Brawlers get built-in shields.

[Ripper76]

<DIV> <HR> Patch Notes:<BR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <P>*** Headlines ***<BR><BR></P> <P>- Tons of new quests, mostly for solo players!<BR>- Two new dungeons available for groups at levels 25 to 30!<BR>- Character Differentiation choices have been reset for all characters. See details below.<BR>- New Character Differentiation option: Training!<BR>- Lots of artisan recipe and ability fixes!<BR>- Eat healthy! New examine information added to explain the benefits of food and drink!<BR>- Brawlers get built-in shields!<BR>- Guild followers can spend the status they earn at city merchants!<BR>- Now easier to equip rings, wrist items, and weapons!<BR>- Slash that dot! Maps now show your current heading!<BR>- Lots of UI tweaks and enhancements!<BR>- More bug fixes than you can shake a moss snake at!<BR> <HR> <P></P> <P>I wonder how this shield is/will be? <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> It sounds rather cool if you ask me. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Since whatever effects the brawler really effects us as bruisers. </P></DIV></DIV>

[Gestalt79]

<DIV>Brawlers get the equivalent of having a buckler equiped, and Bruisers/Monks get equivalent of a round shield permamently.  How it'll work in practice is another matter.  If it works to about 85-90% of equiping about the best shield at that level range, I'd be completely happy with change.  If it's like equiping a green/blue standard shield, I'll be less thrilled but unsurprised.</DIV>

[Poland]

<DIV>I got to play for  a lil while before servers went back down.  I was seriously thinking that I would notice a bigger improvement in my defense.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am soloing stuff in Enchanted land.  29 Bruiser.  I raomed the beech and one hill doing turtles and beetles.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have done this for the last few days so I know how much I can take from them.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Just a guess but I dont think there is even a 10% improvement in my damage taking.  Just a guesstimate really.  No hard numbers.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At first I felt like I was the same exactly, but after several kills it seemed that I was a lilttle..very little, bit tougher.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Just my findings so far.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Peace</DIV>

[Gestalt79]

<DIV>Yah, i soloed some green groups I normally could.  Didn't notice any difference, infact, I seemed to get hit by mobs a few times a fight that would all but never touch me before.  Course I'm 19, haven't 'gotten' my round shield yet, just a buckler.  I did till a mob I hadn't done before, but never really tried either.  Took 2 shots at it, first was close.  Second I switched to 2hb and had almost 2 bubbles left.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Conclusion:  Good 2hb over 1 orange, 1 blue DW setup.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dunno how much the shield helped in the outcomes, if at all.</DIV>

[Windy]

<DIV>Equipping a shield had two effects:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It was a shield, and gave you a shield modifier based on type - Buckler, Round Shield, Kite Shild, Tower Shield.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This modifier effected your block chance, so you blocked more often.  More blocked attacks = less damage.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The second effect was that of an item.  Shields had armor class, or shield factor, which is the same as armor class.  A good round should gave a nice BIG boost to armor class, as well as increasing stats.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What they did was give us the first part, without the second part.  We will now block attacks as often as we would have had we been using a round shield, but we don't get any additional armor class for actually equipping it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>All in all the net effect is actually a down grade.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I did some damage parsing, and the difference in offensive abilities when comparing duel wield to one hand and shield is very minor, not really all that much.  The increase in defense when using a shield was MAJOR.  Hits did less damage, and more hits were blocked.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now we don't have to sacrifice any damage to get the extra blocking, but when you're tanking, the extra armor class DID matter, quite a bit.</DIV>

[Jezekie]

Pretty certain the AC on shields was is for cosmetic reasons, and that the shield factor is the only thing that matters, since the shields didn't provide mitigation but only a higher block rate (shield factor), have yet to see otherwise proven though.

[Windy]

<DIV>No, they definitly added armor class, that definitly reduced damage.  I've used a shield extensively, and I could tell the difference, even without a damage parser (which confirmed it)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Shield factor is something left over from beta.  It used to be something different, but they changed it, and now shields give their bonus based on type rather than raw quality, and the shield factor increases your armor class.  Some shields say AC, some say SF.  It's the same thing, they just didn't change the name thats printed on the description is all.</DIV>

[QQ-Fatman]

<DIV>Bruisers and monks' build-in shields didnt come with the patch today actually. I just tried, my bruiser can still use a buckler...</DIV>

[Windy]

<DIV>I lost my ability to use shields earliar.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Edit: seems I still have an 85 buckler skill, so I can use weak shields but not much else.</DIV><p>Message Edited by Windy99 on <span class=date_text>01-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>07:38 PM</span>

[BronxJo]

<DIV>Lvl 20 here, I tested with the same mobs I was treadmilling all week and noticed NO defensive improvements. I was and am finishing with the same health as I was before in my encounters. Can't tell at all if they've embedded a shield up my backside.</DIV>

[Raidi Sovin'faile]

<DIV>I don't see why we'd need to do any testing... here's the cold hard facts:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is what was stated:</DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000><STRONG>Increased</STRONG> monk and bruiser <STRONG>Deflection</STRONG> to provide the equivalent of always having a round shield equipped.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>My Deflection before the patch was 144.</DIV> <DIV>My Deflection after the patch is 144.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nothing was changed. They took away Round Shields a little while back, and I still have my crap skill in Buckler. Deflection was NOT changed.</DIV> <DIV>There was no difference whatsoever for our Deflection ability after the patch.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A lot of things were screwed up in the implementation of the patch (see Moorgard's response to spell timers... smite and grey wind are NOT supposed to be on the same timer), so it's not a surprise if this wasn't pushed through properly either.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I just hope the Developers have recognized this. Good thing Moorgard plays a Bruiser in live.. doesn't he? So he'll notice it right away at least.. won't he?</DIV>

[roarfrost]

<DIV>Todays mini-patch:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><EM><FONT color=#0099ff>- Removed the Buckler and Round Shield skills from monks and bruisers.</FONT></EM><BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Not even Buckler any more. And I never noticed an increase in my Deflcetion skill either. This is just a nerf.</DIV> <DIV>The shield was a nice tactical item to use during certain times. Gone now. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Patch notes: <A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=stat&message.id=49" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=stat&message.id=49</A></DIV>

[Drexel]

<DIV>They removed the skills...that means you can't actually equip a sheild anymore.  Yesterday, for some silly reason, your skills allowed you to still equip some sheilds.  This just fixes that...the deflection skill addition to be equivalent to having a sheild shoule still be there...if they did indeed put it in...One of the previous posters said his skill had not moved post patch?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Slie</DIV>

[Jezekie]

I still don't see the change. And yes our skills have remained the same so that's not what was intended to change I guess.

[Yayar]

My tanking skills seemed to have gone up drastically. Green double up cons used to totally own me, and now I can take them out without too much problem, sometimes going the whole battle without getting hit once.

[Jamboman]

<DIV>hmm i feel that i can now tank better, i have never used a sheild, i dont feel that it goes with my character, and now i seem to take less damage with my duel fighting sticks. i'm loving it!! </DIV>

[Moski]

<DIV>i am playing on Valor (German Server) and we havent got the patch so far.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>my question on the Bruisers on US Server:  did the build-in Shield raise ur AC? od do u only block more often now?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>thanks for answers.</DIV>

[Drexel]

<DIV>From what I have seen you don't get an AC boost, you just get the increased chances of blocking that a shield would provide.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>S~</DIV>