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MA Dodge Tank help

dialamxdialamx Posts: 931 Arc User
I'm looking to make a Dodge tank that is centered primarily around Kicks for attacks, and any Chi manipulation (not mandatory), so I'm going Unarmed MA. Any help is appreciated.

Comments

  • flowcytoflowcyto Posts: 12,740 Arc User
    Okay, here's one example for a simple UA dodge build:

    (Unnamed Build) - Freeform (Tank)
    v3.44:36

    Super Stats
    Level 6: Constitution (Primary)
    Level 10: Dexterity (Secondary)
    Level 15: Recovery (Secondary)

    Talents
    Level 1: The Master (Str: 8, Dex: 10, Con: 10, Rec: 10)
    Level 6: Impresario (Dex: 5, Rec: 5)
    Level 9: Quick Recovery (Con: 5, Rec: 5)
    Level 12: Amazing Stamina (Rec: 5, End: 5)
    Level 15: Acrobat (Dex: 5, Con: 5)
    Level 18: Accurate (Dex: 5, End: 5)
    Level 21: Boundless Reserves (Con: 5, End: 5)

    Powers
    Level 1: Vicious Strikes
    Level 1: Thundering Kicks (Rank 2, Rank 3, Challenge!)
    Level 6: Lightning Reflexes (Rank 2, Rank 3)
    Level 8: Form of the Tempest
    Level 11: Steadfast
    Level 14: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Resurgent Reiki)
    Level 17: Dragon Kick (Rank 2, Dragon Rush)
    Level 20: Shuriken Storm (Rank 2, Floating Butterfly, Challenge!)
    Level 23: Masterful Dodge
    Level 26: Parry (Rank 2, Rank 3)
    Level 29: Thunderbolt Lunge
    Level 32:
    Level 35:
    Level 38: Devastating Strike (Rank 2, Commanding Presence)
    Adv. Points: 28/36

    Travel Powers
    Level 6:
    Level 35:

    Specializations
    Constitution: Unyielding (1/2)
    Constitution: Fuel My Fire (2/3)
    Constitution: Resilient (2/2)
    Constitution: Deflection (3/3)
    Constitution: Adrenaline Rush (2/2)
    Protector: Fortified Gear (3/3)
    Protector: Bulwark (2/2)
    Protector: Debilitating Challenge (2/2)
    Protector: Resolute (3/3)
    Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)
    Warden: Slaughter (3/3)
    Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
    Warden: Elusive (2/2)
    Mastery: Constitution Mastery (1/1)

    The open power slots can be used for w/e ya want, and note that this is not trying to be a 100% dodge build. Also, if you don't have the Ult unlocked then you can just get something else.

    TKicks can be your main filler attack, while Dragon Kick can be charged to put up Rush and add a bit of burst dmg (and AoE CC). Shuriken Storm can put up 2ndary Challenge, and serve as an easy & wide AoE attack to use (I took FotT and Steadfast since they more easily work w/ it, but you could prob do okay w/ Chi Manip coming from BCR or w/e). Any of the 3 spec Masteries could also work to benefit the build here, so pick whichever one you like the most. Gears mostly for Con, w/ some Dex.
    <CO stuff> .: Petco :. // A basic FF building guide (see 1st reply) // PSA on Power Activation Delay // Ayonachan's Gift Horse (misc stat data)
    - Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
  • squirrelloidsquirrelloid Posts: 869 Arc User
    flowcyto wrote: »
    The open power slots can be used for w/e ya want, and note that this is not trying to be a 100% dodge build. Also, if you don't have the Ult unlocked then you can just get something else.
    Gears mostly for Con, w/ some Dex.

    If it's not trying to be a 100% dodge build, it's not a dodge tank. Dodge tanks only work at 100%, because if you're not dodging, you're dead.

    Swap R3 on parry for elusive monk, and Gear mostly dex, and you're basically there too. You can put Drunken Master on your EB, too, for kiga. (Keep in mind that dodge tanks generally require pretty good gear to hit 100% dodge).

    OTOH, absolutely no to MD. It's pointless if you're a dodge tank. Take resurgence. (If you must have an 'AD' dodge power, get an Amazing Grace device).

