Others have talked about specific gameplay aspects of Shields. One thing that bears emphasizing is that it requires a hefty bankroll to go from mild to wild. You can build a strong Regen/WP/Invuln inexpensively. But to get a really tough, survivable Shields character requires investing in +Def bonuses to get to or near to the defense soft cap. Use Mids to plan your build and then look hard to see if it's realistically within what you'd plan to spend, because there's a world of difference between 35% defense and 45%.
When doing your planning, you want to prioritize Melee defense, then Ranged. AoEs are less common so if you need to economize that's the place to do it. Oh, and don't count on Phalanx Fighting. It's great when you have others close by but if you're taking the lead and charging into a large spawn to soak up an alpha, it's not going to be helping.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
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Invuln lacks: Confuse, Fear, Repel
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Just right clicked on my Unyielding:
10000.00% resistance to repel on self
10.00 repel protection on self
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Invuln lacks: Confuse, Fear, Repel
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Just right clicked on my Unyielding:
10000.00% resistance to repel on self
10.00 repel protection on self
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*squint*
Sorry, you're right. Didn't show it in the quick-summary for Unyielding in Mids, but it's there in the detailed list.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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* No self heal (like SR, Inv, WP (sorta))
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Does SR have a self heal now? Or did you mean like Ninjitsu or Stone Armor?
-rech, defense debuff, lack of self-healing, anything at range, and anything with +acc.
The defense on Shields isn't perfect, and so, once penetrated, tends to have easier cascade failure. Critters at range don't get the -dam, and tend to hit you harder through your very moderate resistances.
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I honestly fear cascade failures on my Shields Tanker as little as I fear them on my Inv. Between having moderate full-time resists and HP boost, as well as a meant-to-be-used T9 that isn't a one-trick pony (like for SR, Nin, etc.), I think that Shields has easily become one of the premiere Tanker primaries, in most situations surpassing Invulnerability when considering cheap IO builds (Inv is "slightly better" stock, worse with low-moderate IO expenditure, but again better with "massive" IO expenditure). I'd take it for tanking before a WP, due to Shields having a full-blown taunt aura, despite WP's greater survivability.
For Scrappers and Brutes? I think it's middling.
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One thing that bears emphasizing is that it requires a hefty bankroll to go from mild to wild.
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This is not true for tanks, at level 40 and by just doing normal (no TFs) content, my Shield/Stone Melee tank is soft capped for melee and ranged with AoE at 39%. I can see it being true for Brutes and Scrappers since you have lower numbers to start with.
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Oh, and don't count on Phalanx Fighting. It's great when you have others close by but if you're taking the lead and charging into a large spawn to soak up an alpha, it's not going to be helping.
[/ QUOTE ] You do realize that with no teammates its giving you 5% for a tank 3.75% for a scrapper or brute? That's not insignificant when added to your existing defense.
"I used to make diddly squat, but I've been with the company for 16 years and have had plenty of great raises. Now I just make squat" -- Me
Pediatric brain tumors are the #1 cause of cancer related deaths in children.
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Fire lacks: Knockback, Confuse, Fear, Immobilize, Repel
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FA is tricky. Their Immobilize is in Burn.
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Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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One thing that bears emphasizing is that it requires a hefty bankroll to go from mild to wild.
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This is not true for tanks, at level 40 and by just doing normal (no TFs) content, my Shield/Stone Melee tank is soft capped for melee and ranged with AoE at 39%. I can see it being true for Brutes and Scrappers since you have lower numbers to start with.
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Correct. I should've clarified that my only Shields experience is with my Brute. Hadn't considered that it might be quite different for Tankers.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
Shields weaknes is that you have to wait to 35 to get the cool looking one, other than that they're perfect! 
Shhh. My common sense is tingling. ~ Deadpool
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Fire lacks: Knockback, Confuse, Fear, Immobilize, Repel
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FA is tricky. Their Immobilize is in Burn.
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Yeah, I know of Burn. Though I wouldn't consider immobilize a weakness for any set given how easy it is to pick up CJ.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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* No self heal (like SR, Inv, WP (sorta))
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Invulnerability has Dull Pain.
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d'oh, yes it does! I stand corrected.
Cash, If you don't have it. Your Shield gets PAWNED
"If a system can be exploited, it will be exploited. And if a developer thinks their system cannot be exploited, it'll be exploited like a new actress in her first porn movie." Sanya Weather MMORPG Examiner
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Wait, shields can't be uber. When it was introduced, it was universally bemoaned as the weakest defense set.
What happened?
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It is the weakest defense set..... if you use only SOs (which the game is "designed around")
Spend a couple billion on IOs and the extra offense in the set allows Shields to become a power house. Pair it with the melee set (Dark) that overcomes its 2 largest shortcomings (no self heal and not enough base defense) add IOs and you get beyond Uber since Shields gives you a hard hitting AoE that Dark lacks.
Oddly enough if you look at most of the builds that are posted in the scrapper forum the one thing you won't find players doing is playing it as the developers designed it, which according to Castle during the beta was "3/4 mitigation and 1/4 buff"
I wonder if they'll take a look at shields again since "no one" is playing them as designed, after all that's one of the main reasons Doms got looked at. Underpowered (but having potential) without IOs and vastly overpowered with (2 billion inf worth of) IOs.
-Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
-I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei
-When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson
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Aren't there some mobs with non-positional attacks?
[/ QUOTE ]A few types of Longbow Warden, Carnie Illusionists, anything with Dominate...
