Monk gear-where to put GS hp item (probably minII)

[jeremyt]

Are you going to end up with enough AC to make all of this worthwhile? What is your goal for this character? Is it just having enough AC to not get hit in 6-man hard quests? Elites? Epics? Is it so you can tank? And if tanking, which raids?

If you aren't tanking, you don't really need the eClaw gloves on.
If you are tanking, you don't really need the Spare Hand on (it's nice for Improved Sunder and Unbalancing Strike, but I don't know if you have or use either of those, and it isn't necessary).

Honestly, WF has always seemed like a poor deal for an AC toon. You miss out on +4 Dodge from Icys, and are scrambling for other places to slot stuff around your docent.

Disagree here, WF make excellent AC builds second only to halfling. In a later post you say quorforged is giving +7 armor. Sorta kinda but its actually +9. Upgrade to epic blademark and you get +10 armor, +11 when you slot the blue for another +1. The e.frost helm isnt outstanding but scorched give nothing but a green slot so if your dead set on echrono 3 piece thats the way to go.

Might consider scrapping echrono set all together. Opens up cloak for e.mabar (deathblock/damage guard/invis guard/insta guard) +2 dodge, E.mror helm +7 wis/+15 intim and a slot. and can toss your HP item on your boots. This leaves you open to spare hand full time in a all around gearset. Id also decicate neck/ring#1 to henshin tod set (but lets be honest if you get shintao run with it and figure on being a fire stance monk w/ jidz for some heal amp for your ki gen). BUT with henshin set taking care of your ki needs jidz very little, so can swap it to claw bracer, giving you very solid heavy fort and +2 exc con as well as openning up your trinket to litany (potential 2 AC there) and tharnes/time sensing as your hot swap spot for tanking/not tanking gear.

2nd ring slot should prob be stalker or second tod ring fixed up nice n pretty

[sephiroth1084]

Disagree here, WF make excellent AC builds second only to halfling. In a later post you say quorforged is giving +7 armor. Sorta kinda but its actually +9. Upgrade to epic blademark and you get +10 armor, +11 when you slot the red for another +1. The e.frost helm isnt outstanding but scorched give nothing but a green slot so if your dead set on echrono 3 piece thats the way to go.

Do docents grant +2 AC by themselves?

And if they do you're looking at 9 AC, or 11 AC with the Epic Blademark's, vs. 12 AC for +8 armor bracers (or something else) and Icy Raiments' +4 Dodge.

Speaking of which, a decent belt option for an unarmored build is the Epic Siren't Belt with both Protection +5 and Armor +8 on it, and if you're wearing the Epic Gem of Many Facets anyway, you also gain +4 Insight AC, though that's also available on tier I alchemical wraps.

Might consider scrapping echrono set all together. Opens up cloak for e.mabar (deathblock/damage guard/invis guard/insta guard) +2 dodge, E.mror helm +7 wis/+15 intim and a slot. and can toss your HP item on your boots. This leaves you open to spare hand full time in a all around gearset. Id also decicate neck/ring#1 to henshin tod set (but lets be honest if you get shintao run with it and figure on being a fire stance monk w/ jidz for some heal amp for your ki gen)

That set-up is the same 3 AC as the Abishai set if your Wis is odd, or you have the AP to advance it to even out, otherwise it's -1 AC, and is -3 Str in either case. Still, that's a reasonable swap, though you lose 3 epic slots. You could also drop the Epic Gloves of the Claw for Epic Charged Gauntlets in AC tanking situations, dropping the Epic Helm of Frost for the Epic Mroranon for another point of AC, potentially.

[MRMechMan]

I am OK with gear swaps of course. Espare hand and SA items versus raid bosses are wasted slots when tanking, for the most part.

I don't have plans of tanking elite horoth or anything-just want to get a good solid AC that causes to see a fair amount of misses in non-epic content.

I've never had a character with AC before (well with bardsong and everything my fvs hit 61 once ) and am just interested in pushing it a bit.

This build would of course be better as fleshie. I even farmed out icy raiments (didnt take long), but I prefer to stick as WF even if they are fairly gimp as melees.

edit- as someone pointed out with QDOB my armor bonus is +9, actually ahead of +8 that most fleshies use. Plus frees up bracers for +3 dodge and +1 dodge crafted permablur. Seemed like a decent tradeoff as probably have enough blue slots to fit everything I wanted and dont need the green on bracers (yellow slots are *****).

