AC build analysis

[emptysands]

Some number crunching on the AC path for the three standard AC builds. Main focus is a common layout for an easier side by side comparison. I've tried to assume reasonable item layouts.

Some comments:

• There is a -4AC swing for non-WF AC/evasion builds when going from Mithral Breastplate to Dragontouch Leather.
• Non-dwarf Paladin build suffers from a lack of Armour Mastery, and lack of Tower Shield Mastery at 20.
• Epic items will likely net at least another 2 AC points.
• Grind for an AC/evasion build is greater due to DEX in additional to the same Dodge/Insight crafting grind.
• Dwarf Paladin builds generally get peak AC at each level, but non-Paladin's will also get an additional AC boost if there is a Paladin close.

As part of this I'd like to collect some comments about the various low-water (not worth while) and high-water (hit only on 20) AC marks for each explorer areas and dungeons at normal/hard/elite. ie. Over 55 AC in Gianthold is high-water.

Notes

• Rock Candy build. Updated
• Cannon Fodder build
• Jaerlach and Valhelm builds.
• QuikNdirty
• The Definitive AC Bonus Thread

Additional AC sources

• +3 Halfling (5 min max)
• +4 Boost (20 sec action boost)
• +1 Air Guard (rare)
• +4 shield wand (10 minutes) if in TWF mode

[emptysands]

Summary:

Fighter

• 9 Fighter - 56/59(blocking) with 20DEX
• 16 Fighter - 70/74 with 20DEX
• 20 Fighter - 83/88 with 22DEX
• Epic Fighter - 87/92 with 28DEX

Paladin/Fighter

• 7 Paladin/2 Fighter - 56/59 with 16DEX
• 14 Paladin/2 Fighter - 69/73 with 14DEX
• 18 Paladin/2 Fighter - 83/88 with 16DEX
• Epic Paladin - 86/91 with 20DEX

Dwarf Paladin/Figher

• 7 Paladin/2 Fighter - 58/61 with 20DEX
• 14 Paladin/2 Fighter - 72/76 with 20DEX
• 18 Paladin/2 Fighter - 86/91 with 22DEX
• Epic Dwarf Paladin - 88/92 with 24DEX or +2 if Redscale and 26 DEX

Evasion WF Fighter/Rogue

• 7 Fighter/2 Rogue - 54/57 with 22DEX or can get 55/58 with 24DEX.
• 14 Figher/2 Rogue - 70/74 with 26DEX
• 18 Figher/2 Rogue - 83/88 with 28DEX
• Epic WF Fighter/Rogue - 86/91 with 28 DEX

[emptysands]

Level 9 Fighter

10 Base
13 Mithral Full Plate +5 (MDB: 3)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
3 Protection +3
= 35

1 Stalwart Defender I
2 Stalwart Defender I stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 45

3 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
= 51

5 MDB
= 56 AC at level 9
= 59 blocking


Armour MDB 3 + 2 (AM2) = 5
Tower MDB 4 + 1 (DS1) = 5
=> 20 DEX (base dex 15 +2 tome + 3 item )

===

Level 7 Paladin/2 Fighter


10 Base
13 Mithral Full Plate +5 (MDB: 3)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
3 Protection +3
= 35

3 Paladin Bulwark of Good II
2 Defender of Siberys I stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 47

3 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
= 53

3 MDB
= 56 AC at level 9
= 59 blocking

= 58/61 if dwarf


Armour MDB 3 (no armour mastery)
Tower MDB 4 + 1 (DS1) = 5

Armour MDB 3 + 2 (dwarf mastery 2) = 5
=> 20 DEX (base dex 15 +2 tome + 3 item )


===

Level 7 Figher/2 Rogue WF

10 Base
10 mithral body/Docent +5 (MDB: 5)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
3 Protection +3
= 32

1 Stalwart Defender I
2 Stalwart Defender I stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 42

3 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
= 48

6 MDB
= 54 AC at level 9 with evasion
= 57 if blocking

=55/58 with +5 DEX RR lvl 9

Armour MDB 5 + 1 (AM1) = 7
Tower MDB 4 + 1 (DS1) +2 (TS2) = 7
=> 22 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome + 3 item +1 rogue)

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Level 16 Fighter

10 Base
15 Dragontouch Full Plate (MDB: 1)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 39

2 Stalwart Defender II
3 Stalwart Defender II stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 51

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
= 65

5 MDB
= 70 AC at level 16
= 74 blocking


Armour MDB 1 + 1 (DS2) + 3 (AM3) = 5
Tower MDB 4 + 2 (DS2) = 6
=> 20 DEX (base dex 12 +2 tome +6 item )

