dave_p

Here's the problem: if you don't have IW perma (and my Fire/Rad still doesn't, even w/the Spiritual alpha slot), when the power drops, even if it's for a few seconds, if there's a status effect on you during that time, you're mezzed. And then you can't turn on IW. So the difference bet. 10s down and 20s down is, well, it's big, but sometimes it's not as big as bet. 0s and 1s downtime.

But is it "needed"? Not if you carry & always combine for break frees. No matter how good your control, you *will* get mezzed, but it's not that big a deal usually. Out of all my controllers, I only have Psi (for IW only) w/my Fire/Rad. My other guys have Fire (for damage) or Ice (for theme) and do just fine, though I'm more careful to combine for BFs with them.

For QoL, IW is just nice to have if you run a lot of offensive toggles. My Fire/Rad runs 3 that are somewhat long-animating to turn back on, and that's not counting RI & EF that will be on a hard target, so 5 total offensive toggles that get turned off if I get mezzed, even for a split second. Compare that to my Ill/Kin & Earth/TA who have 0 toggles to turn on after eating a BF. My Ice/Storm has 1 usually (AA, 2 if I want Hurricane on, 3 if you count Snow Storm), but after casting like LS, Tornado, FR, Ice Slick and Ice Storm, I'm perfectly happy to take a nap for a few sec while all my "pets" do their work.

This is pretty much why I stopped posting builds as of a few years ago unless I want feedback myself. I flat out turn down all PM requests for builds too (and I get a few now & then), always asking they just post a build on the forums and we'll provide critique.

My Ice/Storm just went Cardiac Core after a successful ITF run. I haven't played w/it since so I can't tell how much better my end consumption will be, but I'd always be hurting for end w/2/3's of my toggles on (AA, SM, Hurricane, Man, Tactics, SS, CJ, Ice Armor...) and spamming AoE attacks. And that's w/a fully IO'ed out build w/lots of +recharge. I'm really hoping that Cardiac, even the common, will help out w/my end issues.

Everyone else gets Spiritual, and it's not even close. I just got Spritual Core Boost (uncommon) on my Fire/Rad and I need to confirm w/Herostats, but I think I got IW down to <10s recharge (AM & Hasten were already perma), and the extra stun doesn't suck either. I'm hoping to get it perma w/Spiritual Core Paragon. I'll be working on my Ill/Kin next to get PA perma'ed out, eve w/o spamming Siphon Speed quite so much. I *may* go Spiritual Radial w/him for the extra heal, but eventually it'll be Core Paragon.

Yeah, I found this to be absolutely key. I got killed on my first (& only so far) run so many times queuing up attacks, and it's such a hard habit to break.

BTW, I think the timer for BM only runs when she's in the field of play. We all got Master of... for all badges in our one run (helps that we were all playing our signature "main" toons, pretty much) and I can't say for sure, but I think the BM fight took longer than 15min in total, but less than 15 while she was actually fighting. Mostly, because we didn't know we had to clear all the champions to respawn her after her initial retreat.

Oh, and I found Tin Mage way harder than Apex, so if anyone wants to write up a guide for that, esp the Malta AV fight w/all the mines, it'd be appreciated. My only input would be to taunt the AV to the door, or to fight from the shelves (fliers get grounded by the web 'nades).

Yeah, I'm facing the same dilemma, and I doubt we're alone in this. I want the eventual Cardiac Core Paragon for many of my tanks, but the Radial uncommon is obviously better currently. I may also just do Spiritual for the time being and then switch over to Cardiac in I20. Spiritual Core would work just fine for my Fire/Em & Stone/Ice (Dark/Mace too, but he's not yet 50). All need faster heals (not like Stony needs more resists anyway) and Em & Mace are stun heavy. I'd like more heals from Spiritual Radial, but that has the same dilemma as Cardiac in that eventually, I'd want Spiritual Core Paragon (as well as Cardiac Core Paragon).

My other tanks will likely go Nerve for the +def, and Radial will work as well as Core since the extra +Acc won't be missed.

Yup, going Cardiac Core takes my Son/Son's shields from around 55% to 64% (if they're under the big bubble as well). Plus he'll be dying of end issues after I pick up some more toggles for I19, so the Alpha slot is perfect timing.

For my Cold/Dark, I'm tempted to go Nerve, likely Core, though the +Acc is kinda meaningless w/all the global +Acc bonuses and Tactics he runs. The +Def, after ED caps, isn't as big (23.6% -> 25%), but Arctic Fog & Maneuvers will also pick up a few decimal points of +Def, all of which adds up. FF gets much bigger boosts from Nerve, but they almost don't need it. Then again, going Spiritual Core let's me cast Sleet, Heat Loss, Benumb, etc that much faster, plus I can actually use the +Stun since I use Oppressive Gloom & Dark.

No idea what I'm going to do w/my Dark/Ice yet. Likely Spiritual Core for the +Recharge & +Heal. He's got a bit to go before 50 anyway.

This is a good point. The 2 new TFs for I19 are Incarnate-only, and I'm assuming most/all the mobs in them will be of the "annoying" variety.

Arg, yeah, I made a silly mistake of thinking the bonuses were more like globals instead of enhancement bonuses. Yeah, so a typical SD tank w/CJ + Weave will only get around 2.85%, which like you say is hardly chump change, but isn't going to replace that many IO bonuses. Might replace that PvP IO though.

Right, so not worth it for, say, my Fire tank w/just Weave, CJ and maybe Maneuvers, but certainly worth considering for SD, SR, Ice, etc. Of course, if you're already softcapping (presumably w/IOs), this just lets you shoot for other IO bonuses than +Def. 'Course that can be dangerous if you ever exemp down too...

I wonder which would be better for Invul that you've already softcapped in many positions, a bit more +resist or +def?