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Just came back to Champions, thought I'd tank Gravitar! OUCH!

ssholeroyssholeroy Posts: 12 Arc User
edited September 2012 in Builds and Roles
So I just came back with the demise of CoH (first time back in oh, 370ish days) and re-did my tank and thought I'd give Gravitar a whirl. Only experiencing this "content" once before and it was not pretty (I was on a DPS, laying on the ground 99.999% of the fight).

Now, I know, I know: don't queue for Gravitar with PuGs, yada yada - sorry, I'll queue with PuGs, as I am a PuG in this game!

Anyway, got her to about 1/3rd health and BAM:
Gravitar deals 10517 (109856) Crushing Damage to you with Force Detonation.

I was blocking, thought I had most all of my puny 11,335 HP but alas, was promptly killed, ending the Alert (everyone else had apparently been killed/dead as well). How much health should a tank have to not be 1-shotted by this thing? It was so quick, I couldn't see moving out in time, or even hitting Evasive Maneuvers and hopping out.

I used this build to tank her. My gear is still somewhat sub-par (I'm guessing) since I just came back.

Stats are:
Str = 244 / Con = 355 / Rec = 96 / rest are under 20
Offense = 541.4 / Defense = 312 / Dodge = 37.7% / Avoid = 56.3%

I am wearing 3 pcs of Armadillo (secondaries) for the 25% resist bonus.

What should I be doing, build-wise here?

-r0y
Post edited by ssholeroy on

Comments

  • polishlightningpolishlightning Posts: 404 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    When Grav gets down to 1/3 health she starts with the yellow bubbles, they hit much harder than the blues. You can survive them with 10k health, but she'll probably finish you off pretty quickly immediately afterwards. So either block the blue stun bubble before the yellow and get out of range or pop masterful dodge, those are the too best ways. As far as getting ready with gear, do The UNITY dailies to get Silver Recognition Tokens, the gear you buy is purple and take 3 mods, get level 5 mods to fill them up with.
  • chuckthestarchuckthestar Posts: 62 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    So long as ebon void stacks are kept up, and you have some auras cast by the rest of your party, you might be fine. But the moment you lose your stacks, you are naked and squishy.

    The problem comes down to this: Regeneration is not a tanking passive, it is just a powerful self heal.
  • agentnx5agentnx5 Posts: 1,999 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    ssholeroy wrote: »
    So I just came back with the demise of CoH (first time back in oh, 370ish days) and re-did my tank and thought I'd give Gravitar a whirl. Only experiencing this "content" once before and it was not pretty (I was on a DPS, laying on the ground 99.999% of the fight).

    Welcome back r0y, and if I may, if you'd dying that much it kinda means you're going about something the wrong way. Gravitar isn't meant to be a casual fight, it's meant to be a challenge for people who are looking for a bit more of a challenge, at least that's the general consensus.

    Read: http://co-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=151361
    ssholeroy wrote: »
    Now, I know, I know: don't queue for Gravitar with PuGs, yada yada - sorry, I'll queue with PuGs, as I am a PuG in this game!

    Even with a full team you'd only provide half of the team needed to launch that 10-player alert. It's an epic challenge. So it's going to be a PuG regardless. :smile: No worries.

    ssholeroy wrote: »
    Anyway, got her to about 1/3rd health and BAM:
    Gravitar deals 10517 (109856) Crushing Damage to you with Force Detonation.

    Yeah she starts using those yellow-warning-bubble force detonation blasts of doom when she gets to phase 3 (1/3 or less of the boss's HP remains). Gotta watchout for that and get away or have a very solid layered-defense strategy to survive it.

    So long as ebon void stacks are kept up, and you have some auras cast by the rest of your party, you might be fine. But the moment you lose your stacks, you are naked and squishy.

    The problem comes down to this: Regeneration is not a tanking passive, it is just a powerful self heal.

    Regeneration can be used to tank Gravitar... I feel that is misinformation.
  • chuckthestarchuckthestar Posts: 62 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    agentnx5 wrote: »
    Regeneration can be used to tank Gravitar... I feel that is misinformation.
    You *can* tank without any passive at all.

    Semantics aside, I can't say I'd advise prospective tanks to run out and grab regen hoping to be effective tanks.
  • c3rvand0c3rvand0 Posts: 403 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    agentnx5 wrote: »
    Regeneration can be used to tank Gravitar... I feel that is misinformation.

