90 Unbuffed AC

[-Satureon-]

Hey m8, gz for your traditional dorf build! You had a lot of work in that, hope you enjoy it!

I tried to reach that on Satureon, but a game design flaw/bug not really let me that way to get 90 unbuffed wo any pain, because he's a warforged:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=356466

(I will try with the brute force way in some weeks: the result will be 92+5 unbuffed for the long vod hard solo... after that i will change back to the 88+5 'more dps friendly' build with 52 unbuffed str 34dex combo)

Anyway i think you forgot to equip greater nimble trinket, which stacks with the other dodge bonuses. So your unbuffed is 91+5.

[Wraith_Sarevok]

Really?


Even, if he lowers himself to running HoX, he won't need SF pots to survive there, not with this ac. Normal Cure Serious pots will do lol. And as for the beholders in eVoN2-3, they are pushovers anyway, always time to heal up after they are dead.


In any sane Abbot run no sane melee will be drinking healing pots. Divine mass heals will be more than enough. Why waste the dps?

EDIT: Oh and I completely forgot, nice AC Lighti.


I'll grant you this one, but with his AC, not even this will present much of a problem.

But this...

In one sentence you say that pots that cost less than Cure Serious pots are a drain on cash, while in the next you talk about drinking SF pots all the time. Really?

Running Hound is "lowering yourself?" Its one of the most popular raids on Khyber. I see it PuGed multiple times almost every day and about half of those runs fail. Tons of people are after the new loot and this has revived the interest in the raid. I am constantly asked to tank that raid on elite on my barbarian with ~30 AC. I've almost always had to drink SF potions because the healer's were either busy, incapacitated, or dead at some point. Xizzy's bees deal some 60-80 damage per tic and her acid breath easily breaks 100 damage even with 30 resist. She can also blind you for a solid minute with pollen. These bypass AC.

One shot from a beholder and all your buffs are toast (unless you're maybe carrying a pale lavender ion stone?). This also means your healer is toast until they can get out of the cone's effect. A roll of 1 on disintegrate could nail you with 500 points of damage. That's a chunk of HP out of any melee, leaving you wide open to a finishing attack. Some beholder beams bypass AC. The black chaos orbs launch effects and mindflayers can stun regardless of armour. There is also lag to consider. Your healers could be noobs. You never know what's going to happen, which is why it's better to be prepared.

No sane melee drinks in Abbot? That's a laugh! I just ran several abbots today and I was chucking potions like mad. When your ice island guy doesn't throw them down fast enough, it's either drink SF pots or die to inferno. I prefer to live. Sometimes your healers are just goofing off and I notice my hp bar dropping below 200, so I drink. I can also solo Ice on my barbarian because I can self heal faster than the water can damage me. You can't do that with your crumby cure serious wounds pots.

I can do other things too, like solo caster-specialized enemies. Because of course AC builds are still subject to getting hosed by Magic Casters if they can't self-heal.

In the REAL GAME, when people are dying, the game is lagging, or your healer just can't get to you, you'll feel so much better knowing that you can self heal beyond their invisible leash. Yes, the penalties from using SF potions are harsh, but here's the thing: It's better than being dead. My overall DPS is legions higher than yours because you're sitting on a soulstone while I'm still slashing my enemy.

For the last thing I wrote, I was trying to say that you don't need to add the cost for a 100 Owl's Wisdom pot stack on top of the cost for your multiple SF pot stacks. It's always better to save cash so you can buy ingredients. SF pots are hardly my main cash drain anyway. Yugoloth and mana pots are the real reason as to why I run out of plat on my characters.

[Seftonblake]

my opinion for ac is that good to have BUT for me the best is to have hp-saves -dps most important those than ac

I agree with John, but for me (cant speak for OP), but you can kill a toon if you try too many objectives.

Personally I prefer single target objectives (AC Toon, Melee DPS, Range Ranger etc) a toon like this stands out because super high AC.

If this toon had better DPS or saves etc he would lose his wow factor and become 10 a penny.

[Lighti]

Am using Dodge 1 on my Bracers Sat, on a cannith crafting slot.

And yes if i want insane DPS i will log a barb. No point making all my toons do the same thing.

Self buffed can hit 81 Intim

[Wraith_Sarevok]

Sorry I forgot to suggest that you should try to include a Superior Stability item on your character, Lighti. It gives a really sweet boost to saves and can free up your resistance augment slot for something else.

I am not sure if you have one already, but the best way would be to craft a cannith item.

