Hybrid Armor Sets for CW / Maximizing GS vs Performance / Blue Belts

Comments

• vorphied Member Posts: 1,870 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  2+2 or "hybrid" armor sets are almost always a bad idea. In the example you gave, you're losing the amazing 4-piece HV set bonus (10-30% bonus damage for self and others vs. debuffed targets) for a few extra stat points. The extra Recovery is unnecessary, and the extra Power provides a negligible amount of bonus damage. The only case in which experienced CWs will rock mixed sets is when grouping with at least two other CWs who are already using HV, and even then the choice is debatable.
  
  There is no inherent benefit to maximizing your GS. In fact, the only way to achieve the highest GS possible is to deliberately avoid using the most effective equipment. The best advice is to stop caring about your GS and to focus on acquiring the best equipment for your play style and the best quality enchantments you can manage.
  
  Blue belts are often worn in PvE because they're commonly generated with Offense slots and can grant large bonuses to offensive stats, while epic belts tend to be stuck with Defense slots. Pure PvE farming builds often stack as much Power and Crit as they can, while PvP and hybrid builds are more likely to go for the Defense slot.

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• angrymanagement Member Posts: 487 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  Gear Score is really irrelevant in the overall scheme. That being said even when running a double +450 power 2 piece setups, your DPS will be less than with the HV 4 piece unless other CWs are keeping it stacked 3 deep.

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• abacquer Member Posts: 17 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  Thanks for the advice guys! I'll go back to my HV set.

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• tang56 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 0 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  Don't be that 15.6k CW who's bottom of the table because he's not benefiting from a proper stat distribution and the HV bonus. I've seen my CW(and occasionally, my IV sent) utterly ruin the damage of a 16k CW with 2/2 and all GS boosting stats.
  
  High GS does not equate to high effectiveness, especially when you're stacking GS to the detriment of other stats.

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• chaoscourtesan Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  What is said above is mostly true except that I disagree with the part about hybrid sets being almost always a bad Idea. I think it's often a great idea. Many of the 4/4 bonuses are not as advertised, and many are as advertised but not so hot anyway.
  
  But in the case you describe, I think going half and half is a horrible idea. HV set is one of the ones that is worth having even if it set you back a couple thousand GS points (which it shouldn't in most cases, anyway.)
  
  And don't worry about GS.. Worry about your specific stats and how they serve your build and actions, and don't throw away one of the best things you had going for you in favor of a few 'ooh look at me' GS points.

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• silverquick Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  tang56 wrote: »

  Don't be that 15.6k CW who's bottom of the table because he's not benefiting from a proper stat distribution and the HV bonus. I've seen my CW(and occasionally, my IV sent) utterly ruin the damage of a 16k CW with 2/2 and all GS boosting stats.
  
  High GS does not equate to high effectiveness, especially when you're stacking GS to the detriment of other stats.

  
  Well I'd grain of salt that.
  
  Its true that HV does give a very good boost. But its only the really high gear score parties that can make use of it.
  And generally when you're running with them, you're running in multiple Wizard crowds, so only one of the CWs is going to do any debuffing with it anyway. So its got limitations. But I've learned that the lower geared parties cannot take advantage of it. And was reminded of this once again just last weekend in a screwy MC run in a pick up party. Its only the really high gear score parties that see a good boost out of it and can take advantage of it.
  
  That said.... It is true most often the entire set will give you more of a boost than a mixed set. I generally run Champion Gear in Multi-mage parties.
  
  I've also run mixed sets, and its still better than running full HV in a multi mage party of HV sets if you can improve your power/AP/Crit, but not very good when you're the single mage in the party.
  
  I've run both Champion and HV when talking T2 sets, in single mage parties and they clear dungeons in very similar amounts of time when we're talking sub 15k gs crowds. My damage generally is higher in the Champion in those cases, but that's in Mass Mob and high crowd situations where you can utilize it properly and know how to. But in the rare cases where I run into a party that can take advantage of it, HV really shines.
  
  Another armor set I used at T1 level was the Focal Magi set which was also very good. Though Archmage would indeed put it to shame when you realize just how fast the recast timers reset and the realities on the ground in mass mob situations for a single mage in party.
  
  Generally though, unless the set bonus or powers are bugged, like the Shadow Weaver set, you're generally better off going with full set over mixed sets.
  
