What is a good way to LEARN to tank?

Bitter_Apple21

Folks

Okay, looking seriously at tank gear for vet DLC runs. But I am trying to understand the tradeoffs.

With current sets, both physical resistance and spell resistance are showing at 35k. When I look at trade offs between sets, I am trying to keep close to that 33k that I hear about, but I see two things amongst the gear

1) "...increases physical and spell resistance..." i.e. Chudan
2) "...increases armor..." i.e. Warrior Poet as well as Chudan

When I research "armor" it seems to say that "armor" only adds to physical resistance. So if I drop warrior Poet (only on jewelry, shld and 1H) in favor of say Worm, I can understand that I am going to lose 3k physical resistance.

What I cannot find or understand is where all the spell resistance is coming from or comes from period.

Is there some distinction between the "armor" of a piece i.e. chest piece and the added "armor" of a buff?

Nord DK.

Bitter_Apple21

Think I found something on reddit. Item "armor" rating affects both physical as well as spell resistance. But an "armor" buff only affects "physical" resistance.

True?

Fennwitty

You might be reading some really old stuff.

Armor now means +Physical Resist and also +Spell Resist.

If the skill says it boosts physical resist specifically, then that's what it does. If it boosts armor, it's both.

Major Resolve is the same named buff you'd get from the skills Spiked Armor or Balance. So they won't stack.

Bitter_Apple21

@Fennwitty

Thanks. It did not seem to make sense.

Step one is I might drop Ebon in favour of Crimson, so run with WP and Crimson, and see how that works out. At least with PUG runs.

For the final or big bosses, does Crimson and Crusher stack on the debuff?

If my question makes sense.

Bitter_Apple21

Okay, same line - gear changes.

Currently with WPoet on jewelry and weapons. Have 3 1h weapons

- infused daggar
- charged sword
- powered axe

Most sites I have read say to put stamina damage on the infused weapon. So be it. I can understand that for absorb/sustain.

But I am a little confused on this "minor brittle" on the frost staff bar. I read it as that I can execute the frost wall, and the boss gets the crusher resistance debuff as well as minor brittle. But if I switch back to the other bar (for shield and taunt), do I loose the minor brittle? I understand that I still have the crusher (as long as he stays in the wall).

Or should I try blocking with the ice staff - rather than quickly switching back to 1H and shld immediately - to keep "minor brittle" up as long as I can (before I switch back)?

Or can I add a frost enchant to the charged weapon and depending on circumstances us that instead of the infused weapon?

Snow_White

Bitter_Apple21 wrote: »

For the final or big bosses, does Crimson and Crusher stack on the debuff?

Yes.

Snow_White

Bitter_Apple21 wrote: »

Okay, same line - gear changes.

Currently with WPoet on jewelry and weapons. Have 3 1h weapons

- infused daggar
- charged sword
- powered axe

Most sites I have read say to put stamina damage on the infused weapon. So be it. I can understand that for absorb/sustain.

I run a flame enchant on my weapon to proc Encratis. If you’re a DK, you can run absorb stam since you have flame abilities that’ll proc it.

But I am a little confused on this "minor brittle" on the frost staff bar. I read it as that I can execute the frost wall, and the boss gets the crusher resistance debuff as well as minor brittle. But if I switch back to the other bar (for shield and taunt), do I loose the minor brittle?

Yes. Usually, whoever is tasked with maintaining Minor Brittle will run double ice staves.

Or should I try blocking with the ice staff - rather than quickly switching back to 1H and shld immediately - to keep "minor brittle" up as long as I can (before I switch back)?

This is a good strategy you can afford to sit on your ice bar for awhile, but if I’m responsible for brittle uptimes I’ll usually run double ice staves.

Or can I add a frost enchant to the charged weapon and depending on circumstances us that instead of the infused weapon?

No. Brittle will only proc while you’re holding an ice staff. If you switch to your sword and board it’ll stop proc’ing.

Bitter_Apple21

@Snow_White

Thanks. Got it now.

Much appreciated.

Bitter_Apple21

Folks

Might be a noob question, but I think I am missing something with my wall and sequencing.

Early on, you folks advised to gear up frost staff and crusher. Fine, and done. And typically, early in an encounter, I launch the wall.

Up to now however, my focus on that act had been on Crusher and the shield to the group. I did know of another target debuff, but my focus had been on the Crusher part of that.

I just reread the description, and I see two possible extra benefits 1) immobilizing and 2) minor maim. However, if I read it correctly, they only trigger if the target had ALREADY been chilled.

I see a destro staff passive that guarantees status effect. My question is, am I supposed to launch a frost staff LA on the target before launching the wall to initially get the chilled status and then the minor maim, etc or does the launching of the wall cover all of this? I am focusing on the implication that the target has already been chilled for the wall benefit to be triggered.

Bitter_Apple21

Further info, and I am NOT using Clench for the taunt. Using Pierce Armor.

kringled_1

Ice light (or heavy) attacks will not proc chilled at all. Wall can proc chilled all by itself but the odds are low per tick. If you need /really want a way to root enemies reliably, you need to slot another skill. Otherwise, wall will from time to time root something.

Bitter_Apple21

@kringled_1

Thanks.

I thought that I read if I had the passive "elemental force" (2 skill points), it bumps it up to 100%.

However, I just reread it and I think I have it wrong. It only says increases "chance" by 100%. So, maybe if I am only at x%, all this does is make it 2x%.

Okay, rethink.

No, what I was trying to work out was an understanding of why - for a tank and crusher - why frost as opposed to shock for the staff. And I thought that I was missing out on the debuff of minor maim, since the boss would need to have already been chilled (if I have it correct). That and supposedly, frost wall costs more magicka that shock.

Okay, misread elemental force passive.



Switching gears, I understand the armor debuff of pierce (front bar for me), but any experience comments on if I had Frost clench on the back, as well as wall. I can block with the staff as well as with shield, but if I read it, Clench will apply Major Maim, and can taunt. And yes, I realise it will take up a skill slot.

I can process 8k armor debuff with pierce, 3k with crusher (or something like that), as well as Major Maim. I would have to watch the timing. I wonder how much magicka I might be burning thru........

kringled_1

Yes, the passive only increases chances, so it does nothing when the chance is 0.
In easy content, using a shock staff on a tank is fine, and it used to be more common when the off balance debuff was more valuable because it led to increases enemy damage taken. The biggest benefits for me of a frost staff are the reduced block cost and increased block mitigation. This means I can block big hits on my staff bar without dying; with a shock staff in harder content, you'll need to dodge roll heavies or never be caught by one when you're on your back bar.
To answer the question about frost clench: I've slotted it on request by raid lead because they wanted me to apply minor brittle. Major maim is still strong but there aren't that many places where you will really need that debuff on the caster

Bitter_Apple21

Yes, (if I read it right) I saw that I could block with the frost staff, and get the same damage mitigation as a shield.

I think I might try to load up Clench on the back bar, and try running that for a few dungeons. Pierce (taunt and armor debuff for 15 s), swap, wall for crusher, and then hit clench for maim. Watch the timing, and swap to pierce again, etc etc

See what that does on things.

Learning......

Thanks again.