For a Battle Oracle I would have them be about even, maybe putting Strength higher. I would say minimum Charisma of 14, with Strength as high as you can get it, but you can put Charisma higher if you like too.
That's my recommendation.
A few things:
Take good hard look at both the Metal and Wood mysteries for Oracles. Both of these mysteries can generate a "battle" oracle that is as good, maybe even better, than the actual Battle mystery.
Also, what are you using to generate your ability scores? Point-buy, rolling D6's, etc?
If you're doing a point buy, I'd set it up so that your stats increase at every four levels. That being said, you should make strength your biggest stat, but have charisma extremely close or equal to it if that is at all possible. Doing that ensures you to be combat efficient at lower levels. You can use magic items to even them out later on in the game, just make sure to remember that your charisma needs to be high enough to cast spells.
Well I am currently playing a battle oracle (with lame curse)
When I was making the character we used 4d6 reroll once and assign as you like so I ended up with pretty good stats.
Anyway, I had a pair of 16s to assign so I put them into cha and str then applied ny human racial +2 to cha.
But if I had it do agian i would definatly put the +2 into str. at least in the game im playing I find myself using my combat abilities alot more than I thought I would and spells strictly for buffs and post combat healing.
That being said I would say that the only time I would advise taking the cha over str would be if you are expecting a high RP low combat game. But even then a 14-16 cha should be enough.
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In my opinion, even a battle oracle type character needs to have CHA as the primary stat, mainly to keep up with spell casting. You will have to rely on spells to keep you strong in melee, and that's okay. The Battle Revelations will definitely help you too. I would recommend making CHA your highest stat, then CON and STR as your secondary stats. Here are some spells you should probably utilize as a melee oracle:
1st level spells: Divine Favor, Enlarge Person (mystery), Magic Weapon (great at low levels), Shield of Faith
2nd level spells: Bear's Endurance, Bull's STR (also great at low levels)
3rd level spells: Channel Vigor, Magic Vestment
4th level spells: Blessing of Fervor, Divine Power (replaces Divine Favor), Greater Magic Weapon (maybe)
5th level spells: Righteous Might (replaces Enlarge Person)
EDIT: Okay, so you COULD make STR your primary stat instead of CHA if you don't take any Revelations that rely on CHA, and if you only use spells that are buffs and heals (spells that don't rely on CHA). Do keep in mind that you need the minimum CHA to at least be ABLE to cast spells, however. Fortunately this can be supplemented by +CHA boosting items, so you could even start with only 13 CHA and STILL be able to cast 9th level spells by the time you get them. If you make it a point to avoid CHA-based Revelations and spells, this is a viable option.
What level are you starting at? And any ideas on fast the campaign will progress?
For example, I'd suggest different things for a level 1 character who is not going to level very fast, then say a level 4 starting character who is on the fast leveling track.
Also, for your ability scores, yeah, a good STR and CHA are essential. After that, try to get the best CON you can, with a bit of DEX, if possible. Being in melee fighting, you're going to need some decent hitpoints and to up that AC, armor-permitting.
I think, Sinitar, that it really depends on what you want to do with the character. You don't really NEED more than 14 Cha if all you're going to do is heal and buff yourself/your party members. The extra spells will absolutely not hurt, but you're not terribly worried about DCs as a straight battle Oracle. If you're going to be up on the front lines, clubbing things with your weapon most of the time, having Str and Con as your primary stats won't hurt. You can very easily do 16 Str, 14 Con and 14 Cha without dumping the rest of your stats.
Also, I've heard conflicting arguments over whether the Wood/Metal Oracle or the Battle Oracle are better for the concept of a battle oracle, and honestly, I have no solid opinion on the matter. The Battle mystery looks very solid to me, but the Metal mystery also looks really fun (plus extra movement speed to offset the Lame curse and Lead Blades!) so I think it's very definitely an opinion kind of deal.
Have you looked through the Oracle guide in the Guide to the Guides thread ?
If not, I recommend you do, like err, now! Lots of good stuff in there.
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For ability scores you need to keep in mind a few things. You will get hit as you will be close to combat. You do not need a high cha as most if not all of your spells will not need a save. You will need a high Str for damage. I suggest you look in to getting a reach weapon. This will net you a two handed weapon for damage, along with enough breathing room if you need to cast spells. I recommend Str<Con<Cha<Dex<Wis<Int for melee focused character. If you go for range combat Dex<Con<Cha<Str<Wis<Int.
As for the Battle, Metal, or Wood. I'm just going to list the key revelations that make you combat effective. Along with the bonus spells that make you more combat effective. So you can see if your going to make a melee oracle you want Battle, or Metal, If your going for range combat Wood works best. Battle by far gives you the most effective ability's to pick from. There are other revelations in all three but they do not directly affect your combat ability.
Battle:Maneuver Mastery, Skill at Arms, War Sight, Weapon Mastery
Bonus Spells: enlarge person (2nd), magic vestment (6th), righteous might (10th),
Metal:Armor Mastery, Dance of the Blades, Skill at Arms.
Bonus Spells: lead blades (2nd), keen edge (6th), versatile weapon (8th)
Wood:Wood Bond,
Bonus Spells: shillelagh (2nd), barkskin (4th)
Calagnar has the right idea for the mysteries. If you're looking to play a physically oriented oracle Battle, Metal, and Wood are the strongest choices for the type (though most others can accommodate easily). I'm not sure if you chose Battle because the concept appealed to you most or if you chose it because it seemed to be the most obvious choice. Either way, I simply cannot stress this enough: choose whichever mystery sounds the most fun.
