odd sets for tanking

Lynx7386

So as I continue to collect gear in preparation for a warden in morrowind, I'm trying to come up with sets that can be used for varying areas of the game. I'm planning on a stamina warden tank at the moment, since I've already got magicka tank covered with my nightblade.

So far, I've got black rose and powerful assault collected (jewelry plus gloves and boots on both), with the intent to use black rose for tanking and powerful assault for soloing and trials support as an offtank. I'm still looking into another jewelry + gloves/boots set for battlegrounds/pvp, could use ideas there.

For monster sets I've got impenetrable tremorscale for pvp, selenes for soloing, and still looking for a pve tanking monster set - might use tremorscale but also thinking about 1pc Skeleton and 1pc Chudan instead for the extra resists.

For my remaining 5 pc set (chest, belt, legs, and 1h/shield & frost staff), I'm trying to stick to crafted gear for ease of trait acquisition and appearances.

Hist bark is about the only pve tanking crafted set that looks any good. The warden will be able to permablock pretty easily with bull netch active, but has no access to major evasion other than shuffle from medium armor, so tavas favor doesn't look all that good here. Hist Bark gives major evasion while blocking, so it would add both damage reduction and help with resources since you don't use up stamina when an attack is dodged while blocking.
Also thought about the redistributor set, possibly for trials offtanking, to spread healing a bit.

For pvp, I'm thinking the way of the arena set might be best. Boosts all attributes and reduces break free cost by 40%, which will be handy when wearing heavy armor.

For soloing I'll probably go with the tried and true hunding's rage. That combined with powerful assault, selenes, and major brutality should give plenty of weapon damage to kill things efficiently in the overworld or vma I think.

Any ideas?

casparian

has no access to major evasion other than shuffle from medium armor, so tavas favor doesn't look all that good here.

Why is that an argument against Tava's Favor? DK tanks don't have access to Major Evasion except from Shuffle, and they use Shuffle + Tava's all the time.

Lynx7386

casparian wrote: »

has no access to major evasion other than shuffle from medium armor, so tavas favor doesn't look all that good here.

Why is that an argument against Tava's Favor? DK tanks don't have access to Major Evasion except from Shuffle, and they use Shuffle + Tava's all the time.

Dks have their resource management based on ultimate usage. For the warden, I don't see the ultimates being as necessary. Two of them only cost 75 ultimate (bear strike and heal), and the sleet storm ultimate is more situational.

Besides, with so many buffs and utility effects available, bar space is going to be really valuable on the warden, and I don't think it will be all that beneficial to use a slot for evasion just to make tavas work

paulsimonps

casparian wrote: »

has no access to major evasion other than shuffle from medium armor, so tavas favor doesn't look all that good here.

Why is that an argument against Tava's Favor? DK tanks don't have access to Major Evasion except from Shuffle, and they use Shuffle + Tava's all the time.

The proper argument against tavas, just like with bloodspawn, is that in trials that extra ultimate is not really gonna give you all that much since you need to stay in the rotation and not blast it as soon as you get it(warhorn). And using Major evasion also lowers the proc chance of Bloodspawn. So those sets are not really worth it in end game trials. Now that doesn't mean you can't run it. Tanks can do so much and still work but its about optimizing.

Autolycus

Given what I know so far about Wardens, I think the group-utility strategy that the current tanking meta calls for will probably carry over to Warden tanking in Morrowind as well. It's clear from the first showcase that they had group support in mind as a key design guideline for the class, because there are a few skills that are going to be quite useful in a group setting.

Gear selection is already non-discriminant to class, at least in endgame content (for normal trials and dungeons there is a huge variety of feasible possibilities). It has been this way for some time too, so if ZOS's track record is any indication of the future, it's entirely possible that ideal gear selection will remain pretty universal.

Of course, the next update raises a lot of questions and we don't really know as of now if there will be news sets, or even a different combination of existing sets, that will work best in the next update. Assuming we stick to this trend, I see sets like Ebon, Alkosh, and Powerful Assault being just as ideal for a Warden tank as it is for other classes currently. I've been brainstorming potential combinations that cater more to the Warden's frosty side (like Iceheart and Winterborn), but given that theses sets don't afford much by way of group utility, so they don't cater to the overall objective in endgame trials groups, and that means they are limited to dungeons and normal trials. Snares, for example, might seem really beneficial to the group, but then we consider that most things in trials are immune to snares anyway, it becomes far less useful.

