Barb ToD Rings

[Cam_Neely]

Pulled an Encrusted rings on my 19th run last night, and looking for some input on what I should hope for on my 20th.

Basic Set up
18/2 Barb/Fighter with Barb past life
Epic Claw Set
+6 Seeker hat with +15 intim (or balance)
Bold Trinket
Tharnes Goggles
Madstone Boots
+45 HP Cloak
DT Armor (resist, crushing wave, ice for walking around; +10% healing,+15% incite, Dust for tanking)
Silver Flame Tailsman
Feather fall ring
FB set

I think my ideal would be the Ravager set with +2 exceptional str for DPS and FB with +20% healing Amp for tanking, and switching the two as needed. Would you do +20% healing on both, as when its just trash and I'm in DPS set up I still take most of the hate?

I see shintao mentioned as the second ideal set, but it seems to be two major slots for little gain. The +6 wis and +15 concentration is not great. The +1 exceptional Str does not stack with either the FB or Ravager. +2 to hit is redundant alot of the time, while the +2 dmg is very nice 'Undocumented Set Bonus: 15% additional melee threat generation.' would not stack with my DT, and not sure if that requires Shintao III to trigger.

Thoughts and experiences? Thanks

[Chai]

Moar hjealing amp.

Heal amp is the single most underestimated and underrated attribute in this game. You do your healers a huge favor when they dont have to pay special attention to your HP total, because the same mass cure that topped off the striker classes just topped you off as well. It also makes it easier to heal you with scrolls and other mana free consumables.

Id prob do 20% heal amp on one of the rings and leave the other one +2 exceptional str. Or even do 20% heal amp on a different ring that you wear when asked to tank.

[grayham]

Pulled an Encrusted rings on my 19th run last night, and looking for some input on what I should hope for on my 20th.

Basic Set up
18/2 Barb/Fighter with Barb past life
Epic Claw Set
+6 Seeker hat with +15 intim (or balance)
Bold Trinket
Tharnes Goggles
Madstone Boots
+45 HP Cloak
DT Armor (resist, crushing wave, ice for walking around; +10% healing,+15% incite, Dust for tanking)
Silver Flame Tailsman
Feather fall ring
FB set

I see shintao mentioned as the second ideal set, but it seems to be two major slots for little gain. +2 to hit is redundant alot of the time, while the +2 dmg is very nice

Thoughts and experiences? Thanks

A couple of minor comments...

1-Lose the feather fall ring straight away, even if you don't get the ring you want from your 20th. This is a waste of a slot. Get a timeblade from Chrono and switch to it when you need it. That way you never forget to lose the feather fall item in combat.

2- +2 to hit, if it stacks with your existing gear, is far from redundant in epics. You need all the help you can get to consistently land hits on some of the mobs.

Shintao set is often mentioned as an obvious pair-up as it uses a necklace slot, for which very little seems to exist for barbs.

[Cam_Neely]

A couple of minor comments...

1-Lose the feather fall ring straight away, even if you don't get the ring you want from your 20th. This is a waste of a slot. Get a timeblade from Chrono and switch to it when you need it. That way you never forget to lose the feather fall item in combat.

2- +2 to hit, if it stacks with your existing gear, is far from redundant in epics. You need all the help you can get to consistently land hits on some of the mobs.

Shintao set is often mentioned as an obvious pair-up as it uses a necklace slot, for which very little seems to exist for barbs.

Agreed, my Necklace and FF ring are my weakest slots right now, so shintao would be a good fill in. But are two slots really worth it for +6 wis, +2/+2 atk/dmg? Is a second ToD set really the best option for these slots, would two other items fill me out better? (if not a second ToD set, would also lose +2 str, as what Chai said is what I was figuring, heal amp on the first set, and +2 str on the second).

As I write that out its really worth more then I first thought. +3 to will save and +3/+3 to atk/dmg along with +1 to Stunning blow, resist trip ect... in total. But still not sure its the best use of a ring and neck slot

[grayham]

Agreed, my Necklace and FF ring are my weakest slots right now, so shintao would be a good fill in. But are two slots really worth it for +6 wis, +2/+2 atk/dmg? Is a second ToD set really the best option for these slots, would two other items fill me out better? (if not a second ToD set, would also lose +2 str, as what Chai said is what I was figuring, heal amp on the first set, and +2 str on the second).

As I write that out its really worth more then I first thought. +3 to will save and +3/+3 to atk/dmg along with +1 to Stunning blow, resist trip ect... in total. But still not sure its the best use of a ring and neck slot

Well there's not much competition for the necklace slot. There's advice out there on getting the finger necklace, but my own set-up, involving the Fleshapers brigandine (and at the time leviks) meant that on SF pots my heals went down from 363 to 360 when I took the necklace off (oh no!!!!). Just not worth it. I'm using the +2 action boosts amrath necklace for the time being until my epic luck picks up.

As for rings?

-Full set of resist 30's to hand for when you don't have the buffs?
-Tumbleweed if you don't have +2 competence attack bonus anywhere else
-Ravager set is fairly neat, adds to each attack and is a DOT

Essentially you have 3 ToD rings competing for 2 slots, but luckily don't have the luxury of choice unless you've done lots of ToD's.

Oh, and I have to say this in hushed tones for fear of being shouted down..But I think that the fleshapers brigandine is both easier to acquire and arguably better armour than the DT. Just for completing the quest chain you get...

