Mag Armor Options: What armor ratio for mag builds?

Vecro · January 2022

Recently returned to the game and have been having a blast on my MagDK, thematically and mechanically. My current issue is how squishy I seem to be though. Now I know that others have commented on/around this topic, but I wanted to ask: what's a good armor ratio for Mag builds?

I thought I would be fine doing 5 light and 2 medium but that seems "eh" after some duels I did. Do all Mag build need to run majority heavy mixed in with some light and medium? What are the options of combinations?

Thanks in advance!

fred4 · January 2022

I remember some time ago a YouTuber (Godzilla) went with an all pen light armor build on mag DK and was slaying it in duels. It was only for BGs / open world that he felt he had to dial back the squishiness.

I think this is highly playstyle dependent. For me personally good stam sustain and high damage usually wins out over tankiness, bearing in mind you can't have everything. I don't play mag DK. I play magplar from time to time. On that class I went 5/1/1 light armor in the current patch. Offensive front bar (Deadly Strike), sustain back bar (Wretched Vitality), Defensive monster set (Zoal), speed (Wild Hunt) and 1x Trainee. I cannot say whether that is objectively best. I've built tankier magplars in the past. It seemed to work then. These days I know the playstyle I have the most fun with. I favor agility over passive defense, even on a magplar, in duels and open world alike. That said, I find Zoal (and Slippery CP) particularly great on melee mag characters, though as a DK you probably want to Fossilize people and not give them immunity by accident. Maybe something like Engine Guardian will be better.

Now that I think of it, on PC EU there is a guy called Fluffy who plays a great mag DK. I've been told he runs tanky setups. Did seem to have enough damage, when I encountered him in IC, against my typically squishy NB. Also speed. Speed on a mag DK (Wild Hunt, Celerity) may just be underrated. There is the extra reach the class has with melee abilities. It can be hard to fight a fast mag DK.

Larcomar · January 2022

No clue on duels. I've been tooling around with my magdk in cyro a bit though. I'd second speed there. But I prefer malacath + 3 swift. (Markyn wd prob be better if you have). Just feel I get more bang for my buck and, with celerity and RAT, you can pretty much sprint at cap in combat. It's good on the offensive and a great escape tool when you run into a zerg. Not sure how much that wd help in a duel tho.

Like Fred says though, decent sustain and good mobility often trump tankiness but if you're still feeling too squishy, vamp stage 3 is obv worth it if you're not already given dk's extra sustain; you cd add in some more defensive cp's from blue and red; and failing that try 3-1-3 maybe? I find that a good compromise esp with the other stuff.

xDeusEJRx · January 2022

I usually play 3-3-1 on my magicka builds. 3 Heavy, 3 light, 1 medium. Mainly because you get most of the benefits while reaping no negatives as light and heavy counter one another and you get a decent amount of tankiness and damage at the same time. Sustain is fine as well, at least for me
I think it's a matter of playstyle though, I know some people prefer 4 heavy 3 light instead

Dorkener · January 2022

Not a fan of light armor this patch - the pen does nothing for your healing, most classes have tools to regen magicka outside of recovery, snare reduction is meh (you're either glued to the floor, or immune), youve got wel-fitted for dodge cost reduction, crit is hit or miss.
3-4 heavy/med (+1 light max if the char has undaunted) is my go to. I find the boost to spell dmg/healing received/HP much more impactful, but ofc it's all very class and playstyle dependant.

Edit: should mention I mostly play no CP. Might not be best advice for CP play where you can actually get a decent crit rate/get easy survivability from certain stars etc.

milllaurie · January 2022

My 2 magicka toons that I play are actually running 5 medium. 5 med synergizes really well with the spell damage I can push on my magplar.
It does another thing right - lets you put elude on. Elude gives you major expedition basically whenever you need it (every hard hitting thing procs it) and does 20% aoe mitigation (also THE every hard hitting thing).
Magdk I am considering switching back to 4 light 3 heavy, but then again, the spdmg buff and elude seem too good to lose.

soniku4ikblis · January 2022

Get 26k Armor. That is a sweet spot for straight mitigation and lets you put on a few things here and there for other buffs with light and medium.

With 26k Armor, you can add Champion points to further help. 10% direct damage mitigation and 10% single target are ideal. Then there is the 5% mitigation after being stunned on red cp. Should be more than enough to defend properly.

However, having a shield is pretty amazing defense. I struggle between the idea of using a regen staff or a shield and I favor a shield over a staff for better defense.

But most people like the healing/kite/roll dodge method where they have high run speed. It's good and kiting is important. If they have the resources to maintain it, they can live forever.

Those people end up doing awful damage. Except the chump with the 40K one hit heavy build which is way too cheese. lol

Larcomar · January 2022

soniku4ikblis wrote: »

Get 26k Armor. That is a sweet spot for straight mitigation and lets you put on a few things here and there for other buffs with light and medium.

Personally I like 30k health, 30k resist but I know alot of people run more. What makes you think 26k is the sweet spot - is there any math behind that or is that just gut feel?

soniku4ikblis wrote: »

...However, having a shield is pretty amazing defense. I struggle between the idea of using a regen staff or a shield and I favor a shield over a staff for better defense.

