Barbarian Consolidated Greensteel Items

[arjiwan]

Planning on creating your greensteel item? Think about which effects you want and which slots to take. Check what items are possible on that slot before crafting.
Example: Are you sure you want to craft a greensteel boots? Madstone Boots can be slotted on that.

I. Intro
II. Possible Effects
III. Possible slots


Note: This discussion is mainly for Greensteel items only. This is not the uber end game guide, this is mainly for greensteel items.
Every greensteel item that you wear will have the Taint of Shavarath (oohh scary). You need to cleanse it before you can wear another GS item. If not, it will deal damage to you every time. You will need a cleansing stone, the GS item and a high energy cell to cleanse. GS items can be cleansed at the altar of devastation (Shroud part 5 or guild ships that are level 56 and above). Cleansing stones are available on your 20th Shroud run as end reward. My intro thread is located here.


I would like to ask the Barbarian Vets to help in the discussion.

Cheers!

[arjiwan]

Guards or Clickies
Concordiant Oppostion: Gains SP and temporary HP when you are hit.
See quote below:

People wear it because the temporary HP proc is frequent enough to matter.
4% proc rate to gain 30 HP is, on average, a source of 1.2 DR that stacks with everything. Plus, the 6 Wisdom from the lower tier of Conc-Opp adds to a save that was occasionally relevant at the level 16 endgame and could again be in future (if we fight more mobs that either dispel our FoM then hold us; or mobs that dispel our Deathward and spam Harm and Mass Inflict effects; or that dispel our Protection from Evil and then spam Dominate or Greater Command).

Attributes / Stats
+10 hp / +15 hp / +20 hp: Barbs already have a lot of HP. Why not add more?
(Triple Negative) Immunity: Blindess, Disease, Poison, Fear Immunities and Deathblock.

[arjiwan]

Now that you've decided what effects, now decide what slot to take.

Head
Minos Legens: Heavy Fort and 20 toughness stackable HP.

Goggles
Tharnes Goggles: True Seeing, Sneak Attack Bonus +5
Top advice I heard is, if you don't have aggro, you are doing it wrong

Necklace


Bracers
Levik's Bracers: Healing Amplification 20%, Strength +6
Bracelet of Thaarak: 20 toughness stackable HP, DR 3/Lawful, Dodge Bonus +2, Acid Breath
Epic Bracers of the Claw: Greater Vulkoor's Might, Exceptional Constitution +2, Heavy Fortification

[arjiwan]

Belt
TOD belts

Gloves
Epic Charged Gauntlets: Greater Shocking Blow, Strength +6, Greater Lightning Resistance, Empty Yellow Augment Slot, Abishai Set
Spectral Gloves: Ethereal

Cloak
Envenomed Cloak:


Boots:
Striding / Feather fall boots / TOD Boots
My opinion is, I don't want to swap my HP or SP gs item with a striding and FF boots. Some advice is swap it your striding and FF with rings, but I am thinking TOD rings are on that slot.

Madstone Boots
If you are a barbarian, you should know this by now.


Possible Solutions:

[sirgog]

On Conc-Opp: People wear it because the temporary HP proc is frequent enough to matter.

4% proc rate to gain 30 HP is, on average, a source of 1.2 DR that stacks with everything. Plus, the 6 Wisdom from the lower tier of Conc-Opp adds to a save that was occasionally relevant at the level 16 endgame and could again be in future (if we fight more mobs that either dispel our FoM then hold us; or mobs that dispel our Deathward and spam Harm and Mass Inflict effects; or that dispel our Protection from Evil and then spam Dominate or Greater Command).

My personal preference (I don't play a Barb myself, but this is from frequently running alongside guildies on their barbs):

Never build a primary Greensteel item in the Gloves, Bracers*, Belt or Necklace slot (eClaw and ToD sets offer more in most situations; even the non-epic Claw set is worth considering wearing). Even if these items are a long way out of your reach at the moment, you'll get there one day, and it sucks to get your eClaw set together and then have to put a cherished, cleansed GS item in the bank.

Also, if you build GS goggles, accept that they will not be worn all of the time. In many situations, Tharne's Goggles are just better. Many a Barbarian creates 'tanking' goggles with +45HP and some useful effect, and puts them on while tanking bosses like Horoth, then swaps back to Tharne's for all other situations.

* - Some gearsets may elect to go Marilith Chain for seeker, eClaw gloves and epic Gem of Many Facets for that set, freeing up the bracers for a permanent Greensteel item. I don't recommend this approach in general, but it can be made to work.



