So is anybody working their AAs to get the increased blocking?

[Lairdragna]

Our guild has two main raid tanks that seem to have taken an interest in playing their alts mostly in groups... this means the guild's crusaders are actually spending more time tanking heroic instances and quest groups.  Yay for me, although I admit, I really have never cared much for tanking.  I do it just fine, I just don't care for it much.  Always prefered to be an offtank or even better, solo... but that is neither here nor there.In any event, I am completely T7 fabled on my left side, a couple pieces of relic, the rest Labs, Lyceum and DT drops.  My right side is a mix of T7 fabled and Claymore rewards.  I have two fabled block adornments, 400 health and 400 power on the helmet and shoulders, my Ascendent has a power drain proc, my shield is getting the damage shield adornment, earring has the intelligence adornment, forearms an agility adornment.  Overall my mit has dropped a little as I swapped out some gear that seems less important... light chitin ring for example, Draconic Deflector was replaced with Shield of Wurms for the better stats and overall resists.  I find with the increased agility, defense and the blocking adornments I am getting hit less and the healers seem to be having an easier time.  The mit doesn't seem to be missed much.  The increased stats, especially the intelligence, have helped up my dps.  Resists are definitely a bonus.  I'm pretty happy here.So I'm trying to figure out how to balance my AAs.  I wanted wrath line for when I solo, our groups tend to be overboard on dps... so when tanking I'm not worried about doing the damage.  However, I'm wondering if the line that ends in the 24% increase to blocking would be the way to go for grouping with the rest of the points going into say healing and buffing for raids, which seems to be the only real role for me in raids.  I do occassionally offtank when we split an encounter, and if the MT drops I have successfully managed to hold the named until he is rezzed and rebuffed and able to retake the mob if its not already dead.  But these occassions are few and far between.In essence I'm trying to balance for a playstyle that has me 60% of the time tanking instances, 25% of the time offtanking and playing support in raids, and maybe 15% of the time soloing.Opinions?<div></div>

[Caetrel]

Ironically our deficiency as tanks has shifted from mit to avoidance.  I think the block AA is a no brainer, unless you plan to never, ever tank.  Without the 1% wrist adornment yet my avoidance is 52.5% using Qeynos Guard and with 420 defense.  The block AA gives me about 3% of that.  And block is the best type of avoidance we can get.  Totally worth it.   That still  leaves 29 AA to play with in heals and wrath.  <div></div>

[Lairdragna]

We need to get in and kill Tarinax soon for my Qeynos Guard.  I'm hovering around 48% avoidance self buffed.  I think there might be a slot or two left where I can place another agility adornment, I know my chest slot can take 6 to all stats, if I find a good bracelet with defense on it I can place another block adornment on it, but right now one of those slots has the Claymore bracelet with 30 agility and 7 defense.  Not sure I can do much better there.  I guess I can lose the mana tap on the weapon and go for a defense adornment, I can place a manatap on another weapon for soloing... maybe on Frostwrath.<div></div>

[Caetrel]

There is a +14 parry adornment for forearms, I do have that.    Armorer makes it, no idea what it's called though.  <div></div>

[Majorminor]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Caetrel wrote:<BR>There is a +14 parry adornment for forearms, I do have that.    Armorer makes it, no idea what it's called though.  <BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I ahve the plus +version atm, though the name escapes me atm as well

[Kaleyen]

I tank in PvP and groups, I will never be a raid tank and I am NOT going down the Hero line for increase in block. Waste of AA for me when my points can be spent elsewhere. <div></div>

[Caetrel]

I am PVE, I imagine the final wrath AOE is too good to pass up in pvp huh? <div></div>

[Kaleyen]

<blockquote><hr>Caetrel wrote:I am PVE, I imagine the final wrath AOE is too good to pass up in pvp huh? <div></div><hr></blockquote>Lol yup!  Specially if you're in a PvP guild.<div></div>

[Boethius_Permafrost]

If you have this, can you verify that blocking can go over 20%?  It is viewable in the mouseover info for the avoidance number.  I have 19.9% blocking now, and I have heard about a cap.<div></div>

