[infernus006]

You guys really need to get some things straight.  I never said that everyone who uses the buckler line is an idiot.  I'm not even saying that the buckler line is a bad one to take.  What I am saying is that it's totally idiotic to say that every zerker in the game is required to take the STA line or they will be worthless.  I'm talking about people who say stuff such as any zerker that isn't buckler specced needs to be shot and crap like that which has been said on this board in every single thread that dares to question the worth of the almighty buckler line.  If that was really true then they would have nerfed that stupid line a long time ago.  If the STA line really guaranteed that you would never lose aggro ever again and still have the same level of survivability as with a tower shield do you really think that SOE would not pick up on that and nerf the hell out of it?  If so you are kidding yourself.  None of the AA lines were ever meant to make or break your toon to begin with.  The different choices are there for a reason, so you can have a choice, not to be forced into one thing or another in order to be able to even play your toon at all.  People on this board who talk about the STA line like it is the end all and be all of our class have really lost sight of reality IMO.  It's not like anyone else except for Zerkers really gives a [I cannot control my vocabulary] about it.  It's not like you will be kicked out of a group for not having it.  That's all I'm really trying to say here.  Plus there's the fact fact that I simply refuse to use the buckler line on a matter of principal.  I don't want to use a effing buckler, period.  And guess what?  I don't need to.  All of you who continue to use it against your will just because you think you can't live without out are sending SOE the wrong message, you are saying that you support the idea of using a buckler and now so many use it they are probably afraid to nerf it and make the other lines better because of fear of backlash because so many people have become so dependent on it.  But it's not like you really can't play without it because I do it every day and I have little problems holding aggro and I can still solo just fine.  I was solo farming most of the heroic names in SOS at level 70 without a buckler and I have had no problem whatsoever soloing my way to level 80 in RoK without it and I can tank all of the instances just fine without it too.  I've also heard that a lot of the tanks who are buckler specced will still switch to using a tower shield on tough names.  So they basically disable an entire line of their class tree whenever they are faced with anything of a real challenge.  So it really seems kind of pointless to me to even bother with it because then the only thing it's actually good for is trash.  Who cares?  It's not like you really need the DPS buffs from that line to kill trash and you obviously don't need it for names either since the hindrance to your survivability is too great.  But hey, if you are happy with it good for you, just don't put others down for using different lines is all I'm asking.

You said you didn't care about maximizing your DPS.  This is foolish.

Actually I don't mind maximizing my DPS at all I'm just not going to use a buckler to do it and I'm not going to sacrifice other abilities that I think are more useful to me to get it either.  If you want to sacrifice your survivability for more DPS and more aggro you go right ahead because that is exactly what the STA, INT, and STR lines are for.  Personally, if I felt that I really had a problem with holding aggro then I would go with the STR line and get the extra crits and the passive hate buff before I would go with the buckler but so far I have not even felt the need to do that.  The buckler line is the very last one I would ever take and like I said if there ever comes a day when I have no choice but to use the buckler in order to keep aggro properly that is the day when my Zerker which has been my main for the last 2 years will be retired.  Fortunately as long as I'm grouped with people that know what they're doing and have at least 1 good hate buffing class (and it's not like they're hard to find these days) I have very little trouble holding aggro in high DPS groups.  If you want to use the buckler just so you can keep aggro 100% of the time with your auto-attack without a support class in gimped pickup groups full of newbs who don't know how to use their detaunts and from brawlers who can't control themselves you go right ahead but that is not for me.  SOE has purposefully created a need in this game for all non-tank classes to be responsible for their aggro generation and that is why all of the high DPS classes get detaunts or hate transfer abilities and most of the support classes get hate buffs to put on the MT to help them even more not to mention all of the hate proccing gear that's been made available in RoK.  All of this is taken into consideration when they decide how much hate any tank is going to be allowed to create all by themselves, they have no choice but to.  SOE has it fixed where tanks are not capable of holding aggro all by themselves like it or not and you are going to need help with it no matter what you do simply because they don't want it being overpowered and they want aggro management to be a part of the challenge in all encounters.  Hence, there is no all-powerful AA line that's ever going to eliminate that challenge altogether and if that is what the STA line really does then it is going to get nerfed sooner or later and then where will you be?  You'll be crying nerf and threatening to cancel your account, I'm sure.  Meh.

While you can use a tower shield and get the wis line for max defense... it isn't the worst thing you could do... but why would you?

The real question is why wouldn't you?  I don't use the buckler line because I don't want to and I don't need to.  If you're a tanking Zerker that can keep aggro without the buckler line...why take the buckler line?  If you're in a group that has a hate buffer and DPS that knows how to deaggro and still put out then what good is the buckler really doing for you?  IMO it's not doing anything at that point except having a placebo effect.  It is no secret that most tanks who choose the buckler line only do so because they can't or don't think they can keep aggro without it.  But once you find out that you can then there is no real point to it and then you are just gimping yourself because no one really cares about your DPS anyway.  And as for soloing, if you are able to kill every single mob without the buckler that any same-level Zerker can with it then who really gives a [I cannot control my vocabulary] about the buckler except you?  No one, that's who.

On an aside: Infernus, have you ever tried the buckler spec?

No.  I have been tempted to try it but in order to do so I would have to waste money on a decent buckler or waste time farming for one that will be sub-par to my tower shield and then waste more money on an adornment for it plus waste one of my respecs for it and then another if I don't like it and want to change back and the simple fact of the matter is I don't have such a horrible time holding aggro without the buckler that I feel the need to bother with all that and I can still tank and solo just fine with the setup I have now.  I am still playing the game, I'm still finding groups, I'm still clearing zones, and I am still having fun with my Zerker without the stinking buckler in RoK at level 80.  Like I said, if I really had a problem with holding aggro to the point where I was no longer able to function as a tank then I would go with the STR line, not the STA line, and so far I don't think I even need to do that.  I still get plenty of complements on my tanking skills and my aggro holding abilities nonetheless in groups that still put out plenty of DPS to get the job done and I have found that I can survive very well so that is good enough for me.  By the way if you not have seen any of the fabled RoK tower shields yet I think you may seriously regret taking the STA line when you do because so far I have not seen any bucklers that come even close to their uberness.