JoSD or Vit Stones for endgame gear

for +11 vit or hybrid vit / josd

for +12 all josd

Arguments in favour of JoSD's:
1. The Effectiveness of JoSD's increases with HP (This is particularly applicable to pure Vit/Tank builds and if you eventually planning to get all the armors to +12. The gain in survival index from one JoSD increases as the Hp pool increases. 40k+ Hp recommended)
2. The Effectiveness of JoSD's increases with more Defence lvl (The gain in survival index increases increases with more def. lvl. This is particularly applicable when using r8r weapon with defence lvl and if you are planning builds with full JoSD's.)
3. The Effectiveness of Heals/Pots increases with the damage reduction from JoSD's (This is applicable for most Cata-Barbs, as significant portion of their survival relies on heals rather than charm ticks.)

(Same arguments are applicable for the use of sapphire shards are temporary shards or cheaper end-game alternatives)

Arguments in favour of Vit Stones:
1. Vit stones are better at low/medium Hp (Vit stones actually gain more survival index than JoSD's at HP's less than 35k in tiger form)
2. JoSD also lose its effectiveness when the gap between the opponent's attack level and the barb's defence lvl is huge. (This is particularly applicable when fighting against full DoT/Deity enemies, Psy's, DPH Sins. And also when fighting with R9S3 Axe & Jones blessing instead of r8r/o'malley blessing).
3. Vit Stones increases Arma damage.
4. FYI: It is a common misconception Vit Stones does not provide any damage reduction. The fact is that every vit stone gives a bonus of 50~ish magical def, which accounts for a third of the increase in survival index from the vit-stone.

Very nice breakdown. Just gonna nit-pick some things.

Magnanimous_ - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Arguments in favour of JoSD's:
1. The Effectiveness of JoSD's increases with HP (This is particularly applicable to pure Vit/Tank builds and if you eventually planning to get all the armors to +12. The gain in survival index from one JoSD increases as the Hp pool increases. 40k+ Hp recommended)

This is somewhat a semantic argument. The similar argument is vit stones lose effectiveness with higher hp because an increase of 400 hp when you have 20k is a gain of 2% but a gain of 400 hp when you have 40k hp is only 1%. Similarly with JoSD, 2 def levels are essentially a reduction of 2% damage and 2% damage goes alot farther with high hp than it does with low hp and that was your point.

My issue is it doesn't matter what your hp is, it matters more the damage your opponent is dealing so comparing diminishing returns based on your own hp seems the wrong way to view things. I'd rather view it as is the opponent hitting my total hp for less with a JoSD or a vit stone?

Magnanimous_ - Heavens Tear wrote: »

2. The Effectiveness of JoSD's increases with more Defence lvl (The gain in survival index increases increases with more def. lvl. This is particularly applicable when using r8r weapon with defence lvl and if you are planning builds with full JoSD's.)

This is true... assuming you have more def levels then your opponent which rarely happens. You sum it up nicely with your next quote which opposes this one because it is so super rare for barbs to have greater than 125 def levels (without nerfing the rest of their build).

Magnanimous_ - Heavens Tear wrote: »

2. JoSD also lose its effectiveness when the gap between the opponent's attack level and the barb's defence lvl is huge. (This is particularly applicable when fighting against full DoT/Deity enemies, Psy's, DPH Sins. And also when fighting with R9S3 Axe & Jones blessing instead of r8r/o'malley blessing).

I like to assume I'll have around 75 def levels and my opponent will have around 125 attack levels, personally. That is an r9t3 v r9t3 setup. If you swap to r8r weapon you can assume 100ish def levels. I know a few sins who break 200 attack levels and ofc psys. I think my BM is at 131 attack levels and many archers/wizards have at least a DoT or Deity piece of r9t3 or on swap.

My point being this quote is a more realistic assumption than your previous quote. Even G16 people push 80 attack levels quite easily, but they're not who you're really preparing to defend against. You're preparing to defend against a catakill squad of 6-8 DDs, mostly casters, and of a variety of attack levels.

Those were my critiques, although I largely agreed with your analysis. I liked what someone said in a similar thread like this. "Vit stones if you're buffed, JoSD after you're purged."

b:laugh