TygerTyger

Seems like a Shield / Super Strength might top the list, with Shield Charge and Footstomp in tandem, but are there other combinations that dish out good to great AoE damage?

Yeah, while I would have to say that NR does help those folks who prefer not to use a travel power, it is by no means alone in that category.

Between the Ourborous Portal, the Base Teleporter (for vets), the Pocket D teleporter, the purchasable Wentworths teleporter, the Mission Teleporter... well, getting around outside a mission is easier than it has ever been.

As for getting around inside a mission, I rarely used my travel powers in the missions anyway, except on those rare outdoors maps.

So no, NR is not killing travel powers, but it does provide yet another option for people. And options are good. Well, usually.

Yeah, the "lower damage" thing is a) pretty set specific and b) depends on playstyle. While it is true that most tanks do less damage than some of the other ATs, there are a few combinations that will make your team mates stop and go "Wow!".

A Shield Charge (from the Shield primary) that has been fueled up by both Against All Odds (Shield primary) and a good dose of Soul Drain (from the Dark Melee secondary) will wipe out all of the minions, and most of the Lts in one hit. Granted, you can only pull that off every 45-60 seconds depending on your build, but still.

So don't go into tanks thinking that you won't be contributing to the damage at all. "Less damage" doesn't mean lousy damage at all.

WP is a bit weaker in the Taunt area, and so a few slots spent on the Taunt power are never wasted, if you are taking Taunt. Heraclea has done a great WP guide and I would strongly recommend reading it.

As far as Hand Clap goes, I had it on my WP/SS build, but respecced out of it for the main/teaming build. The scatter that it causes makes your weaker taunt aura have even higher problems, as it can (and will) kick some of the mobs out of the range of your taunt aura. One blaster hitting off an AoE while they aren't in that aura, and you are going to have your hands full. The mobs will not automatically "run back to you" so use it with caution. That said, on my 2nd build, which is my solo build, I love Hand Clap. A bit of a breather when you get overwhelmed, and properly used can really help you get the group where you want it.

Thanks Rangle, that does help.

To Wentworths!!!

Finduilas, thank you!! That is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for. Now, if I can figure out this blasted Mids thing, its time to hit Wentworths!

I am working at getting my SD/DA tank up a few more levels. Thus far he's level 24, with everything from the primary that he can have, as well as CJ and soon to be Weave.

What sets work well to get that defense up to an acceptable level (sitting at about 29%ish with only standard SOs at the moment)? My bankroll isn't huge, maybe 180-190 million tops, which would pretty much empty the bank completely.

Here's what I have at the moment.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 25 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Shield Defense
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Deflection -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(5), Empty(13), Empty(15)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Battle Agility -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(5)
Level 4: Smite -- Empty(A), Empty(13), Empty(15), Empty(17), Empty(19), Empty(23)
Level 6: True Grit -- Empty(A), Empty(7), Empty(7)
Level 8: Active Defense -- Empty(A), Empty(9), Empty(9)
Level 10: Shadow Maul -- Empty(A), Empty(11), Empty(11), Empty(17), Empty(19), Empty(23)
Level 12: Against All Odds -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A), Empty(21), Empty(21)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Tough -- Empty(A)
Level 26: [Empty]
Level 28: [Empty]
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet


And here is the ultimate goal, though both the order of the powers and the slotting is still widely open to interpretation. While I am specifically hoping for IO advice (as I am a real rookie there, and this will be the first toon I have done anything other than Frankenslotting on), any build tips are gladly accepted and happily appreciated.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Shield Defense
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Deflection -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(5), Empty(13), Empty(15), Empty(39)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Battle Agility -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(5), Empty(40)
Level 4: Smite -- Empty(A), Empty(13), Empty(15), Empty(17), Empty(19), Empty(23)
Level 6: True Grit -- Empty(A), Empty(7), Empty(7), Empty(34), Empty(34)
Level 8: Active Defense -- Empty(A), Empty(9), Empty(9)
Level 10: Shadow Maul -- Empty(A), Empty(11), Empty(11), Empty(17), Empty(19), Empty(23)
Level 12: Against All Odds -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A), Empty(21), Empty(21)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- Empty(A), Empty(37), Empty(37), Empty(50)
Level 24: Tough -- Empty(A), Empty(25), Empty(25), Empty(34)
Level 26: Shield Charge -- Empty(A), Empty(27), Empty(27), Empty(29), Empty(29), Empty(31)
Level 28: Phalanx Fighting -- Empty(A), Empty(37), Empty(43), Empty(48)
Level 30: Soul Drain -- Empty(A), Empty(31), Empty(31), Empty(40), Empty(43)
Level 32: Weave -- Empty(A), Empty(33), Empty(33), Empty(33)
Level 35: Dark Consumption -- Empty(A), Empty(36), Empty(36), Empty(36), Empty(40)
Level 38: One with the Shield -- Empty(A), Empty(39), Empty(39)
Level 41: Taunt -- Empty(A), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(43), Empty(46)
Level 44: Midnight Grasp -- Empty(A), Empty(45), Empty(45), Empty(45), Empty(46), Empty(46)
Level 47: Super Jump -- Empty(A), Empty(48), Empty(48)
Level 49: Hasten -- Empty(A), Empty(50), Empty(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

Ah yes, good point. This is my first Defense tank, I am used to Resistance where I can gauge that alpha a lot easier.

I recently started up my first Shield tanker. Decided to go with a SD / Dark, as I loooove me my Dark Melee. (My main is a DA/DM tank, level 50) So far, only up to level 18 (and climbing fast!).

