Do any of you secretly have AC?

[HumanJHawkins]

So, I have a really good AC build fighter. I was thinking of making a counterpart Barbarian with no AC and everything geared toward maximum damage.

I know almost no barbarians have a great AC. but is it important to have some AC, to the extent that if I make a bit of a joke no-AC build, he will not be playable?

What are your high and low barbarian ACs?

Thanks!

[Lithic]

So, I have a really good AC build fighter. I was thinking of making a counterpart Barbarian with no AC and everything geared toward maximum damage.

I know almost no barbarians have a great AC. but is it important to have some AC, to the extent that if I make a bit of a joke no-AC build, he will not be playable?

What are your high and low barbarian ACs?

Thanks!

I have a friend who was proud to hit 6 AC (yes, SIX). His barb was pretty good to have around as well, as long as there was a healbot nearby of course

[MrCow]

I have a friend who was proud to hit 6 AC (yes, SIX).

One of these days I will consult a barbarian like this to see if it is possible to have negative AC (base 10, -1 from 8 DEX, -2 from Barbarian Rage, -2 from Rage Spell, -4 from Destruction, subtract up to 4 more for DEX damage).

[pepsi36]

Negative AC is possible. It has been tested.

[Angelus_dead]

One of these days I will consult a barbarian like this to see if it is possible to have negative AC (base 10, -1 from 8 DEX, -2 from Barbarian Rage, -2 from Rage Spell, -4 from Destruction, subtract up to 4 more for DEX damage).

Oh, you're out of date. It's a lot easier to get negative AC after barb AC was nerfed in module 7. It's not just -2 anymore. My barb gets -6; 2 base, and I suppose 2 from Power Rage and 2 more from Hardy Rage.

Arguably this change improves game balance, but until it's documented under the enhancements it's still buggy.

[binnsr]

lets see .. my barb has:
10 base
6 dex
1 dodge feat
4 madstone
1 size (she's short)
2 tempest
-4 double rage
1 Haste
= 21 most of the time..
+4 Reaver Necklace
+1 grown-up Barkskin
+4 pocket Pally
+4 Inspire Heroism
+2 Recitation
+4 Shroud Insight Weapon (yeah right)
= 40 best case scenario
+6 Improved Uncanny Dodge
= 46 for a few 20 second intervals..

so yeah... she really doesn't have much AC at all..
I suppose that she could throw on the MFP that's in the bank and be at a 34 / 53 / 59
She could throw on a shield and add +5 to that (lose the tempest +2) for 39 / 58 / 65 but then I'd be losing a significant percentage of her DPS..

At endgame, the 21 is about the same as the 39 .. and realistically, the buffed number there would still only be 45 - again, at or below endgame mobs to-hit ranges..

[Beherit_Baphomar]

My barb has bout 16 AC....

[MrCow]

Negative AC is possible. It has been tested.

Thank you for letting me know.

Oh, you're out of date.

I simply omitted it as I didn't want to include something that is potentially bugged compared to stuff that is known to work as intended.

[Drwaz99]

I run my barb around in robes. I can't get the AC to were it really matters anyways (with a max STR and CON THF build), but I can free up slots with the modifications that come on robes. I find I am no more of a mana sponge than any other barb, maybe less so since I quite often switch out to Speakblock or AxeBlock robes. There are just so many more choices!

[Gunga]

I run my barb around in robes. I can't get the AC to were it really matters anyways (with a max STR and CON THF build), but I can free up slots with the modifications that come on robes. I find I am no more of a mana sponge than any other barb, maybe less so since I quite often switch out to Speakblock or AxeBlock robes. There are just so many more choices!

Why would you use DR robes when you have innate DR?

[BlackSteel]

16-22 AC most of the time, sometimes in raids he'll get bumped up to above 30, still completely useless

personally I like using the extra reach, the DoD, and the DQ bracers to kill the need for a pocket healbot. The negative effect of the DQ bracers is offset by being WF, a 1% chance of neg lvl isnt so bad when its the only means that will hit you, and very rarely will it happen more than once between shrines. Only time I take it off is for the pit fiend or Sulu tanking. Clerics have enough to worry about in there w/o some idiot yelling out RESTORE PLZ ^^.

