The Fighting pool is nice, but not needed. If you need some LotG mules and a little defense, Combat Jumping, Hover, Maneuvers, and Stealth (or some combination thereof) can all be nice alternatives. Tough and Weave make a bigger difference on melee classes, where it gets them that last little bit between "almost unkillable" and "actually unkillable".
For comparison, my Dark/Dark Dominator with a no-purples IO build has CJ, Stealth, Maneuvers, and Fire Shield from the Fire Mastery pool. I managed just over 20% Melee and AoE defense, and well over 30% Ranged defense. I'm pretty happy with his level of survivability. Yes, I could swap some of that to end up with Tough and Weave, but I'd have fewer places to slot LoTG. I'd be more likely to switch over to Tough/Weave in a build with Purples where LoTGs aren't as needed, I guess, but I'm not sure the difference in final mitigation numbers would be that big.
Finally, Weave becomes a bigger deal if you're stacking it with a +Defense Epic shield like the ones from Mace or Ice Mastery, along with other +Defense pool powers.
You can softcap S/L and Ranged and achieve permadom with elec/earth.
The fighting pool takes 3 power picks to get you 4.25% defense. If you have the spots open, picking any 2 of manuvers, combat jumping, hover, and stealth will get you more defense overall. When trying to build a character with a defense shield I like to go with the fighting pool in order to mule the +3 def enhancements in tough and maybe put a kinetic combat set in boxing, but I generally look to other power pools first.
Imo you shouldn't don't bother building defense if you're not going to be able to reach at least 32.5% (1 luck from soft cap).
If it helps, here's kind of what I'm thinking about for my elec/dark.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.954
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Dominator
Primary Power Set: Electric Control
Secondary Power Set: Dark Assault
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Concealment
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Tesla Cage -- SAotDominator-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(A), SAotDominator-Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/Rchg(3), SAotDominator-EndRdx/Rchg(3), SAotDominator-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx(5), SAotDominator-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg(5), SAotDominator-Rchg/+Dmg%(7)
Level 1: Dark Blast -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Smite -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(9), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Mako-Dam%(11)
Level 4: Gloom -- Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(15), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(15), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(17), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19)
Level 6: Jolting Chain -- Acc-I(A)
Level 8: Conductive Aura -- Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(19), Efficacy-EndMod(21)
Level 10: Night Fall -- Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(21), Posi-Acc/Dmg(23), Posi-Dmg/Rng(23), Posi-Dam%(25)
Level 12: Static Field -- FtnHyp-Plct%(A), FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(25), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(27), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(27), FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(29)
Level 14: Chain Fences -- Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(29), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 16: Gather Shadows -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Paralyzing Blast -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(31), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(31), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(31)
Level 20: Engulfing Darkness -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(33), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Oblit-%Dam(34), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(34)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Zephyr-ResKB(42), Zephyr-Travel(42)
Level 26: Synaptic Overload -- CoPers-Conf(A), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(36), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(37), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(37), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(37), CoPers-Conf%(39)
Level 28: Life Drain -- Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(39), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Heal-I(40), Heal-I(40)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(36), LkGmblr-Def(36)
Level 32: Gremlins -- ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(A), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(42), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(43), ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(43), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(45)
Level 35: Sleet -- Achilles-ResDeb%(A)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(46), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Mako-Dam%(48)
Level 41: Frozen Armor -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(45), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(45), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(48)
Level 44: Stealth -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(50), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(50)
Level 47: Hoarfrost -- GA-3defTpProc(A)
Level 49: Hibernate -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 0: Task Force Commander
------------
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Panac-Heal/+End(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(13), EndMod-I(13)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Domination
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Code:
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I take Fight Pool a lot. Not to soft cap defense, but for Tough's SL resists. Stacks nicely with other resistance shields. Especially for melee oriented elec/earth/power.
Please buff Ice Control.
So how important is the fighting pool to Elec\ Doms. It's been something I have been wrestling with while trying to build my Elec\Eath Dom. I don't see myself hitting the soft cap no matter what, so I'm not certain I want to try. I'm certainly not going to say no to some defense but I'm not certain I want to invest the powers and the slots in the fighting pool, especially as I going to be sapping as much as possible to help mitigate the incoming damage.