AA lines revisted, RoK raiding

valnas · 12-06-2007, 11:05 AM

I went into the expansion sold on shield ally giving the MT a smidgeon more block avoidance as the best way to benefit him with my AA's.

KoS currently

AGI 4-4-8-8
STA4-4-4-8
INT 4-4-7-8-1

While i hadn't had it before and its sort of hard to evaluate the tangible advantage of this without pouring over parses and speculating the added spikes, I'm thinking that I was wrong and steadfast (STR) would benefit more since getting interupted has been cause for a fair amount of death. Was hoping some of the templars who went STR could post generally about how beneficial its been raiding (ie are you avoidinga number of interupts stifles, or is steadfast excluded from most of the effects in the raids (mini knocks, stun vs stifle, etc).

Kizee · 12-06-2007, 11:15 AM

You don't need to crunch the parse. If you are using act then right click the tanks name and click the avoidance report and it will break down your blocks and parries.

If you have a really good shield (rainbow shield out of fear or that one that drops in chardok) and put all the parry and block adorns on them you block just as much as your stoneskin does.

I think I stopped 300k-400k on VS the other night.

IMO I hate the str line. I tried it a couple times but it wasn't worth giving up crit heals, faster casting or shield ally.

Nyax · 12-06-2007, 11:33 AM

IMO. STR STA INT for OT templar.

AGI STA INT for MT templar.

Oxok · 12-06-2007, 01:08 PM

Currently im speced AGI STA INT as on offtank, but might chance AGI for STR, but what about EoF lines?

Currently i got blessings, smitewrath and mana-cure, but is manacure more useful this expansion?

Odinn · 12-06-2007, 01:55 PM

I used Shield Ally for awhile, twice, but was not that impressed honestly. I went through all my parses. Yes, of course it helps. I just don't opt to use it.

Currently Steadfast is very useful on a few fights and makes them much easier (one fight very difficult without it). I have Steadfast, Blessings, Smite Wrath. Heal crits, Melee crits and Spell casting all maxed.

Gnomercy · 12-06-2007, 02:06 PM

Shield Ally really shines when you are using a round shield (with a block adornment) and 2 wrist adornments that give 2% to Parry (3% now)

Metran · 12-06-2007, 02:11 PM

Currently I am specced Str, Sta, Int. If Interrupts are what's bothering you, I would definitely recommend giving the Str line a try. I rarely get interrupted with the STR line.

As far as evaluating, it comes down to what are you willing to sacrifice? Personally I like the AGI line, but being an OT templar I much prefer the heal crits. That being said, even as an MT templar, heal crits are really easy to obtain early in progression, and can easily be made up for with gear and adorns, while you evaluate the benefits of the str line(examples, head slot adorn 3%, temporary 15 min adorn 1%, ring/wrist from maiden's 5%, ring from Thuuga 4%, neck from TPR (can't remember the %), wrist from x2 dragon in jungle 2%, and there are more out there). Personally I would give up the AGI line and max out heal crits, but some people are really turned on by the blocked damage numbers and don't want to give the AGI line up.

Now time for my question, those with AGI, does the block % maintain, increase or get reduced vs orange con epics? Personally I am not a huge fan of looking at the damage prevention numbers(as those are unmitigated), but would be greatly interested to hear what the effects on block % are vs higher level mobs.

Kizee · 12-06-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metran

Currently I am specced Str, Sta, Int. If Interrupts are what's bothering you, I would definitely recommend giving the Str line a try. I rarely get interrupted with the STR line.

As far as evaluating, it comes down to what are you willing to sacrifice? Personally I like the AGI line, but being an OT templar I much prefer the heal crits. That being said, even as an MT templar, heal crits are really easy to obtain early in progression, and can easily be made up for with gear and adorns, while you evaluate the benefits of the str line(examples, head slot adorn 3%, temporary 15 min adorn 1%, ring/wrist from maiden's 5%, ring from Thuuga 4%, neck from TPR (can't remember the %), wrist from x2 dragon in jungle 2%, and there are more out there). Personally I would give up the AGI line and max out heal crits, but some people are really turned on by the blocked damage numbers and don't want to give the AGI line up.

Now time for my question, those with AGI, does the block % maintain, increase or get reduced vs orange con epics? Personally I am not a huge fan of looking at the damage prevention numbers(as those are unmitigated), but would be greatly interested to hear what the effects on block % are vs higher level mobs.

With the mobs hitting as hard as they do in this expansion I think shield ally shines. Stopping a 4k hit that will kill your tank because he just got double attacked the round before and put him into the red is priceless.

Nyax · 12-06-2007, 03:39 PM

So true. the thing about shield ally is you are completely avoiding the damage, not mitigating or being batter at healing it up.

Istaril · 12-06-2007, 06:19 PM

Shield ally is *very* good.

It's *passive*. That means lag spike, stun, stifle, fear, out of power - you're still giving this bonus.

It's roughly an 11% reduction in melee damage the tank would have taken. (Depends mostly on your shield, but let's say (guessing) 14% block with max Fervor and Chardok 903 protection shield, 6% parry, 0.6*14 = 8.4, (0.6-0.084)*6 = 3.01. 8.4+3.01 = 11.41%.

I am currently;

4-4-8-8-2 (AGI)
4-4-4-7 (STA)
4-4-6-8-2 (Int)

Although I haven't found too many AE's I really need to dodge (Sathir's and Overking are quite manageable to just wait through, and we haven't progressed into CoD/VP yet), so I may be swapping Holy Shield for an extra heal and nuke crit.