Necro/Dark MM. Resistance or Defense?

I'm returning to the game with a Necro/Dark from before Freedom launched.

For my rebuild, I'm wondering whether I should focus on Resistance or Defense. I'm usually in very close with my pets, and I don't have any problem with alphas (since Fearsome Stare or Howling Twilight can lock those down pretty easily).

It's basically a question of whether I go with Ghost Widow or Black Scorpion as a patron. With BG mode, high resistance means that less damage gets transferred to pets. High defense means that I get hit less (which translates to less damage).

Thematically, I enjoy Ghost Widow's powers more (Soul Storm is amazing), but if Defense is better to go with, I might try Black Scorpion, which would free up a slot for an extra power. (I take 3 powers from Ghost Widow. With BS, I'd probably only take just the shield and possibly Power Boost)


Thoughts?

I would go the DEF path scorpion shield + Darkest Night is amazing.

Power boost is also nice for the heal but also when it goes off the -to hit in DN and the Def. that scorpion shield gives will also jump up for the 15sec that it is up, and it will be up perty often.

(I would also take Provoke for any thing thats a Boss and up.)

There's no wrong answer to this question.

My only quibble is that a resistance shield does not reduce shared bodyguard damage experience by your pets: so incoming damage -> split by BG - > mm individual share reduced by resistance shield.

I really like/enjoy being softcapped as a necro/dark, though. Just an additional level of safety on top of a very safe set. Conversely, I don't like provoke playstyle with the set. I prefer to start with the pets on passive, lay down the dubuffs, then send the graveknights in on aggressive against a hard target while switching the zombies to defensive with the lich focused on a separate hard target positioned with a goto command to line up its cones. But that's for a pain-in-the-*** pull. Otherwise just run in with the everything on def/follow but the grave knights - who stay in aggressive.

I really wish I could combine a defensive shield with oppressive gloom. That would be heavenly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanaville ...[I]t would be more proper to say this game is slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly dying.