With or without Tava's, Major Evasion is an integral part of tanking. It doesn't reduce damage taken (therefore it's not mitigation), but it does serve a vital role in avoiding damage outright. Personally, I don't see Wardens being an exception to it; I think that they will want to keep it active as near 100% as possible just like any other tank.

Finally, Black Rose is a great set for sustain. I've seen a lot of people use it to tank, and even for something like vMA. But really, it's overkill in the truest sense. Heavy armor and 1H&S passives are plenty sufficient for tanking without boosting the return (combined with Sturdy and Shadow Ward, ofc). Running it would be a preference, but also detrimental from a group perspective, because you could easily run a different set that boosts your group instead. A general rule for tanking is to shed excess self-utility in favor of group utility. So for example, Ebon and Alkosh would be far more beneficial to your group than Black Rose would be. These sets are awesome in the group utility department, and that seems to conform to the Warden's "flavor" more than anything else imo.

Lynx7386

Yea when it comes to trials or other situations where I need to be providing more group utility, I'll be using powerful assault.

I think with the upcoming nerfs to cp regen and cost reduction passives, other forms of rkesource recovery like black rose are going to become much more valuable.

Ultimately my goal with the warden is to have a stamina based tank that can, with a gear swap, still put out decent damage for soloing and battlegrounds (without giving up too much tankiness, preferably). One thing I tend to dislike most on my other tanks is the lack of solo viability and damage.

Between powerful assault boosting team damage, expansive frost cloak giving everyone major resolve/ward, fungal growth giving everyone minor intellect and endurance, and an ultimate like aggressive warhorn, group utility should be in a good spot.

GreatGildersleeve

I mostly PvE so can't really help in the PvP front.
My hybrid sorc tank solos in Nobles Conquest (I like to bash ) and Defending Warrior with Engine Guardian for resources. S&B front with an ice staff back and resources work pretty well just the same. Damage could probably be better but this works for me...
I'm pretty standard in trials and have about 6 sets I rotate in based on need. The only oddball I think would be Brands of Imperium which only gets used sparingly.

Narvuntien

I intend on running heavy spectres eye on my tankplar. Gets major evasion whenever i cast a spell.

paulsimonps

Narvuntien wrote: »

I intend on running heavy spectres eye on my tankplar. Gets major evasion whenever i cast a spell.

Why would you want to run that over say Hist bark? Spectres eye can only have a uptime on tops 50%. Wouldn't Hist Bark be more useful? Or will you simply not block enough for it? I mean its a tankplar so maybe more of a dungeon build in mind. Then either way I would go with evasion rather than specters eye. Seems like a waste of a 5p

WalksonGraves

I've been running beckoning steel/nikulas with swarm mother to test it out and it's pretty fun.

Trying out twin sisters and glorious defender next.

Narvuntien

paulsimonps wrote: »

Narvuntien wrote: »

I intend on running heavy spectres eye on my tankplar. Gets major evasion whenever i cast a spell.

Why would you want to run that over say Hist bark? Spectres eye can only have a uptime on tops 50%. Wouldn't Hist Bark be more useful? Or will you simply not block enough for it? I mean its a tankplar so maybe more of a dungeon build in mind. Then either way I would go with evasion rather than specters eye. Seems like a waste of a 5p

I need magicka for breath of life spam more than I need health recovery. BoL is my health recovery. Yeah I don't have a lot of stam so I can't block much.

Normally actually this tank/heal build seems to run kragencs hope but I couldn't work out why , I guess being a turbo rezzer in PVP would be sweet *shrug*

Johngo0036

I want to build a tanking setup around my newly acquired broom and bucket.....

Brrrofski

I was farming the hunt set from ma for a potential Stam NB tank using shade and light attacks with siphoning for Stam manegement but never got round to it.

May very well be a use for it with warden tanking.

