Is shield viable in Solo Incarnate content?

Shield has real trouble hitting the standard softcap of 45% which is 14% lower than the new Incarnate softcap of 59%.

I have a concept that would make a wonderful shield toon, but I fear that solo, it just wouldn't cut the mustard in DA and other new solo/small team incarnate content.

Am i wrong? Is there ways to build a shield toon that can cap its vectors at 59%? or is there just no need to do so because shield has other tools to help it surive the additional damage it will take from incarnate tohit buffed mobs?

My defenses are in more the 46-48% range, and I still do fine at 4x8 (With three level shifts, mind.) I'll have to pop the occasional skittle, or use Destiny, or otherwise temporarily bolster myself, but you do not need to be at Incarnate softcap to perform acceptably well in Incarnate content solo.

Basically you want to do a bit of reading on your enemies. Certain types will toss out some fairly monstrous -Def debuffs (Sorrows-based BP for one) and if you have a couple of them in a group they can floor you quickly, even with massive DDR.

Like sappers on Malta missions, these are the guys you want to nuke first so they can't wreck you. Do that, and the rest of the enemies are cake.

When I was running through on my Inv/SS tank, I'd notice myself going from near Incarnate softcap to negative numbers almost immediately upon hitting a group with 2+ BP Sorrows Elders or Ancients in there and inspected a couple floors that way.

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You need insps as shield. I have +0 shield that I run at +0x5 with no insps. Any higher I have problem esp with Knives where everyone has -def.

Solo incarnate content abides by the normal 45% soft cap.

You should be fine.

Edit: I'm incorrect, but you should still be fine.

No, enemies in Dark Astoria definitely have 64% base tohit, like enemies in trials. You can verify this with a Power Analyzer.

Nevertheless, my regular-softcapped characters seem to be doing fine in DA.

I haven't had any issues running 0/8 as long as defense debuffers are taken out first as stated earlier. Also Shield Charge, Lighting Rod and Thunder Strike usually keep the badguys busy until they are defeated.

My Elec/Shield and Broadsword/Shield scrappers do fine in incarnate content solo. I may have to pop a skittle every now and then, but that's not a problem. Broadsword has the advantage of Parry to build up melee defense easily past the Incarnate softcap. Electric just kills stuff with the double-whammy.

If any have a 50% chance, it is probably a bug. As far as we know, they should all have the 64% chance, barring other effects.

Edit: I just did some spot checks in DA (in the open zone) and everything I poked had a 64% "To Hit Bonus" listed under their Base heading. I tried Knives of Vengeance, Banished Pantheon, Circle of Thorns and Talons of Vengeance.

At "normal" difficulty levels (ie, +0x1, +0x2, +1x1, +1x2, +2x1 - the original difficulty settings) a Shield character should have no problem with any content, even Incarnate content, even without hitting the 45% softcap. Reaching the Incarnate Softcap would only be necessary when increasing your difficulty to levels that are intended to be team content.

I have been running DA stuff on my Icapped Elec/EA/Mu stalker and just devastating the mobs at +4x8.

It would be a shame to roll a shield brute (Going to try SS again.) and being weaker defensively than my stalker.

I will give it a shot and I guess I am locked into Gloom/Dark Obliteration/Darkest Night.

Thanks.

My FM/SD Scrapper was 50+3 before DA launched, so she never experienced it without shifts, but she sits at about exactly 45% to all positions and walked all over all the DA content at 4x8 easily. She uses Rebirth, does not have OWtS, and mostly only used insps for the Arachnos AVs. Granted she is up there in terms of my most expensive character builds, but, that's another factor entirely.

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

Well, are you doing the Solo incarnate content with no incarnate powers? Or are you just going back and doing it to say that you've done it? If you already have incarnate powers, you could always run a build with constant barrier. I hear t4 can be made perma. I don't know the exact numbers, or how much it degrades through its cycle, but that should be enough to put a 45% defense character at 59%+ defense most of the time.

If it got you there permanently, sure. But for 90 seconds out of 120, even a T4 Core Barrier won't get you from the normal softcap to the Incarnate softcap. A panic heal and huge regen boost is, IMO, more valuable than a half-duration purple inspiration.