THETA ZERO'S FULL SUPPORT FOR MAXIMUM SUFFERING
Also known as the Paper Paige 64 build. Focuses on you slapping barriers on your buddies and generally just sort of existing while other people play the game for you. Baa.
1a) Only if the enemy laners are pushovers!Optional
High-Velocity Rounds
It's ridiculous trying to secure souls... But maybe you'll get used to it? I don't like getting 4.8K gun invest on Paige because her weapon falls off by the time you'd buy it.
Opening Rounds
For some reason, Paige's gun hits like a truck. This is great in laning if you're dominating, but don't bother if they're dangerous laners.
1) Laning
The least fun part of support!
Guardian Ward
Put barriers on your barriers! Use this for saves. Your 2 is for pushes (and saves, I guess).
Extra Charge
This takes forever to recharge, but it's handy to have for waveclear.
Extra Spirit
Gets you started on a little baby barrier boost.
Trophy Collector
You're an absolute menace in lane, so you don't need much to be dangerous, hence this early buy. If your carry has less souls than you, they are officially bad.
2) LANING DONE!
Don't always get Knockdown. Swap it for the counter that's best below.
Knockdown
DO NOT ALWAYS GET THIS. But it's great for assuring a 3, so this is only here for newbies who strictly follow build orders and can't read.
Arcane Surge
Arcane Surge, baby! Dash-jump before throwing up your barriers to make them stronger and longer!
Divine Barrier
Halved cooldown when you use it on a friend!? Say no more! Try to avoid using this selfishly.
Compress Cooldown
You like barriers, don't you? Have some more.
Surge of Power
None of your stuff scales great with spirit besides barrier, so... Why not upgrade exclusively barriers? At least your buddies get the full shield instead of just 3/4ths, now.
3) Pick your poison!Optional
Buy at least one.
Vortex Web
I like this one the most! It's mostly useful towards the end of the game where enemies group up. Land group-wide 3's! Pairs great with Alch Fire.
Boundless Spirit
If you want to crutch HARD on barriers, you can build towards this.
Cursed Relic
For the support who can't take it anymore.
Scourge
You're going to be hanging around one of your stupid teammates, anyway.
Alchemical Fire
If you find it's easy to land for 3, this is the most sensible option to compliment that. Works well with Vortex Web.
4) End Game Fun
Help me, team!
Transcendent Cooldown
Four active items and four abilities to spam means you want all the cooldown you can get.
Greater Expansion
Lets you stay REEEAAAL far back, as you tend to do.
Superior Duration
Why is this game still going on?
Echo Shard
Your enemies getting stuck in your 3 for four seconds is as tortuous as it is amusing.
Luxuries!Optional
Enduring Speed
It builds off Sprint Boots, so why not?
Stamina Mastery
A nice luxury to have, but mostly useful for navigation or escapes. Diagonal double air dashes are fastest.
Counter Items!Optional
Make sure the enemy targets you even more! Slowing Hex and Decay are my go-to's.
Slowing Hex
Decay
Disarming Hex
Silence Wave
Heroic Aura
Rescue Beam
Dispel Magic
Metal Skin
Counterspell
Ethereal Shift
Reactive BarrierSlowing Hex
Very character-dependent item. Look up what it silences, but generally it's Shiv, Calico, and Lash. Make sure to upgrade to Vortex Web for maximum pain.
Decay
Look, I can do damage, too! Slap this onto tanks like Abrams or healers like Kelvin. Or people you just don't like.
Disarming Hex
Sometimes you'll get flanked by bullet heroes. This makes you at least get the chance to run away.
Silence Wave
If your enemies dive or your teammates pull them in, it's handy!
Heroic Aura
It's got the same range as your barriers. If they got lots of gun damage, it's handy.
Rescue Beam
Your role is mostly preventative, and your barrier is better for saves. Still, works good as a Bebop and Lash counter.
Dispel Magic
GET IT OFF ME
Metal Skin
plinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplinkplink
Counterspell
You're very vulnerable to pick abilities. This lets you get a second chance. But there might be a better active item to counter your problems.