    Not by itself, you would need a lot of dodge and avoidance gear to survive, as it useless for spike damage of the type Gravitar does. By itself, you would be one shotted before the regeneration kicked. However, stacking dodge gear is sensible for any tank, but looking at just the passive, defiance would be better for Gravitar.
    _______________________________________________________________________[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • reddestshirtreddestshirt Posts: 50 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    I have tanked Gravitar on several occasions using Regeneration as my passive, it is not a problem. I would however not recommend it to others.

    It certainly does need other powers to support it for those nasty orange bubbles. Defiance and Invulnerability are generally easier to work with.
  • ssholeroyssholeroy Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    Just an update. All I really needed to do was pay closer attention. Once I see her health bar at 1/3 (thanks, agentnx5 for that link), I know to block the blue powerup one, and the orange is about to follow.

    So I block, once the orange starts, hit Evasive Maneuvers and immediately block/move back. It's pretty simple.

    Regen is easy to tank her with, actually. Especially combined with Ebon Shield. I went with regen for thematic reasons, and so far, few things can actually harm me if I'm awake. 'course now I'll get pwned by something for Karma's sake, but...

    Anyway, thanks for the replies. I think the gravitar fight comes down to the randomness of pugs. I've tanked this where I swear I didn't see any orange sphere of doom (is it interruptible or something?); and others where the whole teams drops and recalls to the non-fighting bubble... leaving me alone for a very long fight (if I am the only one who can survive, I'll often "mess up" just to die and say "oh, too bad" - as 20+ minutes of slapping Gravitar and blocking is not a lot of fun).

    Again, thanks all for the replies. It's good to be back.

    -r0y
  • monsterdaddymonsterdaddy Posts: 793 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    You *can* tank without any passive at all.

    Semantics aside, I can't say I'd advise prospective tanks to run out and grab regen hoping to be effective tanks.
    That would be bad advice then. Regeneration is one of the best Gravitar tanking passives out there as Silverspar and my Vanguard would attest to. What other power allows you to hold down your Rank 2 or Rank 3 block under a stream of Gravitar Force Cascades and not only survive until Resurgence is usable but also heal up a bit? What heals you when you are knocked into the air? What heals you when you are held?

    Regen is really good for all that -- a great tactical power to have.

    So yes Regen needs dodge and damage resistance but then again Defiance and Invulnerability require heals and dodge to be effective too. Dodge is easy enough with gear and Masterful Dodge. STR as PSS with high CON provides plenty of Dam Resist thanks to Juggenaut, Warden/Vindicator OFF/DEF buffs (83% plus Regen's buff). Think of it this way -- I can almost duplicate the dam resist of Defiance and Invul with spec trees without sacrificing anything damage, can u duplicate Regen's healing power, and if so what are you sacrificing to do so?

    Regen also allows you to survive solo until the team can rez back up. Just a few days ago in one of my funnest Grav alerts, I had a team -- a little weaker but tough and no whiners, who all got down at one point. I could solo her but due to lag she hit me with a massive unblocked shot (I didn't even see a bubble). So with 1K HP left on me, I moved while blocking into a corner away from everyone else, held block under massive barrages then pressed Resurgence as the team came back buffed up and we won.
  • hubrixhubrix Posts: 264 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    I have to ask how much CON do you have to get 83% base def? I'm still gearing Swarm up but I doubt I can break 75% even when I switch to rank 7s from my current rank 5s (which are bloody expensive, I might add). Instead I'm making do with the extra 25% from the Armadillo set.
  • monsterdaddymonsterdaddy Posts: 793 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    hubrix wrote: »
    I have to ask how much CON do you have to get 83% base def? I'm still gearing Swarm up but I doubt I can break 75% even when I switch to rank 7s from my current rank 5s (which are bloody expensive, I might add). Instead I'm making do with the extra 25% from the Armadillo set.

    405 Con = +135 defense then we have all the +% off specs n best def agg stance in vind n warden. Offense actually hit over 500. I did not have Tenacious tho. I use Laser Knight, works great v Grav. Can also use Circle of Primal Dom too.
  • hubrixhubrix Posts: 264 Arc User
    edited September 2012
    405 Con = +135 defense then we have all the +% off specs n best def agg stance in vind n warden. Offense actually hit over 500. I did not have Tenacious tho. I use Laser Knight, works great v Grav. Can also use Circle of Primal Dom too.

    Hmm I think me switching over more stats into CON is going to cost me in terms of threat. Currently running STR/CON/DEX and I can't shift too much away from DEX since I'm using FotT and Parry /w Elusive Monk. I'm currently sitting at 69% resistance plus the 25% from Armadillo secondaries and whatever Regen is giving to me at that time. I don't know how much more def me switching over four r5s into r7s is going to give but as I said, I doubt it will break 75% even after warden/vindicator is done playing off each other.
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