PeterAlmighty

Both Energy and Icy get Power Boost, so I wouldn't be surprised...

QR

Hey Kahlan

After you got the mag stacked up that high, did he attack you when you entered perception radius, or only when you attacked? Did the purple confuse bubbles disappear at that point?

P.S. I love the new animation! It's so much better!

omg omg omg!!! These changes are incredible! I'm wondering how they found enough powers to populate an entire Earth Assault set. Let's see... Stone Fists, Stone Mallet, Seismic Smash, Hurl Boulder, Tremor, Fault (would be insanely good). I'm having trouble thinking of other AoEs and ranged attacks though... Haha, maybe they'll just get [Rock] and [Gravel]

River, I've read on multiple occasions that redraw doesn't actually slow you down at all. I don't quite remember, but I think the actual power animation is supposedly sped up if it begins with a weapon draw. However, I think it's all a ruse! I've noticed redraw slowing me down on countless occasions with my /Mace tanker. I've given it the benefit of the doubt for a long time, rationalizing that it might just be my skewed perception, but now I really do think it's a bug. I've mainly noticed when I charge a group and taunt some enemies on the periphery. If my weapon isn't already drawn, I notice my character is rooted for longer than just the taunt animation alone. I'm also pretty sure I've noticed the intended "speed up" effect sometimes during redraw, but inconsistently. I really don't think it's my perception, but will try and test this out at some point.

I realize in retrospect this is a random tangent, but perhaps that might help you understand people's aversion to redraw. Even if it is skewed perception (which I doubt!), it's still annoying!

In regards to the OP: I'm almost certain doms won't get dual pistols, but I bet the chances of getting /dark are pretty good! Think about it- most of the assault sets borrow powers from all over the place... and there are plenty of dark powers that could be cobbled together! Shadow Punch, Smite, Dark Blast, Gloom, Nightfall, TT, Moonbeam, SOUL DRAIN (omg), Siphon Life, Midnight Grasp... Wow, they could really make a killer set.

Having used Terrify extensively on my Mind/Kin controller, I have to tell you it's one of the most ridiculously large cones ever I consistently find myself hitting way more enemies than expected, even when I don't have the chance to backup very much before casting it. Furthermore! Fear is incredible, is does great damage, and the base duration is good. I think it's easy enough to Hypnosis -> Terrify -> Psy Scream -> run in and Drain Psyche -> PSW. Then again, I love cone attacks (fun to line them up!), and love being mobile during combat.

I've been trying to plan out my first dom but am totally stuck in indecision! I decided on Plant/Ice a few days ago, but that one's pending creation until I think of a perfect name After reading a lot here about the new dom changes I decided I definitely want to make a few doms So my new idea is a Fire/ dom!

I'm looking for advice on the best secondary for synergy and fun, but am having a bit of trouble drawing conclusions without updated numbers on Mid's. My thoughts so far:

<ul type="square">[*]Electric! Good single target damage... how does this stack up with the dom changes? How is the AoE?[*]Energy! Heard a lot of good stuff about the new power push, and am interested in trying this set out. Also has disorient to stack with Flashfire. Is the lack of AoE frustrating, or do imps fill that hole?[*]Fiery! I heard flares is lacking, but otherwise this set dishes it out. How big a problem is the lack of mitigation?[*]Icy! Looks like a nice blend of ST and AoE with power boost to boot! But is it really end heavy? Weak compared to other sets?[*]Psi! Looks like a potent mix of ST and AoE with the new changes. I've never tried Drain Psyche, but it looks like an amazing power.[*]Thorny! I know nothing about this set :P[/list]
So! I'm looking for a breakdown of the pros/cons of pairing each secondary with Fire/, or just combos that you guys like. If it's not too much to ask, I'm also interested in sets that combo nicely with Plant/ or Earth/, since I've never tried those control sets. Btw, I plan on teaming 90% of the time.

Thanks!