[wax_on_wax_off]

...Snipped lots of irrelevant stuff after the OP posted a screenshot of +6 wisdom slotted in an epic item ...

Maybe try to follow the thread before ranting so much?

[BurningDownTheHouse]

Running Hound is "lowering yourself?" Its one of the most popular raids on Khyber. I see it PuGed multiple times almost every day and about half of those runs fail. Tons of people are after the new loot and this has revived the interest in the raid. I am constantly asked to tank that raid on elite on my barbarian with ~30 AC. I've almost always had to drink SF potions because the healer's were either busy, incapacitated, or dead at some point. Xizzy's bees deal some 60-80 damage per tic and her acid breath easily breaks 100 damage even with 30 resist. She can also blind you for a solid minute with pollen. These bypass AC.

Have you tried blocking? With 90 AC? Probably not, because if you did, you can heal with cure serious pots.

One shot from a beholder and all your buffs are toast (unless you're maybe carrying a pale lavender ion stone?). This also means your healer is toast until they can get out of the cone's effect. A roll of 1 on disintegrate could nail you with 500 points of damage. That's a chunk of HP out of any melee, leaving you wide open to a finishing attack. Some beholder beams bypass AC. The black chaos orbs launch effects and mindflayers can stun regardless of armour. There is also lag to consider. Your healers could be noobs. You never know what's going to happen, which is why it's better to be prepared.

Yes I happen to be carrying beholder blockers on my melees, doesn't everyone?
And even if you don't, you describe a "rolling a 1 twice in row scenario". 1 in 400 are odds i can live with.

No sane melee drinks in Abbot? That's a laugh! I just ran several abbots today and I was chucking potions like mad. When your ice island guy doesn't throw them down fast enough, it's either drink SF pots or die to inferno. I prefer to live. Sometimes your healers are just goofing off and I notice my hp bar dropping below 200, so I drink. I can also solo Ice on my barbarian because I can self heal faster than the water can damage me. You can't do that with your crumby cure serious wounds pots.

Ouch, sorry for that, I guess you run a lot of pug abbots...
My condolences.

I can do other things too, like solo caster-specialized enemies. Because of course AC builds are still subject to getting hosed by Magic Casters if they can't self-heal.

Hmm, a lot of those beholder blockers I've mentioned work on casters as well...
But even if you don't have them, just use stunning blow and trip. Red named casters? Almost none of them dispel, use SF pots.

In the REAL GAME, when people are dying, the game is lagging, or your healer just can't get to you, you'll feel so much better knowing that you can self heal beyond their invisible leash. Yes, the penalties from using SF potions are harsh, but here's the thing: It's better than being dead. My overall DPS is legions higher than yours because you're sitting on a soulstone while I'm still slashing my enemy.

Cool story bro. I do carry SF pots you know. I'm just saying that having a dispelable stat support buff is not the end of the world.

For the last thing I wrote, I was trying to say that you don't need to add the cost for a 100 Owl's Wisdom pot stack on top of the cost for your multiple SF pot stacks. It's always better to save cash so you can buy ingredients. SF pots are hardly my main cash drain anyway. Yugoloth and mana pots are the real reason as to why I run out of plat on my characters.

If consumables give you a cash flow problem, you are doing something wrong. Sorry.

[Lighti]

Sorry I forgot to suggest that you should try to include a Superior Stability item on your character, Lighti. It gives a really sweet boost to saves and can free up your resistance augment slot for something else.

I am not sure if you have one already, but the best way would be to craft a cannith item.

Feel free to show me where exactly i would put Superior Stability without loosing AC. And my resistance item is on a cloak it dosnt free up a slot.

[sirgog]

Am using Dodge 1 on my Bracers Sat, on a cannith crafting slot.

And yes if i want insane DPS i will log a barb. No point making all my toons do the same thing.

Self buffed can hit 81 Intim

Got to get yourself 1 more point of Intimidate somehow, sucks to have a 5% chance to fail on epLOB and the bard skill song is too hard to keep up unless you are running with two bards that both have Anthem items.

Defenders add more raidwide DPS than Barbs do, as you can bring less healers to a raid. A human barb with max healing amp needs three dedicated scrollhealers on elite Horoth, but an AC tank needs only one. Two more DPSers makes the almost a million HP of Horoth and Suulo combined go down a lot faster.


Oh and OP - somewhat interested in how your build/gearset differs from my tank's planned setup, http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=355893 .

[Wraith_Sarevok]

Maybe try to follow the thread before ranting so much?

