Character Name <Guild Name>: Rihpes <Ascension> Character Class: Jedi Knight Character Spec: Vigilance Torparse Link: http://www.torparse.com/a/278396 2380 DPS

Horse mask is a plus.

Also important is your view on horse head masks.

One WH Defense Relic One DG Absorb proc relic.

My guild just finished off 8m Kephess last night. Aside from the stupid med pack mechanic in Z&T, overall they did a great job tweaking this instance to make it more challenging. The tanks are a strict DPS check for sure, and the added DD mechanic adds a new level of depth to the fight. Vorgath was 1 shot the first time we went in, but last night we needed to run a few to deal with this new knockback mechanic which was added. Kephess was just a big PITA, exactly like the hardest boss in the game should be. Great job IMO.

I'm in nearly all 63's. Don't have my stats off the top of my head, but generally speaking (while stimmed) I am around 30.5% def (low 500s rating) 65% shield (with rocks) 60.5% absorb (high 500s rating) 27.5 ish health I've main tanked everything in the game except for Kephess on NM EC (only because he haven't downed him yet). I've run numerous combat logs against the Guardians/Vanguards in my guild. Generally speaking, the difference in damage in is nominal - maybe 15 DPS difference on 800 something or so. The main difference is the fact that I generally average about 100 heals per sec give or take. This always makes me come out on top if you subtract that from the DPS in. If you were to trade out the high defensive stat mod/enhance for the high endurance, sure your HPS may jump up a bit, but in reality, i'd rather avoid an extra big hit than have 6 more HPS over the course of the fight. I don't like the idea of maxing out any of the stats to be honest - I always liked the idea of a balance of everything. By the time you are in full 63 mods, you are so far into the DR area, that it's really up to you and what you feel to determine which way you want to go. The last time I did the math and analyzed the fight, I noted that defense was worth more to me than abs was at this point. This was different from vanguards/guards because of the flat dmg reduction they got from heavy armor. Basically, an avoid meant WAY more to a shadow than it did to any other tank. If we get hit past shield, it hurts pretty bad.

Yes - the NM EC tank speeder. It shows as "Excellent (or maybe extreme, i can't remember)" protection from being knocked off. Better than the other 110% speeders. Funny thing, it's only 90% speed though.

As one that has the speeder, I have yet to be knocked off. Furthermore, it looks like my aggro range drops too.

Bump.

What is Ascension? We were formed by an elite group of players dedicated to being at the forefront of raiding. We care about perfecting our art--in both our gear and our mechanics. We understand that for this game to be fun, we must do our part to bring our best to raids. Criteria for Membership Responsibility - Come prepared and read up on fights prior to raid. Be on time to raid night. If you have an emergency, notify other guild members asap. Self-motivation - Do your part and demand excellence from your play. Update/upgrade your gear if possible. Analyze your own dps/heals/mitigation during a raid. Find areas of improvement and become a better player. Raid Awareness - Be aware of your surroundings and raid mechanics. Is there a debuff cast by a boss? Are you receiving DoT damage? Are you unnecessarily taking reticle damage? If somebody in your party is dangerously low on hp are you dropping an emergency heal even though you are a dps? Maturity - Be aware that there may be 7-15 other members in a raid call. Please adjust your mic accordingly and mute yourself if necessary. Also, be aware that there may be some of us who have young children around--mind your language when appropriate. Availability - Members must be available to raid on Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday. 8:00pm Eastern Time is our primary raiding window. Please show up on time, serious, and ready to burn some bosses. If you are unavailable to raid, please contact another member and make a forum post asap. Applications To apply to Ascension, please fill out the recruitment form at http://www.ascension-swtor.com - and one of the officers will be in contact with you. We currently hold the fastest kill according to askmrrobot of HM Firebrand and Stormcaller 8 man (327.9).