"Better" is always subjective. I think it would be better to ask the person who told you this why they think it's "better".
Really it's going to be any Cleric that has "Divine Strike" instead of "Potent Spellcasting" at 8th lvl could be good at melee.
I mean I could argue Life Domain is the best melee cleric or a Tempest Cleric if your weapon deals lighting damage
If you have Polearm Master on a Tempest Cleric with a lightning enchanted polearm. You can get an AoO went they enter your reach, and if you deal lighting damage you push them back 10', so they have to keep reentering your reach every turn
If you have a Life Cleric with Magic Initiate: Druid (Shillelagh) and polarm master with a staff. You can use Shillelagh to attack with your Wisdom making your Wisdom the only real important stat. Polearm Master lets you attack twice a turn every turn and AoO when they enter your reach.
Sadly, Divine Strike triggers "on each of your turns" this is important because you don't get the extra damage for Divine Strike *both* on your turn and when the AoO triggers on their turn.
After my first session with my forge domain, Im switching to a ranged approach while looking at MCing into the Battle Smith Artificer at a higher level for hand crossbow proficiency and the ability to better serve the Wonderbringer.
The infusion for repeating shot mixed with crossbow expert is going to be amazing.
My DM also gifted my PC with a suit of Animated armor that was inside Death House, who will be later flavoured to suit the Iron Defender stats.
Arcana domain clerics are excellent melee characters due to the interaction of Booming Blade and Potent Spellcasting. For example, at level 8 assuming max wisdom and attacking using Shillelagh:
War Clerics tend not to be the favorite Cleric subclass b/c their additional spells are very Cleric and not particularly useful in many situations. Armor and weapon proficiencies are good, but their Channel Divinity is just so-so b/c it has to be the same type of damage as the weapon the PC is already striking with. Their theme also isn't very memorable or notable.
Forge Clerics get interesting utility spells and abilities that center on making things. They get to always have at least a +1 weapon if they want one, or can hand off a +1 weapon to someone else.
At higher levels, they are about equivalent in power, I'd say.
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I was just told Forge cleric is better than War for melee. Why? What do you think is better?
"Better" is always subjective.
I think it would be better to ask the person who told you this why they think it's "better".
Really it's going to be any Cleric that has "Divine Strike" instead of "Potent Spellcasting" at 8th lvl could be good at melee.
I mean I could argue Life Domain is the best melee cleric or a Tempest Cleric if your weapon deals lighting damage
If you have Polearm Master on a Tempest Cleric with a lightning enchanted polearm.
You can get an AoO went they enter your reach, and if you deal lighting damage you push them back 10', so they have to keep reentering your reach every turn
If you have a Life Cleric with Magic Initiate: Druid (Shillelagh) and polarm master with a staff. You can use Shillelagh to attack with your Wisdom making your Wisdom the only real important stat. Polearm Master lets you attack twice a turn every turn and AoO when they enter your reach.
Sadly, Divine Strike triggers "on each of your turns" this is important because you don't get the extra damage for Divine Strike *both* on your turn and when the AoO triggers on their turn.
After my first session with my forge domain, Im switching to a ranged approach while looking at MCing into the Battle Smith Artificer at a higher level for hand crossbow proficiency and the ability to better serve the Wonderbringer.
The infusion for repeating shot mixed with crossbow expert is going to be amazing.
My DM also gifted my PC with a suit of Animated armor that was inside Death House, who will be later flavoured to suit the Iron Defender stats.
Arcana domain clerics are excellent melee characters due to the interaction of Booming Blade and Potent Spellcasting. For example, at level 8 assuming max wisdom and attacking using Shillelagh:
Weapon damage = 1d8 + 5
Additional cantrip damage = 1d8 + 5
Total damage = 2d8 + 10
War Clerics tend not to be the favorite Cleric subclass b/c their additional spells are very Cleric and not particularly useful in many situations. Armor and weapon proficiencies are good, but their Channel Divinity is just so-so b/c it has to be the same type of damage as the weapon the PC is already striking with. Their theme also isn't very memorable or notable.
Forge Clerics get interesting utility spells and abilities that center on making things. They get to always have at least a +1 weapon if they want one, or can hand off a +1 weapon to someone else.
At higher levels, they are about equivalent in power, I'd say.