I don't think so. The fact that burning doesn't understand what I type and chooses to respond with meaningless one-liners is not my concern. My point was that SF pots should be usable at all times because you won't always have a healer to take care of you and it opens up a lot of versatility. Since I got that across, I shouldn't need to continue defending it. If he doesn't get it from me, he'll learn the hard way in-game...

[sirgog]

I don't think so. The fact that burning doesn't understand what I type and chooses to respond with meaningless one-liners is not my concern. My point was that SF pots should be usable at all times because you won't always have a healer to take care of you and it opens up a lot of versatility. Since I got that across, I shouldn't need to continue defending it. If he doesn't get it from me, he'll learn the hard way in-game...

The OP is a +3 Wisdom tome away from having that ability.

Given he is wearing redscale, he certainly has the resources to acquire that tome, in time. Owl's Wisdom potions are a fine substitute in the meantime.

[Hulligan]

I'd really love to see a breakdown of that AC from GREAR perspective.
I'm planning to TR my barb into a human fighter defender with 3 sentinels dragonmark + epic chimera, but even planning is not easy as you can't have all the items you want and one must make a compromise when it comes to gears.
The one I'm planning will be
10 base
9 dexterity bonus (cap ? - details below)
17 armor bonus (epic red dragonplate armor with +1 enchantment bonus in blue slot)
9-11 shield bonus (9 for tower shield base ac, 11 when I get to make a tier 3 alchemical)
9 natural armor (6: epic seal of earth, 3: profane natural for 3 pieces epic abishai set)
4-5 deflection armor (4 slotted in a yellow slot, 5 with shield of faith from Dragonmark)
11-12 dodge bonus
* 4 defender stance
* 3 bracers of wind
* 2 cannith crafted goggles
* 1 alchemical shield bonus
* 1 alchemical armor bonus
* 1 greater nimble trinket / swapped with epic brawn's spirits as situation dictates
6 misc ac
* 4 hightened awareness in epic chimera
* 2 stacking AC in ToD set
9 feat
* 5 combat expertise
* 1 dodge
* 3 stalwart enchancements

I'll sum it as 85-86 AC, because
- in the near furture I'll not be able to craft a tier 3 alchemical
- shield of faith is considered a 'buff' thus couldn't say it as unbuffed AC

The gear is:
Armor: Epic Red Dragonplate Armor
Goggles: Crafted Blindess Immunity Goggles of Dodge +2
Helm: Epic Helm of Frost
Necklace: Stalwart Necklace
Trinket: Greater Nimble Trinket / Epic Brawn's Spirits
Cloak: Epic Envenomed Cloak
Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion
Ring1: Cinder's Band
Ring2: Epic Seal of Earth
Bracers: Bracers of Wind (tier 3 preferably, but tier 1 is enough for the dodge AC)
R.Hand: Epich Chimera's Fang
L.Hand: Alchemical Tower shield (Air/Air so far in plan, but not yet crafted as I don't need it in this life)

What I don't understand from the OP's build:

- how do you manage to fit a static +5 delfection AC into an AC build, such as this (or yours) ?
- checked your char on MyDDO and can't see the dodge+1 anywhere in it, but still lists a 90AC :O Or is it just me who can't see it?
although what I see on MyDDO may be not your tanking gear, so thats why a grear breakdown would be much apprecieated.
- how can you make so much dexterity modifier (not the stat itself, but max dex bonus) ?
both tower shield and the armor limits it, both by the same amount, 2 on default.
You take
* Fighter Armor Mastery III (+3 for heavy armor)
* Fighter Tower Shield Mastery II (+2 for shields)
* Fighter Stalwart Defender III (+3 for shields and +2 for heavy armors)
* Greater Nimbleness into a blue augment slot for additional +2 max. dex. bonus (not sure if it works for the shield too or not though)

AFAIK the similar dwarven enchantments do not stack with the fighter ones, but correct me if I'm wrong.

thats a max. +7 dex bonus on top of base 2 to a sum of 9, not 11

I'd really appriciate if the OP could answer my questions, but actually anyone competent could answer ... I'm just wondering how could I reach that value the OP posted.

Ohh and btw: Congratz on the build, really nice achivement ! I'm pretty sure you can tank anything with this build.

[Lighti]

Got to get yourself 1 more point of Intimidate somehow, sucks to have a 5% chance to fail on epLOB

Oh and OP - somewhat interested in how your build/gearset differs from my tank's planned setup, http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=355893 .

Swapped out the 2nd toughness (only had as had no toughness item) feat for SF: Intim Last night just so i didnt have to rely on bard, light monk buff or curse for a speed eLoB last night.

