Tough hide..?


Auroxis

 

Posted

Hi. I've been away from the game for quite a while. Now i've returned, hopefully re enthused and certainly impressed with some of the changes that have occurred in my absense.

I love the fact the inherents are now.. inherent. (loving the incarnate system btw...)

Which brings me to my question. I am SS/ Invul. i took all the invul powers except tough hide because I added tough and weave.
On the other side of the coin I added handclap, mostly for concept reasons.
Cept, now playing i realise hand clap is pretty redundant, especially as the closer my foes are the more my "invulnerabiliyy" increases.. Soooo pushing them away seems... odd.

I took hurl, a power that i never took in my previous time here but it's been improved.. or it seems to have anyhow.. So i took that for my primary ranged attack.

Anyhow, If i drop handclap and add something is there any real benefit to adding tough hide (which my logic tells me to do) or add maybe laser vision for another ranged attack?

Does tough hide increase my imperviousnes or defence by any significant degree?


Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

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Posted

Yes, it gives as much defense as weave, and gives you some resistance against defence debuffs.

I wouldn't skip it.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
Hi. I've been away from the game for quite a while. Now i've returned, hopefully re enthused and certainly impressed with some of the changes that have occurred in my absense.

I love the fact the inherents are now.. inherent. (loving the incarnate system btw...)

Which brings me to my question. I am SS/ Invul. i took all the invul powers except tough hide because I added tough and weave.
On the other side of the coin I added handclap, mostly for concept reasons.
Cept, now playing i realise hand clap is pretty redundant, especially as the closer my foes are the more my "invulnerabiliyy" increases.. Soooo pushing them away seems... odd.

I took hurl, a power that i never took in my previous time here but it's been improved.. or it seems to have anyhow.. So i took that for my primary ranged attack.

Anyhow, If i drop handclap and add something is there any real benefit to adding tough hide (which my logic tells me to do) or add maybe laser vision for another ranged attack?

Does tough hide increase my imperviousnes or defence by any significant degree?

Okay, Hand Clap. You're running a tank that DEPENDS on keeping huge gobs of enemies near you to keep your defenses up. And you took a power whose sole purpose is to scatter enemies.

Translation: Drop it.

TAKE TOUGH HIDE! It's part of the layering of protections you need to survive. It provides a baseline 5% (enhanced up to about 8%) defense. You're much too squishy otherwise.

Take a look at Call Me Awesome's guide to Invuln tankers and the soft cap.

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike View Post
Okay, Hand Clap. You're running a tank that DEPENDS on keeping huge gobs of enemies near you to keep your defenses up. And you took a power whose sole purpose is to scatter enemies.

Translation: Drop it.

TAKE TOUGH HIDE! It's part of the layering of protections you need to survive. It provides a baseline 5% (enhanced up to about 8%) defense. You're much too squishy otherwise.

Take a look at Call Me Awesome's guide to Invuln tankers and the soft cap.

Nearly all the goodness of a Stoner in Granite and none of the speed and damage penalties.
Yes, as i mentioned, i drew that conclusion about hand clap. Shame but...

As for TH.. asked because I'm not sure what had changed within the game and was curious whether, bearing in mind I have tough and weave, I'm able to hit my defence cap without it.


Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven

2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...

 

Posted

I would take Hand Clap if it just did knockdown like Foot Stomp, or did disorient, since it's another AoE attack that can build more aggro. However as it is now, I will never take it.

Or better still if it was actually a damaging attack without any other side effects, maybe minor or moderate damage.

But knockback? No. There is no situation where I would want knockback. If you say there is then you are just a Hand Clap fanboi who is making up desperate stories to vainly try to justify this useless power.

But yeah, take Tough Hide. It's an auto power that doesn't use end.

Same with Hurl, which also does knockback. I would rather go with Energy Mastery and get Laser Eye Beams as that does -def and is much quicker animation wise.


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Uber Rod - level 50 dark melee/regen scrapper
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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
Yes, as i mentioned, i drew that conclusion about hand clap. Shame but...

