9 replies to this topic

[Letsdance]

My Guardian has a block rating of 15% (20% with block stance) and 12% parry rating (17% with parry stance).

I'm thinking that I should run in parry stance to bring both block and parry to 15%+. Hwoever, I'm not sure which occurs more frequently block or parry in a fight and therefore which one is more important? If that makes sense  

[LohrandOrda]

well Aggro is generated mostly by Blocking, Parry-line is for some aggro leech (whirling) or damage/fm.

there is no real difference between 15% B + 17% P (=32%) or 20% B + 12% P (=32%). Take what u need for the proposed role. My favorite is and will always be: Block stance > Parry stance. But different people are different, so take what u like and when it works in group or whatever, then everything is just fine

[Aledhere]

I'm not sure if the ratings simply add up, like block+parry+evade = total chance of avoiding an attack, it's probably more complicated than that...

Personally, I would take block over parry for grouping (for Litany, Shield-Taunt and Shield-smash) and for soloing (Catch a Breath) which are all more useful than the parrying skills (except possibly TTK, in groups, if you're lucky).

Also remember that Guardian's Ward (with longer duration legacy if you want) increases your block and parry ratings, not overall b/p chance, so if your block rating gives you 15% block chance unbuffed, than Guardian's Ward won't be giving you any advantage to block chance.

I'd aim for getting block and parry to around 12.5%, then keep Guardian's Ward on the entire time you're in combat to take both of them up to 15%.

Of course, increasing your block rating beyond 15% increases your partial-block chance, but i'm not sure how useful partial-blocking is.

[LohrandOrda]

well of course i (and anyone else) don't know exactly how the b/p/e system works in LotRO, that was just to make it simple - 32% is 32% you know?

partial blocking and parry over 50% + common mitigation over 50% = partial event works like a full event against that type of damage (that's what i can tell). to get uncommon damage as high as possible makes it worth to go for as much rating as possible.

my guardian has unbuffed 5,5k block, 2,2k evade, 2,7k parry. with guardians ward (+1300b/p), i'm @ about 6,8k block, 4k parry, with captain in group (another 1350parry buff + middle-earth) its about 6,9k block, 2,3k evade, 5,45k parry, with a second guardian (protect) add another 800/b/p/e and i would finish with 7,7k block, 3,1k evade, 6,25k parry.

This means in conclusion for the maximum rating i get: 20% Block (i'm always in block stance) + about 13% partial block + 8% evade + 15% parry + 9% partial parry AND partial block and parry with over 50% damage mitigation (so there is only a little rest of damage coming in from uncommon types, about 20% i think is left, common damage is absorpt completely).

Morale isnt everything (and i have also 8,2k unbuffed with a hard iron core ) it's a special way to use the new relics, but i like my combinations with some special jewellry and armour pieces...

[Vardiel]

I almost never used parry stance, until someone told me to try it out since the fellowship had a warden to help with the tanking and it wasn't a tough instance. I can't recall my stats (this was almost six months ago) but I did notice that my block reactions reduced only slightly, while my parry reactions increased noticeably. I never felt like needing more block reactions, instead the increased parries helped me whirl away and add to our not-so-great DPS output.

Long story short, I always try parry first, only switching to block if I seem to need more block reactions (haven't yet). Threat I use very seldom, which might be dumb. Overpower is for when I'm off-tanking or soloing.

[Letsdance]

 LohrandOrda, on 17 June 2011 - 11:30, said:

Morale isnt everything (and i have also 8,2k unbuffed with a hard iron core ) it's a special way to use the new relics, but i like my combinations with some special jewellry and armour pieces...

I agree, some of the new relics have great block, parry, and melee defence ratings but offer no morale benefits. I notice many other guardians go all out for morale rather than equipping relics and jewels that will significantly increase their block and parry change. My guard has 8.1k morale unbuffed which Im content with considering my block / parry rating.

[Aledhere]

I would probably favor melee defence rating (or tactical defence rating for certain fights) over b/p/e because its a guaranteed reduction in damage and, as far as I am aware, it's impossible to cap the defence ratings (at the moment).

Haven't really tried out any vastly different builds to test defence against b/p/e, but definitely in overpower soloing its worth stacking up melee defence.

I think threat stance is still broken, or at least isn't properly explained in the tool-tip, but its useful as a threat-grabbing skill in the middle of a fight - just toggle threat stance, build up a bit of threat from block responses, then go back to block stance.

Also, I know I probably should know this by now, but are block/parry response skills opened by partial blocks/ partial parries? Because if so it would be more worthwhile increasing ratings above the 15% cap.

[LohrandOrda]

 Aledhere, on 17 June 2011 - 17:31, said:

I would probably favor melee defence rating (or tactical defence rating for certain fights) over b/p/e because its a guaranteed reduction in damage and, as far as I am aware, it's impossible to cap the defence ratings (at the moment).

Haven't really tried out any vastly different builds to test defence against b/p/e, but definitely in overpower soloing its worth stacking up melee defence.

I think threat stance is still broken, or at least isn't properly explained in the tool-tip, but its useful as a threat-grabbing skill in the middle of a fight - just toggle threat stance, build up a bit of threat from block responses, then go back to block stance.

Also, I know I probably should know this by now, but are block/parry response skills opened by partial blocks/ partial parries? Because if so it would be more worthwhile increasing ratings above the 15% cap.

First: Melee/Range/Tactic Defence has it's cap at 15% via rating (70*Level = at 65 = 4550 like B/P/E or incoming heal etc). So with scroll from scholars u only need 3,6k Melee Defence to have it capped in raids And i have it capped, like my incoming heal [remember percentage ignores rating-caps]!

Second: Thread Stance isnt broken, it workes like described: it multiplies your collected thread or any thread u gain while in the stance with 1.2 / 1.28 but when u switch in another stance the collected aggro is divided by 1.2 / 1.28 to return to the normal amount. So anything the thread stance does is, it increases your collected aggro at the aggro list by multiplying with 1.2 / 1.28 but only as long as u have it active.

Third: yes partial events open the lines like the full events. That's why i love my high partial mitigation in combination with the heavy armour mitigation, that makes it FOR ME worth to have just 8,2k Morale instead of 9,5k+ (which are possible with morale-only relics in all 4 slots on both LIs).

B/P capped in raids (and a very high partial percentage with high mitigation), evade on a normal height, incoming capped, melee defence capped, critical defence at about 13% (which can't be capped by anyone in the game, so nobody exactly knows whether that hardcap is 15% or 30%, i prefer 15% so really close for that), damage mitigation: common 50%, uncommon between 25 and 40% (depends on sets i wear and virtues). 10k Morale with the Captain-Buffs is still in, 11k with Warrior's Heart, so what should i change, when i can get all this

[Maowin]

I think it depends on the both the player and the situation.

personally I'm always in Block as I enjoy it and I love grabbing all aggro I can *g*

[Maelendil]

 Aledhere, on 17 June 2011 - 10:20, said:

I'm not sure if the ratings simply add up, like block+parry+evade = total chance of avoiding an attack, it's probably more complicated than that...

Actually, it isn't more complicated than that. B/P/E is additive (and even partials add up).