Your tanks planned set up is the same as my finished version (apart from the whole dwarf thing). Although you cant hit the same MDB as me as you have calculated it wrong. Only Dwarf or WF can reach MDB 11 in Red full plate. In your post you calculated using +7 and Greater Nimbleness on the red plate. There is only 1 blue slot so that is impossible. Also if you look at using Calvary Plate instead, It counts as Medium armour as it is Mithral. So SD tier 2 does not apply to the MDB, only tier 3.

- how do you manage to fit a static +5 delfection AC into an AC build, such as this (or yours) ?

- checked your char on MyDDO and can't see the dodge+1 anywhere in it, but still lists a 90AC :O Or is it just me who can't see it?

- how can you make so much dexterity modifier (not the stat itself, but max dex bonus) ?
both tower shield and the armor limits it, both by the same amount, 2 on default.

AFAIK the similar dwarven enchantments do not stack with the fighter ones, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Deflection Bonus is the same as a Protection item. I use a Green steel Mineral Belt for my +5 Protection Item

Look at Sirgogs link http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=355893 he uses the same set up in this thread as me.

My MDB for Shield is is
Alchemical Tower: 2
Fighter Shield Mastery: 3
Stalwart Defender: 3
Mobility: 2
Fighter PL: 1
= 11

My MDB for Armour is
Red Plate: 2
Fighter Armour Mastery: 2
Dwarf Armour Mastery: 2 (They stack)
Stalwart Defender: 2
Mobility: 2
Fighter PL: 1
= 11

[Hulligan]

Your tanks planned set up is the same as my finished version (apart from the whole dwarf thing). Although you cant hit the same MDB as me as you have calculated it wrong. Only Dwarf or WF can reach MDB 11 in Red full plate. In your post you calculated using +7 and Greater Nimbleness on the red plate. There is only 1 blue slot so that is impossible. Also if you look at using Calvary Plate instead, It counts as Medium armour as it is Mithral. So SD tier 2 does not apply to the MDB, only tier 3.


Deflection Bonus is the same as a Protection item. I use a Green steel Mineral Belt for my +5 Protection Item

Silly me - of course the GS Mineral II belt. Completely forgot about it (even that I left it from my list above). I have that pllanned also, however I forget about the "side effect" that it gives +5 protection as well.

The MDB breakdwn helps a lot. I thought mobility was a useless waste of skill, now I look on it differently. I won't have fighter PL, and being dwarf has that adsvantage too... hmmm, well that sounds an other couple of minus AC... but now I look at it more clearly. Checked sirgog's buid too, maybe I'll work out something as a mix of both. Thanks !

[grodon9999]

To the OP: This toon looks ubber, frigging awesome and I'm tempted to steal your build. A full break-down of everything will be much appreciated.

To the haters: Really? The guys tanks speed runs of Epic Lord of friggin Blades - what is there to criticize? I'm surprised a certain poster hasn't come in here and said it was gimp for not being human.

[Meat-Head]

Agree with above. Toon is awesomesauce.


Now if only the devs would give us an epic Daxe to work with....

[Inferno346]

I don't think so. The fact that burning doesn't understand what I type and chooses to respond with meaningless one-liners is not my concern. My point was that SF pots should be usable at all times because you won't always have a healer to take care of you and it opens up a lot of versatility. Since I got that across, I shouldn't need to continue defending it. If he doesn't get it from me, he'll learn the hard way in-game...

My implied point in my statement about the owl's wisdom pots was that Shade's survivability is absolutely not above that of this build. In order for old-Light-with-stuff-unslotted not to be able to drink SF pots, he'd have to both be dead or in a quest for more than 60 min AND in one of the situations that you described. Remember, he has 10 wisdom unbuffed-- has plenty of wisdom for SF using ship buffs. Those rare situations are not enough to make a 100 AC tank less survivable than a barb.

Yes, you should plan for your character to eventually be able to use SF pots all the time... no one has disputed that.

[Deamus]

Ok ... Lighty sucks :P and he is gimp :P But no Gimper than me so i win :P
Lighty i still got way biger d...... than yours :P

Seriously about sf pots .....but seriously ????????

Congrats to lighty for his awesome build !
PS: (it hurts me to say that a bit but hey .... its Cristmas period :P )

[grayham]

Lighty- Congratulations. Great build and, unlike all the naysayers, proof of its worth in the form of screenshots.

Ignore all the negative, peace.

[Ravoc-DDO]

Aye, that is a toon to be proud of.