What about /Icy? Doesn't that have good AoE between Ice Breath and Ice Sword Circle? I've been thinking about making a plant/icy but am too undecided Are psi, fire, and thorns that much better at AoE? This is for my first dom, so I want something with lots of fun and/or synergy

I totally agree with Jebe, but also have always kinda wondered how much the cloak of fear toHit debuff helps. If you're building for defense, it might be nicer.

Also, Kioshi: I wouldn't say that OG has a totally negligible cost to your health. Before I took OG, I thought it was just a constant slight HP drain. However, it is actually based on how many enemies are near you (or perhaps on how many you actually hit?). According to Mid's it's 4.45 damage every 2 seconds, per enemy. That's 2.23 dps. To put that into perspective, Health gives you 3.13 hp/s (6.23 slotted). So, just three enemies nearby cancels out slotted Health, and as a tank you're regularly jumping into crowds of at least ten enemies! Also, you take damage even if the enemy isn't stunned by it (lts. and bosses).

All that said, I still love it

I have a L35 Dark/Mace tank who is quite durable and fun. He has Tough and is getting Weave at 41. Dark gets (arguably) the best heal, decent resists, some control, a damage aura, great aggro management, and good defensive potential (if slotted for it).

Before you completely rule out Dark Armor, consider a couple possibilities:

<ul type="square">[*]Any Dark Tank with the presence pool - Sounds like a useless pool for tanks, if you pick up Intimidate or Invoke Panic, you can stack fear against bosses, and fear is awesome! The base rech/duration on these powers kind of sucks until slotted, though.
[*]Dark/Stone - Stone offers great mitigation with KD, Seismic Smash (mag 4 hold), and Fault (amazing CC power). Fault has good rech/duration especially once slotted, allowing you to easily stack disorient with Oppressive Gloom (2+2 = stuns bosses), and the knockdown ensures the enemies don't wander far. Stone has a very powerful *feel* to it with great sound effects, animations, and knockdown. I would probably skip Cloak of Fear for this build.[/list]
Also, regarding other primary powersets:

<ul type="square">[*]Ice Armor is actually a great armor set other than its weakness to fire and psi. It gets really powerful once you snag Energy Absorption. Chilling Embrace is an amazing power (slows enemies, -14% damage). Ice Armor is also arguably the best at holding aggro, and has a great tier 9 (Hibernate).
[*]Shield and Willpower are great well-rounded sets. Willpower has already been discussed quite a bit, so I'll talk about Shield. It's one of the most offense-oriented tank sets, since you get Against All Odds (lower nearby enemy damage slightly, greatly increase your own (up to 65%!)). You also get the awesomeness of shield charge, which teleports you, does good aoe damage, and knocks enemies down! Incredibly good power that combos well with SS Footstomp, only limited by a longish recharge. Because Shield is largely based on positional defense, it's relatively easy/cheap to softcap with the right IO build. Both Shield and Willpower lack a heal, and consequently combo really well with Dark Melee since it has Siphon Life. Dark Melee also has loads of toHit debuffs to stack up with your already high defense. You also get Soul Drain and Dark Consumption![/list]
Lastly, quick rundown of some of the secondaries that haven't been mentioned:

<ul type="square">[*]SS is a set loved by many. I have no experience with it (Rage crash always scares me off), but I know it can do amazing damage, and that Footstomp and Knockout Blow are incredible.[*]Fiery Melee lets you dish out the most damage at the price of no secondary mitigation. If you pick a strong primary, supplement it with Tough/Weave, and slot wisely, you can make an offensive beast without sacrificing too much durability. With Combustion and Fire Sword Circle, your AoE damage is impressive, and you can throw in Breath of Fire if you want more.[*]Ice Melee used to be known for having the worst damage, but good mitigation. Now I believe it does decent ST damage, good AoE (Frost + Frozen Aura). You get lots of slows, a ST hold, and the awesomeness of your mini Ice Patch (which combos amazingly with Fire Armor's Burn).[*]Energy Melee used to be the ST damage king, but an animation time nerf hit it hard enough that many people avoid it like the plague now. Honestly it's probably not that bad, but people always have strong reactions to nerfs. Sadly, Whirling Hands is the only AoE in this set, and it's not incredible. The disorients stack nicely with Oppressive Gloom, though.[*]Axe and Mace are very similar, and both get great AoE late in the build. Axe has a lot of (randomized) knockdown, whereas Mace has a mix of disorient and knockdown.[*]Dual Blades has never felt like a tanker set to me, so I completely ignore its existence :P[/list]
I hope that breakdown helps you choose! There are definitely a lot of good/powerful combos to be had, and with the right IO slotting, any combo can achieve your goals.

