Maybe a Sonic. Depends on how you build really.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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Yeah, Willpower has no glaring weaknesses to be shored up, so it depends on what the weakest part of the particular build is. |
Originally Posted by New Dawn
Maybe a Sonic. Depends on how you build really.
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If you want a general, one-size-fits-all answer, though, I'd probably say Dark Miasma or Radiation Emission. The Willpower Tanker itself doesn't need a lot of buffs, and the myriad of debuffs those two power-sets employ will bolster every aspect of the Willpower suite.
But to be completely honest, that'd probably be my answer for any Tanker except maybe a Stone.
If anything, It would be a Force Field user.
Since the set relies on Regen, it really enjoys not being hit at all. It already has Resistance to everything. So it would be more beneficial to add Defense on top of that.
But Willpower honestly enjoys all types of extra help since it doesn't focus on any particular area besides HP.
Whining about everything since 2006.
Ammo switching for Dual Pistols was my idea:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=135484
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When I play my FF/DP, I believe the usual response from WP users is: Hit me with the shields and turn me into a god.|
Originally Posted by Vel_Overload
If anything, It would be a Force Field user.
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Something to that effect.
"I never said thank you." - Lt. Gordon
"And you'll never have to." - the Dark Knight
The only thing I've ever seen down the best WP tanks is defense debuffs and endurance drain, so my vote is for FF. It grants protection from both.
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Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
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I prefer Cold over FF. The shields are the same strength, but Cold also brings some sick debuffs to the table as well. (Cold is my all around favorite set to be teamed with.)|
Originally Posted by Vel_Overload
If anything, It would be a Force Field user.
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Keep in mind that WP doesn't tout strong def resistance, so cascading def failure can be problematic - even if you're softcapped. Cold provides a nice buffer to prevent that from happening. The one place I don't have a preference of Cold vs Sonic is the ITF. I'm practically immortal against Cims with 90% s/l res.
The best teammate for a Tanker IMO is a Defender (or Controller) that brings more offense to the "party". Tankers are pretty solid so having buffs will help, of course, but increasing the damage that the tanker deals is even "better".
Willpower lacks a direct heal, so a Defender/Controller that has a heal is good if they take a heavy "alpha".
Willpower has medium levels of resist and defense, so a Defender/Controller that can get them to the "soft-cap" would help alot. Or even a "debuff" set to lower enemy Acc/ToHit.
Willpower can have issues controlling "aggro", so bringing some control (either "hard" or "soft") would help out on large spawns.
Edit: I was gonna list all the good combinations that I could think of, but turns out to be quite a long list. So... play what sounds fun
BIOSPARK :: DARKTHORN :: SKYGUARD :: WILDMAGE
HEATSINK :: FASTHAND :: POWERCELL :: RUNESTAFF
I like WP as an off-tank set, treating it essentially as a Scrapper when on teams. They're weak to alphas and weak on aggro generation, which kind of defeats the purpose of tanking. So their best friends would be either another tank to handle all that messy aggro or one or more controllers to lock everything down. Defenders of any sort are always a great addition, but not really a tank-specific or WP-specific thing.
Since just about every other set has been given a nod....
Empathy would probably be very useful here. Willpower's biggest issue, especially before it's practical to put Tough and Weave on, is seesawing hit points. A set with big single target heals would help. And Empathy gets a big single target buff early in Fortitude. Empathy still adds more than any other set, faster, to small teams.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
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Originally Posted by streetlight
I like WP as an off-tank set, treating it essentially as a Scrapper when on teams. They're weak to alphas and weak on aggro generation, which kind of defeats the purpose of tanking. So their best friends would be either another tank to handle all that messy aggro or one or more controllers to lock everything down. Defenders of any sort are always a great addition, but not really a tank-specific or WP-specific thing.
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what? really?
I agree with the agro... holding agro with a WP tanker can be a pain in the backside... but weak on alphas?
when i think of the three toughest tanker def sets my mind goes to... Stone, Invuln, Willpower. No defense sets for a tanker comes close to those three. And frankly... if you really build it right, and spend a fortune... i'd be willing to claim except under very special circumstances, a WP tanker would probably out tank those other two.
Frankly, the only circumstance that comes to mind where WP doesn't outshine those two is in a solo fight with an AV... as WP's greatest strength (monsterous HP regen) is nerfed in solo battles fairly badly; this is the same reason why WP is sorta lame for PvP.
as to a WP's best friend? I agree with the people who say "FF" or "Cold"... both of those are huge for a WP. But my personal experience is with 1 solid Emp, a WP tanker is completely invincible. -single target heals + fortitude = god.
with 1 solid (doesn't even have to be "good") emp backing my WP tanker (who while very good isn't the best one i've seen), she easily can tank LR's whole AV crew in 1 go... no splitting them up. holding all 4 agro... and not dying, or even coming close. I don't think a FF or Cold Dom could buff her that well.