Dont have the Blademarks pack but would probably go Ered docent-if I chose to invest more in this character, which probably won't be for some time as I am gearing several other alts and my main at the moment so probably will need the reds for docents of defiance, scrolls and various other saundries. For now, QDOB is solid slot consolidation.

[voodoogroves]

Dont have the Blademarks pack but would probably go Ered docent-if I chose to invest more in this character, which probably won't be for some time as I am gearing several other alts and my main at the moment so probably will need the reds for docents of defiance, scrolls and various other saundries. For now, QDOB is solid slot consolidation.

You might look into that pack - it's far easier to make than the Red, and it can consolidate the same slots as the QFDOB.

[jeremyt]

Do docents grant +2 AC by themselves?

And if they do you're looking at 9 AC, or 11 AC with the Epic Blademark's, vs. 12 AC for +8 armor bracers (or something else) and Icy Raiments' +4 Dodge.

warforged get inherent +2 to armor which stacks with docent armor bonuses but not bracer armor bonuses. Meaning a plain jane +5 docent will put a WF 1 AC behind a fleshy wearing +8 armor bracers. give that docent +6 and they are even, rienforced plating +2 and 2 ahead. Slot it for +7 and 3 ahead. This also opens up the can of worms that icy rainments are absolutely **** gear, where as the e.blademark docent brings tons of goodies to the table.

[whomhead]

I currently wear my MinII as goggles. It's the best slot for levels 1-19, in my opinion. Goggles have very little to compete with there, especially as opposed to the good low-level belts out there (Siren's, thoughtful remembrance, mroronon or knost's, to name a few).

It changes at level 20 when you have access to great epic items like raven's eye and time sensing, or even tharne's for threat reduction, then I would start swapping between MinII belt for tanking and epic spare hand for general use.

The last thing I'll say is that WF can make great monks, you just gotta make sure you use the strengths of the monk to overcome the major weakness of WF, which is the healing amp penalty. If you are tanking something where your AC is not effective, then switch to Jidz bracers + fire stance. With fire stance, full monk enhancements to healing amp, and two tiers of healer's friend you are at 113% healing amp. That's not great for a tank, but it is a heck of a lot better than tanking at 80%. Add in eClaw gloves to get 148%, and then 10/20 dragontouched docent for 195% and you'll be easily scroll healed. No one will be talking about gimpy WF melee then.

Also, with WF tactics enhancements and the spare hand you can get great stun DCs, even with the wisdom penatly.

[voodoogroves]

warforged get inherent +2 to armor which stacks with docent armor bonuses but not bracer armor bonuses. Meaning a plain jane +5 docent will put a WF 1 AC behind a fleshy wearing +8 armor bracers. give that docent +6 and they are even, rienforced plating +2 and 2 ahead. Slot it for +7 and 3 ahead. This also opens up the can of worms that icy rainments are absolutely **** gear, where as the e.blademark docent brings tons of goodies to the table.

Only Dodge 4 ... such a pity fewer items have it.

[sephiroth1084]

warforged get inherent +2 to armor which stacks with docent armor bonuses but not bracer armor bonuses. Meaning a plain jane +5 docent will put a WF 1 AC behind a fleshy wearing +8 armor bracers. give that docent +6 and they are even, rienforced plating +2 and 2 ahead. Slot it for +7 and 3 ahead. This also opens up the can of worms that icy rainments are absolutely **** gear, where as the e.blademark docent brings tons of goodies to the table.

While true, if you're bothering with AC, you kind of need almost every point you can get, and the list of gear is missing at least 3 AC from lacking +2 Dodge and +4 Dodge. Not huge, but not insignificant. An AC breakdown would be worthwhile, but not necessary for this thread, I suppose.

[FuzzyDuck81]

Very tricky setup to fit things in there My personal approach would be a little different.. i'd have the epic blademarks docent (blue slot there so fill it with heavy fort, would also give some very nice trip DCs combined with spare hand) then instead of a min2 HP thingy, i'd go with a Conc Opp, the extra temp HP is never bad & that'd cover your +6 wisdom item too - also if you wanted to save on ings, you could just go with the 1st half of conc opp as standard then just take a single shard HP at the 3rd tier.

[Moltier]

It would be fun to see a halfling with Mech name. Mechling.