Only tank I have is a saptank which I run kagernacs, bloodthorn touch and grothdrarr on.

Asardes

Johngo0036 wrote: »

I want to build a tanking setup around my newly acquired broom and bucket.....

Broom & dustpan front bar and Frozen Mop backbar is the emerging meta of clean tanking

Rungar

I run vampire cloak and magicka furnace( jewelry, sword, sash) with 2 pc chudan.

frost staff on one side with sword and board on the other.

works great on my Breton dk.

no need to slot armor or protection. cast shields and heal as much as you want and I slot spells that regenerate stam so that never seems to run out either if you don't mind switching back and forth occasionally.

great utility and very tanky as well.

Liofa

Johngo0036 wrote: »

I want to build a tanking setup around my newly acquired broom and bucket.....

@Johngo0036

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBhppGEzGnA

5 Ebon , 5 Alkosh front bar , 1 Bucket , 1 Malubeth Shoulder . Skills as you see . Doing heavy attacks with Broom to doing some DPS is the key for this build . Cheers .

DRXHarbinger

Why prepare now when God knows how many new sets are going to land when Morrowind drops.

Lynx7386

Brrrofski wrote: »

I was farming the hunt set from ma for a potential Stam NB tank using shade and light attacks with siphoning for Stam manegement but never got round to it.

May very well be a use for it with warden tanking.

Only tank I have is a saptank which I run kagernacs, bloodthorn touch and grothdrarr on.

I was actually thinking about 5pc hunt leader and 5pc knight errant as another option. Hunt leader restores stamina and health, and knight errant heals when using 1h/shield abilities.

Blake6332

WalksonGraves wrote: »

I've been running beckoning steel/nikulas with swarm mother to test it out and it's pretty fun.

Trying out twin sisters and glorious defender next.

Are you serious? Did not make a thread like 3 days ago trashing swarm mother?

WalksonGraves

Blake6332 wrote: »

WalksonGraves wrote: »

I've been running beckoning steel/nikulas with swarm mother to test it out and it's pretty fun.

Trying out twin sisters and glorious defender next.

Are you serious? Did not make a thread like 3 days ago trashing swarm mother?

Yeah and everyone ranted for days about how great it was so I did more testing on it. I said it was fun not efficient.

I mean it only really helps with trash and every dps is ranged these days so it doesn't do all that much.

Excabor

DRXHarbinger wrote: »

Why prepare now when God knows how many new sets are going to land when Morrowind drops.

I agree, wait it out a bit and see what new sets will be available

Johngo0036

Liofa wrote: »

Johngo0036 wrote: »

I want to build a tanking setup around my newly acquired broom and bucket.....

@Johngo0036

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBhppGEzGnA

5 Ebon , 5 Alkosh front bar , 1 Bucket , 1 Malubeth Shoulder . Skills as you see . Doing heavy attacks with Broom to doing some DPS is the key for this build . Cheers .

Thank you for sharing that.. I almost fell of my chair when i saw the broom sweeping the boss.....

Good one

Lynx7386

Actually trying out tanking on a stamsorc now and using 5 thunderbug, 5 storm knight, and 2 storm fist, really fun setup

WalksonGraves

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Actually trying out tanking on a stamsorc now and using 5 thunderbug, 5 storm knight, and 2 storm fist, really fun setup

Can you confirm if the guard damage that gets redirected procs thunderbug? I heard it's always physical damage.

Lynx7386

WalksonGraves wrote: »

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Actually trying out tanking on a stamsorc now and using 5 thunderbug, 5 storm knight, and 2 storm fist, really fun setup

Can you confirm if the guard damage that gets redirected procs thunderbug? I heard it's always physical damage.

Haven't tested it, don't have alliance lines unlocked on that character yet

WalksonGraves

Lynx7386 wrote: »

WalksonGraves wrote: »

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Actually trying out tanking on a stamsorc now and using 5 thunderbug, 5 storm knight, and 2 storm fist, really fun setup

Can you confirm if the guard damage that gets redirected procs thunderbug? I heard it's always physical damage.

Haven't tested it, don't have alliance lines unlocked on that character yet

It should theoretically allow for max uptime regardless of damage type, ill let you know.