As for TH.. asked because I'm not sure what had changed within the game and was curious whether, bearing in mind I have tough and weave, I'm able to hit my defence cap without it.
Keep in mind that Unyielding has a -5% def debuff which is filled by Tough Hide. So it's worth taking just for that if nothing else.


Uber Talgrim - level 50 emp/dark defender
Uber Rod - level 50 dark melee/regen scrapper
Rod Valdr - level 50 invuln/SS tanker
Talgrim - level 50 ninja/dark mastermind

OMG!! Please add these costume designs now!

 

Posted

Um, Tough Hide has Not been changed in the revamps of Invulnerability, so It's as super as it ever was. However, Unyielding was changed - it no longer debuffs your Defense.

Be Well!
Fireheart


 

Posted

Yeah, Unyeilding's -5% was eliminated during the recent Invuln rebuild, however, that 5% was taken from Invinc, so it's a wash. (However, since you get Uny at Level 8 and Invinc at level 18, that extra 5% during those levels makes a huge difference.)

As to the statement that TH is just as good as Weave, Weave provides +Def to All (including positional), TH provides +Def to all but Psionics (not including positional). But TH more than makes up for that by being auto and endurance free.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by GATE-keeper View Post
Yeah, Unyeilding's -5% was eliminated during the recent Invuln rebuild, however, that 5% was taken from Invinc, so it's a wash. (However, since you get Uny at Level 8 and Invinc at level 18, that extra 5% during those levels makes a huge difference.)

As to the statement that TH is just as good as Weave, Weave provides +Def to All (including positional), TH provides +Def to all but Psionics (not including positional). But TH more than makes up for that by being auto and endurance free.
Well never mind then. Extra 5%-8% defense!!!


Uber Talgrim - level 50 emp/dark defender
Uber Rod - level 50 dark melee/regen scrapper
Rod Valdr - level 50 invuln/SS tanker
Talgrim - level 50 ninja/dark mastermind

OMG!! Please add these costume designs now!

 

Posted

If you were anything but Invulnerability or Willpower, Hand Clap could well come in handy (pardon the pun) at some point.

I used it on my Tanker in the early goings it was useful to buy some breathing room to pop in some inspirations if my health was wearing down, but once I got footstomp, I just respec'd handclap away.


 

Posted

5% base defense with half of your ddr on a PASSIVE!!!!!
Yeah take it


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
As for TH.. asked because I'm not sure what had changed within the game and was curious whether, bearing in mind I have tough and weave, I'm able to hit my defence cap without it.
I have to question this. You're actually reaching 45% defense to S/L/E/N damage without taking Tough Hide? Absent a truly strange and incredibly expensive build I just don't see that being possible. Are you figuring constantly having Invincibility saturated with 10 mobs? Realistically you're seldom going to have more than 6 normal sized mobs in your aura at once and when you need it most against an AV you'll only have one mob. Commonly Invuln players try to soft cap their defense with only one mob in range for that reason.

Invuln got a huge buff with issue 13 a couple of years ago and at the same time IO defense bonuses were paired up (a bonus that used to give 1.25% Smashing defense now gives 1.25% Smashing AND Lethal defense as well as .625% Melee defense) making it far easier to build defense. My guide was written in issue 13 so it doesn't mention the inherent fitness of issue 19 but Invuln hasn't changed since i13 so everything still applies.
<edit>
Oh, and ABSOLUTELY take Tough Hide. It provides (slotted) ~7.7% defense to all but Psi or a bit under 1/5 of the defense you'll need to reach 45% AND half of your debuff resistance in a passive power.


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Posted

Lionsbane you are not soft capped. Laser Beam Eyes is not something I'd recommend to anyone who isn't making a Superman concept. Handclap is alright if you know how to use it and when to use it. I'd of been tempted to get it when I respec my Invuln to have inherent fitness just to mess things up for people who seem to prefer mobs spread all over the shop because they annoy me. A tankers place is in the thick groups. If you are beating a single npc up whilst there are several mobs close by beating on a controller or not in the ambushes first you are doing something wrong. Support characters support best when they aren't having to put their own survivability first so handclap would be redundant most of the time anyway. I would get tough hide.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by New Dawn View Post
. Laser Beam Eyes is not something I'd recommend to anyone who isn't making a Superman concept.
I would in a very specific set of circumstances.