As for actual GS items, my preferences are:

Permanently equipped: 45 HP Lightning Storm Guard (substitute Disintegration if you spend more than 20% of your time fighting mobs immune to electricity, such as eLailat)
More defensively oriented: 45 HP Smoke (recommended mainly for people that like to solo a lot; in groups you can almost always count on a Blur being available); or 45 HP Conc-Opp
Worth considering for other reasons: 45 HP Mineral (the best choice by far if Heavy Fortification isn't on anything else in your gearset).
Hotswap: 45 Fire Resist cloak (or if you wear Red Dragonscale armor fulltime, Supreme Tyrant Ash, Blindness Immune/5 Stacking Fire Resist/10 Stacking Fire Resist/Enervation Guard).
Second hotswap: Supreme Tyrant Ooze (possibly resist elec 30, acid +5, acid +10, but that's not the item's real purpose) - swap this in when party members are struggling to hit a particular mob's AC. As a Barbarian, you'll never struggle with To-Hit unless you've somehow run out of rages or are using a +1 weapon due to unusual DR (e.g. if the only weapon for the eVON3 Marut you have is a +1 Anarchic Burst Falchion), but upping a party member's DPS is as valuable to the group as upping your own.

Guards to avoid:
Radiance Guard - this guard is incredibly powerful, but blindness is bugged, and mobs that are both blinded and held or otherwise immobilized can move sometimes. (If the bug is ever fixed, this guard instantly becomes the best overall choice for most gearsets. Extraordinary synergy with Tharna's Goggles against non-bosses, and even while tanking bosses it can be useful to get trash off you).
Elemental Mastery, Steam, Magma Surge: All of these are generally weaker than the alternatives; doing little average damage. Corrosive Salt is only just good enough to miss this list.
Greater Disruption, Slay Living, Vaccuum: These combine low proc rates with low save DCs and have no effect on bosses. Damaging guards (like Lightning Strike) are far better even for killing 3000hp+ mobs.


Damage output of guards (all use the most widely accepted estimates of proc rates, and are in damage per successful incoming melee attack):
Lightning Strike: 12 electric damage per incoming melee attack (2%, 600). Barely affected by electric resist.
Disintegration: 9 untyped damage (2%, 450)
Corrosive Salt: 6 untyped damage (2%, 4 packets of 70 damage)
Incineration: 6 fire damage (2%, 300). Barely affected by fire resist.
Crushing Wave: 2.4 cold plus 2.4 untyped damage. (2%, 4 packets of 30 cold + 30 physical). Damage output crippled by cold resist.
Steam: 3 untyped damage (20%, 15 damage)
Elemental Mastery: 0.7 Cold + 0.7 Fire + 0.7 Acid + 0.7 Electric (20% each, 1d6). Poor damage as is, but damage output is totally crippled by any resistances on the target.
Radiance: 2.1 light damage (15%, 14 damage)


Probably missing some, but can't think of them.

[arjiwan]

*snip*

Thanks and +1. Will update after I digest everything.

Cheers!

[LargeMarge]

GEAR: **Items that I have already attained
Head: Epic Helm of the Red Dragon (+7 Str, Magma Guard, Fire Shield (1/1), Yellow Augment Slot: +4 Res)
Neck: Jorgundal's Collar: (Melee Alacrity 10%)
Trinket: Litany of the Dead (Turn the Page 3/rest, Ability Bonus, Combat Bonus, Taint of Evil, +1 Saves Ritual )
Cloak: GS Earth III (Gtr Acid Res, +1 Ex Fort, +20 HP (+3 Con Skills), Earth Grab Guard)
Belt: Knost's Belt (+6 Con, GFL, Frenzied Berserker Set Bonus )
Ring 1: Encrusted Ring (+6 Str, +1 Exceptional Str, Frenzied Berserker Set Bonus, Incredible Potential: 20% Healing Amp )
Ring 2: Epic Ring of Baphomet (-1 Wis & Cha, +2 Exceptional Str & Con, +15 Intimidate, Colorless Augment Slot: +6 Dex )
Gloves: GS Water III (Gtr Cold Res, +15 HP (+2 Str Skills), Ice Guard, Crushing Wave Guard)
Boots: Madstone Boots x 5 (+4 Dex, Striding +20%, Pot VII)
Bracers: GS Exist Stalemate (+10 HP (+1 Con Skills), Poison & Fear Immunity, Good Guard, +6 Wisdom, +10 Diplo & Haggle, Concord Opp )
Goggles: GS Lightning II (Gtr Lightning Res, Lesser Good Guard, Lightning Guard, Lightning Storm Guard)
Armor: Epic Marilith Chain (+6 Enhanced, Taint of Evil, +10 Seeker, +10 Shater, DR 5/Good or Lawful, Evil Guard, Blue Augment Slot: Hvy Fort)
Quiver: Quiver of Alacrity (Capacity: 1500 / 3 Slots, Ranged Alacrity 10%)