(Somewhat shameless repost since this was buried at the end of another thread):

My rad/rad just hit 41 and I've been trying to decide on what epic pool to take. Here are my thoughts:

<ul type="square">[*]Dark- Nice synergy here; Oppressive gloom to stack with Cosmic Burst and knock out those minions that Choking Cloud misses. Dark Consumption could be very useful since this can be a very end intensive build, but the recharge sucks. Soul Drain is great and you'll already be in melee for Choking Cloud[*]Electric- It has Power Sink, which is wayyy better than Dark Consumption, but you have to wait until lvl47. Thunder Strike is fun and stacks stun with Cosmic Burst, but the knockback messes up Choking Cloud. Also has a hold to stack with choking cloud.[*]Power- It has Conserve Power instead of a recovery power, which is quite useful, but the base recharge is 10 minutes! Power Build Up is likely pretty awesome for EM Pulse, Radiant Aura, and a couple of buffs/debuffs. Total focus is stackable with cosmic burst.[*]Psychic- A hold to stack with Choking Cloud, an aoe sleep to set up your "1.2.3.4 defensive suite" before waking enemies with attacks. Sounds pretty nice since it prevents bad alphas. You also get World of Confusion, which doesn't stack with anything, but might mix nicely with Choking Cloud and can be slotted heavily with procs! Telekinesis is a great/fun/challenging power, but doesn't synergize with Choking Cloud since it repels enemies (unless you have them cornered...)[/list]Actually, based on my rundown just now, I am leaning toward either Dark or Psy. I really like that Mass Hypnosis idea for setting up your debuffs without painful aggro. You could easily lockdown bosses with Dominate+CC. And I bet you could churn out some mean AoE damage and control by slotting up CC and World of Confusion with damage procs! Imagine 4 damage procs in WoC with acc/end, and 2 damage procs in CC with end/holds and Lockdown: Chance to hold. Tasty!

I still haven't chosen, so I'm curious to see what everyone else has to say about the epics, especially those who have tried Dark or Psy.

My rad/rad just hit 41 and I've been trying to decide on what epic pool to take. Here are my thoughts:

<ul type="square">[*]Dark- Nice synergy here; Oppressive gloom to stack with Cosmic Burst and knock out those minions that Choking Cloud misses. Dark Consumption could be very useful since this can be a very end intensive build, but the recharge sucks. Soul Drain is great and you'll already be in melee for Choking Cloud[*]Electric- It has Power Sink, which is wayyy better than Dark Consumption, but you have to wait until lvl47. Thunder Strike is fun and stacks stun with Cosmic Burst, but the knockback messes up Choking Cloud. Also has a hold to stack with choking cloud.[*]Power- It has Conserve Power instead of a recovery power, which is quite useful, but the base recharge is 10 minutes! Power Build Up is likely pretty awesome for EM Pulse, Radiant Aura, and a couple of buffs/debuffs. Total focus is stackable with cosmic burst.[*]Psychic- A hold to stack with Choking Cloud, an aoe sleep to set up your "1.2.3.4 defensive suite" before waking enemies with attacks. Sounds pretty nice since it prevents bad alphas. You also get World of Confusion, which doesn't stack with anything, but might mix nicely with Choking Cloud and can be slotted heavily with procs! Telekinesis is a great/fun/challenging power, but doesn't synergize with Choking Cloud since it repels enemies (unless you have them cornered...)[/list]Actually, based on my rundown just now, I am leaning toward either Dark or Psy. I really like that Mass Hypnosis idea for setting up your debuffs without painful aggro. You could easily lockdown bosses with Dominate+CC. And I bet you could churn out some mean AoE damage and control by slotting up CC and World of Confusion with damage procs! Imagine 4 damage procs in WoC with acc/end, and 2 damage procs in CC with end/holds and Lockdown: Chance to hold. Tasty!

