Looking for armor set tips! Any help appreciated!

Ser Lobo · August 2014

So I maxed my character, a damage-focused archer/dual-wield nightblade, and decided to give him some backup roles he can do in group content, namely veteran dungeons and the like. I feel very strongly that I know what gear and item sets I need to optimize that build for pure damage, and am confident in my gear decisions.

My next goal is to learn and optimize my tank. I've got sword and board trained up, and have a comfortable grasp of what skills to mix from class skills to give me good advantage. I do have some dispersion heals which should help my healer out, a good closer, a taunt, and several debuff options, giving me classic tank focus.

The problem starts with gear. I have heavy armor almost maxed out, but am not entirely keen on what armor sets would help me the most. I'm intent on going heavy armor and making it work, so suggestions of light armor or medium would be wasted on me. And I am a master craftsmen who hates to grind, so no dropped gear suggestions, thank you.

That gives me seven heavy armor pieces to work with, plus sword and shield. I'd like any suggestions one what crafted sets you guys think would work best!

Nihili · August 2014

Damn, I have the exact same situation, know exactly what to take for my NB, but my DK tank I have no clue!

Tigeracer · August 2014

Is your tank also a night blade/same character?

Ser Lobo · August 2014

Tigeracer wrote: »

Is your tank also a night blade/same character?

Yeah, I'm multi-training my nightblade into tanking. I had to pick up new skills, and only had to convert one morph for the better heal, but so far even with medium armor his survivability is far higher than it used to be.

Tigeracer · August 2014

Haha, awesome, I did the same thing. I use 5 song of Lamae and 4 alessias bulwark (7 heavy). It raises my armour and health recovery way over the cap. For abilities I use:
Inner light//sap essence//ransack//absorb magic//siphoning attacks-veil of blades.
I have been able to solo every craglorn public dungeon except the gargoyle one (I was invited by a friend and couldn't be bothered returning to try for myself).

zgrssd · August 2014

Siphoning is the NB tanks greatest friend.

Siphoning Strike - must have.
Interstingly you should choose the version with more Stamina/Mana heal, not the self-heal variant (fell into that trap myself).
The HP heal version is good if you want to go solo, but in group you got the healer for healing and need that extra stam/man from the non-Hp healing morph.
High attack speed might be more important then straight up defense to trigger SS more often.
Also don't forget that passive that gives you Ultimate for every hit with SiphonStrikes.

Strife has morhs good for Tank and healer (nothing relyl for DPS, there are better mana skilsl for that). It gives you a dot (good to keep enemies on you) plus more healing.

Blur from assasin line makes a nice extra defense boost and can becombined with the armor boost if you really need to be tough.

The biggest issue as NB tank is having any form of AoE to keep groups on you.
I heard path of darkness is slightly better for AoE needs then the Teleport Strike morph.
But I respecced to DPS before I could test that. Overall aoe damage and thus group tanking is the weak point of the Nightblade Tank, followed by no big passive survivability boosts (but in turn they got really nice actives).