If the person in question is in need of both A)the recovery/regen available in Energy Mastery, and B) a couple percent of E/N defense I would recommend LBE.

It is especially useful on a WP tank or scrapper. You can slot it with 3 Thunderstrike and 3 Devastation. That gives you: 2% recovery (not a big deal, but at least it isn't debt reduction ), 2.5% E/N defense (which IS a big deal if you're close to softcapped but not quite there), 12% regen (WP likes more regen), and 2.25% max HP (one of the largest +HP set bonuses available in a non-purple set). And in a pinch it can be used to fill in an attack chain if you find yourself getting slowed, or to tag runners with.

It's less useful on an Invuln, in which case you would probably want to swap out the Devastation with 3 of something else (or just leave it 3 slotted with Thunderstrike if you aren't planning on using it at all). For Invuln, the recovery bonus in Thunderstrike will be more useful than on a WP.

It's a ranged attack that can slot sets no tank other than SS or Stone Melee can slot without dipping into an APP, and if you're having end problems you will want Physical Perfection anyway.

Yes, there are other powers you could take, but LBE isn't a BAD choice by any means if you need a power to slot those sets in.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by ClawsandEffect View Post
I would in a very specific set of circumstances.

If the person in question is in need of both A)the recovery/regen available in Energy Mastery, and B) a couple percent of E/N defense I would recommend LBE.

It is especially useful on a WP tank or scrapper. You can slot it with 3 Thunderstrike and 3 Devastation. That gives you: 2% recovery (not a big deal, but at least it isn't debt reduction ), 2.5% E/N defense (which IS a big deal if you're close to softcapped but not quite there), 12% regen (WP likes more regen), and 2.25% max HP (one of the largest +HP set bonuses available in a non-purple set). And in a pinch it can be used to fill in an attack chain if you find yourself getting slowed, or to tag runners with.

It's less useful on an Invuln, in which case you would probably want to swap out the Devastation with 3 of something else (or just leave it 3 slotted with Thunderstrike if you aren't planning on using it at all). For Invuln, the recovery bonus in Thunderstrike will be more useful than on a WP.

It's a ranged attack that can slot sets no tank other than SS or Stone Melee can slot without dipping into an APP, and if you're having end problems you will want Physical Perfection anyway.

Yes, there are other powers you could take, but LBE isn't a BAD choice by any means if you need a power to slot those sets in.
My thought on APP selection is simple... if I have 3 power selections open then I'll get Char, Fire Blast & Fire Ball. If I only have 2 selections and/or have endurance issues I'll get Conserve Power, Laser Beam Eyes.

In either case on an Invuln I'll slot the single target blast with 6 Thunderstrike for a bit of recovery, a bit of accuracy and 3.75% E/N defense. 6 Thunderstrikes helps an Inv a bunch more than slotting 3 Tstrike/3 Devastation. Remember that the 6th bonus is another 1.25% E/N defense on top of the 2.5% E/N defense from the third slot. That last bonus also has a different name than the 1.25% bonus from Reactive Armor so you can have 5 sets of Reactive and a full set of Thunderstrike without hitting the "rule of 5".


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike View Post
Okay, Hand Clap. You're running a tank that DEPENDS on keeping huge gobs of enemies near you to keep your defenses up. And you took a power whose sole purpose is to scatter enemies.

Translation: Drop it.

TAKE TOUGH HIDE! It's part of the layering of protections you need to survive. It provides a baseline 5% (enhanced up to about 8%) defense. You're much too squishy otherwise.

Take a look at Call Me Awesome's guide to Invuln tankers and the soft cap.

Nearly all the goodness of a Stoner in Granite and none of the speed and damage penalties.

