Tanking with the LT - Champion Points and Block Cost Reduction for Tanking

Personofsecrets

Greetings everyone. Since 1.6 has been introduced some areas of interest have been how the champion points work and how much stamina that blocking costs. For these reason I have made the following presentation.



What I did was check my armor rating with increasing number of champion points in the "Heavy Armor Focus" passive effect. As the graph shows we get what we expect. Increasing our champion points to give us 3% more armor gives us 3% more armor. There is a small percent difference in the expected versus the achieved armor values, but the only trend that I can see with that error is that there is no trend. I am thinking that there is some small amount of multiplicative stacking that is constant despite the amount of armor % gained from Heavy Armor Focus. Perhaps this small negative effect on armor gained is being caused by the "Resolve" passive from the heavy armor skill line.



The second thing I have to share is with regards to block cost mitigation. Everyone has thought that blocking costs more now so, as a tank, it is good to know how to mitigate that cost. There are a few important things to point out so that we have the proper expectations when figuring out the block cost percent mitigation that we have.

1. Block cost mitigation stacks additively when using Fortress, Bracing, and Defensive Posture (Absorb Magic/Defensive Stance).
2. Block cost mitigation enchants and block expertise champion points stack additively with each other.
3. Block cost mitigation between 1 and 2 stack multiplicatively and eventually give a very high diminished return.



As a tank, we easily achieve Fortress, Bracing, and Defensive stance (and probably should). The real question comes down to what enchants we want and how many champion points we want to invest in any given area. Ideally we will do the following. Make stamina loss = to stamina gain. How to do this will depend on the raid and depend on the specific fight, but my chart can give a bit of insight into what we should do to achieve stamina equilibrium.

With Fortress, Bracing, Absorb Magic, 7.5%, and 3 block cost mitigation enchants the 3rd enchant saves an extra 78 stamina per hit compared to having just 2 block cost mitigation enchants. The next best option for stamina equilibrium is a stamina regeneration enchants which offers 64 stamina per second. Basically, in fights, such as vdsa pulls, where you are hit at least 1 time a second, stamina equilibrium would be more efficiently achieved by having 3 block cost mitigation enchants opposed to 2 block cost mitigation enchants and a stamina regeneration enchant. 3 Block cost mitigation enchants would also be good against the deadly axes of the Aetherian Archive or even the average vet dungeon.

From experience, I have never used a stamina regeneration enchant and I have never felt as though I needed it. Since 1.6 I have become a werewolf, but even the stamina regeneration buff for that is needed less and less as the effect of champion points amass. Most of the time I use 3 block cost mitigation enchantments, but will switch 1 out for armor against the Possessed Manticora or the Warrior. I used to also use a fire resist jewelry in City of Ash and on the final round of Veteran Dragon Star Arena, but that enchant is currently bugged and increases fire damage dealt to the player.

Overall some champion point bonuses are stacking additively (armor) and some are stacking multiplicatively (block cost reduction). Even with tremendous diminished returns 3 block cost mitigation enchantments plus block cost mitigation champion points is a good option for tanking.

Please post your thoughts and check out my write up on how armor values work in 1.6

david.haypreub18_ESO

I can't believe no one has commented on this-- great work! Thanks so much for showing us the numbers; it really helps!

Panda244

Either way, until you get a significant amount of CP... Light Armor blocking is poo

Personofsecrets

Thanks David, I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

Panda, I find that unfortunate. Even the other night in one of my guild people were making fun of people who wear light armor and don't like getting one shot.

"hahah, they are wearing light armor and should have therefore known better."

As much fun as it has been for people to LARP about how armor works in the real world or how it should work, if they had understood that we are playing a fantasy game and that light armor could give good defense for some fantastical reason, then an entire play style wouldn't have been invalidated.

SafiyerAmitora

Personofsecrets wrote: »

"hahah, they are wearing light armor and should have therefore known better."

As much fun as it has been for people to LARP about how armor works in the real world or how it should work, if they had understood that we are playing a fantasy game and that light armor could give good defense for some fantastical reason, then an entire play style wouldn't have been invalidated.

*sigh* So true. LA really didn't deserve to be nerfed as hard as it did. True, it shouldn't have provided much better survivability than heavy, but it shouldn't be like not wearing anything at all either.

Rune_Relic

Nice post. Thanks.
/thumbsup

Cyrdemaceb17_ESO

Nice thread!

s7732425ub17_ESO

Very, very good post. Thanks for taking the time to get all of those numbers.

actosh

Did a pretty fast testing on the PTSwith Update 7, and your Values are still correct.
So nothing has changed there.

Thx for the awesome work

Personofsecrets

actosh wrote: »

Did a pretty fast testing on the PTSwith Update 7, and your Values are still correct.
So nothing has changed there.

Thx for the awesome work

Thank you for the valuable update. Several people have been suggesting that the developers wouldn't nerf stamina regeneration while blocking without making up for it in other ways. I suppose we will still get diminished returns on our enchantments though.