Finduilas

Yes, the OP could increase his defense way past 45% for S/L & E/NE, as a matter of fact, I took a lot def out of his initial build. But I'm not sure what the point of that would be considering that he'll be above the soft cap anyway whenever EA is active, and that extra defense won't even be used unless there's a def debuff.

So I agree that slotting for other bonuses would be more worthwhile than maxing out on defense, if that's what you're recommending.

You made some good calls, and some not-so-good, IMO.

First of all, you are simply not going to be able to soft-cap F/C defense, Ice has too little to begin with. And I really don't think those piddly .63 defense bonuses are worth slotting--there are better ways to boost your F/C defense.

Hoarfrost is not a good choice for slotting the Miracle unique; it should go into Health, but I don't think you need it anyway.

And please, if you value my sanity, do NOT slot KB into Shatter and CC--you don't know how long we worked to get the KB taken *out* of those attacks! However, if you have some sort of weird love of KB and really must slot for it, please don't tell me.

I've adjusted your slotting so it's not so ridiculously over the S/L and E/NE soft caps, increased the F/C defense, and made some other tweaks. There are even a few unassigned slots for you to put where you want--some procs in your attacks might be fun.

I left the Serendipity sets in your three main defense powers; it's an okay set, but I think the bonuses for Gift of the Ancients or Luck of the Gambler are better if you can afford them.

Hope that helps!

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
IO ice tank: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Ice Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Frozen Armor -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(3), S'dpty-Def:40(3), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(5), Empty(23)
Level 1: Bash -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(5), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(7), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(9)
Level 2: Hoarfrost -- H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx:40(A), H'zdH-EndRdx/Rchg:40(9), H'zdH-Heal/Rchg:40(11), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), H'zdH-Heal:40(13), RechRdx-I:30(13)
Level 4: Chilling Embrace -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 6: Jawbreaker -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(15), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(15), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(17), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(17)
Level 8: Wet Ice -- EndRdx-I:40(A)
Level 10: Permafrost -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:40(19), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:40(19), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(21), Aegis-ResDam:40(21)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- Ksmt-ToHit+:30(A), Empty(23)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:40(A)
Level 16: Swift -- Run-I:40(A)
Level 18: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:50(A), RgnTis-Regen+:30(25), Heal-I:50(25), Heal-I:50(27), Heal-I:40(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod:50(A), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx:50(27), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc:50(29), EndMod-I:50(29)
Level 22: Icicles -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(31), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(31), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(31), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(33)
Level 24: Build Up -- Rec'dRet-ToHit:20(A), Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg:20(33), RechRdx-I:50(39), RechRdx-I:50(48)
Level 26: Clobber -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:35(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:35(33), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:35(34), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:35(34), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:35(34)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:30(37)
Level 30: Glacial Armor -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(37), S'dpty-Def:40(37), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(39)
Level 32: Energy Absorption -- P'Shift-EndMod:50(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:50(39), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg:50(40), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg:50(40), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:50(40), P'Shift-End%:50(42)
Level 35: Shatter -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(42), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(42), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(43), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(43)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(43), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(45), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(45)
Level 41: Boxing -- Acc-I:40(A)
Level 44: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:40(46), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(46), Aegis-ResDam:40(46)
Level 47: Weave -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(48), S'dpty-Def:40(48), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(50), Empty(50)
Level 49: Hibernate -- Heal-I:40(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
* 2.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
* 8.63% Defense(Smashing)
* 8.63% Defense(Lethal)
* 16.4% Defense(Fire)
* 16.4% Defense(Cold)
* 6.13% Defense(Energy)
* 6.13% Defense(Negative)
* 3% Defense(Psionic)
* 5.81% Defense(Melee)
* 4.56% Defense(Ranged)
* 20.5% Defense(AoE)
* 1.8% Max End
* 43% Enhancement(Accuracy)
* 3% Enhancement(Heal)
* 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
* 5% FlySpeed
* 161.6 HP (8.63%) HitPoints
* 5% JumpHeight
* 5% JumpSpeed
* MezResist(Confused) 1.65%
* MezResist(Immobilize) 6.6%
* 5.5% (0.09 End/sec) Recovery
* 52% (4.07 HP/sec) Regeneration
* 9.38% Resistance(Negative)
* 15% RunSpeed
* 5% XPDebtProtection

At least you know to use Mid's, that's a start!

