quick dark monk question

[Ryan220]

i have a WF Dark monk at L5 which is based on the Metaru build.

Im trying him out to see if i like it or not as i normally play WF casters.

One thing that suprised me is i can self buff my AC to 39 (with a nat gaan staff equipped)

Having never thought aboout AC before i was suprised it was so high.

How much does this increase through the levels if i dont actively farm AC gear?

Many thanks

[smithj_2020]

i have a WF Dark monk at L5 which is based on the Metaru build.

Im trying him out to see if i like it or not as i normally play WF casters.

One thing that suprised me is i can self buff my AC to 39 (with a nat gaan staff equipped)

Having never thought aboout AC before i was suprised it was so high.

How much does this increase through the levels if i dont actively farm AC gear?

Many thanks

Hey man, it increase through the levels actually kind of regularly, depending on the gear that you have/acquire.

I have a dark Halfling monk currently level 20 currently with only 1 epic item (epic goggles of time sensing) I have a 66 AC standing. I put all my levels into wisdom and that is the AC bonus for monks. I believe in a party with cleric and ship buffs my AC in greater wind stance is sitting around mid to high 70's.

Anyway, when i was leveling; at level 12 in GH i was sitting at or above 55 ac, with pretty simple gear; garments of equilibrium, +5 protect item, jidz bracers, wis necklace, minos, belt of thoughtful remembrance....

So you dont have to farm gear, theres alot of stuff out there you can get and just buff your ac not even trying as a monk. It was actually pretty easy for me to solo alot of stuff in GH on elite, while waiting for parties, I also was in the vale at 14 running quests w/ hireling and doing fairly well at it.

[rimble]

Also keep in mind, Bracers of Wind (from Challenges) or Greater Nimble Trinket (from Crystal Cove event) with their Blur effect, plus Ninja Spy I Shadow Fade equals a 43% Miss Chance for most things attacking you for quite a few levels...even with 0 AC. Keep up with just a moderate amount of AC as you level (which Monks do pretty automatically) and your survivability will be good. Tack on an Invulnerability item (Level 5 Blademark's Docent is good, buy one, or craft one) and you'll be set.

Even if your AC is only high enough that they miss you 50% of the time, stacked on top of the Blur and Shadow Fade, that results in only a 28.5% chance to be hit. Of course higher AC makes that go lower.

Use Displacement instead of Blur and you're down to 17.8% chance to be hit.

Kind of a tangent from your question, but I hope it helps.

[TPICKRELL]

If you work at a little bit, it will become useful even in level 20 content. I've got a HORC strength build void 4 monk who walks off the ship with a 65 with only Challenge and Crafted AC gear, slides into the low 70s with raid buffs. That is noticable in a lot of normal/hard content especially if you solo.

All of my pure monks put in a bit of work to have an AC option and I always find it usseful. Before the challenges, I would make sure to have an alternate gear set with guards and healing amp in place of the AC, but the challenge gear gives excellant guards and decent AC at the same time.

[Kinerd]

If you don't actively farm AC gear, your AC will see a dramatic drop in usefulness when you step into the Gianthold. Amrath and Epic content are two more steep increases in monster to-hit.

[WruntJunior]

Without much real ac gear (+6 armor bracers and icy rainments being my best items), I was able to have my monk at 57 ac between ship buffs and a +3 barkskin pot last life - this lasted through normal (and some of hard) vale with flying colors. With some nice gear, a monk can get to ~80 ac without any real sacrifice to build (in other words, through gear and slight build alone). Throw in earth stance 3 or 4 and (as a dark monk) shadow fade and you're really talking about not taking much damage outside of the toughest quests and essentially all epics.