I see most Shield tankers throw down the gauntlet by starting off most mobs with Shield Charge. It seems to me though that this may not be the most advisable option, particularly with DM. Does it make sense to get into the mob, let Against All Odds buff me up, hit Soul Drain, and then Shield Charge? That seems to provide a HUGE damage bonus, as well as some decent accuracy, to the Shield Charge, likely pulverizing all the minions right from the get go.

Granted, I haven't gotten there yet, but seems like it would make sense from a mechanical point of view. Or am I missing something?

That did it! Thanks Master-Blade. Much appreciated.

Now, to see if these Kheldians are all they are cracked up to be.

It has been a very long time since I made a character with Teleport, and when I did, I used Grotus' great teleport bind.

/bind lshift+lbutton "powexec_name Teleport"

Worked like a charm. No sign of the reticle, and a simple hold down the lshift button while clicking the lbutton on my mouse let me get around.

But now I am trying out my first warshade. I adapted the bind thusly:

/bind lshift+lbutton "powexec_name Shadow Step"

and it works... sort of. Now, rather than simple clicking, I get the reticle as soon as I press the shift key, and then I have to lclick. Did something change in the way that this bind works?

Ordinarily it would only be a minor annoyance, but I use the shift button with a lot of my binds, and this is really messing me up, as while the other binds work, I always have a targetting reticle up for Shadow Step now... annoying!

Any ideas? Suggestions? Pity?

Hey all Tankers! Just got back from a six month hiatus to discover that two of the things on my Xmas list have already come out: changing powerset colours, and Elec/Elec for tankers.

Now I have a handle on the powerset colouring I think, but Mids isn't I16 compiant yet, so I haven't been able to study it too closely yet. Heck even the wiki isn't caught up yet... so some anecdotal ideas and suggestions would be very much appreciated.

From what I see, Electic Armor seems to not have any huge holes in it, and the combination should make for some decent mitigation via endurance drain. How is it on Endurance usage? Even at only level 7, I have noticed that the possible drain and shunt from the two basic attacks seem to have an effect on my END bar... not noticing huge deficiencies there, even when I chose to run all three shields I have access to.

Any thoughts at all?

Great guide Komrade. Nice to see someone else is enjoying Dark / Dark tanking!

A couple questions though, and almost exclusively relating to slotting.

1) 4 Heals in Heal? The 4th heal slot takes your Regeneration rate from 79.6% to only 82.2%. That seems like a very odd choice for a slot, when that same slot could have been used elsewhere to beef a power up by up to 33%.

2) Ditto Stamina slotting. That 4th slot really should be used elsewhere.

3) Some ACC enhancements in your attack powers would go a long way to helping out. While Endurance Reduction is a staple of DA tanking, a Midnight Grasp (at 75% accuracy) that misses just completely wasted the even reduced amount of endurance that you used. Whereas taking one of those End Reducers out and tossing in a Acc would beef that up to reliably hit, and do a more more damage. This is a common trend throughout your build.

4) 3 Endurance reducers in Dark Embrace and the other two shields is a bit much as well. 2 IO end reducers takes the endurance use per second to .11, whereas three takes it to .10. That is one awfully expensive slot. Pop those 6th slots out of there and toss them in your attacks. Heck, even that second Endurance Reduction enhancement only takes it from .15 to .11. I have this far slotted both Dark Embrace and Murky Cloud with 3 Damage Resistance and 1 Endurance Reduction.

5) Cloak of Fear only has a base accuracy of 50%. It desperately needs either some ACC slots, or some Enhancement Set loving, but we won't get into that here.

A lot of this is nitpicking I know, but there you have it. Most of my tanking is done against mobs that are conning orange or higher to me, so the ACC is a big issue for me. Perhaps that isn't your experience, and that would certainly colour the perceptions.

Your advice on power selection is pretty much on par with my experiences as well. Overall, nice guide.

After reading some of this, I am a bit worried that I am going to encounter serious diffculties with my build at a later juncture. I want to know if we are talking about the game being harder (which I have no problem with) or if we are talking about it being so difficult as to be impossible.

Here's what I have so far:
Fire/Fire, Magic Tanker, level 14.

(1) Fire Shield (Dam Red x6)
Scorch (Acc x1)
Brawl (Acc x1)
(2) Blazing Aura (Dam x6)
(4) Healing Flames (Heal x3)
(6) Taunt (Taunt x1)
(8) Hover (End Red x1)
(10) Consume (End Rech x1)
(12) Combat Jumping (End Red x1)
(14) Fly (End Red x1)

So thats where I am now. I have used the Hero Planner, and planned out the rest something like this...

(16) Plasma Shield
(18) Burn
(20) Boxing
(22) Tough
(24) Swift
(26) Health
(28) Stamina
(30) Fiery Embrace
(32) Fire Sword Circle
(35) Incinerate
(38) Super Jump
(41) Acrobatics
(44) Weave
(47) Build Up
(49) Greater Fire Sword

Okay, I have read the forums, and I think that I may be in some trouble, particularly getting Acrobatics late (though I use Hover to protect myself from Knockdown) and I know that a whole lot of people really hate Fly, though it fits my character's RP far more than any of the other travel powers. I also am a bit concerned about the lack of Hasten, but again, it just fits his RP better.

So... am I in a lot of trouble having Tough and Stamina so late? Have I chosen anything that is going to completely destroy this character? Please keep in mind that I am not looking to min-max him (not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am more of a RPer) but rather just wanting to make sure that I am not being suicidally stupid with this build.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.