For an Ice tank, which relies almost solely on defense for damage mitigation, and is close enough to the defense soft-cap to get there pretty easily using IOs, IMO yes, you should aim to add enough defense so you are at 45% defense for at least S/L, and E/NE too, if possible.

It's a good idea to respec into an IO build for a couple of reasons. First, the number of slots in individual powers will usually change somewhat, since you may want to use more slots than normal to get a set bonus, or be able to drop a slot because of the higher enhancement values of IOs. Also, if you have enhancements slotted when you respec you'll be given the buyback value of them; that won't happen if you just delete or overwrite them. But don't worry, if you don't have a unused freespec on this character they will almost certainly give out another when I16 goes live in a few weeks.

As I mentioned, it's pretty easy to reach the soft-cap with Ice, especially if you plan to take Weave. Hitting the soft-cap without Weave is certainly doable, as a matter of fact that's what I'm building for with my Ice/Axe, but recommendations on which IO sets to use can vary significantly depending on your power selection.

So why don't you post your current build (or intended build, if you want to change your power selection) and we can make recommendations from there. And if you are interested in some particular type of bonus (recovery, regen, recharge, +HP, etc.) other than defense, be sure to say so so that can be worked in if possible.

Yeah, that's why I said it wouldn't matter for Tough. Unyielding, however, is your main source of exotic resistance other than the passives, so underslotting it for resistance does have an impact, though admittedly a small one.

Two very small changes:

I recommend against using five Eradication slots for a couple of reasons: first, the set is very low in end reduction, so you're better off using one or two IOs from another set that *does* have end reduction; second, the Erad quad is *very* hard to find and expensive, so why not save yourself some infl and aggravation and skip it entirely.

Also, CJ's base defense is so low that the Def IO in the third slot is getting you less and 1% of additional def. I'd recommend using it as a fourth GotA slot in Weave. The amount of def will be nearly the same, but you'll get the nice +end bonus from GotA.

So, does this mean I don't get a cut of the 1 billion you saved by not buying the PvP IO?

EDIT: I just noticed that you still have Reactive Armor Endurance IOs in UY and Tough--be sure to swap those out for a Res/Rchg. (Though I suppose it doesn't matter in Tough since you're at the cap, but I hate to see slots go to waste!)

They've done two power order switches for Tanks that I recall.

They switched one of the attacks with Taunt (I *think* it was the current T3) for all tanks so they would have access to attacks earlier.

Then, after much complaining from Mace tanks, they switched the order of Clobber (then the T3) with Jawbreaker (then the T6). That was back before Clobber did any kind of damage, so it was truly painful to level a WM tank--you had to wait until level 24 to have access to 3 useful attacks.

I don't recall whether they gave out special respecs in either case, maybe someone else here does. But IMO, the obvious thing to do is to make the switch as a part of an issue where they're going to give out freespecs anyway.

Whoa, either you a) haven't checked recipe prices lately, or b) are sitting on a mountain of influence the size of Mt. Everest.

In case a) is true, last time I checked, the PvP +Def recipe was selling for 1 *billion* influence, and the Blessing of the Zephyr -KB recipes for around 50 million each. Even if you have that kind of cash, you honestly don't need them to soft-cap your build--which is what I'm guessing is your goal with this build.

The main problem I see is that the sets you've selected is that the defense bonuses are a mix of typed and positional defense. Sure, you get both now with set bonuses, but one is always twice as large as the other, so you need to concentrate on the one kind that is best for Invul--typed defense. In case you weren't aware, Invinc and Tough Hide have typed defense, so you want to build on that rather than going for positional defense where you'd have to start from zero.

Here's what I recommend:

1.) Forget about the PvP +Def IO, it is not needed to reach the soft-cap. If you're really determined to waste all that influence, I have some suggestions.

2.) Reactive Armor is a good pick, but the Endurance IO is absolutely not needed. Four-slot TI, UY and Tough with Resistance, Res/End, Res/Rchg, and Res/End/Rchg.

3.) Drop the BotZ -KB IOs from CJ and SJ. Invul simply doesn't need KB protection since it has it in UY, and there are better ways to get F/C defense.

4.) 3-slot the resistance passives with Aegis--Resistance, Res/End, Res/Rchg. One set of three gives 3.13% F/C defense, as much as the two BotZ bonuses combined.

5.) Replace three of the Scirocco's Dervish slots with Eradication for a 3.13% E/NE defense bonus. I usually use Dam, Dam/Rchg, and Acc/Dam/Rchg, and supplement with Dam/End and Acc/Dam/End from Scirocco's.