[Wulfborne]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Boethius_Permafrost wrote:<BR>If you have this, can you verify that blocking can go over 20%?  It is viewable in the mouseover info for the avoidance number.  I have 19.9% blocking now, and I have heard about a cap.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Yes. I tested it in beta and got my block up to 24% total. A dev also stated that the ability <U>would</U> increase above the cap.</P> <P>~Sir Hawke Holyblayde, Hero of Maj'Dul</P>

[Daydeee]

<P>From text and the 3% response from some one with it, this isn't a raw 24% added to block, this is makes your shield factor of your shield 24% better... I guess I mis read it... people always seemed to cut off the actual effect of aa's, and only list descriptions...</P> <P>"Your ability to block incomming attacks is <STRONG>significantly</STRONG> increased" <BR>no its not, my shield is 24% bigger, my ability to block incomming attacks improves by 3%</P> <P>Qeynos Guard</P> <P>Protection - 1313 *1.25= 1641.25 difference 328.25 is  which what 3.4% ?</P> <P>mind you this does mean that evey time you get a better shield, your block bonus will increase...</P> <P>  3.5% ?? whats significant about this?</P><p>Message Edited by Daydeee on <span class=date_text>11-22-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:25 AM</span>

[Kaleyen]

3.5% is our Tanking AA...yeah we're grabbing at straws but we're meant to think that we should just be thankful that there are straws there to begin with. <div></div>

[Canel]

<DIV>is not the wrath line end (the huge aoe) also against regular mobs (PVE clockworks/other not-undead)</DIV>

[Caetrel]

There is no hard cap on block %, that's a fact.  The AA will put you up over 20% no prob with QG or other t7 fabled 1300ish shields. <div></div>

[Caetrel]

[Removed for Content] they nerfed that forearm adorn from 14 parry to just 7.  <div></div>

[Lairdragna]

thread in the transmuter forum in the artisan section, rip into them! <div></div>

[holypaladin28]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Caetrel wrote:<BR>I am PVE, I imagine the final wrath AOE is too good to pass up in pvp huh?<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>OH YAH nothing like soloing two blues with it and killing them like nothing happened.  love casing it when i get the first guy in yellow and then 9/10 times dead  13 more aa and i will have the INT aa node and the spell crit node maxed

[equinoxio]

Im going for the block AA, basicly because I want to tank better, that's my job and im not planning on being anything else, im ST for my guild, and for me the mit has gone through a lot of changes, dunno but I think avo is a lot more important now, since getting to the mit cap is really dificult.

[Lairdragna]

Here is my take on things... My mit pre-EoF was around 4900 self-buffed, I could break 5k, but at the expense of stats and I wasn't willing to make the tradeoff.  Post-EoF release my same gear had around 4700 mit, and I was getting hit a lot harder.  I lost some of the mit items (light chitin rings, swapped the draconic deflector out for shield of wurms) and ended up around 4400 mit.  My avoidance however is much higher with defense, agility and the new block and parry adornments.  Even though my mit is considerably less than it was in a raw number, the percentage mitigation dropped minimally... I think I might mitigate 2% less, but my avoidance is up around 6-7% IIRC.  I haven't even gotten to the block AA yet.  So yes, the proper balance seems to be a mix around mid 4k mitigation and avoidance in the upper 40s or higher when group buffed.<div></div>

[EvilIguana9]

Avoidance is calculated by multiplying the chance each avoidance ability gives you to BE hit.  In other words, it goes as follows:chance to avoid attack = 1 - [ (1-block chance) * (1 - deflection chace) * (1 - base chance) * (1 - parry chance) ]So let's say you have 15% block, 10% parry, 20% base, and of course 0% deflection (only brawlers get deflection).  The math is  x = 1 -  [ (1 - .15)(1 - .2)(1 - .1)                     x = 1 - (.85 * .8 * .9 )                     x = 1 - .612                     x = .388  Or 38.8% avoidance.  If you took the 24% increase in block chance you'd multiply the block chance by 1.24.  The result would be 41.3 % avoidance.  <div></div>

[Daydeee]

<P><BR>Did they buff this ability at all or did they just reword it so it sounded more impressive...</P><p>Message Edited by Daydeee on <span class=date_text>11-24-2006</span> <span class=time_text>07:14 PM</span>

[Rocksthemic]

