Hi guys.
I found myself hitting the glass ceiling recently. I'm a 15.2k GF tactician and I'm following rjc's tact/conq build. Lately I noticed I'm sitting on 112% DR when my negation kicks in, I have 95% armpen and 17k recovery (of course when bonding kicks in).
I never intended to play dps GF, cause I really like tanking and being buff to my party.
So my question is what now? What can I do to be a better tank or support? I use supportive artifact, debuff companion, Valhalla set. But adding more item lvl gives me nothing. It's just a gear score number, nothing else.
I have a problem with new gear cause I can't see anything that's there to help my GF be better. Everything seems to be purely for dealing more damage.
I don't see any possibility to develop my GF to be a better character. I see difference in my HR, where new gear and better enchantments actually make me better in my main job. It's not the same with GF as I feel like there is not much space to improve since stacking DR ad infinitum seems to be pointless.
Maybe I'm wrong and you guys can share some advice. I'll be greatful if there are any words of wisdom.
Thanks!
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So you guys say there's basically just one possible way, to go full dps?
So basically you lose:
- Tactician capstone AP gain for party (if you were Tactician) which never really seemed like a game changer to me anyway
- The extra 6.5% damage boost from Inspiring Leader feat (again, if you were Tactician)
- Commander's Strike bonus damage, but you are going to do more damage with your own encounters
You don't even have to lose Crushing Pin, you can still keep it up frequently with Line Breaker Assault on trash mobs and Griffon's Wrath and/or Knee Breaker on bosses.
Don't play like a GWF, slot Shield Warriors Wrath and learn how to use it to take some hits with shield up to get 5 stacks of that, which also gets you your reckless attacker stacks and combat superiority. You can even tank like this with a good group, especially with a Devotion Paladin (Bane-adin, burnadin, afk-adin, whatever ppl call it LOL).
1. Crushing Pin
2. Daunting Challenge
3. United
4. Inspiring Leader
5. Rousing Speech
6. Martial Mastery
2 & 3 provides defensive buffs, 4 increases the damage boost from ITF, while 5 & 6 increase party ap gain.
These feats combined with your class mechanics (Hard Marking with Tab), encounters & Class feats -
1. ITF
2. CS
3. Hard Marking with Tab and ET
4. KV
5. Class feat. Guarded Assault with its off-hand bonus (to procc crushing pin on mass)
1 & 2 for damage boost, 3 for threat/aggro and combat advantage, 4 for providing protection to the party and 5 for proccing crushing pin, all you have to do is to hold your shield up (shift) for that.
And thats it! you are a successfull buffer!
Gears and enchants on defense slots are somewhat needed for HP and defensive stat boost, but others really doesnt contribute thats much for buffing!
Most of the companions you'll be using for either debuffing (dancing shield), buffing (Moonbow priestess) or for self-survival (Priestess of sune, rust monster, chicken, elemental air cultist, honey badger etc.) Companions that'll increase your DPS, will be
of no use for you.
On the other hand, as a tact GF your personal DPS will be pretty much non-existent. (try killing a soul in TONG! )
BUT! as a Conq. GF you'll do much much more -
1. You can still use the encounter powers that increases party dps, like CS (not mentioning ITF, cause its our food source )
2. you'll be helping your team a lot by being able to kill souls in tong.
3. You'll be contributing to the party DPS almost by 50% to 60%, or sometimes as main DPS...that means a faster way to the finish line
4. Its always fun to play as DPS if build right!
OP Tank, GF DPS, and 2 DCs.
I play my DPS setup mostly and rarely go Tac anymore. The only time I use my tac build is in FBI when I get it as a ERQ. Otherwise I stay in my DPS build. I'm a bit over 14K and still have plenty of items to rank up, but I'm in now hurry.
I think I'll stay with my tactician. I really don't like do deal damage with my GF - I have HR to do damage and I made GF to have a suppport character, cause I really like playing support/tank classes in games overall.
I recently changed Azures r13 in my companions def slots to Black Ice r13. I bascially use now Con Artist with only Black Ice enchantments. That kind of toned my hyperoverstacked defense to just 95% DR with bondings. I'm still considering getting rid of Negation enchantment (using Perfect now) for something else. If you guys have any idea what could give me some more utility instead of Negation - please point it. Just not Barkshield - I hate it very very much.
As for myself, I enjoy playing GF - don't get me wrong. I love tanking and buffing and stuff. I have a good opinion of solid guy who knows his class and "makes the job done" when fitting into a role.
My main problem is that I can't get better at what I'm doing with item lvl progression. There's literally no point to gear up more. I have no new gear from Omu. The only thing I'm benefiting from with new gear is more HP, nothing else.
But! If that's the way it goes, then OK. I can live with that. So I guess I'll stack recovery ad infinitum until I will able able to spam 2x ITF with one button press lol.
I recently swapped Waters of El'zhad for Charm of the Serpent and using it as an active artifact. It's really nice and cast time is short. I'm using this and Sigil of the Nine if the team I run with is overstacking debuffs since Sigil gives 3% damage boost.