    Not going to quibble too much about attack choices. The only critical one is Thundering Kicks - anything else is optional.
    -I will note that you might want an interrupt (and mighty kick has an advantage to make it an interrupt, if you really want to kick things).
    -I'll also note that there's a lack of a good single target attack, much less with challenge (Tkicks is AoE), and that might be desirable (if nothing else its hard to dogwalk without such a thing). That said, there isn't a good single target kick power. BCF is a good punching power for such a role.
  • flowcytoflowcyto Posts: 12,740 Arc User
    edited November 2020
    If it's not trying to be a 100% dodge build, it's not a dodge tank. Dodge tanks only work at 100%, because if you're not dodging, you're dead.
    That's not true for all content, though. If he was planing on tanking Cosmics, sure I'd agree, but the OP didn't indicate that. Ofc, if he does want to make it a high-end tank, he can go for 100% dodge, but in that case I'd prob instead just suggest a normal Defiance or Invuln tank, as it's quite more manageable (can still make it mainly Unarmed in the attacks, if desired).

    And yea, if he wants a stronger single-target attack, he'll prob have to settle on a punch. Still hoping we get strong MA kick in the future, even if it's just a re-skin of BCF or DU.
    <CO stuff> .: Petco :. // A basic FF building guide (see 1st reply) // PSA on Power Activation Delay // Ayonachan's Gift Horse (misc stat data)
    - Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
  • holloweaverholloweaver Posts: 582 Arc User
    edited November 2020
    Reminder : with 600 Dex+LR3+Elusive Monk+TK R3+Flippin' (Swinging), you'll only get 87% dodge.
    Consider a damage mitigation like a bubble or a strong damage reduction like miniaturization drive.

    Pure Unarmed Dodge Tank
    Super Stats
    Level 6: Constitution (Primary)
    Level 10: Dexterity (Secondary)
    Level 15: Strength (Secondary)

    Talents
    Level 1: The Protector (Str: 10, Dex: 10, Con: 10, Rec: 8)
    Level 6: Acrobat (Dex: 5, Con: 5)
    Level 9: Martial Focus (Str: 5, Dex: 5)
    Level 12: Physical Conditioning (Str: 5, Con: 5)
    Level 15: Covert Ops Training (Str: 3, Dex: 3, Con: 3, Int: 3)
    Level 18: Survival Training (Dex: 3, Con: 3, Pre: 3, Rec: 2, End: 2)
    Level 21: Jack of All Trades (Str: 2, Dex: 2, Con: 2, Int: 2, Ego: 2, Pre: 2, Rec: 2, End: 2)

    Powers
    Level 1: Vicious Strikes
    Level 1: Thundering Kicks (Rank 2, Rank 3)
    Level 6: Steadfast
    Level 8: Lightning Reflexes (Rank 2, Rank 3)
    Level 11: Form of the Master
    Level 14: Dragon Kick (Rank 2, Dragon Rush)
    Level 17: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki)
    Level 20: Burning Chi Fist (Rank 2, Rank 3, Ghostly Strikes)
    Level 23: Parry (The Elusive Monk)
    Level 26: Smoke Bomb Lunge (Sudden Strike)
    Level 29: Resurgence (Rank 2)
    Level 32: Intensity (Rank 2)
    Level 35: Miniaturization Drive
    Level 38: Masterful Dodge
    Adv. Points: 33/36

    Travel Powers
    Level 6: Swinging (Flippin')
    Level 35:

    Specializations
    Constitution: Unyielding (2/2)
    Constitution: Tough (1/3)
    Constitution: Resilient (2/2)
    Constitution: Deflection (3/3)
    Constitution: Armored (2/2)
    Protector: Fortified Gear (3/3)
    Protector: Beacon of Hope (1/3)
    Protector: Unrelenting (1/2)
    Protector: Defensive Expertise (2/3)
    Protector: Resolute (3/3)
    Arbiter: Enforcer (3/3)
    Arbiter: Ruthless (2/2)
    Arbiter: Preservation (2/2)
    Arbiter: Enhanced Gear (3/3)
    Mastery: Protector Mastery (1/1)

    Notes :
    -I go with Arbiter for the buff on BCR/RR, the cost reduction from Preservation also allows me to pick STR instead of REC or END as 2nd SS.
    -Elusive Monk proc only if you attack in melee your opponent, if you're CC and can't hit anymore your opponent : no Elusive Monk and you loose a huge chunk of your dodge chances, which is why I go with Unrelenting from Protector, Unyielding and Resilient from CON.
    -Protector Mastery gives you a reset on Resurgence when your health drops under 30%.
    -as bad as MD is now, you still want it to start a fight with 100% dodge.
  • squirrelloidsquirrelloid Posts: 869 Arc User
    Reminder : with 600 Dex+LR3+Elusive Monk+TK R3+Flippin' (Swinging), you'll only get 87% dodge.

