Infinitum

@Tiresias don't listen to this. 🤣 If you look at your chat box - to the right of where you would enter text to chat you will see a chat bubble. Click that and go to notoriety settings. In that menu there are 4 menu options. (just remembered Captain Picard 4 lights here 😁) Anyway 4 menu options: Team size 1-8. the higher this is the more neemy you will face Difficulty. - 1 0 1 2 3 4. The higher this is the higher the enemy level is. AV/EB. Means you can turn the AV option off - even though on some teams I have seen them spawn AVs regardless Boss. You can turn Boss spawning on or off solo Play around with those settings until you have it challenging but not frustrating.

That's mission accomplished - tell them to enjoy the free XP. lol. Kidding. All joking aside. What difficulty level are you playing at?

With shield my main goal is to build the 3 positionals as high as I can up to about 70 max. The sweet spot for me is 60-65 because that ensures incarnate content isn't going to slip through like it would at 45%. Phalanx Fighting only increases this for any team member you are near. Shield is great solo but only scales when teamed and when thoroughly engaged. This combined with shields nearly capped DDR (only slightly behind SR) means there won't be much that hits you that will matter. Ie you won't be debuffed if you don't get hit. With res taking into account 1 stack of might of the tanker I like to get near 80%s/l and 60-70 for the remaining categories. If you accomplish all those metrics. I promise you if anything brings you down. They earned it honest. lol

I have brute builds that get close but still don't hit 90 to all. We are talking 90 res to all 24/7 - and without a t9 or melee core. Those aren't perma.

GFS is actually one of the best now. Fire is now the hot rod it was always supposed to be.

You are welcome. I hope you get lots of fun times from it. 😉

How? Active Defense? Set it to auto - it's going to double stack - Ron Popeil that sucker. 🤣 The rest of Shield just runs on a toggle.

I know! I don't understand why I never explored this myself. lol It would probably be one of the best Shield Tankers I would have made. The durability and utility of Shield with the raw power and brute force of Fire. I think I'm going to explore this myself. lol

Try this one Me Lady of the Heroic banner. This one gives you 66.7 Melee 68.5 AOE 57.3 Ranged that's with no friendly's counting towards your defense with Phalanx fighting on - if you have just one friendly in range to kick Phalanx fighting on - you will be at 71.8 Melee 73.7 AOE 62.4 Ranged With Defense numbers like that combined with nearly perma 2 stacked Active Defense - that defense will be hard to break - and even if you break a little the resistances below will carry you through. Resistances - this one with just one stack of Might of the Tanker running - you should be able to hit 2 usually with that proc in Greater Fire Sword - puts you at 79.9 s/l 62.3 En/Neg 62.3 F/c 61.6 Tox 61 Psi If you have 2 stacks of Might of the Tanker running you are at 85.9 s/l 68.3 En/Neg 68.3 F/c 67.6 Tox 67 Psi If you run One with the Shield/1 Stack of Might of the tanker you are at 90+ s/l 79.3 En/Neg 79.3 F/c 78.5 Tox 61 Psi You could also run One with the Shield in Rotation with Melee Core and achieve the above on a near permanent basis. One Caveat to this build - I didn't have enough room for a Travel power - because I really really wanted it to have Fireball - however if no travel power is a deal breaker - swap out fireball for Super Jump or Super Speed - but it is worth noting - the combination of Athletic run and Sprint - is a very good minor travel power in terms of run speed and jump height. I use that combo solely on a few of mine. For Incarnates I went Agility Core for the added defense and endurance mod - you could also go Cardiac core here for resistance/end - however I believe Shield is benefitted more in this case with Agility - but you could do it either way there. For your Destiny - I would go Ageless Core here - because you don't really need added DDR but the endurance gain from Ageless Core would benefit this build more. For Hybrid - you could go melee core or assault radial - or even both and swap them out as needed. I hope you enjoy this, if you have any questions please let me know. Build is attached below. Tanker (Shield Defense - Fiery Melee).mbd

That one would be better dropping the fire res some, boosting the melee (melee needing to be higher is a must for incarnate content - especially on shield because it all but caps DDR - higher than invul and largely why Shield is more durable than an Invul in most encounters - nothing's getting through an incarnate softcapped shield tanker) and ranged possibly also but less important than melee. Also boosting up Psi to at least 50 - higher if possible. That will give you a more well rounded approach to Shield which will be more durable in more situations. Not a bad start though. Edit - lets revisit this - after opening the build there are glaring weaknesses with it - those numbers you took a screenshot of is with one with the shield toggled on - which isn't a good reference of what the build can actually do 24/7 One with the shield will run out and I advise against leaning on it that hard. The second major issue is - this build skipped build up - that's just not advised under any circumstance.