OTHER EQUIPMENT & SITUATIONAL GEAR:
Dragontouched Armor: (Hvy Fort / Salt Guard / Disentegration Guard)
Epic Bloodstone: (+8 Seeker, +1 Save Ritual)
Shintao Cord: (Constitution +6, Concentration +15, Shintao Monk Set Bonus )
Kysho's Ring: (Wisdom +6, Exceptional Strength +1, Shintao Monk, Incredible Potential : 20% Healing Amp )
Colethenis's Belt: (+6 Con, +2 Seeker, Ravanger Set Bonus )
Ring of the Ravanger: (+6 Str, +1 Exceptional Str, Ravanger Set Bonus, Incredible Potential: +2 Exceptional Str )
Cloth of the Faithful: (14 min force/magic missle Immunity)
Silver Flame Talisman: (Negative Energy Absorption (10/rest), Deathblock, Protection From Evil)
Draconic Necklace & Planar Gird: (GH clickies)
Lorikk's Champion: (Blocking DR Shield)
Fire Storm Greaves: (Fire Absorption 33%)
Cloak of Ice: (Fire Shield - Cold Version)
Ring of Dijinn: (Electric Absorption 33%)
Green Steel: (Haste, & Displacement Clickies)
Green Steel: (+6 Cha Skills, Raise Dead Clicky)
Kaelth's Touch: (undead guard trinket)
Spiked Boots: (Immunity to Slippery Surfaces )
Head of Good Fortune: (+2 Luck for UMD)
Seven Fingered Gloves: (+5 UMD)

[arjiwan]

*snip*

Thanks for contributing. I don't have enough +1 left. I will send you a virtual cookie someday.

Cheers!

[Carpone]

Unless you're tanking a raid boss, barbarians do not need a 45 HP Greensteel accessory (or even GFL). When I'm tanking raid bosses, I swap out Tharnes Goggles for 45 HP+Concordant Opposition Greensteel Goggles. Goggles are the only reasonable spot for an end-game geared barbarian. All the other slots have more optimal gear:

Head: Epic Helm of Frost
Neck: Shintao Cord
Belt: Colthenis/Knosts
Ring 1: Ravager/Encrusted
Ring 2: Kyosho
Chest: Red Dragon / Marilith Chain
Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion
Back: Epic Envenomed Cloak
Bracer: Epic Bracers of the Claw
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Trinket: Litany of the Dead

http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...&postcount=271

[LargeMarge]

Thanks for contributing. I don't have enough +1 left. I will send you a virtual cookie someday.

Cheers!

Thanks Arjiwan!

I'm glad that you made this thread (+1 rep). It actually made me rethink my current gear setup with all of my GS items and guards.

I've made a new thread to get other people's advice on my current gear setup vs. a proposed gear set up. Check it out if you have time.

[arjiwan]

Thanks Arjiwan!

I'm glad that you made this thread (+1 rep). It actually made me rethink my current gear setup with all of my GS items and guards.

I've made a new thread to get other people's advice on my current gear setup vs. a proposed gear set up. Check it out if you have time.

Hi LargeMarge,

Thanks for the virtual cookie.

I checked your thread and I am sorry to say that the discussion is for the big boys! I don't have a barbarian toon, my friend does, and I do the forum reading for her. I think the case is, your thread will help me more than I can contribute to yours.

[sirgog]

Unless you're tanking a raid boss, barbarians do not need a 45 HP Greensteel accessory (or even GFL). When I'm tanking raid bosses, I swap out Tharnes Goggles for 45 HP+Concordant Opposition Greensteel Goggles. Goggles are the only reasonable spot for an end-game geared barbarian. All the other slots have more optimal gear:

Head: Epic Helm of Frost
Neck: Shintao Cord
Belt: Colthenis/Knosts
Ring 1: Ravager/Encrusted
Ring 2: Kyosho
Chest: Red Dragon / Marilith Chain
Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion
Back: Epic Envenomed Cloak
Bracer: Epic Bracers of the Claw
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Trinket: Litany of the Dead

http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...&postcount=271

Under the following assumptions:

1) You don't need To-Hit at all (usually accurate on a Barb)

and

2) While in combat, you are being struck in melee one time per second (this is not always the case but is usually accurate on bosses if you are the tank)


you could add to damage in this gear setup by breaking the 3pc Abashai set up, and replacing the three pieces with 'pure guard' Dust 2, Lit 2 and Salt 2 items. (You could keep the Corrosion boots instead of a Dust 2 item, although the Corrosion boots do not have the two extra Acid Guards that Dust2 boots would)

Those two additional 'big guards' represent 18 DPS (combined, not including Disintegration as both sets have that), the lesser guards from tier 1, 2 and 3 effects add a little more, and they compete with +3 Str (+3 damage per hit, +9 per crit = ~5 damage per swing = ~10 damage per second).

Of course, losing 5-7 to all saves from the eCloak may be too high a price to pay for this DPS increase. In that case, you might prefer dropping the Shintao necklace for a Lit 2 guard item (again, massively +DPS if the assumptions are true).

[noobinberg]

I am reading too many abbreviated terms to follow this at all really. I'm playing my first barbarian and am at level 14 and trying to determine the best gear to equip my character with. But, like I said, too many unfamiliar terms are used in this guide. Any have a link to a better guide? One that's really geared for a n00b like me?

[arjiwan]

First, thank you for posting you need a better guide in a guide itself, it warms my heart.

Seriously though, there are a lot of guides out there that are way way better. I haven't updated this guide to be at par with the current changes.

If you have problems with terminologies or terms, just ask for it, a friendly forum member will gladly help you out.