I still haven't chosen, so I'm curious to see what everyone else has to say about the epics, especially those who have tried Dark or Psy.

QR

There was a thread 1-2 months ago with a proposed tanky storm/ defender that looked pretty sweet. I can't find it in search but you might have better luck

Jebe, how can you use merits to buy the + recovery unique?

QR

Another thing I just thought of-- I love being a team leader as a tank... it just feels so right! It's all about being the first to charge headlong into battle, directing gameplay and strategy (herding, pulling, etc.), giving advice to newer players, and even putting together the team! I've always loved being a team leader, but doing so as a tank? it was meant to be!

Meh, I actually really enjoy the mace sound effects :P They have this satisfying bone-crunching feel to them. And hey, maces have sharp edges, so you can justify slicing noises too. The sparks? Many enemies in the game are armored or have hardened carapaces. As fun as it would be for some of us older players, the devs sure as hell can't give gory impact animations to weapons if they wanna keep their ESRB rating!

Maybe I'm just good at rationalizing

I'm sort of new to the Tank scene (just hit level 30 last night with my dark/mace) but am having a blast so far!

Kruuunch, I'm with you! The crazier and more risky a battle, the better! I like struggling for dear life to hold aggro and keep my teammates alive.

Just yesterday I was running some Talos radios with my Warshade friend and 5 or 6 pug teammates. There was this one freakshow mission where almost all the enemies spawned purple and this epic battle ensued. Somehow we accidentally aggro'd 2-3 groups full of tank smashers and lieuts, and the whole time I was desperately trying to juggle the aggro off of the squishies! My friend had to go into lobster/armadillo form to back me up since I was at the aggro cap! We all were on the verge of dying several times in the battle, and had to constantly pass insps to each other to stay alive. It was awesome

I also really enjoy quickly popping a wakie/break free/blue the instant I faceplant, diving right back into battle... but my tank is starting to get really durable so this is becoming a lot less common (finally managed to get one of those -KB IOs... the difference in survivability is astounding)

At level 22 I usually fully outfit my chars with a mix of common and set IOs for an ideal mix of percentages and maybe a few nice set bonuses if possible. If you shop around it's often pretty cheap (but yeah, it is a lot more work), and I really hate SOs going yellow/red.

I'm just saying that I'm level 23 now and gonna slot mostly lvl 25 IOs and upgrade them eventually to max out my percentages. In the planner though, it's easier to slot all level 25s.

Thanks Finduilas!

Yeah, I usually plan out everything with lvl 25 IOs for a few reasons: The percentages are nice round numbers (32/20/16/12), diminishing returns start hitting hard after that level, that's often the last level before you need the next tier of more expensive salvage ingredients, and I try and be really frugal Of course, my tank's only level 23 anyway, so I'll be upgrading to higher level enhancements eventually.

I just did some final tweaks to the build, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. With a little finessing, I was able to scrounge together +13% more recovery! Now I just need to figure out how to afford everything