Ethereal Shift
You can active and deactivate this immediately for a run speed buff.
Reactive Barrier
It's okay in laning.
Fix-AllsOptional
For minimal suffering.
Rebuttal
Oops! All melee!
Spirit Shielding
There's a lot of spirit damage in the game. Spirit Shielding is better than Spirit Resilience, but you can double-up on it.
Weapon Shielding
Surprise, it's more effective health against guns than the gun resist item!
Spirit Resilience
Spirit meta, just like the good ol' days.
Spellbreaker
Ehh, nah, I don't feel like taking damage.
Indomitable
I just like the noise it makes.
Other ThingsOptional
For a slightly more flavorful experience.
Healing Rite
Buy this if your lane buddy is stupid (read: doesn't carry you).
Golden Goose Egg
If you straight-up CANNOT hit your shots (or don't care), it's decent to double-up with Trophy Collector. Pop this when you need the money past 10 minutes.
Express Shot
If you want to have a teeny bit more relevance, this lets you do decent gun damage with Opening Rounds. But you should sell this late-game.
Veil Walker
You are made of tissue paper and have no mobility. So this is alright.
Refresher
I get this when their stupid, annoying Dynamo also gets Refresher.
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO AND HIGHLIGHTS: https://youtu.be/BU-AO1bQEZ0
Other support builds: Lazy Rem / Speed-E-Mo Dynamo / Gunless Ivy
YOUR GAME PLAN
I mean, it's pretty obvious. Hang back, abuse your massive range, farm assists, repeat. You generally want to leave neutral creeps for teammates unless you have the opportunity to steal it from enemies. Paige's gun does insane damage in laning for some reason and doesn't have falloff, so there's that. You want to hang around pushing up waves and joining in on any early game fights to get your free assist in. When you get Transcendent Cooldown, it's just about when wave clearing becomes less of your designated role as teamfights become more common. Make yourself useful and zip between lanes, but don't go for a push unless you have a buddy with you or all the enemies are showing up on the map. You want to abuse your range as hard as you can, really push the limits on how far back you can go and still involve yourself. Oh yeah, and in case it isn't obvious, your 2 is for pushes, and your Divine Barrier is for saves. Once your abilities are on cooldown, you lose relevance, so don't be afraid to run from a fight that looks bad (but only around the mid game, endgame you should probably stay).
Duration Extender
Because it's not enough they're slowed and stunned from a mile away. It also has a last a year, too.
Mystic Expansion
This is only here so it doesn't bug you about what ability you wanna put this on.
Mystic Slow
It's okay, but not wonderful. Probably useful in lower rank lobbies where people are clueless.
Grit
OH GRIT
Bullet Resist Shredder
You're not really hitting people with spirit damage.
Don't buy this slop.Optional
If you do, I WILL find you and give you a wedgie.
Healing Nova
Cheat Death
Witchmail
Split Shot
Cultist Sacrifice
Headshot Booster
Fortitude
Lightning Scroll
Healing Booster
HealbaneHealing Nova
I mostly applaud you for the audacity. You aren't going to be anywhere near your teammates to use this.
Cheat Death
This would be okay, but there's not much point in prolonging your life if you're on cooldown.
Witchmail
It's actually okay, I just wanted to see if you'd read this.
Split Shot
Tried it, don't like it. Way too expensive just for the niche use of clearing waves or shooting spitballs at enemies.
Cultist Sacrifice
I mean, it's whatever. Bit of a waste, though...
Headshot Booster
You can't headshot, idiot.
Fortitude
For $3200, it's a big investment when you're intended to be pretty safe and, furthermore, expendable.
Lightning Scroll
This is a joke, right? Just buy Refresher at that point.
Healing Booster
You generally shouldn't need this. But if you're getting a lot of mileage out of playing healer, might as well.
Healbane
If you need to reduce somebody's healing. But sometimes Decay is a better pick.