[Roman]

At first my build was totally min-maxed for damage. I have since moved enhancements and equipment around and I am now 50 AC Base - 60 AC Buffed with 50% Healing amplification. I dont even notice the small loss in DPS, but the extra AC and healing friendliness has proven to be a huge improvement.

[Averroes]

What are your high and low barbarian ACs?

Thanks!

I ran with 8-ish AC for most of my barb's career. Including leveling him up, almost entirely without clerics.

Before they broke the AC penalty for rage (currently it is an additional -1 AC for each rank of power rage, so potentially -6 AC total from barb rage and -2 more from a rage pot), he wore mithral full plate for a while, resulting in the following AC breakdown:

10 base
13 mfp
5 dex (2 dwarven AM)
5 deflection
3/4 natural
3 dodge (chattering ring)
=39/40
4 shield clicky/titan cookie
6 uncanny dodge
-2 rage
1 haste
=48/49
2/1 ranger
4 pally
2 cleric (recitation)
=56
4 bard
=60
(5 madstone shield)
=65

So if I want to I can maintain between 54 and 60 AC in nearly full DPS mode with an appropriately min-maxed raid group (down 2 str from the rage pot I didn't drink -- every time I post this breakdown, someone tells me I'm not in DPS mode b/c I haven't included a rage pot... Gee darn, my strength is 42 or 44 instead of 44 or 46.).


Of course, even with all that gear and all those buffs, AC is still only your 3rd best way of mitigating damage. Best is inducing physics misses -- don't stand in front of things... 2nd best is DR boost/bramble casters/tons of stoneskin clickies (I have 6, so 1 before each rage but my last one...).

[Thrudh]

I'm not a pure barbarian so maybe I don't count...

But my 10/4/2 Barbarian/Fighter/Ranger can switch between DPS mode (greataxe and fully raged) and intimitank mode (tower shield and vorpal or insight weapon)...

10 Base
13 +5 MFP
9 +5 MTS
5 Protection item
3 Barkskin (Seal of Earth or Potion)
5 Dexterity (this requires Armor Mastery I from both Dwarf and my Fighter levels, and Tower Shield Mastery I)
5 CE

50 AC

Now a pure barbarian will probably won't have CE or Tower Shield Mastery I so 43/44 unbuffed is probably the best you can get without raid loot... Probably not worth it for a pure barbarian..

My 50 is decent, but not great.... BUT... usually one is buffed.... With haste, a full barkskin, and recitation, my AC jumps to 55... AND I can use the Uncanny Dodge for another 6 AC for 30 seconds...

Now, can I tank the main bosses??? Nope... But 30 seconds is plenty of time for the Shroud Part 2, and Part 4.... You get a whole mess of monsters, I turtle up, jump to 61 AC (more if a paladin is around), intimidate, and all the bad guys are swinging at me and missing... by the time the 30 seconds is up, most of them are dead, and party wasn't hurt at all...

That IS useful...

I also like being able to run many quests (even Vale quests) without a cleric because I can get my AC high enough to matter... 45 is pretty good for most quests... 50 makes a real difference....

Now, I hope to someday get a Chattering Ring (+3), and I'm close to getting my Insight Shroud weapon (+4)... Those, along with the alchemical bonuses to shield and armor will get me to 59 AC unbuffed, 64 with common buffs, and 68 with a bard song, and suddenly I'm high enough to tank even the end-raids if needed... I'm really excited by the next level increase, because I'll get the Barbarian Intimidate enhancement which causes everything I initimidate to be shaken... That's a pretty powerful AOE debuff... the equivalent of giving me (and everyone else) another +2 AC.

Or... I can pull out the Mineral II greataxe and go all DPS instead



Now a pure barbarian with the Chattering Ring and an Insight Shroud weapon and the alchemical bonus to armor COULD reach what I have today...

10 Base
13 +5 MFP
9 +5 MTS
5 Protection item
3 Barkskin (Seal of Earth or Potion)
3 Dexterity
3 Chattering Ring
4 Insight Shroud weapon
1 Alchemical bonus

51 AC unbuffed

And like I said, that 51 AC (especially with extra buffs, and a Uncanny Dodge boost) IS useful.... But it's a lot of work and requires some hard to find raid gear.

So, unless you splash some fighter, and pick up CE (doubtful you have the 13 Int required unless you planned the build from the start), it's probably best to just maximize DPS as a pure barbarian and not worry about AC