Like many trials tanks, I was dreading the changes to how block cost is calculated. As some noted, this would result in block cost increasing multiplicatively--which would obviously affect how we tank. However, after computing the block cost for my own builds, I realized that the new changes were going to have minimal impact on me. (In fact, my block cost only increased by 8%!) Which means the play style I used before Dragon Bones came out will, for the most part, be adequate for this new patch. I hope this is reassuring to other tanks in the same boat.

As the title of this post suggests, I think the minimal impact of the patch on my play style is a product of how I build my tanks. (For those with a math fetish, I put the math for my results in this paragraph at the end of this post.) Tanks that invested almost entirely in to block cost reduction are going to experience the biggest change in play style this patch. On the other hand, I tend not to invest as much as possible in to block cost reduction. I usually only run 4 sturdy pieces in purple quality (14% block cost reduction), 2 block cost reduction glyphs--also in purple quality (reducing block by 382 stamina), 81 CP into Shadow Barrier (24% block cost reduction), all of the sword-and-shield passives (36% block cost reduction), and Absorb Magic on my front bar (8% block cost reduction). With this set-up, my block cost before Dragon Bones was 479 stamina. After Dragon Bones, my new block cost is 518 stamina. That's about an 8% increase. However, if you typically run builds that invest entirely in to block cost, you'll experience a much larger change after the patch. For example, if you run sturdy on all 8 pieces of armor in gold quality (32% block cost reduction), 3 block cost reduction glyphs all in gold quality (reducing block by 609 stamina), 100 CP into Shadow Barrier (25% block cost reduction), all of the sword-and-shield passives (36% block cost reduction), and Absorb Magic on your front bar (8% block cost reduction), your block cost would have been 88 stamina before Dragon Bones and 336 stamina afterwards. (That's a 381% increase!) Note that, although block cost is lower in both cases for such a build, the magnitude of the change will probably necessitate a larger change in play style.

This means that anyone who *didn't* invest so heavily into block cost reduction will experience a smaller change is stamina drain--and hopefully a smaller required change in play style. I should point out that, with a moderate investment in block cost reduction like the first example I showed above, you can tank a lot of the difficult content in the game. I run that sort of build and I've tanked everything except for vAS Hard Mode and the last 3 bosses of vHoF. What's more, I use those same moderate builds to do some of the tougher tanking jobs in the game (e.g., solo tanking the axes in vAA, the adds for Ozara in vSO, the adds for the final boss in vSO). And I've been able to do those last 3 jobs without a healer (Engine Guardian is nearly a must-have for tough, solo tanking jobs!). In addition, my guild typically gets on the weekly leader boards for the Craglorn trials. And I almost always get on the weekly leader board for vDSA. (My tank's name is Sotha Fyr, if you're curious.) I'm not saying all of that to humble brag; I'm just pointing out that you can be a competitive tank without "putting all of your eggs in one basket". I'm not an elite tank, but I like to think I'm above average.

Only time will tell if I can still do those same tough, solo-tanking jobs with a moderate build in the new patch. (I'm tanking the axes in vAA this Sunday!) Nonetheless, I wanted to share this info with any other tanks who typically run more moderate block cost reduction builds. Perhaps the new patch won't be as dire as we thought. As much as I hate to admit it, I was one of the people who complained a lot at first about the new changes! However, after taking the time to do the math for my own build (and run some pledges), I became less concerned. I don't know about you all but, as a rule of thumb, I don't like investing so heavily into one stat on my tank builds. If you're the same, then maybe this new patch won't hurt as much as we thought because our play styles will have unintentionally been made ready for it.

If you read this far, then thanks for your time and patience!

P.S. Here's the math for the block cost calculations for my typical build:

Formula for Pre Dragon Bones Block Cost = {Base Cost, which was 2160)*[(1 - % Reduction from CP)*(1 - % Reduction from Sturdy Pieces)*(1 - % Reduction from S&B Passives)] - (Raw Stamina Cost Reduction from Glyphs)}*(1 - % Reduction from Absorb Magic)

My Pre Dragon Bones Block Cost = {2160[(1 - .24)*(1 - .14)*(1 - .36)] - 382}*(1 - .08) = 479.81 stamina

Current Formula for Dragon Bones Block Cost = [(Base Cost, which is now 1730) - (Raw Stamina Cost Reduction from Glyphs)]*[(1 - % Reduction from CP)*(1 - % Reduction from Sturdy Pieces)*(1 - % Reduction from S&B Passives)]*(1 - % Reduction from Absorb Magic)

My Current Dragon Bones Block Cost = [1730 - 382]*[(1 - .24)*(1 - .14)*(1 - .36)]*(1 - .08) = 518.76 stamina