SR and Shield can pull off the defense softcap easily. Resistance Brutes would have to be Elec Dark or Rad to hit the 90 - but they aren't hitting it to all - not without a non perma buff like Rune or Melee Core. Cap to Most is a more accurate description on Brutes - and usually all they need to be durable enough for any content. I think Elec will hit it to all but neg nrg and toxic. Rad to all but cold, and Dark all but Nrg. Without being nere a computer I may be incorrect there but back in 2019 I ran an analysis on which sets were better on Brutes vs Tankers and those three always edged out tankers easily back then. The tanker buff narrowed that gap a good bit - probably a tad too much. My first rnain on HC was actually a Rad/Elec Brute I ran with melee core as a panic button. Was mostly unkillable. I - same as you - would like to see a build hitting 90 res to all on a brute on a perma basis.

Got ya covered. Shield is one of my favorite sets. I will hook you up as soon as I get home from work.

That's actually the perfect approach and how most of my build templates came to be. Everyone has a playstyle - you are building to accommodate yours and that's a beautiful approach. And a buuld is never perfect - but as long as it suits your fun that's all you need.

Try this out - I boosted Toxic and Negative as high as I could without sacrificing too much from other places - and if you feel the need to change anything please do and make this build your own. My build is just a starting point for you to branch out and experience things from your viewpoint. Hope you enjoy! Tanker (Electric Armor - Staff Fighting).mbd

What kind of Brute were you looking for?

I agree with this statement actually, but for 99% of the remainder of the content it's absolutely not mandatory or even needed with pugs. I can see how it would be critical with hardmode because it will not allow any loss of focus on the tanker - which in hardmode could go sideways fast. I don't really play hardmode honestly for the time investment and it taking me past where the game is enjoyable to annoying. That's just my personal preference there - not at all saying there is anything wrong with hardmode. Just not my cup of tea.

Nah, you are missing the point here and trying to die on a hill not worth dying on because - well I was going to say because you don't understand Gauntlet - but I know that's not the case. Let's just leave it as don't choose that hill to die on - taunt is a great power but not required and definitely does not equate to a petless mastermind if a tanker doesn't take it.

It only gets better with agro management the higher you level - so if you are managing without it there you probably won't ever need it.

Nah - completely disagree here. Its a tool. If you need it, fine - but to compare it to a petless mastermind or a boxer with one hand tied behind your back - is hyperbole. It doesn't even come close to adding that kind of value - or detracting from individual potential if you don't use it. IMO taunt is more like training wheels for a tanker - eventually you can free that spot up for another valuable power. Gauntlet and punchvoke are so good these days it's completely optional - just my opinion. Don't get me wrong. The concept of Taunt almost makes me want it just because of the "Come Get Some" factor - but then I come off the ledge and realize I do that anyway every time I leap into action anywhere near the bad guys. A petless mastermind. That's more like only using Brawl for your attacks.

Claws is really good on Scrappers. For your concept you could also do dual Blades. Secondary I would suggest something that boost recharge - SR would be a good one for either.

Brutes can get close, especially with the resistance sets and also SR and Shield. Honestly. With Elec, Rad, and Fire. I tend to go Brute because of the extra damage combined with the fact you can come close to tanker res numbers - especially if you lean on melee core. Brutes are IMO more fun against hard targets than tankers. Not that tankers aren't fun. Just edged out by brutes - again IMHO.

OK week from hell is over and I can craft a thoughtful response. Taunt - I don't need it - some swear by it there's no right or wrong here. Oh no not at all. Fly is just my normal go to - but I do have a couple of themed characters without any travel power by relying on sprint and athletic run. A time you might nead it. You can monitor your defense by selecting powers near your power tray and clicking into the defense window and monitor your defenses there as needed. Attuned enhancements level up with you basically their power grows with each level or wanes if you exemplar down. For instance at level 15 attuned will be powered as a level 15 enh. Level 45 will be at level 45s level. Etc. Uniques don't have to be attuned - but I usually buy attuned because I'm already in that window anyway and it also appeases my OCD.

Nailed it

😂 Nah. I'm not that proficient with it yet, but I'm getting there. Half the battle was picking apart it's synergy and then building around the 4 areas it really does well to suit my approach.

In the right hands Bio is up there in terms of survivability with Shield and SR - Which IMO are the best because it takes a magnitude of stuff going all wrong to kill them - which hardly ever happens outside of hardmode. Bio also brings 3 debuffs to the table plus a whole heap of damage potential that when tapped is second to none in the right hands. In fact it's probably a little too strong - which is why I predict a gentle nerf at some point in the future. Very fun set though. The more I play it - and the more I tinker with it - the more I like it. In terms of set it and forget it power - Shield and SR are tops - highest DDR, easy to incarnate soft cap defenses, great resistances, +recharge for SR, +damage and team buff for shield +shield charge a mini nuke. 90% of normal gameplay won't even flinch - and the other 10% will only tickle. Invul isn't far behind those also - just slightly less DDR which is only noticeable in a select few engagements.