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

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 50 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:25(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:25(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:25(7), RctvArm-ResDam:25(37)
Level 1: Bash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:25(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:25(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg:25(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(11)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:25(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:25(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:25(17), RctvArm-ResDam:25(37)
Level 4: Pulverize -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:25(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:25(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg:25(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(11), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx:25(34), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg:25(46)
Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:25(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:25(27), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:25(43), RctvArm-ResDam:25(45), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:25(48), S'fstPrt-ResKB:25(48)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Erad-Acc/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(9), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal:25(13), Theft-+End%:25(13), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx:25(33)
Level 10: Boxing -- Acc-I:25(A)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I:25(A)
Level 14: Health -- Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx:25(A), Mrcl-Heal:25(15), Heal-I:25(15)
Level 16: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:25(A), Mocking-Taunt:25(34), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:25(46), Mocking-Acc/Rchg:25(46)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- Erad-Dmg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(19), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(19), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:25(25), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:25(42)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:25(A), EndMod-I:25(21), EndMod-I:25(21)
Level 22: Clobber -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:25(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:25(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg:25(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(25), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx:25(34), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg:25(45)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel:25(A), Zephyr-ResKB:25(43)
Level 26: Oppressive Gloom -- Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx:25(A), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg:25(27)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(29), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(29), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:25(31), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:25(40)
Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:25(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:25(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:25(31), RctvArm-ResDam:25(37)
Level 32: Cloak of Darkness -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:25(A), GftotA-Def:25(33), Ksmt-Def/EndRdx:25(33), Ksmt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:25(50)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(36), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:25(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:25(40)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(39), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:25(39), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:25(40), Erad-%Dam:25(43)
Level 41: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:25(A), GftotA-Def:25(42), Ksmt-Def/EndRdx:25(42), Ksmt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:25(48)
Level 44: Build Up -- RechRdx-I:45(A), RechRdx-I:45(45)
Level 47: Cloak of Fear -- N'mare-EndRdx/Fear:25(A), N'mare-Acc/Fear:25(50), N'mare-Acc/EndRdx:25(50)
Level 49: Super Jump -- Jump-I:25(A)
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]21.8% Defense(Smashing)[*]21.8% Defense(Lethal)[*]3% Defense(Fire)[*]3% Defense(Cold)[*]27.1% Defense(Energy)[*]27.1% Defense(Negative)[*]3% Defense(Psionic)[*]12.4% Defense(Melee)[*]17.4% Defense(Ranged)[*]3% Defense(AoE)[*]9% Max End[*]1.65% Enhancement(Terrorized)[*]126.5 HP (6.75%) HitPoints[*]Knockback (Mag -8)[*]Knockup (Mag -8)[*]MezResist(Held) 2.75%[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 12.7%[*]MezResist(Sleep) 6.6%[*]18.5% (0.31 End/sec) Recovery[*]10% (0.78 HP/sec) Regeneration[/list]

Thanks for all the excellent and informative feedback, guys! I'm about to pass out, but I just wanted to post my latest build for review! Gashes and Finduilas, I've taken all your suggestions to heart and come up with the following build which I really dig .

FYI I ditched the fire/cold defense bonuses to free up slots because I figure I'll already have decent fire/cold resists, and the melee/ranged/aoe defenses cover that hole more or less. With my toggles, I'm at 39.3% S/L and 44.6 E/N !

Those three procs are all wishful thinking, of course . Other than the SP -KB and +def IOs, what are the most expensive enhancements on the build? I've never looked into Eradication, Zephyr, or Theft of Essence-- are they hard to get?

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

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 50 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam(37)
Level 1: Bash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(17), RctvArm-ResDam(37)
Level 4: Pulverize -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34)
Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(27), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43), RctvArm-ResDam(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(48), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(48)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Erad-Acc/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal(13), Theft-+End%(13), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx(33)
Level 10: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(15), Heal-I(15)
Level 16: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(A), Mocking-Taunt(34), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(46), Mocking-Acc/Rchg(46)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(19), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(25), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(42)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Clobber -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Rope-Acc/Stun(45)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(43), DefBuff-I(48), DefBuff-I(50)
Level 26: Oppressive Gloom -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(27)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(31), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40), Erad-%Dam(46)
Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), RctvArm-ResDam(37)
Level 32: Cloak of Darkness -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(33), GftotA-Def(33)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(39), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40), Erad-%Dam(43)
Level 41: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), GftotA-Def(42)
Level 44: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 47: Cloak of Fear -- N'mare-EndRdx/Fear(A), N'mare-Acc/EndRdx(50), N'mare-Acc/Fear(50)
Level 49: Super Jump -- Zephyr-ResKB(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]21.8% Defense(Smashing)[*]21.8% Defense(Lethal)[*]3% Defense(Fire)[*]3% Defense(Cold)[*]27.1% Defense(Energy)[*]27.1% Defense(Negative)[*]3% Defense(Psionic)[*]12.4% Defense(Melee)[*]17.4% Defense(Ranged)[*]3% Defense(AoE)[*]9% Max End[*]1.65% Enhancement(Terrorized)[*]168.7 HP (9%) HitPoints[*]Knockback (Mag -8)[*]Knockup (Mag -8)[*]MezResist(Held) 2.75%[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 12.7%[*]MezResist(Sleep) 6.6%[*]5.5% (0.09 End/sec) Recovery[*]10% (0.78 HP/sec) Regeneration[*]5% Resistance(Fire)[/list]