Out of the box, yes, a WP tank will not handle alpha strikes as well as an invuln or a stoner. We aren't talking about high end IOd builds. Just SOd builds. WP still performs, but it isn't the best at alpha strikes compared to a few other sets.
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
A Blaster
A thermal, capped res, Forge and a heal or 2 incase of "omg panic!"
Make it a Fire / Thermal so that you can then use Smoke to stack the -tohit on RTTC.
Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
Mine wants a sonic hula hoop of doom that causes aggro. Of course, the hula hoop doesn't cause aggro anymore. So I want an FFer to keep the team safe from the aggro I haven't learned to hang on to yet.
*grumbles about the RttC lack-of-taunt aura*
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
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While I also rank Willpower in the top 3 (despite what Shields fans assert |
Originally Posted by Sprite Fire
when i think of the three toughest tanker def sets my mind goes to... Stone, Invuln, Willpower. No defense sets for a tanker comes close to those three. And frankly... if you really build it right, and spend a fortune... i'd be willing to claim except under very special circumstances, a WP tanker would probably out tank those other two.
Frankly, the only circumstance that comes to mind where WP doesn't outshine those two is in a solo fight with an AV... |
), I feel that I would add "...or against ANY large number of high-damage smashing or lethal attacks" to Willpower's vulnerabilities. That's much more common than the "solo AV" scenario you describe. Willpower lacks high defense against s/l damage AND has good-but-not-as-great resistance to s/l. Result is that an Invuln or Stone can hit the soft defense cap against s/l damage much more easily and can hit the hard resistance cap of 90% as well, simply making the s/l damage threat go away instead of being ready to rapidly heal it back.This is NOT to imply that Willpower is an inferior Tanker -- we're splitting hairs here, and the same argument can be reversed against Invulnerability against energy/negative damage, anyway. And sets that I rank under those three are still strong sets; my two current Tanker romances are with Fire Tankers, for example.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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Originally Posted by Sailboat
While I also rank Willpower in the top 3 (despite what Shields fans assert
), I feel that I would add "...or against ANY large number of high-damage smashing or lethal attacks" to Willpower's vulnerabilities. That's much more common than the "solo AV" scenario you describe. Willpower lacks high defense against s/l damage AND has good-but-not-as-great resistance to s/l. Result is that an Invuln or Stone can hit the soft defense cap against s/l damage much more easily and can hit the hard resistance cap of 90% as well, simply making the s/l damage threat go away instead of being ready to rapidly heal it back.This is NOT to imply that Willpower is an inferior Tanker -- we're splitting hairs here, and the same argument can be reversed against Invulnerability against energy/negative damage, anyway. And sets that I rank under those three are still strong sets; my two current Tanker romances are with Fire Tankers, for example. |
io'ed right those weakness vanish. my wp has 40% def vs pretty much everything... and 70% s/l res, which is just fine when she's recharging 250 hp/s... so yeah... again... wp is only alright if not io'ed right and i agree with those who say that (stone is pretty much invulnerable no matter how you slot it)... but built right and WP becomes a force of nature.
give it the backup of an emp and it's freaking impossible to kill under any circumstance.
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Survival is only half of "tanking" though. You have to be able to hold aggro and I have yet to run with a WP/* tanker of any sort who could hold aggro sufficiently in a primary tank role. Stone, Invuln and Shield are currently the best running right now, IMO. If you don't have to worry about maintaining aggro (or just don't care), then WP is a great set.
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Originally Posted by Sprite Fire
io'ed right those weakness vanish. my wp has 40% def vs pretty much everything... and 70% s/l res, which is just fine when she's recharging 250 hp/s... so yeah... again... wp is only alright if not io'ed right and i agree with those who say that (stone is pretty much invulnerable no matter how you slot it)... but built right and WP becomes a force of nature.
give it the backup of an emp and it's freaking impossible to kill under any circumstance. |
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I was gonna suggest Thermal to. You've got buffs, debuffs and heals.
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Originally Posted by Donna_
A thermal, capped res, Forge and a heal or 2 incase of "omg panic!"
