Scorpion Shield - the best Patron/Epic Shield?

So, as I've looked through build options for Corruptors (currently running a Fire/Cold and loving it), I've noticed that Scorpion Shield seems VERY popular for builds that want to softcap defense against Smashing and Lethal.

As far as I can tell, there's no other Patron or Epic Power Pool shield that provides +Def. All the others are Resist shields. Does this mean Scorpion Shield is the best of the Shields for Corruptors?

What about a build that isn't aiming for such high defense scores? Are the other shields just as viable as Scorpion for a build that isn't totally tricked out with the perfect IO sets?

It depends on a whole lot of factors, which include your powers, temp powers, set bonuses, teammates, and available inspirations. In general though, I'd have to say Scorpion Shield is the best shield power.

Keep in mind that if you do pick Scorpion Shield, you're missing out on powers from other patron/epic pools. For example, Dark Mastery has a great self damage buff power in Soul Drain.

I'm not big on Scorpion Shield, as I find being S/L softcapped without any resistance not enough survivability for my taste.

I prefer softcapping ranged and picking up a res shield. Mu is a great one as it offers resistance to the three most common damage types. Another bonus is that the set includes CP, which I find useful on many builds, and the Mu pet, who is flying and can keep up with the player (I like pets on buff/debuff ATs, many people don't).

It all depends on your toon and how easy it is for you to softcap anything.

If your using a set like Traps or Force Field you should be able to cap positional, or at least Ranged and AoE. If you can get ranged alone up, then that's probably better too.

S/L is better than ranged whenever your need to enter melee range however. This is best for Masterminds who tank, Blasters who get in close and Dominators who like to bash.

It's the best shield IMO. being able to softcap S/L/E defense on a squishy, what's not to like? Ranged defense is nice and all, but there's less leeway to build for other stuff, mainly +recharge.

I would rank both Scorpion and Charged Armor the best shields if you are mostly looking for a good shield.

Charged Armor's energy resistance is very good against so many things in this game.

Having higher defense is great because a lot of mez attacks have hit-check. If you can avoid the hits, you are not getting mezzed or debuffed.

I'd say yes scorpion shield is the best shield, but it's not so much better that you can't take another. If the primary thing you want our of your PPP is +defense, then you can't go wrong, but other sets have good powers too, and resistance is never a bad thing.

It's not the "the best" because that depends on a huge variety of factors. For most of my builds, I find it the best choice because of how it allows me to reach high levels of mitigation without high slot investment. It allows me to get softcapped defenses as well as the levels of recharge I want.

I've played a lot with ranged defense builds and they're great. A big advantage to ranged softcap builds is that the majority of stuff which can mez you is ranged, so you're much less dependent on BFs. The downside is you're building off a much lower base, so it generally requires more build investment to get to the softcap.

Of the resistance shield sets, I'd say Dark Mastery or Mu Mastery are my favourite picks. The dark shield isn't as good as the Mu one, but the other powers make up for it. Mu is awesome for reasons already stated.

I've got a Rad/Kin corruptor that uses Scorpion Shield to softcap S/L because he needs to be in melee to receive the benefit of Fulcrum Shift, Transfusion and Transference. Currently I need to use Break Frees a lot, but when I get around to getting the Clarion Destiny that won't be a problem. My Psy/Mind blaster also uses Scorpion Shield for similar reasons.

On the other hand, I've got a Fire/Dark corruptor that uses Charged Armor to help softcap Ranged defense (slotting Steadfast: Dmg Res/+Def there), and a Storm/Electrical defender that does a similar thing with Steamy Mist.

Basically, if you need to be in melee Scorpion Shield is nice, but if you stay ranged you need a decent base power for ranged defense, like Shadow Fall or Steamy Mist slotted with Red Fortune.

For most of my Corruptors yes. Capping Ranged defence sacrifices too much +Rech for my liking normally and I'm happy to use BFs and then pick up Clarion.

On the other hand, I use Dark Embrace on my Sonic Corr to get ~70%+ SL Res. which is very useful and I built for a bit of ranged Def on top of that. Add in mez prot. from Sonic Dispersion and it's a very sturdy toon.

I think this is one of those questions that is powerset dependent.

I agree with all of Silas's points, and those are the reasons I usually end up with Scorpion Shield.