DO THIS DO IT SOON! I took hand clap ONCE years ago on a long since deleted Brute and the reasoning Hyper gave is dead on. I am a melee character that wants every enemy in the room gathered around me and I CLAP and then need to run across the room to hit the minon I was pounding on a second ago. I have a 50 level SD/SS tank and the only power he doesnt have is Hand Clap. Hurl is a specialty tool I use. Good for pulling from a distance and if your face to face with an AV hurl does damage and that Av doesn't move an inch.

I can't help much with Invulerable my two 50 tanks are SD and WP but never ever avoid taking anything that increases you defense or damage resistance. My SD/SS tank will stand toe to toe with Reichmann in the Kahn TF and pound on him for ever .. I take every defense I can get and will sacrifice an attack before I'd forgo a defense.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
I'm able to hit my defence cap without it.
Sure you are. But TH makes it easier and shores up ALL your defenses. Fully IO'ed (3 slots, Common Defense), TH provides more defense than 2 sets of Kinetic Combat.



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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by New Dawn View Post
Lionsbane you are not soft capped. Laser Beam Eyes is not something I'd recommend to anyone who isn't making a Superman concept.
Faster animating, lower endurance use, minor -def, but lower damage.

Also, doesn't require you to be on the ground. So the power isn't disabled when you're in flight the way Hurl is.

I'd say that's a fairly decent tradeoff.



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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by I_trick View Post
Yes, it gives as much defense as weave, and gives you some resistance against defence debuffs.

I wouldn't skip it.
I wouldn't make an invul without it..


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome View Post
In either case on an Invuln I'll slot the single target blast with 6 Thunderstrike for a bit of recovery, a bit of accuracy and 3.75% E/N defense. 6 Thunderstrikes helps an Inv a bunch more than slotting 3 Tstrike/3 Devastation.
I might consider 3x Thunderstrike and 3x Maelstrom's Fury as well. Maelstrom's Fury gives 1.88% F/C defense, and it's even cheaper than Thunderstrike.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by New Dawn View Post
Laser Beam Eyes is not something I'd recommend to anyone who isn't making a Superman concept.
If you slot it with a -res proc and a purple proc it becomes a very solid attack.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome View Post
I have to question this. You're actually reaching 45% defense to S/L/E/N damage without taking Tough Hide? Absent a truly strange and incredibly expensive build I just don't see that being possible. .
I appreciate the rest of your answer but would point out you miss read my question.
I never said I reached the cap, I was wondering, what with changes that have gone on in my absense, if it was now possible (with my current build that has tough and weave but not tough hide) without Tough hide.


Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

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2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
I appreciate the rest of your answer but would point out you miss read my question.
I never said I reached the cap, I was wondering, what with changes that have gone on in my absense, if it was now possible (with my current build that has tough and weave but not tough hide) without Tough hide.
You probably CAN hit softcap without it, but it's most likely going to require you to take Maneuvers on top of Tough and Weave, which will burn more end.

Tough Hide will give you almost 8% defense, and it is an autopower, so it costs no endurance at all. Between Tough Hide and a Steadfast Protection Res/Def, that is 10-11% defense basically for free.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison
See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsbane_EU View Post
I appreciate the rest of your answer but would point out you miss read my question.
I never said I reached the cap, I was wondering, what with changes that have gone on in my absense, if it was now possible (with my current build that has tough and weave but not tough hide) without Tough hide.
But why would you *want* to skip Tough Hide, if the plan is to soft-cap anyway? Any power you could take to provide defense would give you less defense at some (possibility significant) endurance cost. Using set bonuses is an option, I suppose, but would incur significant influence and opportunity costs.

Besides, Tough Hide has defense debuff resistance, which is pretty much impossible to get outside of primary or secondary powers.

Take it, slot it, love it.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Finduilas View Post
But why would you *want* to skip Tough Hide, if the plan is to soft-cap anyway? .
Well, the answer to that is I want my guy to be as all round powerful as I can, and that does include offensive powers. So I was hoping to free up a slot to allow me to pick up a range attack. (attack is but a name for another defence right?)

But I'm not stupid enough to not listen to the pretty much unanimous opinion put out by my peers. Tough hide it is.


Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven

2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...