6.) Six-slot Build-Up with Gaussian's for a 1.25% def bonus to S/L/E/NE/F/C. This is optional, since you'd soft-cap S/L without it, but it will allow you to soft-cap E/NE defense.

7.) I don't know what's going on with your Weave slotting, but I'd recommend 4-slotting with either LotG or GotA.

With the changes I've recommended--including the Gaussian's set--you'll have 46.5% S/L def, 45.2% E/NE, and 46.2% to F/C. Since that's with one foe in range of Invinc, you should be *plenty* sturdy against everything but pure Psi and Toxic attacks.

Here's what I would consider to be a fairly cheap soft-capped Invul/WM build with pretty standard power selections. It's soft-capped for everything but F/C defense. I picked Serendipity for the defense powers because they're cheap, and have modest--but useful--set bonuses.

I even threw in a couple of inexpensive procs with leftover slots.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam:40(5)
Level 1: Bash -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(15), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(15), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(17), F'dSmite-Acc/Dmg:40(21)
Level 2: Dull Pain -- Heal-I:50(A), Heal-I:50(5), RechRdx-I:50(9), RechRdx-I:50(17), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg:50(19)
Level 4: Jawbreaker -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(13), F'dSmite-Acc/Dmg:40(13)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I:50(A)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(9), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), RctvArm-ResDam:40(11)
Level 10: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt:50(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rng:50(19), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:50(23), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:50(29), Mocking-Acc/Rchg:50(37)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I:50(A)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:50(A)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I:40(A), Heal-I:50(46), Heal-I:50(46)
Level 18: Invincibility -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(23), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(25), S'dpty-Def:40(25)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(21), EndMod-I:50(27)
Level 22: Clobber -- S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(27), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(29), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(31), F'dSmite-Acc/Dmg:40(31)
Level 24: Resist Physical Damage -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(33), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(34), RctvArm-ResDam:40(45)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(33), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(34), S'dpty-Def:40(34)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(36), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), Zinger-Dam%:50(37)
Level 30: Build Up -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(31)
Level 32: Boxing -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(43), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(48), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(50)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(37), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(39), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(39), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(40)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(40), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(40), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(42), ExStrk-Dam%:20(43)
Level 41: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), RctvArm-ResDam:40(43)
Level 44: Weave -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(45), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(45), S'dpty-Def:40(46)
Level 47: Resist Energies -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(48), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(48), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(50)
Level 49: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 18% Defense(Smashing)
• 18% Defense(Lethal)
• 9.25% Defense(Fire)
• 9.25% Defense(Cold)
• 17.4% Defense(Energy)
• 17.4% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 10.5% Defense(Melee)
• 10.2% Defense(Ranged)
• 6.13% Defense(AoE)
• 7.2% Max End
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 126.5 HP (6.75%) HitPoints
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 13.2%
• MezResist(Sleep) 4.95%
• 12% (0.94 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 5% RunSpeed

Not bad, Ferrus. Although I wouldn't consider a full set of Touch of Death and 5 Scirocco's Dervish as part of a 'bargain build', it looks like you don't need them to reach the soft-cap. I haven't priced a full set of Gaussian's lately, but some of them might be a bit pricey.

I must admit though, that I have a hard time committing 6 slots to a def or res power to get a bonus, since you should be able to get by with 4 slots.

I thought that all hero-side AHs were on the same server, so if it's scarce for NA, it's scarce for EU.

And Sinergy must be confusing Kinetic Combat with another set, because two of the four KC you need to get the bonus are indeed very hard to find and expensive, especially at the upper levels. (Just for the record, I consider anything more than 5 million or so to be expensive, and anything more than 10 million, very expensive. Obviously, I'm not one of the people paying hundreds of millions for purples and PvP sets.)

That said, you can soft-cap Invul with sets that are relatively inexpensive and available. Reactive Armor, Smashing Haymaker, Mocking Beratement and Eradication are all pretty reasonable. (You'd have to stay away from a couple of enhancements in the Erad set, but you only need three of the six.) Even Blessing of the Zephyr isn't too bad if you avoid the -KB IO. Probably the most expensive 'must have' is the Steadfast +Def, and IMO, it's worth saving for.