-10% healing amp
-20% Neg energy absorption
-Disintegration guard

Which is comparable to the ideal options from DT, though perhaps a little inferior..But then throw in choices of...

-Displacement proc (awesome in Amrath)
-Reflex +15
-100% melee hate proc
-Irresistable dance proc

And I believe this is a better piece of gear....

[krackythehoodedone]

So Encrusted and one other ..yes either is good.

Healing amp can be key in a tank role maybe not so in others.

Why have you so few Epics when you are so well geared otherwise?

Many of the decent Epics are just as easy to get hold of as that little collection of raid loot you have already.

I think the FF Ring and The Silver Flame Necklace need to go. The Ring slot will be swallowed up by a TOD set as will the Necklace so no worries their.

I dont like your choice of GS as a Cloak. That slot is to important for other stuff. Mainly Epics. I would have gone for an Envenomed Cloak or maybe even a cheeky little Epic Cape of The Roc gets your +3 exep STR sorted and leaves two TOD rings to populate w/o needing Str.

For me the GS would go as a helm or goggles. If you are a high DPS toon Tharnes doesnt make much difference because you have the aggro so much.

Your heavy Fort and Toughness would go on Epic Item Augment slots.

You can do a lot better in the armour department. The easy to get Cavalry Plate would be an upgrade but ultimately i would look at Redscale or E Mari

[Cam_Neely]

Why have you so few Epics when you are so well geared otherwise?

lack of luck, and quest preference mainly. Dont actually have my Epic Claw Gloves yet, just missing the shard after running eDeeps a large amount of times.

I dont like your choice of GS as a Cloak. For me the GS would go as a helm or goggles. If you are a high DPS toon Tharnes doesnt make much difference because you have the aggro so much.

Agreed, but it is what it is. I chalk it up to being one of the first GS items I made. Would go Goggles if I had the choice, but to much to make before that to even think about . I do like Tharnes with held or Stunned mobs, the 8 (with the dmg % increase hidden in the main dmg), but useless when tanking.

Your heavy Fort and Toughness would go on Epic Item Augment slots.

You can do a lot better in the armour department. The easy to get Cavalry Plate would be an upgrade but ultimately i would look at Redscale or E Mari

Well Fort is in my Epic Claw, and willing to drop Toughness, due to my HP pool, will fit it in if its easy. I have the Epic Cavalry Plate, but find it underwhelming. Adds a bit to survivability, via the shield and 10 more HP, but at a reduction to DPS when in trash mode, or incite and healing amp when tanking. Redscale and E Mari would be nice, but not really in my medium term plans due to the grind associated with it.

[Cam_Neely]

Thanks to my fantastic guild we had a flawless 20th for me, and I now have the sets for Ravager, Frenzy and Shintao, as well as completed my epic claw set.

I have been convinced that Shintao with +2 str is the best set for my 2nd ring and necklace. While Ravagers and Frenzy will both have 20% amp slotted. Ravagers is the better DPS set adding 2d6 dmg (cant wait to use it with great cleave). But the Frenzy does add 50 HP (GFL and +2 stacking Con, in addition to the +2 str and +2 dmg). I plan now to use Frenzy while tanking serious bosses, and Ravagers the rest of the time, moving from ~760 HP to ~810ish HP. (not counting Past life rage and madstone clickie.)

How do most end game Barbs fit in GFL? Im thinking Epic helm of the Red Dragon with GFL slotted would be a nice goal, which goes with me looking for the eSoS and FRDS. Does anyone use Epic Hyena Claw Necklace to swap in while tanking and dropping shintao?

Also does anyone with experience with Ravagers know if the 2d6 is applied fresh with every hit? or once it is applied, no matter if you are beating on it or now will it just stick every few seconds? ie single target, does it add 2d6 every swing, or just the first swing then every tick after that? Does it apply to glancing blows?

Thanks

[Varashad]

My ending gear for my barbarian is gonna be something like this.

Head: Epic Helm of the Red Dragon(slotted with Proof Against Poison if I run out of uses for my epic tokens)
Necklace: Shintao Cord
Trinket: Litany of the Dead/Greater Bold Trinket
Cloak: Epic Envenomed Cloak (Slotted with Toughness)
Belt: Knost's Belt
Ring1: Kyosho's Ring w/ 20% Heal amp
Ring2: Encrusted Ring w/ +2 exp Strength
Boots: Madstone Boots
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Armor: Tier 3 Epic Cavalry Plate(Slotted with Good Luck +2)/Healing + Incite DT/(Tanking)Epic Marilith Chain(DPS) or Epic Red Dragon Scale(DPS)
Bracers: Epic Bracers of the Claw
Goggles: Tharne's Goggles(DPS)/+45 hp Green Steel Goggles(Tanking)

*I still need to crunch the numbers of which of the two trinkets does the most damage. I'm leaning towards the GBT.

This gives me high dps with three sets devoted to increasing my damage. I have high constitution, strength and hit points, and decent saves.

[konexion]

i'm running frenzied with verik's. my crits are going off a lot more than when i was running shintao's. still after the ravager ring but i defer to other guildies who are still trying to get melee rings/sets as i have 3 already and am not greedy. i'll get it someday so not concerned about it. my tempest loves the ravager though. that extra dps is nice