Mighty Mouse - Halfling Evasion Stalwart Defender

[Vissarion]

Why this build?

Well, with the U11 changes coming to Stalwart Defender, it seems like everyone and their brother are making new tank builds to try out the goodies, so I hardly want to be left out of the fun.

Beyond that, the availability of the Crystal Cove gear and how well it dovetails with the needs of an evasion tank make the equipment grind substantially less painful than is typical for an AC build, allowing this character to achieve a useable tanking AC fresh at cap without raid loot. Raid loot and epic gear acquired later only help to strengthen the build.

Why Halfling?

• Racial bonus to AC/Saves
• Good synergy with evasion tank due to higher Dex
• Can pick up some sneak attack damage for non-tanking situations
• Because they're adorable and its hilarious to think of them tanking Horoth

Purpose of the build

An evasion tank with a high enough reflex save for it to matter, without sacrificing too much in the way of AC versus a pure 20 SD. Human may be the more 'ideal' tanking race now, with the changes coming to the Chimera's Fang, better healing amp, and the extra feat, but it'd be no fun if this were just another Human SD. Moreover, this character should have competent TWFing DPS for non-tanking situations, with some sneak attack damage, dual-wielding Khopeshes, and a high enough attack bonus for epics when self-buffed (for the most part).

Stat Breakdown

Str: 16 (5 levels + 6 item + 2 enh + 2 exc + 3 tome + 2 ship + 6 stance = 42 + 4 Fabricators + 2 Yugo = 48)
Dex: 16 (3 enh + 6 item + 3 exc + 2 tome + 2 ship = 32 + 2 Yugo + 4 Fabricator = 38)
Con: 14 (6 item + 2 tome + 2 ship + 2 exc + 6 stance = 32)
Int: 12 (1 tome for CE = 13)
Wis: 8
Cha: 8 (6 item + 2 tome + 2 ship = 18)

Feats

1 Toughness
2F TWF
3F Power Attack
3 Toughness
4F WF: Slashing
6 ITWF
7F WS: Slashing
9F IC: Slashing
9 Khopesh
12F GWF: Slashing
12 GTWF
14F GWS: Slashing
15 SF: Intim
16F Dodge
18F Shield Mastery
18 Combat Expertise
20F Improved Shield Mastery

Hit Points

180 Fighter
12 Rogue
20 HD
220 Constitution
44 Toughness
60 Enhancements
45 Shroud
30 GFL
20 Minos
10 Draconic

641 (681 Yugo)

20% Stance

769 (817 Yugo)

Tanking Gear

Eyes: Triple Air GS (Cha Skills +6)
Head: Cove Hat (+5 Natural Armor Bonus/+15 Intim)
Neck: Stalwart Necklace
Trinket: Nimble Trinket/Epic Brawn’s Spirit (Charisma +6)
Cloak: Epic Cloak of Night
Belt: Min II Belt
Ring: Dex +7 ToD Ring (+2 Strength/+2 Dex)/Epic Ring of the Buccaneer
Ring: Cinder’s Band (20% Healing Amp)
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw/Fabricator's Gauntlets
Boots: Cannith Boots of Propulsion/Boots of the Innocent (When tanking in epics without a shield)
Bracers: Fabricator’s Bracers*
Armor: Epic Duelist Leathers (Toughness slotted)
Shield: Epic Swashbuckler (+7 slotted)/Alchemical Shield (+7 slotted/Insight +4/Lightning Strike/Double Strike 6%)

DPS Gear

Eyes: Tharnes
Head: Cove Hat (+5 Natural Armor Bonus/+15 Intim) (Need something better here)
Neck: Shintao Cord
Trinket: Bloodstone
Cloak: Epic Cloak of Night
Belt: Min II Belt
Ring: Dex +7 ToD Ring (+2 Strength)/Epic Ring of the Buccaneer
Ring: Kyosho’s Band (20% Amp)
Gloves: Fabricator’s Gauntlets/Epic Gloves of the Claw
Boots: Cannith Boots of Propulsion/Boots of the Innocent
Bracers: Fabricator’s Bracers/Epic Bracers of the Claw
Armor: Epic Vulkoorim Fighting Leathers

*If the Fabricators Bracers get nerfed before live, or if the proc rate isn't high enough to make it sustainable, I'd probably reshuffle the slots to potentially take advantage of the epic Abishai set.

Armor Class

10 Base
1 Dodge Feat
1 Halfling
8 Armor
11 Dex
4 Dodge (DL)
10 Shield (Alchemical)
4 Insight (Alch. Shield)
2 Alchemical Rituals
5 Natural
2 Tod Set
1 Dodge (Trinket)
5 Protection (Belt/Ring)
2 Dodge (Cloak)
5 Combat Expertise
3 Stalwart III
4 Stance
3 Ship Buffs

81

1 Haste
2 Recitation
2 Fabricators
3 Dex (Fab + Yugo)

89

4 Bard Song

93

Fitting in the epic Abishai set can add a net of 2 AC, and getting the Chattering Ring (not holding my breath) can add another 3 for an almost ideal 98 sustainable AC.

Intimidate

23 Ranks
4 Charisma
20 Item
6 Stalwart III
4 Fighter Intim IV
2 Luck
4 GH
3 Skill Focus
6 Cha Skills
2 Coinlord

74

-4 Halfling Size

70

5 Claw Gloves

75

A weakness of Halfling, to be sure, but with the changes to hate gen not nearly as problematic as it used to be.

UMD

23 Ranks
4 Charisma
4 GH
1 Luck
6 Cha Skills

38 ‘Always On’

3 Competence

41

Reflex Save

6 Fighter
3 Rogue
1 Halfling Racial
11 Dexterity (conservative estimate)
1 Ship
4 GH
1 Luck
3 Stance
5 Resistance

35

Conclusion

I've always liked playing AC-oriented characters, but the time-consuming nature of the gear grind plus AC's lack of utility in a lot of content has always discouraged me. With the U11 raid changes and Stalwart change, it seems obvious that for hard and elite raids AC tanks will become far more of a necessity, which I find to be heartening.

[Arctik]

Seems pretty solid, nothing wrong that I see but you might want to have an actual number cruncher double check me.

Then again, I don't know that much much about shield users.

[FrozenNova]

Haha, very nice.
Were I rolling this up, I'd probably relent on intimidate and drop Skill focus, dodge/one toughness and improved mastery - then replace them with the halfling marks for that authentic halfling flavor, might as well go all the way.
Running with ardor, 1.1 from guild, 1.2 from cinder's, and 1.3 from gloves of the claw, those five heals would be hitting at 450 a pop, significant enough to prevent any situation that would normally threaten to take out a tank, such as a stray 1 on horoth's elite disintegrate, or the LoB's painful impale.
Between the heals and cure seriouses, you'd probably hardly need a healer for the normal raids.

That's an impressive final AC without cheating with paladin aura or companion. =P

[Vissarion]

Haha, very nice.
Were I rolling this up, I'd probably relent on intimidate and drop Skill focus, dodge/one toughness and improved mastery - then replace them with the halfling marks for that authentic halfling flavor, might as well go all the way.
Running with ardor, 1.1 from guild, 1.2 from cinder's, and 1.3 from gloves of the claw, those five heals would be hitting at 450 a pop, significant enough to prevent any situation that would normally threaten to take out a tank, such as a stray 1 on horoth's elite disintegrate, or the LoB's painful impale.
Between the heals and cure seriouses, you'd probably hardly need a healer for the normal raids.

That's an impressive final AC without cheating with paladin aura or companion. =P

I did really want the dragonmarks, so I might consider that suggestion.