Each of the mysteries is actually really great that the physical warrior role thought they've all got their own boons. Keep in mind that while using a weapon might be your major theme, you'll be doing a LOT more than just swinging away at your enemies. At least, you will if you're playing your oracle to your advantage.
Calagnar pointed out some of the better revelations for your concept, but I feel a few significant points were missed.
Battle: Battlefield Clarity is an absolute must for the mid levels. This ability helps overcome a lot of conditions that might otherwise put you out of commission for several rounds (or the rest of combat). Surprising Charge is also spectacular, especially after 7th level when you get two uses. Using this as an immediate action means you can interrupt enemy spellcasting (while they're casting), rush to the defense of an ally, or just treat it as a makeshift pounce. Battle is also a great choice for a low Charisma score, since none of the spells actually allow saves until you get Storm of Vengeance at 18th level.
Metal: Iron Weapon is a free weapon on demand that you automatically have proficiency with AND scales with your level. This means that you never have to worry about being disarmed and you can swap to another weapon type (reach, trip, etc.) as you see fit. You can also use this to bypass damage reduction if you feel the need. Yes, you get Versatile Weapon at 8th level, but it's only one target per casting so you might as well cast that on your allies and use your own magical mojo. This is also a great way to cut down on spending if your DM runs a tighter budget than most. The weapon is available pretty much whenever you need it after 4th level so you can spend your cash elsewhere (like on better armor or higher stat items).
Wood: Wood rides the line between warrior type and magical utility/offense. Wood Armor is almost as good as an equivalent breastplate, and by high levels is almost better than plate. And it's free. And weighs nothing. And can be enchanted with Magic Vestment. Tree Form lets you wild shape like a druid once per day into a plant creature, some of which pack a real bang. Wood Weapon is great for the same reasons Iron Weapon is for the Metal Oracle, but suffers because it lacks the flexibility. It's better, though, because it benefits from Wood Bond to give you a really great attack score for lower investment.
Sianabi -
A few things:
Be careful about relying on a ranged weapon. Ranged weapons mostly utilize a high dexterity in order to hit with them. (Bows, throwing knives, crossbows, etc.) Dex won't be one of your main stats as a melee-orient battle oracle.
A reach weapon might be a great idea, though, since you'll be fairly squishy at level 1, hitpoint-wise. Favor your CON STAT as much as CHA, with STR being your best stat.
Take "Skill at Arms" as your first Revelation, grab a big nasty two-handed weapon or reach weapon you like as well as the best medium or heavy armor that you can get your hands on. You'll be slow as dirt at a 15 foot move with Lame, but you'll be well protected and pack a punch.
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You can get an impressive ac from low levels with battle. Metal doesn't work well with heavy armor, which sucks and isn't obvious at first glance.
Pick up umd through a trait or something. Lead blades, long strider, and shield are awesome on wands
Also saves tend to suck on battle oracles, so make some preperations for that.
Totally agree with Sean's post.
I played a metal oracle and he was an awesome fightin' oracle ... until he became an even more important spellslinging oracle at later levels. With enlarge person and lead blades, I was doing 4d6+STR a swing.
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Something to consider, I would consider a Battle Oracle one of the harder classes to play for a new character. If there is an experienced player who knows how to play a battlefield controlling wizard at the table, I would ask them fora little guidance.
At any given moment, you can close in to help finish an opponent off, save a dying ally (or prevent their death due to damage next turn), cast a buff spell on someone, or add some battle field control (Fog Cloud and Wall of Fire are great for blocking off ranged attackers). You get to analyze the fight and plug whatever hole your group needs right now, it's pretty awesome.
Also, consider weapon mastery for a tripping weapon as you go up in levels. Combined with Maneuver Mastery (Trip) and a buff spell or two and you can put nearly any opponent prone giving all your nearby allies AoO.
If you are still considering Wood, find out if your GM will let you make a Greatclub with Wooden Weapon. Creating one and hitting it with Shillelagh can give you a nice bonus to damage at low levels
I think the crux of the matter is that with only two playing characters, I feel like I have to fill an impossible amount of roles within the party. But maybe that's in my mind?
Sianabi,
If you are concerned about having only two players, and having a lot of roles to fill while still liking a melee fighter...
...have you considered summoner?
Your eidolon could be built for melee, while you support yourself, your eidolon and the gunslinger with your spells.
If things get rough or you feel you are too outnumbered, you can dismiss your eidolon and summon a number of monsters to aid you and the gunslinger.
See, that's one of the reasons I was drawn to the Oracle. I'm only playing with one other player (a Grippli Gunslinger, I believe) so I feel as if I need to cover a lot of different roles within the party.
In this case, playing a cleric or oracle is a great idea. You'll have solid defenses, solid melee attacks, and a wide variety of powerful magic available to you.
Oh oh oh. I hadn't even thought of that. Sorry, I don't have anything other than the Core rulebook and have been looking everything up online, so sometimes things escape my notice.
Thank you for bringing that class to my attention, I'll have to look into it.
I'm a big fan of both classes and I believe both classes will work with only 2 players. The question is do you want to be:
A) a full caster that can wear medium armor, buff, play a role in melee combat, and potentially summon some monsters here and there
or
B) Cast much less but summon lots of critters, have an eidolon that will range somewhere between skill monkey (master summoner) or melee monster (normal summoner), and buff
Keep in mind that the summoner will have quite a bit in the way of record keeping / admin. You'll have to keep track of what you can summon, what you have summoned, you, your eidolon, initiative, attacks... so on and so forth. Personally I love that stuff, but ymmv. =)
Xykal