I'm gearing more for +Shield/Absorb, am I wrong?

[TBSMiser]

My stats are: 20300 HP, 46.57% shield chance, 48.44% absorb, 12.79% defense, 1583 Aim, 1760 End (All unbuffed except for Ion Gas Cylinder)

 

I'm the only PT tank in the guild, so I don't really know for sure beyond my personal research online. Everyone in my guild thinks I'm nuts when I say that I'm dropping HP for an equal amount (or sliiiiightly more) of a different stat. I have 1 Black Hole item, a few Rakata, and a few heavily modified Columi items (crafted Steadfast Enhancement 24, Rakata armoring, etc.)

 

Do my stats look about right to you guys? Am I neglecting HP too much? Worth dropping something for it?

[Agooz]

20k unbuffed is perfectly fine for any content. With buffs, stims, and more BlackHole/Augmented pieces, you should easily be at 24k

[pure_laced]

Do not neglect Defense too much either. A good balance is nice to have because avoiding a hit > mitigating a hit to an extent. If you are at the 50% shield, 50% absorb mark before the huge diminishing returns scale, then push up some defense while maintaining those numbers.

 

Regarding your hps, it's what bad healers complain about for their shortcomings. 20k+ unbuffed is perfectly fine for HM EC right now when you tack on the buffs/stims.

[CitizenFry]

I've been dumping almost everything for shield/absorb on my Vanguard, and I'm at about 11% def, 46% shield chance, 54% absorb when I'm just standing around. I am intending to start building more Defense Rating though, as there are plenty of enemies where shield just doesn't do you any good (half of Toth+Zorn fight, half of Firebrand+Stormcaller fight, all of Soa fight, etc). And of course, getting a dodge for -100% damage is better than getting a shield for -50% damage.

 

I'm pretty sure diminishing returns don't kick in significantly on shield rating and absorb rating until much later than most other stats, so if you want to go that route, keep on stackin'.

Edited June 4, 2012 by CitizenFry
fix numbers

[pure_laced]

The scale for Shield Absorb DR is at the 50% unbuffed mark and that is when it takes a HUGE curve away. I spent about 3m trying it out one week versus the next. Same overall raid makeup for the most part and asked the healers to pay attention both weeks to see how their perception was regarding damage taken. I would post the logs, but I lost them in a format a week ago.

 

With a 18% def, 45ish shield/absorb was much easier to heal in EC HM 16man, than the 14 def, 50shield/absorb. Damage was a tad more "spiky" according to them, but very manageable. The latter stats was constant damage and they had to focus more on me versus the rest of the raid because I would require heals more often, even though the damage was less per hit, etc.

 

I finally have the mods to push a 13 def, 60 shield, 60 absorb ratio and am considering testing it out, just dont want to spend another 3m for the test.

[Marb]

OP: Your being fed bad advice by your guild. Your health pool is the least important factor of your ability to tank. You want shield and absorb to 50% minimum before you start building up your defence rating. Even then, you don't need to stack anywhere near the amount of defence that other classes do. 15% with a stim is a good target.

 

You get HP for free, its built into the mods themselves, just focus on your mitigation stats. Dropping endurance for more mitigation is almost always the correct way to mod your gear.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Marb

[Suryi]

Some very good information can be found here: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=288619

 

More specifically here: http://imgur.com/a/TU0Sn

 

With Campaign/Black Hole gear your shield rating will go into the 550s (53% with spec bonuses) due to the fact that every enhancement and implants/earpieces/offhand has +Shield/Abs or +Shield/Defense. So all you're really left with is juggling between defense and absorbtion. According to that image, going for 350 defense rating (about 17.5% I think, not sure) and 450 absortbion rating (55.8%) is the way to go for BH/VG tanks once you're pretty much decked out in BH/Campaign

 

For OP: That image will help you in seeing what stats you should go for considering your current total defensive stats (Defense+Shield+Abs rating). Your guildies make the common mistake of assuming HP is a tanking stat which it isn't as it provides no mitigation. In other words, you're fine, keep getting gear and you'll be even better.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Suryi

[Rischardo]

Some very good information can be found here: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=288619

 

More specifically here: http://imgur.com/a/TU0Sn

 

With Campaign/Black Hole gear your shield rating will go into the 550s (53% with spec bonuses) due to the fact that every enhancement and implants/earpieces/offhand has +Shield/Abs or +Shield/Defense. So all you're really left with is juggling between defense and absorbtion. According to that image, going for 350 defense rating (about 17.5% I think, not sure) and 450 absortbion rating (55.8%) is the way to go for BH/VG tanks once you're pretty much decked out in BH/Campaign

 

I don't know how that's possible (for now at least; once we can augment everything, I can see us reaching those numbers). I have BH/Campaign for everything except belt, 1 58 mod, 1 58 enhancement, and Rakata off-hand. I am currently sitting at 53% shield and 53% absorb with something like 15% defense.

 

I guess if I augment all my stuff with defense, though, I might be able to hit 53 shield / 55.8 absorb /17.5 def.