In terms of personal defense, you're not going to get much of anything until you get access to an armor power in the 40s (i.e. Temporary Invulnerability here). Unslotted Manuevers gives 3.5% Defense while Combat Jumping gives 2.5%, so Leadership is better (and applies to the entire team).
If you're really looking for good personal defense, you'll want to look into IO Sets and try to stack up good levels of Defense that way. Power pools alone aren't going to make a big difference in this respect. With the right IO slotting you could get very respectable levels of Defense going, though you may have to compromise in other areas to attain this.
As for the knockback, you can always get a -KB IO, though they can be a bit expensive on the Market. That's the only thing I can see really losing by dropping the Leaping pool and frankly I don't think taking three powers (CJ, SJ and Acro) is worth it for the KB protection. I'd rather shell out for the IO. YMMV.
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server
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What do you guys think?
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Build up some Ranged Defense from IO set bonuses or dump the Emp/Archery and play a debuffing primary, secondary or both.
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I'd rather shell out for the IO.
[/ QUOTE ] I'll have to look for that -KB IO, where do you put it? In Temp Inv?
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dump the Emp/Archery and play a debuffing primary, secondary or both.
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ouch.
I like my emp/archery. It's not the best, I know, but it's fun making her better 
Triumph Lurker: mintmiki 50 emp/archer
basically, if you see a miki on Triumph, it's probably cute and it's probably me.
Huge thanks to cuppamanga and all the folks in the mac help forum for prolonging my borrowed time on this game.
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dump the Emp/Archery and play a debuffing primary, secondary or both.
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ouch.
I like my emp/archery. It's not the best, I know, but it's fun making her better
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I'm being honest, not cantankerous. You picked the two worst powersets for personal defense. Emp has exactly two powers which can help keep you alive, one of which is on a very long recharge timer and neither of which will prevent damage (or mez, or KB, or debuffs), and Archery brings nothing to the table beyond one single-target Stun and a chance for KB.
You're a walking, green-glowing target. You might as well have a giant neon sign attached to your head, saying "PLEASE MEZ ME, KNOCK ME DOWN AND TOUCH MY NO-NO BITS UNTIL I CRY".
You asked for ways to improve your defense, the best way would be to start with something that has some defensive potential. Barring that, focus on IO sets, special IOs, teams, spamming that HA and a lot of wishful thinking.
I prefer the travel -Stealth IO's to "Stealth" the power. (names like Unbounded Leap and Celerity, I think. Celery? I dunno.) You can fit either of those in Sprint and stealth FASTER than regular movement. Exciting.
You can also, as mentioned, get a Karma -KB and put it in Combat Jump. It won't give you as much anti-KB as Acrobatics but it stops about 90% of incoming knockback. Nemstaffs are the main thing that knocks you around. Also if you get bad timing on a couple different things hitting you at once...
Mini-guides: Force Field Defenders, Blasters, Market Self-Defense, Frankenslotting.
So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
If you're really desperate for cheap knockback protection, you can four slot kinetic crash in your explosive arrow.
well dont forget that acrobatics also grants hold PROTECTION
Although not very much of it.
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server
Any Defender can get around 19% Defence just from:
Tough w SteadFast Res/Def IO (3%)
Weave, slotted (8%)
Hover or Combat Jumping (2.5%)
Maneuvers, slotted (5.6%)
Add 3 full sets of Thunderstrike for an extra 11.25% Ranged Defence. (and +6% Recovery and +21% Accuracy)
Slot Maneuvers and Weave with Red Fortune for +5% vs Ranged. (and +10% Recharge)
If youve got the money, put all 3 Blessing of the Zephyr into Combat Jumping or Hover for 3.125% vs Aoe and ranged, and get Knockback protection to boot.
You're now at 19% vs Melee, 38.5% vs Ranged and 22% vs AoE.
From there you can:
Six slot tough and add Aegis in for a further 4.6% vs AoE.
Stupefy in Stunning Shot for an extra 3.125% vs ranged
or Razzle Dazzle in Stunning Shot for +2.5% vs Melee and AoE
Gaussian's full set in tactics for +2.5% vs all positions.
Extreme Measures in Ranged Shot for +2.5% vs Melee and AoE (WARNING: This lives up to its name by adding only +80% or so Damage!)
Executioners Contract in Ranged Shot +3.125% vs Ranged (and proper damage slotting)
Red Fortune in Fortitude for +2.5% vs Ranged. You don't fully slot for Recharge doing this though, so its a trade off.
It helps a lot to have a powerset power like Dispersion Bubble or Arctic Fog to help beef up these numbers, but any Defender can get a meaningful overall defence if they take the Fighting pool.
It costs you 3 powers, one pool, and a few slots, and it starts to come together in the late 20s. (ie 27 when you can finally slot those Thunderstrikes) so its not for everyone.
My guide has a few more details and links to the comprehensive Paragonwiki IO pages.
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Any Defender can get around 19% Defence just from:
Tough w SteadFast Res/Def IO (3%)
Weave, slotted (8%)
Hover or Combat Jumping (2.5%)
Maneuvers, slotted (5.6%)
...
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Brilliant answer. USEFUL, detailed, and concise.
I will def. check out your guide.
Much thanks!
Triumph Lurker: mintmiki 50 emp/archer
basically, if you see a miki on Triumph, it's probably cute and it's probably me.
Huge thanks to cuppamanga and all the folks in the mac help forum for prolonging my borrowed time on this game.
Thanks
One more thing that occurred to me in regards to Empaths, is that you're sacrificing the use of Hasten here.
Fighting, Leadership, Hover or CJ and Stamina (which you'll need to run all that) makes 4 pools.
So, you could drop Combat Jumping or Hover if you like, in exchange for Hasten and Superspeed, which will bring back all those long recharge buffs faster and make you a better buffer.
I'm still playing around with my Emp/Archer build and I'm trying to decide on the power pool sets. My biggest pet peeves are being mezzed and knockback, so this is what i got and slotted with IOs:
Combat Jumping
Acrobatics
Temp Invulnerability
Stealth
I would like to add the leadership pool, but it would mean sacrificing one of these: jumping, teleport, or stealth powers.
If I sacrificed jumping for leadership, and traveled around on TP, would it be worse defense than what I already have?
Stealth and TP, I must have. Jumping, I really enjoy, but I think Leadership might be more useful.
What do you guys think?
Triumph Lurker: mintmiki 50 emp/archer
basically, if you see a miki on Triumph, it's probably cute and it's probably me.
Huge thanks to cuppamanga and all the folks in the mac help forum for prolonging my borrowed time on this game.