Provides SM/L/Ene DEF & allows for much leeway in building for heavy recharge.

No, but it's one of the best, depending on your build.

I almost always take: Mu Charged Armor, Force of Nature and Vengeance, or Scorpion Shield.

Scorp shield isn't necessarily the best, since you also have the option of taking a resistance APP and capping ranged defense instead.

Having played both range softcapped squishies and S/L/E softcapped squishies, and having gone from one to the other on the same character, my experience is range softcap is far tougher:

1) You play at range so you get hit by less damaging attacks
2) You have resistance to back up your defense
3) You do not run into kryptonite enemies so often. e.g. if you are a corr with scorp shield on the ITF, you will solo all the Cimeroran spawns easily but the Nictus on the second mission will kill you. If you're fighting Carnies you can solo screenfuls of Lts and minions but the Ring Mistresses will kill you because their attacks are all neg/psi. This wild seesawing of survivability between spawns, and even between enemies in the same spawn, means you have to carefully watch what you fight.

Range softcapped squishies generally don't face this issue except against large pure Warworks spawns, since BCU and ACU have mostly AoE attacks.

Scorp shield is better if you have a character that needs to fight in melee since in this case ranged defense is impractical.

Not blasphemy at all, ranged softcap is highly effective and perfectly viable for many builds, for the reasons several have stated already. S/L softcap builds are very vulnerable to pure exotic damage (many mezzed being the worst offender). Just as S/L softcap doesn't care where the damage is coming from, ranged softcap doesn't care what kind it is.

S/L is much better for builds that need to go into melee from time to time like Kin and Cold (the former much moreso than the latter) and ranged is a lot better for sets that can be played entirely at, well, range

Personally my first port of call is S/L since it does still mitigate a great amount of damage and is very easily softcapped, granting much more build flexibility.

Yeah I find myself in melee often with my Cold for the Heat Loss buff so S/L is (and has been for me) a very good idea. And like you say, the Fire/Sonic doesn't really need to go into melee at all.

In summary, if you're on a budget or just want to softcap a certain area of defence easily while also being able to pile on the +Rech, I would Scorpion Shield is a very smart choice.

In my personal opinion (which isn't much) building support toons for defense is somewhat like eating nails with your milk instead of honey nut cheerios. My Ice blast / Cold Corruptor has maybe 15% def and I rarely experience problems with mobs insta killing me. Here is a helpful tip. Perma hasten!!!! The more debuffs and AoEs you can throw at your enemies the better. When did everyone get crazy building for defense. I would only consider building a toon for defense if that toon is in fact defense based. Otherwise you will be missing out on some great pwrs. + its only smashing/lethal you are caping in. Why not take energy mastery and get Charged Armor? It gives Leth/smash/energy res (your Actic Fog also gives you energy res, so you're upping your res in 3 areas as apposed to upgrading your defense in two). If you want to eat nails go ahead. I'm not your dad, but if I was....We'd be eating honey nut cheerios for a long time!


That is what soft caping your support toons taste like.

I consider it dependent on the powersets.

I've made some softcapped Range (and softcapped or close to Melee/AOE) toons, and if I can do that, why wouldn't I take a Resistance Shield?

My Dark Miasma did awesome with Range Softcapped, awesome AOE/Melee Defense, and the -tohit...combined with Hover!

Maybe mine is just too good for soft cap. Thank you for your opinion though. I'll be sure to disregard offering my questionable assistance. Considering that God who posted above is all knowing and powerful.

I'm currently making the trip to villainside with my hero corruptors/defenders to get the famous Scorpion Shield (my Rad/ one often get stomped when he casts Irradiate and my /Kin and Cold/ will love to have it when FS or HL are available) except with my Dark/Pain/Dark corr. I would miss the ability to rez others without being able to rez myself in the first place, Soul Drain is just too good to see at last somewhat big orange numbers (I'm vain like that ) and Oppressive Gloom can stack with Dark Pit.
Quite unexpectedly, between all the available Incarnate slots, Interface is the one that really changed my life (OK, with Clarion). With Dark/ attacks' and Diamagnetic's ToHit debuffs, enemies just don't hit me anymore. Resistance (Dark Embrace) + pseudo-defense (massive ToHit debuffs) + Dark/ controls + /Pain heals + mez protection changed a weak character into a well balanced machine of support and destruction.