Trying to figure out defense and does it really do anything.

[Drevva]

lvl 62 ranger here...So as we are having to melee more I'm noticing more and more how often I get hit.Couple scenarios.First one,  I'm duoing with a warden (I'm mentored down so should have better results than normal).In defensive stance. (full buffed)My avoidance is 52 %fighting blue con heroics.  Most fightst I'm lucky to avoid mabye 10 -15% of the attacks...Case 2:  soloing in KoS  , defensive stance  gives me a 45% avoidance for lvl 62 mobsFighting lvl 60 -61 solo mobs.Again I'm lucky if I avoid 20% of the attacks.  some fight seems every attack hits me.I was even grouped with a dirge at one point had the parry buff on, +35ish parry and still rarely avoided an attack (again with solo mobs).Am I missing something here?On another note I am trying to be patient waiting for the LU21,  I'm trying to learn new ways to hunt,(I mostly solo and small group) but to be honest I'm not having to much fun.  I'm trying not to get discouraged....Try to not scream when my long recast bow attacks get parried.  Living with SoA not being used much anymore.Thanks for any input you have.Drevva

[Carna]

<div></div><p>It's your defence versus their attack.</p><p>Personally when I played about with a Ranger it's the parries against bow attacks that drove me nuts. Removing the parrying of ranged attacks is the change I'd push for.</p>

[Drevva]

Not really pushing for a change here, though I agree about the parries (more later).Just trying to figure out just what 50% avoidance means,   I would think against mobs 2 lvls below me it should be even better but I go back and look after the fights and will see maybe one parry and one miss with 10+ attacks getting through.I tried to solo again tonight,  I'm lvl 62 a few masters and adept IIIs on most my attacks, I'm in cobalt with a few baby fabled, and just upgraded to an imbued ebony bow. I've tried adestes with the stun poision as well as the new DD/heal poision.  I was also using a str potion.Was fighting on vultak isle mobs that are 1 and 2 lvls below me solo.I would use my trap when it was up, I also have the AP knockdown.   I would pull with offensive stance up and switch to def when in melee. Sometimes it would go fine other times I would be at 1/4 health at the end of a fight (with a single up).  If I got an add I had to run.  I hate to think what it would be like if I didn't have legendary and adept IIIs.I'm  just not sure how much better things will be with more melee attacks as I just seem to get chewed up.  yes we get the root but the nockdown will be to the point I probably will be lucky to get an arrow off.Whites are riskier and I tried a down arrow one lvl above me (lvl 63) bird fellow in barren sky and used a trap and most my arrow atttacks.  (it parried the first 3 of my attacks and my knockdown).I agree though that things are tough enough with out getting an arrow shot parried and having to wait 1 minute or more to use that attack again. anyway I hope I'm not sounding to whiny..  I'm just trying to figure out how to make this work.  I have a lvl 62 conjuror as well, but I just cna't deal with another over the top nerf ( and yes conjs do need some adjustment  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ).I'm guessing things get a bit better once I get more of the new AP skills but I don't have them now and it is going to be a while before I can get up to the crit chance.I really think they need to reduce the chance for mobs to parry our attacks, it won't affect groups much as rangers most often shot from behind, but it is killing me solo <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.How are others fairing solo?  I solo over 50% of the time so I really need to figure this out.  Do you think LU 21 will really impact soloers much? Trying desperately to stay with it and not throw in the towel.Drevva

[Dyr]

<div></div><div></div><div>Defense makes a huge diference, our Defensive Stance is a double edged sword.</div><div> </div><div>I dual box a tanking ranger and a mystic, both level 66 now, and have tried every concievable combination of stance and weapon or weapon and shield combination. Both my stances are at adept 3 as I use them alot.</div><div> </div><div>Offensive stance still is a good boost to our damage output but does make us more like the paper tanks of eq1, we get hit alot for alot.</div><div> </div><div>Defensive stance does greatly help our avoidance but with a huge hit to our ranged and melee abilities.</div><div> </div><div>I have found that its necessary to open up a fight in offensive stance if at all possible to maximize that opening burst of damage and against solo mobs stay there and just try to wipe them before they wipe you. Heroic mobs and tougher solo mobs I try to go "no stance" once they close to melee range so as to not suffer the penalties to our melee skills. If things look bad or the mob lands some lucky nukes or I get an add then I will pop defensive stance and our dps booster and try to finish them off or ...... evac.</div><div> </div><div>Sword and shield, there are some nice shields out there, have a new one, Drelakors shield, 643 protection and 10% chance to heal for 101, NICE, with a decent weapon and shield I have found that I can stay in offensive stance with this defensive setup</div><div> </div><div>Raw defense. KoS is a treasure trove of item with + to defense and I can tell you that raw defense is pricelss. I currently am running at +15 defense in my gear, so basically at level 66 mobs hit e as if i am a level 69 ranger. I can stay in offensive stance and my gear negates the penalty to my defense. Overall I have found that gearing "defensively" and fighting in offensive stance is the best way to go, the quicker they are dead the less damage one takes, and let the gear try and save yer butt. </div><div> </div><div>Last note, not all mob are equal, 65 / 66 Heroics I duo with my ranger and mystic, some just plain wipe me out, other are trivial, its just trial and error ..... thank god fer evac ... tho .. [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] 1 minute 37 secs till refresh .... loading please wait ..........</div><p>Message Edited by Dyrks on <span class="date_text">03-19-2006</span><span class="time_text">08:31 AM</span></p>

[LoreLady]

The question isent what level is the base, its what type is the base (This goes for all abilities). If your given a 50% chance to avoid damage from a down arrowed mob, that % chance is going to be far lessened against a no arrowed mob (lets say 30%), and the scale will continue getting harder has the mob type gets harder. In t6 they made no arrow mobs the norm for fighting for resists, parry etc. I have a feeling they put our default lines around a down arrowed mob for t7. And i'll bet when the next expansion comes out (there will be another its only a matter of time), that we will be reduced to a double down arrow mob.But you know what - I welcome the challenge.

[Dyr]

<div></div><div></div><p>Interesting, sorry I don't have a definitive answer for you, would love to know myself. I have always seen (mostly likely wrong) the % as related directly to level of the mob regardless of arrow con status , the arrow con simply telling me how many hit points the mob has and how hard it hits. So if we look at avoidance, same chance to avoid an attack from any level x mob just that when they do hit, our mitigation and the relative level difference will determine how hard they hit.  </p><p>Message Edited by Dyrks on <span class="date_text">03-19-2006</span><span class="time_text">01:12 PM</span></p>