[Tanking] Arkanian -> Verpine feels like a downgrade

[Woetoo]

Am I missing something?

 

I'm very new to tanking, but I've read what I can.

 

I've focused on swapping all that Absorb to Defense and now I've got an almost full set of Arkanian gear, with a few bits of Verpine (offhand and chest) and Underworld (Bracers and Mainhand), I'm starting to build up Absorb again, balancing it with Shield.

 

Yet, I visit the Ultimate Commendations vendor, and Verpine gear seems to be lower avoidance / mitigation stats than Arkanian, but with higher Endurance. Isn't that just making me a squisher tank with a larger health pool?

 

Taking a simplified example.. the mod in most Verpine gear is +57 STR, +74 Endur, + 46 Absorb. It would be replacing an Arkanian mod with +63 STR, +47 Endur, +52 Absorb.

Net change: -6 STR, -6 Absorb, +27 Endur.

 

I can see the need to have more endurance (not least for pug groups who equate high HP with high level gear). But if I have to sacrifice Defense/Shield/Absorb for it, is it really the right choice? My only thought is that with bosses hitting harder, that extra HP is the correct counter to a tank with 16k health taking a 16.5k hit. That somehow a higher health pool is a safer choice than better defensive stats. Seems counter intuitive though.

 

I also see some gear with higher STR too. Again with a Def/Shield/Absorb loss. That at least makes some sense to me, since more STR will generate more threat - to balance out the DPS classes having better gear.

 

Obviously the better upgrade path is to Underworld gear, but right now, my choices are Arkanian and Verpine.

 

Is my logic flawed? Should I be less focused on the defensive stats and just buy the Verpine gear regardless?

 

Thanks in advance,

-Newbie Tank.

 

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[Luckygunslinger]

Verpine over all isn't greatly optimized. You use it to get the armorings pretty much and nothing else. Here is what you do with your Ultimate Comms. Buy the Verpine Bulwark MK-1 Belt or Bracers, rip the mod and begin to use that mod in your gear. It's one of the best mods and its defense. It's an upgrade over the Arkanian/Black Market Mod. The only way to get good enhancements at (72) is to run HM Operations, that's it.

 

TL;DR: Verpine sucks, just use the armorings and get the mod from the belt/bracers.

[AGSThomas]

I thought my story was relevant to this. I'm primarily DPS and my guild has completed Both Hard Mode Operations. Through the weeks I have gathered the random tanking pcs that drop, i.e. not the set gear. They are itemized so terribly that even with all 72's, my guild's fantastic healers had a problem keeping me up when I had to fill in for one of our tanks.

 

It's really quite annoying, I should be able to Tank HMs with 69's But since there is very little defense on any of the gear you end up being extremely spikey. With some bad RNG spikey = dead.

[psandak]

It's not just tanking. I had accumulated a significant number of Ultimate Comms on my healer (scoundrel) and found the Verpine stats lacking there too - very minor upgrades or pure sidegrades at best.

 

On my tank the first two pieces I upgrades to verpine was bracers and belt. I dislike spending all those comms on one third of one piece but I guess that it was I will have to start doing.

[Elyxin]

It sounds allot like what they did originally with the BH set.

 

It's not an optimized full tier upgrade. it's a set with sub-optimal stats overall, but a few nice mods here and there. It's designed as an option for those how are not pushing progressive content, but still want upgrades, so they aren't supposed to be "the best".

 

They're also there as an option for mixing and matching for optimal or personal preference. If they follow suit like they did with BH, then the next set of gear we get will be the actual full tier upgrade.

[psandak]

It sounds allot like what they did originally with the BH set.

 

It's not an optimized full tier upgrade. it's a set with sub-optimal stats overall, but a few nice mods here and there. It's designed as an option for those how are not pushing progressive content, but still want upgrades, so they aren't supposed to be "the best".

 

They're also there as an option for mixing and matching for optimal or personal preference. If they follow suit like they did with BH, then the next set of gear we get will be the actual full tier upgrade.

 

But that is part of the problem. Verpine gear is not just sub-optimal; the stat distribution is atrocious. On JKG and SWJ gear everything is shield and absorb (except bracers and belt) when defense rating is the preferred stat. BW knows this. Scoundrel healer gear is overloaded with crit. The list goes on. For the most part, one is better off sticking with Black Market gear, and if one has to upgrade (for whatever reason) credits on the GTM, not Ultimate comms, is the path one should take.

[Electrocutia]

But that is part of the problem. Verpine gear is not just sub-optimal; the stat distribution is atrocious. On JKG and SWJ gear everything is shield and absorb (except bracers and belt) when defense rating is the preferred stat. BW knows this. Scoundrel healer gear is overloaded with crit. The list goes on. For the most part, one is better off sticking with Black Market gear, and if one has to upgrade (for whatever reason) credits on the GTM, not Ultimate comms, is the path one should take.

 

^^ Won't get past HM OPs if thats what he thinks ;P

[Fonou]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a question based on your comment.

If you have the 4 pieces bonus set with Arkanian, does it worth losing them and get the 72 guardian armoring instead (and of course no bonus yet).

[kennethdale]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a question based on your comment.

If you have the 4 pieces bonus set with Arkanian, does it worth losing them and get the 72 guardian armoring instead (and of course no bonus yet).

 

Absolutely not.

 

As for the rest, I have been told in the past the reason BW has basically made Verpine/Comm gear terribly itemized is to incentivize raiding for rewards since there were complaints in the past that people could do significantly less work for the same kind of stats.