Best near end game armor to shoot for on my barbarian

[Bolo_Grubb]

Go ahead and suggest epics, such as marilith's chain, but I know that will be a long time coming. So more like best armor for level 16-20.

My horc barbarian is currently level 14, almost 15. Right now he is wearing the crimson chain from the lordmarch' plaza series. He has no AC to speak of and never will. He is a 32 point build and I am not likely to TR him.

Dragontouch is an option of course, but not sure what effects I want on that yet. Maybe a couple of damage guards or earth grab, any suggestions?

Is there other armor I should be looking at? Is the crimson chain worth sticking with until epics?

Thank you

[Khumbaaba]

I don't run a barb, but my pally takes damage like one. I also used the crimson chain until just recently, lvl 16-18 or so. ATM I'm finding that guards increase survivability greatly, especially stuff like life/demon shield on the calvary plate (esp. epic). The higher lvl stuff is mithral, so I think a barb could use it.

[unbongwah]

Maybe the Cavalry plate from Crystal Cove for Resistance +4/5, Greater False Life, & Demonic Shield? Make the tier-1 lvl 16 version to use when you hit 16; the extra AC & DR from the tier-2 & 3 vers. are useless to you, so no need to waste the resources. Then try to make a tier-3 lvl 20 version for endgame which gives you Superior False Life and a blue augment slot (not sure what to use it for, though). Pair with a Seeker +6 pirate hat / Minos Legens and Greater Bold Trinket / Bloodstone (depending on whether you want max DPS or max HPs).

[Khanyth]

Dragontouched is the way to go.

Mine is a heal amp 20%, resists +5, and destruction. I love it. But a lot of others that I know have multiple sets.

[NinjaNeed]

Dragontouched is the way to go.

Mine is a heal amp 20%, resists +5, and destruction. I love it. But a lot of others that I know have multiple sets.

This is a good idea, but a big problem is that you will more than likely get Leviks Bracers before changing out your armour, so the 20% healing amp is useless. However you could just change it out for something else.

Resistance 5 helps MASSIVELY on a barb. Destruction is an ok guard but not great, try for earthgrab for auto crits.

But as mentioned earlier then CC event armour is excellent, but will be very hard for you to get at such a low level.

[Khanyth]

This is a good idea, but a big problem is that you will more than likely get Leviks Bracers before changing out your armour, so the 20% healing amp is useless. However you could just change it out for something else.

Resistance 5 helps MASSIVELY on a barb. Destruction is an ok guard but not great, try for earthgrab for auto crits.

But as mentioned earlier then CC event armour is excellent, but will be very hard for you to get at such a low level.

1. That's why I said one can have multple sets. And now that the runes are identifyable, it's easy to swap them out
2. I don't have Levik's so that's why I have the heal amp on my DT.
3. Melee's aspire for the claw set, which means no Leviks, which means no healing amp
4. One can do a healing amp 10%, which stacks with Leviks for 30%, but then no resist +5... so......
5. I like the destruction for tanking, but a guard might be better sure.......

[Bufo_Alvarius]

Destruction is an ok guard but not great, try for earthgrab for auto crits.

Lol. -4 ac to anything you touch is "ok"?

[Khanyth]

Lol. -4 ac to anything you touch is "ok"?

It might be just splitting hairs, but I think it's to anything that touches you. But I could be wrong

[Wrendd]

Even if it is -4 AC to everything that you hit... it is only "ok". Most high end melee toons are hitting everything on a 2 or higher anyway, so the -4 AC is wasted. On the few things that you might have trouble hitting (epic Malicia, Wiz King) then you can just use a destruction weapon.

As an armor property I think Destructions is a decent placeholder untill you find something more useful, such as Earthgrab.

[krackythehoodedone]

Obviously the ultimate is either the Redscale or the Marilith Chain. Some even have both but thats a little OTT for me. Either will take a lot of time and effort.

I think for a Barb the general opinion is The Mari Chain shades it.

DT from 16-19

Then for basically (compared with above) miniscule effort The Epic Cavalry Plate is an awesome bargain. Even better once youve ground your Mari Chain you can give The Plate to your next up and coming toon.

Will see you in the Cove

Love it or hate it, you just gotta do it

[protokon]

Dragontouched is the way to go.

Mine is a heal amp 20%, resists +5, and destruction. I love it. But a lot of others that I know have multiple sets.

Yep 16th+ dragontouched is really the way to go to get that nice customized armor, very few epic armors that can compete with it - except maybe marilith chain and a few others.

Edit: I actually used dragontouched armor on my half-orc barbarian and I have him set up to maximize healing amp efficiency. He has 10% healing amp, 15% threat and disintegration guard on his dragontouched, also gets 30% healing amp from epic claw gloves, and 20% healing amp on a TOD ring (since he has +2 exceptional con on the epic claw bracers anyways) and I generally wear finger necklace too when tanking, which brings me to right around 210% healing amp. Maybe it isn't absolutely maxed out DPS, but it's real nice and easy on the healers when I can tank horoth and be scroll healed, even with the massive damage I take.