Seems to me they reworded it so it sounds more impressive. Also.... does anyone know if block works like avoidance? Because atm, avoidance is what you would have against a solo, no up arrow, even con mob. If the blocking works the same way, this AA would be worse than useless. I ask because I got the shield finally, and was halfway thinking about going down the hero line specifically for this ability, but if the ability only increases block chance by approx 3%, it's not worth it by any stretch, imo. <div></div>

[hawsecav19d]

<DIV>It increases your block by 24%  but that only equals 3% avoidence. With augments, good shield, AA, against epics getting hit 3-4% less often might not seem like alot but if you ask someone if 3-4% mits makes a diff they claim its huge so go figure.</DIV>

[Immuen]

<DIV>  I got the block AA.  Lookin at my avoidence these things changed:  total avoidence was 6300 went to 6803 after the AA, Based was 29.7% to 30.0%, block went 19.9% to 24.7%.  That's with the Draconic Deflector.</DIV>

[Seomon]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Immuen wrote:<BR> <DIV>  I got the block AA.  Lookin at my avoidence these things changed:  total avoidence was 6300 went to 6803 after the AA, Based was 29.7% to 30.0%, block went 19.9% to 24.7%.  That's with the Draconic Deflector.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>My base did not go up. My numbers aren't as high as yours either, so I didn't see as big of an increase, but since it's a percent of the total number, it will help out a lot more the better gear you have, which is kinda nice and an incentive to get better crap.

[Immuen]

<DIV>  I suppose, I am in relic or better and that probably makes a huge difference.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Monfar]

I have the block AA and I think I'll just put on a cloth robe and put Resolute faith on a real tank.

[Caetrel]

Grouped with a dirge and warden I have 65% avoidance (no cloth needed).  That is with adornments, but I am wearing all KoS gear except a couple legendary EoF drops that give + defense.  Don't underestimate the block AA, it is all that. <div></div>

[Inferno22]

hrmm interesting is the warden the best healer class for avoidance?  what is their buff that adds to avoidance?  As far as EoF AAs go I think the most useful is the wrath line down to smite evil... as this will help with our dps and keeping aggro.  I am not sure if i should do the hero line or the heal line so this thread helps a lot.  I guess if i did 20 in wrath and hero plus the two end abilities i would still have 8 points left over some some heal cast time and mana reduction.... heh it'd be kinda nice if they just let us keep building AA

[Caetrel]

<div></div>They just have a big agility boost.  Mytic's have avatar which also gives a boost to agility (and str/ sta).  IIRC Temps, Inquisitors, Defilers, Furies can do nada for avoidance. Another thing to note is that troub's have a defense song that we all forgot about until now- the Def cap went from 420 to 455.  <div></div><p>Message Edited by Caetrel on <span class=date_text>12-03-2006</span> <span class=time_text>11:52 AM</span>

[Inferno22]

ahhh so the cap on def is 455 now... thanks

[Boli32]

<div><blockquote><hr>Caetrel wrote:<div></div>They just have a big agility boost.  Mytic's have avatar which also gives a boost to agility (and str/ sta).  IIRC Temps, Inquisitors, Defilers, <font color="#ffff00">Furies can do nada for avoidance</font>. Another thing to note is that troub's have a defense song that we all forgot about until now- the Def cap went from 420 to 455.  <div></div><p>Message Edited by Caetrel on <span class="date_text">12-03-2006</span> <span class="time_text">11:52 AM</span></p><hr></blockquote>Depends on the group setup... sometimes I cast Agitate on the MT to get that extra bit of avoidance on the MT for particulally hard pulls M1 (Agitate = +85 STR/AGI) By contract a warden's group b uffs only add + 66 (AD3)... on average a warden will add more defensive buffs but if a fury wishes they can add a chunk of AGI if needed.On  the whole though I woudl say dicth your light chiten rings in favour of dark chiten... the +5 defence will add more tanking ability that +100 mit. espcially if your mitigation is already high.</div>

[Caetrel]

I got corrected by one of our furies today lol. And yah, light chitin rings are too good.  The avoidance changes in the new system have made me ditch some fabled gear to equip 2 dark chitin rings and a dragonscale bracelet.  Woohoo going backwards! <div></div>

[Lairdragna]

Yeah its funny, before you couldn't give Dark Chitin rings away, now they are better than light chitin...<div></div>