A lot of the cost of my Invul IO builds are what I'd consider "nice to have but not essential", like the Kismet +ToHit, the Perf Shifter +End, and slotting GotA or LotG in the defense powers. If you use cheap sets or common IOs for powers where you're not getting a defense bonus, my guess is that a soft-cap Invul build would cost around 50 million. That may seem like a lot, but a level 50 can earn that pretty fast between regular influence gain and selling unneeded drops.

The big difference between the two when it comes to soft-capping defense is that Invul has typed defense and Shields has positional defense.

Pool powers like CJ and Weave work equally well with both, but when you're slotting for set IO bonuses typed bonuses are generally available with 3-4 slots in a set, whereas with positional bonuses you need 5 or 6 slots of the same set.

This means that with typed bonuses it's easier to avoid the one or two enhancements in a set that are very rare and expensive. If necessary, you can fill in the slotting with a cheap set or common IOs.

I haven't slotted a Shield tank to the def soft-cap, but I'm in the midst of re-slotting a SR scrapper, and let me tell you, those last couple of slots of Touch of Death and Obliteration are downright painful.

So although I haven't made a direct comparison of the two, my guess is that it would be easier to do a Invul soft-cap "on the cheap" than it would for Shields for that reason.

Evidence to the contrary from experienced Shield tankers is of course welcome!

What you have is a solid build in terms of power selection and order, though understandably enough it doesn't take into account the improvements to Invul's resistance passives. RPD and Tough Hide now have defense debuff resistance, so I'd recommend finding a spot to fit in RPD. ResEn now gives end drain resistance, so you might want to make room for it, too, but IMO it's not quite as critical as getting RPD.

What do you want to accomplish with IOs? Probably the most popular IO build for Invul these days is the defense soft-cap build, as described in Call_Me_Awesome's guide, here:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=126983

In addition to the recommendations in C_M_A's guide, I'd also suggest slotting your three PBAoE attacks with 3 slots of Eradication for the E/NE defense bonus. (You can round out the slotting with 2 or 3 slots from another set.) That way, you should be able to soft-cap both S/L and E/NE defense.

If that's the direction you want to go, post a sample build and we can give suggestions from there. If you like an IO build with a different focus (Recharge, Regen, etc.) say so and I'm sure someone--or several someoes--can make recommendations.

Thanks for the heads-up, Shannon, I didn't notice the data link wasn't working. Regarding the power order, the OP did ask for advice in that area, and I thought those two changes were important enough to incorporate.

Here's the build again, with a couple of extra tweaks. The previous build was pretty far over the soft-cap for E/NE, so I took the opportunity to add some more F/C defense. Oh, and I replaced Pulverize with Jawbreaker.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
FT Shadow: Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(19)
Level 1: Bash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:35(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:35(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg:35(15), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(39), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:25(40)
Level 2: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam:40(9), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(9), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(11)
Level 4: Dull Pain -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg:40(5), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg:50(11), Dct'dW-Heal:50(13), Dct'dW-Rchg:50(13)
Level 6: Jawbreaker -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(21), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(39), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(39)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(15), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(17)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(46)
Level 12: Swift -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 14: Super Speed -- QckFt-RunSpd:50(A), QckFt-EndRdx:50(19), QckFt-EndRdx/RunSpd:50(34)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I:50(A), Heal-I:50(21), Heal-I:50(33)
Level 18: Invincibility -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg:40(27), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), GftotA-Def:40(42)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(27), EndMod-I:50(43)
Level 22: Clobber -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(34), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(34), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg:30(36)
Level 24: Resist Energies -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(25), Aegis-ResDam:50(25)
Level 26: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I:50(A)
Level 28: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt:50(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:50(29), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:50(29), Mocking-Acc/Rchg:50(31), Mocking-Taunt/Rng:50(31), Mocking-Rchg:50(31)
Level 30: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(37)
Level 32: Tough Hide -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:30(A), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:30(33), LkGmblr-Def:30(33), Ksmt-ToHit+:30(43)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(37), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(46), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(48)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(40), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(40), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(42), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(43)
Level 41: Boxing -- Mako-Dam%:50(A)
Level 44: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(45), RctvArm-ResDam:40(45)
Level 47: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg:40(48), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(48), GftotA-Def:40(50)
Level 49: Resist Elements -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(50), Aegis-ResDam:50(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 18% Defense(Smashing)
• 18% Defense(Lethal)
• 12.4% Defense(Fire)
• 12.4% Defense(Cold)
• 17.4% Defense(Energy)
• 17.4% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 10.5% Defense(Melee)
• 10.2% Defense(Ranged)
• 7.69% Defense(AoE)
• 9% Max End
• 12.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 4% Enhancement(Heal)
• 105.4 HP (5.63%) HitPoints
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 12.7%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
• 4% (0.07 End/sec) Recovery
• 48% (3.76 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 6.26% Resistance(Fire)
• 1.26% Resistance(Cold)
• 10% RunSpeed

