams are entrenched, investing in Paladin is not actually convenient. It is much more convenient to build a unit that is difficult to attack, in the rear.
Many matches have ended thanks to the Paladin.
But it can be attacked in many ways.
Zenith etc. no

Paladin has infinite range with certain constraints in space and time, can cloak and dodge.
Also if income is linear you had an average of two Paladins while the other team has no Zenith.

I wonder if one thing that happens a lot is:

Team A is ahead
Team A decides to build Zenith and Team B decides to build Paladin
Team B fields Paladin, things start to improve
Team B fields another Paladin, looking good
Team B fields another Paladin, surely we are going to win somehow?
Team A finishes Zenith. Team A wins.

It sounds like a frustrating scenario but I'm not sure how to improve on it (in lobpot).

I suspect it wouldn't be too hard to write a widget that could make predictions about when a large project was under construction by the other team. The question is what would you do with that information?

Paladin is great at killing porc, the enemy artillery and most medium and heavy assaults. It can even destroy other antiheavy units like the Grizzly or the Cyclops and cooks other striders like scorpions and dantes.
It isn't even vulnerable to raiders, because of it's high hp and it's large ranged stunner D gun that will easily stun groups of raiders and it's lightning cannons will easily one shot most raiders.
It is a powerful solution to most team games stalemates, which are essentially large scale artillery (lance,emissary, impaler) wars, porc and assault units. A paladin as mentioned above is great at dealing with all of these. It's a lance without significant weaknesses. There is a high cost but it's very much worth it.
It also has psychological effects, llike if the opponent sees the d gun of the paladin they will immediately get scared and start retreating. So in short, It is a scary assault strider capable of breaking stalemates, and a good unit in most team game scenarios.

Superweapons are extremely risky and costly. Every metal spent on the superweapon is one that is not used for the main battle. it takes a long time to build and if the opponent has enough map control they can silo it.
In an even game 4 paladins should have easily been able to crack through and win. I suspect it's because your opponents had such a high lead that they could afford to build a superweapon on the side without losing the front.

Wouldn't that risk the front collapsing though? If you haven't got enough units to hold a front.

quote: It is a powerful solution to most team games stalemates, which are essentially large scale artillery (lance,emissary, impaler) wars, porc and assault units. A paladin as mentioned above is great at dealing with all of these. It's a lance without significant weaknesses. There is a high cost but it's very much worth it.

Depends on the team-size, because in large pots I have seen many, MANY games with paladins not being able to push anything, usually because they fight something that is of equal cost or more... I think merlin is still better if you want to deal with statics.

quote: It isn't even vulnerable to raiders, because of it's high hp and it's large ranged stunner D gun that will easily stun groups of raiders and it's lightning cannons will easily one shot most raiders.

Idk how many paladins I killed with glaives, probable something between 10 to 20 so far. Of course the cost needs to be somewhat comparable, 20 glaives wont cut it. 100 will do easily. The thing why this doesn`t happen usually is that paladins are normally screened and protected by other units.

Don`t get me wrong, I think paladin is in a good state.

quote: The problem is that when two teams are entrenched, investing in Paladin is not actually convenient. It is much more convenient to build a unit that is difficult to attack, in the rear.

When two teams are entrenched to the degree that is common in lobpots, virtually NO mobile unit is useful. Try silo, bertha or nuke instead.

quote: my team created 4 paladins

That is the problem imo. They are great to hold or even push front. While at that point even detri might make sense, a proper super is probably superior. But that would require cooperation.
(In Lobster Pot anyway..)

Paladin is the most unsatisfying unit this game has. It is shockingly uninspiring, its model is unfit for its weapon (where does that laser come from?), its special ability looks clumsy with the missiles going randomly around, and generally everything about it is ungainly and clumsy from game design to movement to art.

(Except texturing. The texture work is top notch).

I think its intended use should be "being removed".