Dark Armor changes

In order to consolidate things a bit, I would like to gather thoughts about this set in the General Discussion thread here, if you would indulge me. I would like our scrapper experts to provide their thoughts regarding the set so I can provide feedback appropriately.

My initial thoughts were regarding the main complaint about the set, which has always been endurance cost, which is truly due to the Heal/End ratio of Dark Regeneration. Please provide your insight to the thread linked instead of here - I realize we are not supposed to cross-post but many people skip the general section and I want to get honest opinion on the set.

Thanks!

Dark Armor is Overpowered. If anything any 'fixing' will result in a nerf.

I don't see any problem with Dark Armor. Moreover, I agree with the general consensus you got in your other thread that any change in Dark Armor will probably amount to a nerf to the set. The endurance "problem" of Dark Armor is the only component of the set that makes it seem close to being balanced.

@Rorn ---- Blue Baron ---- Guardian

I know that Dark Armour has a reputation as a high End cost powerset, but I don’t see it that way myself.

The Resistance toggles seem to give good value for their end cost which seems similar to the end cost of other resistance and defense toggles.

Oppressive Gloom costs practically nothing in End or HP to run.

Cloak of Shadows doesn’t give huge defense for it’s cost, but the Stealth is useful enough that I hardly turn it off.

Death Shroud is cheap on a Damage per End measure so unless you are standing around burning a hole in the carpet you will be getting good value for it.

Cloak of Fear can be a bit expensive and easily underappreciated, but I started using it again and I think I am seeing a lot more misses when I turn it on. Also it is a debuff that helps your whole team so you could expect to be paying a bit more for it than something that just helps you.

Dark Regeneration does have a high base End cost, but will give a near 100% Heal if you have three critters near you. I had a load of fights in the last few days where I dragged it back from less than 10% HP remaining to a win because Dark Regen recharged.

I don’t think there is a Dark Armour Power that you can’t get decent results for your End with reasonable slotting of SOs and that seems to make it on a par with the other Secondaries, at least the ones I am familiar with.

The one power I haven’t mentioned is Soul Transfer. I have avoided it in the past, but with more power choices I have it at the moment and find it about 50/50. Half the time it saves me a trip back from the hospital and half the time it just doubles my debt. In a team situation where I am KO’ed early in the fight it might be giving more value, but I haven’t seen any good examples as yet.

As a set Dark Amour gives you good basic threat mitigation plus some interesting additional mitigation options plus some utility plus some added damage plus a good Woops button. And it gives you End Drain resistance.

While Dark Armour is not as straight forward a set to use as some others I struggle to see any area in which it needs major work.

Regards, Screwloose
“I am not young enough to know everything.”

Just slotting Dark Regeneration with IOs and a Theft of Essence proc often makes it an end-free power to use. ToE procs are available by the time you pick DR at level 16, Miracle/Performance Shifter at 17 and Numina at 27. DR having a base cost of 33 end is manageable.

For DA, end reduction is key at the lower levels but after IOing, it becomes easier. Decide to go Cardiac Core (I haven't tried Ageless) at 50 and you can throw end reduction IOs out the window and just build for acc/dam/rech/mez/procs.

Dark Armor and Dark Regeneration is fine the way they are.

I've said it before, I'll say it again:

You touch-a my Dark Armor, I break-a you face.

Spewing additional threads about the same junk across as many forums as possible is actually the opposite of consolidation. This has been your semantic tip of the day.

It also makes it increasingly hard to believe that you're just posting offhand, you know, because a friend asked you to. No reason. Oh this idea? No big deal, I don't actually care or anything, I just really want to see five hundred posts about it and by hook or by crook I'll make that happen! No biggie.

By the way, just consolidating my posts here to remind you that you forgot to post this in the brute forum, the stalker forum and the tanker forum, Jayboh. I don't see how your important feedback will be nearly robust enough unless you scientifically sample these additional mines of data with that Jayboh rigor we've come to expect.

I don't like your suggested change. I don't think it's necessary, and I think it has negative side effects on the existing performance of the set.

I don't think DA has a problem that needs fixing in this space.