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Envoy of Shadows damage aura and the "nuking" Nictus' PBAoE attack ignore defense as well.
-Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
-I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei
-When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson
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Spend a couple billion on IOs ...
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I only spent around 300 million on my Fire/Shield scrapper so far and he's got soft capped Melee and Ranged defenses and 36% AoE defense. I still need to buy two of the KB IO's from Blessing of the Zephyr (wish I didn't have to, but I needs me some more AoE Defense), and I need one more LotG:Recharge, but I don't think those are going to run me over 1.5 billion to make your estimate correct.
@Johnstone & @Johnstone 2
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All my characters
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Spend a couple billion on IOs ...
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I only spent around 300 million on my Fire/Shield scrapper so far and he's got soft capped Melee and Ranged defenses and 36% AoE defense. I still need to buy two of the KB IO's from Blessing of the Zephyr (wish I didn't have to, but I needs me some more AoE Defense), and I need one more LotG:Recharge, but I don't think those are going to run me over 1.5 billion to make your estimate correct.
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The builds Miladys is talking about have impressive attack chains (usually fueled by purples) and significant base regen *in addition* to soft capped defenses. Those are billion dollar builds.
I have a fire/shielder that I've outfitted for about the same amount of influence as you, but I don't expect her to solo hard AVs or get sub 6 minute times against Rikti pylons. My goals are frankly a lot less ambitious and casual.
My SD/SS Tanker probably only spent...30-40 million outside of my lucky drop Numina unique. Shield Tankers are pretty cheap to softcap.
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Spend a couple billion on IOs ...
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I only spent around 300 million on my Fire/Shield scrapper so far and he's got soft capped Melee and Ranged defenses and 36% AoE defense. I still need to buy two of the KB IO's from Blessing of the Zephyr (wish I didn't have to, but I needs me some more AoE Defense), and I need one more LotG:Recharge, but I don't think those are going to run me over 1.5 billion to make your estimate correct.
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The builds Miladys is talking about have impressive attack chains (usually fueled by purples) and significant base regen *in addition* to soft capped defenses. Those are billion dollar builds.
I have a fire/shielder that I've outfitted for about the same amount of influence as you, but I don't expect her to solo hard AVs or get sub 6 minute times against Rikti pylons. My goals are frankly a lot less ambitious and casual.
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OK, I did this about 2 weeks ago and that bears taking into consideration as inflation has gone nuts.
With that said:
My Shield/SS tank is soft-capped to Ranged, AoE and Melee. Has Perma hasten, easily keeps a double stacked Rage and Active Defense.
Does not have one purple and cost me right around 900 million.
I have a wicked AoE attack chain and single target, while not as impressive as some, is quite nice. I can chain boxing-jab-boxing-jab-boxing-jab-boxing-jab constantly with no end drain. Very decent damage IMHO. Of course KO Blow is the coupe-de-grace (sorry don't speak surrender...er...French
).
My weakness...Endurance. I suck that like..well....nuff said.
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Spend a couple billion on IOs ...
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I only spent around 300 million on my Fire/Shield scrapper so far and he's got soft capped Melee and Ranged defenses and 36% AoE defense. I still need to buy two of the KB IO's from Blessing of the Zephyr (wish I didn't have to, but I needs me some more AoE Defense), and I need one more LotG:Recharge, but I don't think those are going to run me over 1.5 billion to make your estimate correct.
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The builds Miladys is talking about have impressive attack chains (usually fueled by purples) and significant base regen *in addition* to soft capped defenses. Those are billion dollar builds.
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I think Johnstone's point was that you don't -need- a "billion dollar build" to be awesome.
Virtue Server
Avatar art by Daggerpoint
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Is there really any NPCs that counter shields? Do they have a weakness? Can anyone give me some feedback?
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don't think Shields have as much defense debuff resistance
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This isn't so true, many people just ignore 20% of it because it is supposivly in a power that doesn't help them at all >.>
In other words. . . TAKE GRANT COVER!!! it is something like 20% defdebuff resistance?
Anyways, the major issue with shields is the same thing that plagues any other defensive set, auto hit attacks, and high to hit buffs. . . so larger groups of nemesis might give you issues.
Grant Cover is very good...
And, if you like to play in a team... it jumps from very good to awesome...
And Shield Charge is sooooooooo nice...
** Guardian�s Crazy Catgirl **
************* 22 XxX 10 *************
Yes. I can get lost on a straight-line map.
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2. Little damage resistance. The set is designed around defense, which is great, until the one alpha that slips by and fries you, especially psionics.
[/ QUOTE ]Defense, unlike Resistance, allows you to go into situations that you shouldn't survive, and survive them due to lucky rolls. The same mechanic allows the reverse to happen... it's important to keep that in context, lest people think that Defense is inherently inferior to resistance, when in reality they work out to being the same.
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The only power that offers substantial dmg res is a crash ability.
[/ QUOTE ]You get a decent amount from a few powers, plus -dmg which is equivalent to +res, as well as +HP which is also equivalent to +res. It's not a massive amount, but combined with the defense it's very nice numbers.
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Think the old school MoG in regen but without the first health crash.
[/ QUOTE ]Dear god no. One With the Shield doesn't cripple all of your other powers when activated! It's much more like Strength of Will than MoG! It only has a -60% Endurance crash, with no -Recovery crash than many of the other tier9s have (as well as no -HP!). It's a very minor "crash".
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.