I forgot to mention in my previous post that you might want to think about swapping out Pulverize for Jawbreaker. Jawbreaker does slightly more damage, and the KU is more reliable damage mitigation than Pulverize's Stun, which is helpful especially in the levels before you get Shatter and CC.

It won't change the slotting at all, but it's something to consider.

Not bad, though there are some issues with power order, primarily the fact you're delaying Invinc. Not a good idea at all, so in the attached build I've moved CJ to let you take it at 18. I also think that delaying--and underslotting--Crowd Control is a mistake; it is by far one of the best attacks in the set.

The slotting issues are mostly missing out on opportunities to add non-S/L def. Here's why I recommend the changes that I do in the build below.

1. The PBAoE sets you choose did very little to add defense; Eradication give 3.13% E/NE defense bonus with just 3 slots. I've finished the slotting with two Scirocco's, because it gives a nice regen bonus, but any PBAoE set will do. (Add lots of end red since Erad has very little.)

2. Two-slotted Blessing of the Zephyr in SS and CJ gives you two more 3.13% E/NE bonuses. Just stay away from the -KB IO since it's super expensive and not needed for Invul.

3. Dull Pain slotted with Doctored Wounds get you very near the ED cap with 5 slots, freeing a slot for something else and giving some nice bonuses.

4. I show your defense powers slotted with GotA and LotG; which sets you pick is up to you and your budget, but I think those two are good choices.

5. With two additional slots in ResEl, you can 3-slot it with Aegis for a 3.13% F/C def bonus.

6. I've switched out the Smashing Haymaker in Bash for Kinetic Combat. KC is expensive and some are hard to find, but they provide a much bigger def bonus than SH. I've chosen Bash in this case because as a T1 attack it won't hurt to underslot it a bit, and I've used the KC KD proc rather than the super-hard-to-find KC triple.

EDIT: I posted the build before I realized that I didn't have CJ toggled. Since that gives a bit of a def boost, I've made some minor changes, namely taking the BotZ set out of CJ and moving a slot to Tough Hide to add the Kismet +ToHit. (It will go in any def power, but in TH it'll be always on)

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

FT Shadow: Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(19)
Level 1: Bash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:35(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:35(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg:35(40), KntkC'bat-Knock%:35(40), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(40)
Level 2: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam:40(9), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(9), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(11)
Level 4: Dull Pain -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg:50(5), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg:50(11), Dct'dW-Heal:50(13), Dct'dW-Rchg:50(13)
Level 6: Pulverize -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(21), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(39), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(39)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(15), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(17)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(15)
Level 12: Swift -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel:50(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:50(19)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I:50(A), Heal-I:50(21), Heal-I:50(39)
Level 18: Invincibility -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg:40(27), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(33), GftotA-Def:40(43)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(43), EndMod-I:50(43)
Level 22: Clobber -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(34), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(34), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg:30(36)
Level 24: Resist Energies -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(25), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(25), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(27)
Level 26: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I:50(A)
Level 28: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt:50(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:50(29), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:50(29), Mocking-Acc/Rchg:50(31), Mocking-Taunt/Rng:50(31), Mocking-Rchg:50(31)
Level 30: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(37)
Level 32: Tough Hide -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:30(A), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:30(33), LkGmblr-Def:30(33), Ksmt-ToHit+:30(34)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(37), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(42), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(48)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Dmg:30(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(42), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(42), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(46)
Level 41: Boxing -- Mako-Dam%:50(A)
Level 44: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(45), RctvArm-ResDam:40(45)
Level 47: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg:40(48), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(48), GftotA-Def:40(50)
Level 49: Resist Elements -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(50), Aegis-ResDam:50(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
* 19.3% Defense(Smashing)
* 19.3% Defense(Lethal)
* 9.25% Defense(Fire)
* 9.25% Defense(Cold)
* 20.2% Defense(Energy)
* 20.2% Defense(Negative)
* 3% Defense(Psionic)
* 11.1% Defense(Melee)
* 13.9% Defense(Ranged)
* 6.13% Defense(AoE)
* 9% Max End
* 12.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
* 4% Enhancement(Heal)
* 91.4 HP (4.88%) HitPoints
* MezResist(Held) 2.75%
* MezResist(Immobilize) 12.7%
* MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
* 4% (0.07 End/sec) Recovery
* 48% (3.76 HP/sec) Regeneration
* 6.26% Resistance(Fire)
* 1.26% Resistance(Cold)
* 5% RunSpeed

Putting a build together involves a lot of personal decisions--what travel power, whether to get epic attacks, etc.