I'm finding myself in exactly the same position and end up flipping between the two. Most of the builds I see on line favor resto, but I just find rapids a bit of a wasted slot unless you're off in the boonies by yourself. It *always* goes to some 17k pve'r who just stubbed their toe. Right when you need it. Genuinely uncdecided tho and have just taken to carryign both

Kaelthorn_Nightbloom · January 2022

Light armor is very bad for PvP. It doesn't provide enough armor to mitigation the +% damage from martial attacks. Light sash is only 523 armor (-0.79% damage) but makes you take 1% more damage from martial attacks. It literally sharpens the enemy's blade as it passes through and stabs you.

The only reason to use any light armor is for the Undaunted 6% bonus to max health, magicka, and stamina.

xPoisin · January 2022

On magDk depends if you fight in melee range ( 3 heavy, 3 medium, 1 light) or ranged build (2 heavy, 1 medium, 4 light)… Melee range must build for spell/weapon dmg and ranged for penetration…

The melee range gives out much more damage and heals, but you have to build properly for damage mitigation…
Nowadays Pariah as base set or Buffer of the swift (best in slot light set), vampire stage 3, slot flare if feeling squishy still…
front bar s&b or dw (depends on sustain) and backbar resto or s&b if dw front…
Run malacath+ 1pc trainee (or monster head/shoulder with armor) for damage or bloodspawn for mitigation when s&b build…

With DKs passives, charged trait on weapon and atronach mundus you should not have issues with sustain ( mag recovery around 1400-1500 unbuffed is enough)…

exeeter702 · January 2022

xPoisin wrote: »

Nowadays Pariah as base set or Buffer of the swift (best in slot light set), vampire stage 3, should not have issues with sustain ( mag recovery around 1400-1500 unbuffed is enough)…

I cant imagine a scenario where swift beats out pariah at 3-3-1, 4-2-1 or 4h2l, when playing at stage 3 vamp.

soniku4ikblis · February 2022

Larcomar wrote: »

soniku4ikblis wrote: »

Get 26k Armor. That is a sweet spot for straight mitigation and lets you put on a few things here and there for other buffs with light and medium.

Personally I like 30k health, 30k resist but I know alot of people run more. What makes you think 26k is the sweet spot - is there any math behind that or is that just gut feel?

I play brawlers.

On my builds, I use 2 sets, 1 mythic, 1 monster, 1 Trainee. It's what I've mostly found to give the most bang for your buck.

I run Pariah back bar with a shield. If I run the usual Malacath, my front bar straight mitigation is usually 26k+, along with Vampire 3 and Juggernaut CP, I usually need at least one more 10% mitigation source, and that is from either Major Protection or Duelist Rebuff, but I don't run both.

This is from my personal experience and play style.

If I run more mitigation on my offense bar (front bar), I have to sacrifice something in the gear sets and that nets a DPS loss. So I run an offense bar/defense bar.

However, I also use armor poitons which buff you an extra 6k defense + your Major Resolve. I do this 1vx, or if I was ULTY'ed/bursted. This gives me at least 32k straight mitigation front bar. and 48K back bar plus blocking. More than enough to heal up, roll dodge, run away, etc.

However, I play Stamplar/DK, Magplar/DK. Other classes have to use different configurations.

My goal in my builds are to hit 7K+ weapon or spell damage and 40K+ mitigation on defense. The reason is because it is the 7-9K damage users that were my most difficult targets to kill. So, that was the threshold I made a goal to reach.

My current StamDK hits 7k weapon damage on burst, with 19k pene, and 48K back bar mitigation + 36% percent mitigation + 68% block. I don't run Mist Form.

xPoisin · February 2022

exeeter702 wrote: »

xPoisin wrote: »

Nowadays Pariah as base set or Buffer of the swift (best in slot light set), vampire stage 3, should not have issues with sustain ( mag recovery around 1400-1500 unbuffed is enough)…

I cant imagine a scenario where swift beats out pariah at 3-3-1, 4-2-1 or 4h2l, when playing at stage 3 vamp.

Pariah is better but I usually run in 3 light + 3 medium + 1 heavy (trainee chest or sithis helm)…
For this if you want to use frontbar for offense and backbar for defense, you have less combinations for heavy armor.
I run swift with flare slotted ( if soloing or doing BGs) and I am not using vampire passives… Still can hit 30K+ resistances and solid damage.

And maybe I forgot to mention that I mostly play no-CP only. For BGs I use spectre + BSW + spinner/sprigan with spectre backbarred with inferno staff and frontbaring dualwield 😉

MEBengalsFan2001 · February 2022

I go 3 heavy, 3 light and 1 medium.

3 heavy for added armor and health
3 light for magika recovery, pen and crit
1 medium for the bonus from Undaunted skill line and spell damage bonus

With how PVP is these days you may find yourself in all heavy or 5--1-1. What I dislike with the focus on being in full heavy gear is that you have less magika recovery.

If you want to be a true glass cannon than going full light for the added pen is a great way to produce more damage.

Though going full medium is great as it would provide you more chances to dodge and an increase in damage but at the cost of increase magika recovery and pen.

When playing PVP you just need to find what fits your playstyle.