This is how i would make a WF AC tank monk:

Helm: Epic Helm of Frost
Goggles: Min2 - 45hp, +6con skills, Heavy fort, 5Prot
Neck: Epic Grim's Bracelet - 7STR, 3Dodge
Trinket: Epic Gem (or Litany for more AC)
Armor: Queerforged docent of battle + 1 crafted alchemical dodge AC
Cloak: Epic Cloak of Night - 2dodge, 5DR, perma blur, deatblock, nightmare guard
Bracers: Epic Scorched Bracers (+1crafter resist)
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Belt: Morgana
Ring1: Morgana - +4attack, Holy burst
Ring2: Epic Seal of the Earth - 6natural AC, 1WIS
Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion

[wax_on_wax_off]

Speaking of which, a decent belt option for an unarmored build is the Epic Siren't Belt with both Protection +5 and Armor +8 on it, and if you're wearing the Epic Gem of Many Facets anyway, you also gain +4 Insight AC, though that's also available on tier I alchemical wraps.

Pretty sure that Siren's Charm+Egem = set, not belt.

It would be fun to see a halfling with Mech name. Mechling.

This is how i would make a WF AC tank monk:

Helm: Epic Helm of Frost
Goggles: Epic Raven's Sight
Neck: Epic Grim's Bracelet - 7STR, 3Dodge
Trinket: Epic Gem (Slotted with +4 protection)
Armor: Queerforged docent of battle + 1 crafted alchemical dodge AC
Cloak: Epic Cloak of Night - 2dodge, 5DR, perma blur, deatblock, nightmare guard
Bracers: Epic Scorched Bracers (+1crafter resist)
Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw
Belt: Airguard HP belt
Ring1: Morgana - +4attack, Holy burst
Ring2: Epic Seal of the Earth - 6natural AC, 1WIS
Boots: Epic Boots of Corrosion

Fixed for you, still +4 AB but +2 AC when using +5 SoF pot or friendly SoF cast on you and airguard procs, +0 with neither.

Airguard should definitely be the plan on an AC build afaik as the +1 AC stacks with haste. Siren's Belt is a nice accompaniment to cover +5 protection that is missing from MinII.

I don't know how WF AC works, sounds fishy too me (and why I didn't comment on Scorched+QFDoB choice).

[sephiroth1084]

Pretty sure that Siren's Charm+Egem = set, not belt.

I vaguely recall a dev comment from months back about their having intended it to work with either item and looking into fixing it. Never happened, huh?

[wax_on_wax_off]

I vaguely recall a dev comment from months back about their having intended it to work with either item and looking into fixing it. Never happened, huh?

Nope, still "in development"; it's coming Soon (tm).

[Moltier]

Fixed for you, still +4 AB but +2 AC when using +5 SoF pot or friendly SoF cast on you and airguard procs, +0 with neither.

Airguard should definitely be the plan on an AC build afaik as the +1 AC stacks with haste. Siren's Belt is a nice accompaniment to cover +5 protection that is missing from MinII.

Thats a better setup then, but i wouldnt go for air guard on an AC tank. You dont get hit, so guards dont really proc. Min2 belt seems better to me, but both works i guess.
Also it would loose -4attack as well, so its even there.

[sephiroth1084]

Thats a better setup then, but i wouldnt go for air guard on an AC tank. You dont get hit, so guards dont really proc. Min2 belt seems better to me, but both works i guess.
Also it would loose -4attack as well, so its even there.

I believe grazing hits can trigger Air Guard, and if you're tanking hard or elite bosses, you'll be taking those and regularly hits often enough to have that up some of the time.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Thats a better setup then, but i wouldnt go for air guard on an AC tank. You dont get hit, so guards dont really proc. Min2 belt seems better to me, but both works i guess.
Also it would loose -4attack as well, so its even there.

+4 AB from Epic Raven's Set so no.

If you're not getting hit then +1 AC won't matter, if you are getting hit then you'll get +1 AC so you'll get hit less; either way it's a win.

[DethTrip]

Why not build for max dps (max starting str, grandmaster fire stance, earth strikes and dps gear) and use blur (spell or item) and shadow fade (they stack) to mitigate damage? Use epic jidz bracers for the 25% healing amp. Would make gear choices a bit easier too. Works for me.

[Moltier]

+4 AB from Epic Raven's Set so no.

If you're not getting hit then +1 AC won't matter, if you are getting hit then you'll get +1 AC so you'll get hit less; either way it's a win.

Just like from Morgana set. So its even.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Just like from Morgana set. So its even.

Thank you for realising this finally.

[Moltier]

Thank you for realising this finally.

I realized it 6 post before, when i said its even.