Thanks for the reply, Gashes . As it stands, this is my current slotting for level 23, plus the coming few levels. The only thing I can change at this point are my level 25 and 27 slot placements. Some more thoughts:
<ul type="square">[*]I'm shooting for as many regen, +hp, +recovery, and +def bonuses as possible[*]I'm trying to stack a decent amount of defense between Cloak of Darkness, Weave, CJ, and the Multistrike sets[*]This is a somewhat-poor-man's build... will level 25 impervium armor recipes be too expensive? I haven't had the chance to check the prices.[*]Did I go overboard with the +recovery slotting? Dark/mace is really end heavy so I didn't wanna come up short.[*]I usually rely on temp travel powers until level 30, but on this char I just wanted way too many powers to fit it in... no big deal.[*]I'm trying to stack stuns instead of fears. Cloak of fear is mostly just there for stun-resistant foes and the nice toHit debuff[/list]After a lot of tweaking here's my frankenslotting up to lvl45. I'm looking for advice on maximizing my percentages and getting some nice set bonuses mixed in. I have a decent amount of recovery, regen, +hp, and melee/aoe defenses.

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

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 48 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(7), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(7), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 1: Bash -- RzDz-Acc/Rchg(A), RzDz-Acc/EndRdx(3), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(3), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(11), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(17), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(17), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 4: Pulverize -- RzDz-Acc/Rchg(A), RzDz-Acc/EndRdx(5), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(5), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(11), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Acc-I(A), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx(9), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Theft-Heal/Rchg(33)
Level 10: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(15), Heal-I(15)
Level 16: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(A)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(19), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(25), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(42), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Clobber -- RzDz-Acc/Rchg(A), RzDz-Acc/EndRdx(23), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(23), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(25), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB(A)
Level 26: Oppressive Gloom -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(27), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(27)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(29), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(31), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 30: Tough -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(31), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(31), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 32: Cloak of Darkness -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(33), S'dpty-Def(33)
Level 35: Shatter -- M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(36), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(39), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(39), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(40), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 41: Weave -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), S'dpty-Def(42)
Level 44: Cloak of Fear -- N'mare-EndRdx/Fear(A), N'mare-Acc/EndRdx(45), N'mare-Acc/Fear(45)
Level 47: Hasten -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Super Jump -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]6.75% Defense(Smashing)[*]6.75% Defense(Lethal)[*]6.75% Defense(Fire)[*]6.75% Defense(Cold)[*]4.88% Defense(Energy)[*]4.88% Defense(Negative)[*]8.63% Defense(Psionic)[*]10.5% Defense(Melee)[*]3.94% Defense(Ranged)[*]10.5% Defense(AoE)[*]6.75% Max End[*]1.65% Enhancement(Terrorized)[*]182.7 HP (9.75%) HitPoints[*]Knockback (Mag -4)[*]Knockup (Mag -4)[*]MezResist(Sleep) 6.6%[*]MezResist(Stun) 6.6%[*]18.5% (0.31 End/sec) Recovery[*]42% (3.29 HP/sec) Regeneration[*]3.78% Resistance(Fire)[*]3.78% Resistance(Cold)[/list]

Hey all, just hit 23 with my tank and am about to fully outfit him with IOs to last me for the next 20ish levels. Any advice or things you guys would change?

