shield block

[deadman1204]

how helpful/protective is shield block compared to CA and CS? I havnt really bought many defensive AAs yet since im only around 600

[Piemastaj]

Almost positive you would be better getting CA/CS. Because those reduce the amount of hits you take and the amount of dmg you take. While shield block just blocks some incoming hits. Me personally; I would get atleast the first 3 ranks of CA/CS before you get shield block. You would probably be better off getting a couple more ranks of CA/CS to be safe, especially if you pull they help a good amount.

Hope that helps

[Zatpus]

If I remember right any rank of shield block gives a 1% chance, that a meele-swing will miss you. That's a lot.
I am still low on AAs as well (some 1300 AAs). I have no personal defense yet but my pet has them all.
When I am going to start with defenses myself its likely to be some CA upto rank 6 or 9, than shield block than CA/CS, with CA always like 2-3 expansions ahead.

If you are on the ball, almost always you can have the pet on the mob, before the mob reaches you. As long as your pet is alive you have no problems. When your pet is gone, no amount of personal defense-AAs are going to save your live

My priorities actually: DPS, thats my job.
Next will be: pet healing
Than I will go for some personal defenses.
Than more burst-dps.
Than the rest.

[Zacatac]

When to get it is a matter of opinion really, but it is definately worth getting.

I'd say something like CA-9, CS-6, SB-3 would be a good start to defense.

Oh, and get Stone Core.

[Piemastaj]

I think it mainly depends on your play-style really. If you mainly group and you dont pull then you probably dont need much in ways of defenses seeing as you will generally have a tank around you. However if your like me and solo/duo a lot you should probably beef up your defenses.

just my 2cp

[Merlaina]

Just don't get hit. What's so hard about that? /ducks

[Sillaen]

Just don't get hit. What's so hard about that? /ducks

I agree.

I'm up over 2K AA's and haven't bothered with CA/CS past the 1st 3 levels and I got those when I just didn't have anything better to get at the time. I believe I just finished out SB though. Generally speaking, if I'm getting hit I'm doing something wrong. There are always exceptions to this rule of course.

[Piemastaj]

Lol I loves me some CA/CS. I'm generally the main puller in my groups so I take a lot of hits, especially if my buddy mage falls asleep at the keys and decides not to coh me lol.

[nako]

IIRC shield block is 1.5-2% per rank for ranks 1-3, and maybe 1% or less for 4-9. They average about 10aa per rank, so they're about even with ranks 9-18 of CA (0.5% avoidance per 5aa) -- or maybe a little better. I'm a huge fan of passive defensive abilities, and they're always just behind the no-brainers (DPS stuff) when new aa's are introduced.

If I were to buy them over again, I would go CA 1-8, CS 1-3, Shield Block 1-3, CA 9-18, CS 4-8, and then finish up shield block, followed by CA 19-33, CS 9-33.

-nako/saryrn

[Zacatac]

Generally speaking, if I'm getting hit I'm doing something wrong. There are always exceptions to this rule of course.

Most often while soloing, but even sometimes in a group setting, I try to get hit on purpose to get my RS or swarm pets to engage the next mob. The swarm last a long time now with all the AAs, and I can often get 3 mobs worth of damage out of them.