  And I do agree with those here that Gear Score is deceptive, its not how high the gear score is that matters, near so much as which stats you're stacking that give you that gear score and how they fit the specific build you're using and the way you play to take advantage of it.
  
  Currently I'm going to take a look at the Illiyabruen set bonus. The description on it has changed from what Grimah described originally so there is a possibility its set bonus has been changed. I'll see once I get the full set and give it a full test and run through.

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• vorphied Member Posts: 1,870 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  chaoscourtesan wrote: »

  What is said above is mostly true except that I disagree with the part about hybrid sets being almost always a bad Idea. I think it's often a great idea. Many of the 4/4 bonuses are not as advertised, and many are as advertised but not so hot anyway.

  
  My assumption is that players don't purposefully end up with bad sets and instead aim for useful ones like High Vizier, in which case there's almost never a reason to compromise the set bonus :P
  
  So yes, mixed sets are almost always a bad idea. Not worse than running around with a completely useless set bonus, but that's kind of a given.

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• deminist56 Member Posts: 7 Arc User

  April 2014 edited April 2014

  abacquer wrote: »

  Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
  
  Question 1: On Hybrid Armor Sets
  
  I went High Vizier originally, but lately I've been trying out a hybrid set and it seems pretty good thus far.
  
  I switched out my High Vizier armor and cap for Fabled Iliyanbruen robes and cap. This is enough to give me both the 450 recovery from HV and the 450 power from FI. Plus FI stat scores are a teensy bit higher too. This raised my GS from 15046 to 15565 (+519!) and gave a substantial boost to my power.
  
  Now of course this means I have lost the "defense stealing" boost from HV but I might be okay with that based on performance thus far. What do you guys think about hybrid armor sets? Worthwhile? Or is it only good for making your GS look sexier but of little practical use?
  
  Question 2: Maximizing GS, Worth It?
  
  I admit I am trying to get my GS up as high as possible, working under the simple assumption that the higher the GS the better.
  
  In addition to the hybrid armor set above, I'm also using the Hrimnir set (necklace + ring + ring) and the Ancient Court Magister's set (orb + talisman). Perhaps my approach is silly? Would I be better off with certain other equipment? Please advise!
  
  Question 3: Blue Belts, What's Up With That?
  
  I often inspect other characters as I am wandering around in PE just to see what they're doing, and I see something that strikes me as peculiar quite frequently. People with VERY high GS, all decked out in epic gear, except they are wearing a blue belt. Typically something like the Smiting Nefarious Belt {+243 POW / + 133 CS}. Wouldn't it be better to wear something like the Belt of Sildeyur?
  
  Perhaps this is related to question 2? BoS is going to add 480 to your GS, whereas the Smiting Nefarious Belt is going to add 376, but maybe it's better to raise POW and CS?

  
  Question 1: HV set bonus is too too good to give up because it not only increase your damage output but also your party damage. Also, the defense steal convert to higher damages than than the 450 extra power converted to damages from 2x2 piece set. And you would want to do as much damages as possible, did i mention HV increase party damage as well?
  
  Question 2:
  People want/ask for GS because it is the closest thing to standard measurement for random PUG and strangers. So higher is better but you dont want to sacrifices your set bonus for it. Also there are soft cap/hard cap for stats. They have diminishing return and also there are ways maximize damages if you distribute your stats evenly. EX. boss have 24% mitigation and if you have 24% arm pen you ignore basically the boss mitigation. now if you take the arm pen stats and put into say... power... you have extra damage but the boss would mititage 24% of it, so you have less damages.
  
  Question 3:
  Check the stats on the blue belt. This is related to question 2 the blue belt concentrate stats and it has an offensive enchantment slot. Unlike the ancient which have a defensive slot. CW want blue because well... whats an extra 220 defense gona do if they get hit by a red circle and die. But with the blue belt you can put that 220 into say... arm pen and max it out at 24% and focus on dodging.

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• abaddon523 Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  April 2014 edited April 2014

  You would think that epic equipment would always be better than the blue stuff, but that is just not always the case. Before I played CW I was a TR. If you are a TR, one of the seal traders offers a blue ring called "Seal of the Executioner" that gives you +478 Critical Strike. There's no epic ring that can match that.
  
  Some blue stuff is just plain better. That's not the norm, but you shouldn't be surprised to see those floating around.

  [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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