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

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 48 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(7), ResDam-I(7)
Level 1: Bash -- F'dSmite-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(3), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(3), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(11)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(17), ResDam-I(17)
Level 4: Jawbreaker -- P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg(A), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(5), F'dSmite-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(5), F'dSmite-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11)
Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Acc-I(A), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx(9), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13)
Level 10: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(15), Heal-I(15)
Level 16: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(A)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(19), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(25)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Clobber -- F'dSmite-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(23), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(23), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(25)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB(A)
Level 26: Oppressive Gloom -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(27), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(27)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Tough -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Cloak of Darkness -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Shatter -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Weave -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Cloak of Fear -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Hasten -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Super Jump -- Empty(A)
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]3% Defense(All)[*]140.6 HP (7.5%) HitPoints[*]Knockback (Mag -4)[*]Knockup (Mag -4)[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 1.65%[*]MezResist(Sleep) 1.65%[*]MezResist(Stun) 1.65%[*]12.5% (0.21 End/sec) Recovery[*]8% (0.63 HP/sec) Regeneration[*]0.95% Resistance(Fire)[*]0.95% Resistance(Cold)[/list]Quick notes:
<ul type="square">[*]Would I be better off just slotting 3 normal Resist IOs into Embrace and Murky? I just hate running out of end...[*]The Steadfast:res/def and Karma:KB would be nice but chances are I'm too poor to afford those for a long while![*]The oppressive gloom slotting was only for the accuracy and Stupefy bonuses, really.[*]In this build I have *six* +2.5% recovery bonuses, so I'll either drop the Oppressive Gloom Stupefy set, change my armors to 3 Resist IOs, or switch those Miracle IOs with Triage instead.[/list]Any input is appreciated

Just a quick update I wanted to chime in with:

I'm still running that DA/WM tank I mentioned earlier in the thread (now lvl 23). When I first posted he was only level 10, and having a LOT of trouble pulling aggro with Gauntlet. However! I am pleased to report that the effectiveness of Gauntlet does indeed seem to be scaling with level! Once I hit the teens it was much easier to pull baddies off of teammates, and the "splash" effect of Gauntlet was much more noticeable. I picked up Taunt at lvl 16 which has helped immensely as well, but even when I don't use it, I do well

And yeah, I totally agree that Vigilance is the biggest joke of an inherent power. While villain ATs are based around their inherent powers, whereas hero inherents were added as an afterthought, I still think inherents should add something to the "feel" of the AT. I think Gauntlet does this nicely. It's really nice not needing to chase after enemies too.

P.S. Anyone know if the Gauntlet AoE has the same chance to hit as the attack used? I suspect so, as DO acc enhancements seemed to help the taunt splash a bit. Also, do pool attacks and damage auras (death shroud) have Gauntlet?

I made my first tank the other day (blasphemy? hehe) and rolled through the first 10 levels with a few friends. I have to say, I was utterly underwhelmed by Gauntlet! I expected I'd be able to easily pull aggro off my teammates, but I found myself struggling for dear life to get so much as a glance after my spines/ scrapper friend let loose. The AE splash taunt must miss a lot, because I was rarely able to draw the attention of more enemies than my current target. Even when switching targets a lot, it was pretty disappointing Is the splash accuracy the same as the accuracy of your attack (and therefore affected by enhancements)? If not, I imagine it'd be pretty useless against relatively high level foes.

[ QUOTE ]
Can of worms... opened.

[/ QUOTE ]
made me lol

QR

Kruunch, I'm pretty sure 3mile meant using dropping out of hover when flying above mobs and footstomping right as he lands, which sounds pretty fun to me Presumably you'd turn hover back on for the def? but yeah I bet it'd be annoying toggling it on/off mid-battle.