Make it a Fire / Thermal so that you can then use Smoke to stack the -tohit on RTTC. |
Member of GGRRR, a SG on Defiant - check out our website - GGRRR
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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But it's NOT 90% S/L resistance...which you cannot reach...and if you take enough alpha, 1.7 BILLION regen isn't enough. What you're saying here is that at less than the most dangerous content, WP is the equal of other sets. No one disagrees with that.
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Originally Posted by Sprite Fire
io'ed right those weakness vanish. my wp has 40% def vs pretty much everything... and 70% s/l res, which is just fine when she's recharging 250 hp/s...
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If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
----------------------------------------------------------
The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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WP requires a much more active approach at holding aggro, but it can be done - even over Brutes and (Invuln/Shield) Scrappes so long as they don't use Taunt. I won't argue that most don't know how to do it. (They'd likely be losing aggro against Brutes and (Invuln/Shield) Scrappers on a different set, anyways.)|
Originally Posted by streetlight
Survival is only half of "tanking" though. You have to be able to hold aggro and I have yet to run with a WP/* tanker of any sort who could hold aggro sufficiently in a primary tank role. Stone, Invuln and Shield are currently the best running right now, IMO. If you don't have to worry about maintaining aggro (or just don't care), then WP is a great set.
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Originally Posted by Sailboat
But it's NOT 90% S/L resistance...which you cannot reach...and if you take enough alpha, 1.7 BILLION regen isn't enough. What you're saying here is that at less than the most dangerous content, WP is the equal of other sets. No one disagrees with that.
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Seriously, alpha strikes stopped being a concern after adding Tough/Weave to my build in SOs.
By the way, WP can hit the res cap while under the effects of SoW, which is up 40% of the time.
I would say a /thermal troller would work best of the willpower tank. Yeh, force fields add good defense but with no healing unless you take medicine, you are still limiting that duo. You say particularly your wp/elec... since elec melee has a lot of close aoe attacks, I would suggest stone/thermal. Stone has some good control powers that will help keep bigger mobs clustered for TS, CI and of course LR. And of course the resist shields and forge. And in the event a mob proves too much, a heal. My 2nd choice would be plant/thermal. either would work well with your wp tank.
SJ
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I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to hold aggro, just difficult. And making it difficult means that any WP/* is always in danger of failing at half of his job description. I much prefer teaming with a tank that can get by without all the extra work and time, assuming the tank is in a tanking role and not just scrapping or off-tanking. Even AOE-heavy, heavily-IO'd WP/* builds have problems on teams with Scrappers & Blasters. When you're teaming around a tank (not a necessity, but helpful, IMO), that tank needs to be able to lock down aggro without effort, despite what comes in from teammates. Anything less is, well, less.|
Originally Posted by Sarrate
WP requires a much more active approach at holding aggro, but it can be done - even over Brutes and (Invuln/Shield) Scrappers so long as they don't use Taunt. I won't argue that most don't know how to do it. (They'd likely be losing aggro against Brutes and (Invuln/Shield) Scrappers on a different set, anyways.)
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Think about it this way: if the Tanker's phone rings or the dog needs to go out in the middle of a fight, what are the odds of that Tanker losing aggro and having the pack fall apart? An Invuln or Stone can get up, handle whatever needs handled, grab some food and a drink, and come back to a happy, healthy team. WP won't. It may be alive still - the set has great survivability - but one or more teammates likely won't be.
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Spot on|
Originally Posted by Sarrate
Are you insinuating that WP isn't survivable enough because it doesn't have 90% s/l res? That's hardly a fair metric because a) most Tanker primaries would fail under that criteria and b) if SR Scrappers are soloing +4/x8 content, then I think a Tanker with "just" 70% s/l res, soft capped (or close to it) defense, 50%+ more hp, and a healthy dose of regen will be able to manage.
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If a WP scrapper with 50% s/l resists and 50% less HP can do it... what's stopping a tank?
WP Tanks with S/L/F/C/E/N at 45% defense with 680% regen with 1 foe in range on top of cap HP??? juicy!!!
this why I say a Blaster!!!
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On my WP brutes at higher levels with just SOs I can take the alpha with no real issues. And that has lower HP, lower resists and lower Def. This is for normal to +1+2 stuff anyway with a full team.
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Originally Posted by magikwand
Out of the box, yes, a WP tank will not handle alpha strikes as well as an invuln or a stoner. We aren't talking about high end IOd builds. Just SOd builds. WP still performs, but it isn't the best at alpha strikes compared to a few other sets.
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Been trying to come up with this, I know Stone tank is obvious kin, but what about Willpower/Elec tank?