===

Level 14 Paladin/2 Fighter

10 Base
15 Dragontouch Full Plate (MDB: 1)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 39

4 Paladin Bulwark of Good II
3 Defender of Siberys II stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 53

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
= 67

2 MDB
= 69 AC at level 16
= 73 blocking

= 72/76 if dwarf

Armour MDB 1 + 1 (DS2) = 2
Tower MDB 4 + 2 (DS2) = 6
=> 14 DEX

Armour MDB 1 + 1 (DS2) + 2 (dwarf mastery 3) = 5
=> 20 DEX

===

Level 14 Figher/2 Rogue WF

10 Base
12 Mithral body/Dragontouch Docent (MDB: 5)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 36

2 Stalwart Defender II
3 Stalwart Defender II stance
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 48

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
= 62

8 MDB
= 70 AC at level 16 with evasion
= 74 if blocking


Armour MDB 5 + 3 (AM3) = 8
Tower MDB 4 + 2 (DS2) +2 (TS2) = 8
=> 26 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome + 6 item +1 rogue +1 exceptional)

[emptysands]

Level 20 Fighter

10 Base
15 Dragontouch Full Plate (MDB: 1)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 39

3 Stalwart Defender III
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
2 SD TOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 55

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat
4 Inspire Heroics
= 77

6 MDB
= 83 AC at level 20
= 88 blocking

= 85/90 if Dwarf with 26 DEX and DAM2+AM2+TSM1

Armour MDB 1 + 2 (DS3) + 3 (AM3) = 6
Tower MDB 4 + 3 (DS3) = 7
=> 22 DEX (base dex 14 +2 tome +6 item )

===
Level 18 Paladin/2 Fighter

10 Base
15 Dragontouch Full Plate (MDB: 1)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 39

5 Paladin Bulwark of Good IV
1 Defender of Siberys III
4 Defender of Siberys II stance
2 SOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 58

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat
4 Inspire Heroics
= 80

3 MDB
= 83 AC at level 20
= 88 blocking

= 86/91 if dwarf

Armour MDB 1 + 2 (DS3) = 3
Tower MDB 4 + 3 (DS3) = 7
=> 16 DEX

Armour MDB 1 + 2 (DS3) + 3 (dwarf mastery 3) = 6
=> 22 DEX

===
Level 18 Figher/2 Rogue WF

10 Base
12 Mithral body/Dragontouch Docent (MDB: 5)
9 Mithral Tower Shield +5 (MDB: 4)
5 Protection +5
= 36

3 Stalwart Defender III
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
2 SD TOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 52

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat.
4 Inspire Heroics
=74

9 MDB
= 83 AC at level 20 with evasion
= 88 if blocking

Armour MDB 5 + 3 (AM3) +Fludity = 9
Tower MDB 4 + 3 (DS3) +2 (TS2) = 9
=> 28 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome + 6 item +1 rogue +3 exceptional)

[emptysands]

Epic Level 20 Fighter

10 Base
16 Epic Red Dragon Scale Amour (MDB: 2)
9 Epic Kundarak Warding Shield +7 (MDB: -)
5 Protection +5
= 40

3 Stalwart Defender III
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
2 SD TOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 56

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat
4 Inspire Heroics
= 78

9 MDB
= 87 AC at epic
= 92 blocking

Armour MDB 2 + 2 (DS3) + 3 (AM3) +2 (blue epic) = 9
=> 28 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome +7 item +3 exceptional)

===
Epic Level 18 Paladin/2 Fighter

10 Base
16 Epic Vambraces of Inner Light +7 (MDB: 1)
9 Epic Kundarak Warding Shield +7 (MDB: -)
5 Protection +5
= 40

5 Paladin Bulwark of Good IV
1 Defender of Siberys III
4 Defender of Siberys II stance
2 SOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 59

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat
4 Inspire Heroics
= 81

5 MDB
= 86 AC at epic
= 91 blocking

= 88/93 if dwarf +2 with Redscale and 26 DEX

Armour MDB 3 + 2 (DS3) = 5
=> 20 DEX (base dex 12 +2 tome + 6 item )

Armour MDB 1 + 2 (DS3) + 3 (dwarf mastery 3) = 7
=> 24 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome +6 item)

===
Level 18 Figher/2 Rogue WF

10 Base
15 Mithral body/Epic Red Dragonscale Docent +7 (MDB: 5)
9 Epic Kundarak Warding Shield +7 (MDB: -)
5 Protection +5
= 39

3 Stalwart Defender III
4 Stalwart Defender III stance
2 SD TOD Set
2 Chaosguard
5 CE
= 55

5 Barkskin
2 Recitation
1 Haste
4 Insight +4
2 Alchemical
3 Dodge +3
1 Dodge feat.
4 Inspire Heroics
=77

9 MDB
= 86 AC at level epic with evasion
= 91 if blocking

Armour MDB 5 + 3 (AM3) +Fludity = 9
=> 28 DEX (base dex 16 +2 tome + 7 item +1 rogue +2 exceptional)

=> +2 AC if 32DEX with +2MDB (blue slot) and +3 tome or litany