You mention wanting to build for defense; do you want to go with a soft-capped build (which requires the Fighting Pool and probably CJ) or just maximizing defense within Invul itself?

My Invul/Mace is a concept build and probably not the best guide for someone else, (unless you plan to get the Medicine Pool with Resuscitate ) and it is good experience putting a build together yourself. So take a look at the guide I referenced earlier, spec out a basic SO build in Mid's and post it here for comments.

If you know you want to soft-cap defense, Call_Me_Awesome's guide on that subject is also extremely useful. Here's the link:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=126983

Good luck!

Since I'd wager that most of us were around and leveled Invul tanks before the change, we don't need to trust you to understand the affect the def debuff had on low-level tankers.

I can't speak for everyone else, but although I'm not against swapping RPD and TH, I just don't think it's as needed now as it would have been had the def defbuff remained. And you know, it feels a little ungrateful to push for another change to Invul when the past changes were so helpful and the set is performing so well now.

I do agree that TI needs to be renamed; we still get players new to the set coming in and saying that they took RPD since it sounded stronger than TI.

I'd also support swapping TI and RPD so brutes and scrappers don't have to RPD as their first power. But what I'd really like to see is getting rid of the silly rule that all players have to take the first power in their secondary. That extra flexibility would help all ATs, not just tanks.

Sure, lots of us have; my main is an Invul/Mace. What kind of advice are you looking for, power order and selection, basic slotting, IO slotting? If you want IO slotting advice, it would also be helpful to know what sort of bonuses you're building toward.

If you're brand-new to building a Invul tank, this guide is a good place to start:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=133483

Take a look at that, then post a sample build and we'll be able to help you from there.

My first Tanker Tuesday and I had a *great* time. Can't wait until the next one!

(I played the Dark tank on Sister Psyche.)

Looks good. A few small changes I'd recommend:

Take the RA End/Rchg out of TI, it's not necessary.

Replace the Scirocco's Dervish with 3 or 4 slots of Eradication for 3.13% E/NE defense. You can fill out the slotting with SD or some other PBAoE set.

Add another 2 slots to ResEl and 3-slot Aegis for the F/C def bonus.

Just those small changes will get you up to 44% E/NE and 34.6% F/C defense.

You also might want to consider slotting Invinc, Tough and Weave with LotG or GotA, depending on which bonuses you like.

EDIT: I agree with Heraclea; since you've already soft-capped S/L def, try switching from 6 Perfect Zinger to 5 Mocking Beratement. That, with the other changes I recommended, would give you 47.7% S/L, 44% E/NE and 37.7% F/C defense.

A couple of points regarding your most recent build.

First, NE damage isn't terribly common, but Energy is. IIRC, it is the most common type of damage after S/L by a large margin. And many Energy attacks also do endurance drain, which is a big PITA even with ResEn end drain resistance. IMO, *that* is why slotting for E/NE def is so important. That's not to say, however, that you can't slot for F/C def as well as E/NE, but when it comes down to which damage types gives my tanks more headaches, there's no question that Energy is a bigger problem than F/C.

Also, when slotting sets for bonuses, "value for slots" is very important, since I rarely, if ever, have more slots than I'd like. For instance, I really don't see the point in 6-slotting your PBAoEs for less than 1% of S/L/F/C defense when you can 3-slot for 3% E/NE def. If you're going to go for def bonuses, go for the biggest ones you can get that don't significantly gimp your build. And again, although I think it's also worth slotting for F/C def, I think it is a lower priority than E/NE.

That's why in your current build, that I would strongly recommend that you swap out the Multistrike sets for something like the Erad slotting you have in Pendulum. And although I know it is very hard to get Kinetic Combat sets these days, I'd try to get a least one set slotted. If you put them in a attack you don't use much like Beheader you can swap the very hard to find Dam/End/Rchg for the KD proc.