    Are you leaving out dodge bonus from gear and mods? You can get past 100% without Flippin' with ~600 dex once you factor in gear. My dodge tank's resting dodge is ~75% - elusive monk and RK take me past 100% trivially. (102.5% iirc, so close to not needing any shenanigans at Kiga).
    -I go with Arbiter for the buff on BCR/RR, the cost reduction from Preservation also allows me to pick STR instead of REC or END as 2nd SS.

    I'm not sure how Preservation helps that much - most of your attacks are AoE, and thus not affected. In fact, only BCF is affected, and it's not *that* pricy.

    I went with Sentry (Twist Fate is an option for most ebs to help with getting that last 3% dodge during storms at kiga. Plus there's tons of good options for your other points, including two specs which give damage resistance boosts on critical hits, which you should be scoring a lot of.)
    -Elusive Monk proc only if you attack in melee your opponent, if you're CC and can't hit anymore your opponent : no Elusive Monk and you loose a huge chunk of your dodge chances, which is why I go with Unrelenting from Protector, Unyielding and Resilient from CON.

    The real answer here is *learn to block*. No hold will work on you if you block in time. There's no relevant knock which is resistable but not 100% prevented by blocking in time. (Examples: Ape's big knock cannot be resisted at all. Columns at ape and dino's jump have their knock completely negated if you block in time). The only real exception is the BF fight in TT (where you shouldn't block), but a dodge tank doing TT is already playing russian roulette in most of the boss fights, and thus not a good choice for TT tank.

    Nor is resilient a particularly relevant amount of knock resistance. (I've got characters with ~1000% knock resistance who still get knocked around by mob attacks like shotguns). (Nor unyielding a particularly relevant amount of hold resistance).

    That said, con specs are very bad (outside the dodge one), so you could take knock or hold resistance in tier 1, its just not clear they're a better choice than the other options.
    -Protector Mastery gives you a reset on Resurgence when your health drops under 30%.

    If you need to use resurgence that often as a dodge tank, something is seriously wrong. Con Mastery is probably more bang for your buck.
    -as bad as MD is now, you still want it to start a fight with 100% dodge.

    Amazing Grace works just fine. Considering dodge tanks are pretty tight on power choices, and Amazing Grace goes for ~100-200G most of the time, that's a no-brainer choice.

    Masterful Dodge is for non-dodge-tanks who want to have 100% dodge for short periods of time - a virtually non-existent class of characters in these days of amazing resurgence that tends to only include ccers who want to be able to pull dogs at kiga.
  • holloweaverholloweaver Posts: 582 Arc User
    Are you leaving out dodge bonus from gear and mods? You can get past 100% without Flippin' with ~600 dex once you factor in gear. My dodge tank's resting dodge is ~75% - elusive monk and RK take me past 100% trivially. (102.5% iirc, so close to not needing any shenanigans at Kiga).
    No, I'm not.
    Those numbers are a few months old before I retconned.
    Glad to hear they buffed the dodge bonus from gears.
    I went with Sentry (Twist Fate is an option for most ebs to help with getting that last 3% dodge during storms at kiga. Plus there's tons of good options for your other points, including two specs which give damage resistance boosts on critical hits, which you should be scoring a lot of.)
    I've no idea how you do that.
    Last time I tried Twisted Fate, it was providing me with 3% of base dodge, i.e. less than +1% effective dodge.
    The real answer here is *learn to block*. No hold will work on you if you block in time.
    Not every hold have a pre-animation to warn about.

    That said, con specs are very bad (outside the dodge one), so you could take knock or hold resistance in tier 1, its just not clear they're a better choice than the other options.
    Which is only what I told : a note explaining why I picked these CON specs and nothing more than that.

    Amazing Grace works just fine. Considering dodge tanks are pretty tight on power choices, and Amazing Grace goes for ~100-200G most of the time, that's a no-brainer choice.
    Amazing Grace shares a cd with all active defenses while its cd can't be reduced.

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