Talk Me Out of Bio Armor

[Microcosm]

There are lots of armor sets with lots of different perks. A few of them are sturdier than bio. A few are cheaper to make sturdy. Elec armor, one of my favs, gives you the option to completely ignore slotting for endurance reduction and increase proc usage, and be completely immune to end drain. Rad is like elec 1.5, trading some of those end benefits for a really nice t9. Nin on a stalker gives you caltrops which are very underrated as both mitigation and dot. Sr gives you easily softcapped defenses for little investment, so you can invest more in something like +dam bonuses.

 

There are tons of reasons not to get stuck on bio. People fixate a bit because bio has a very straightforward path to increasing your damage, but if you pay attention to the other sets' features you'll see some opportunities.

[DrBasics]

I mean, how much bonus damage does offensive offer? (If it is possible to put it into a percentage, even if you have to guesstimate)

[Saikochoro]

Thanks all for the replies so far. I am planning to make a shield stalker, but haven’t decided what primary to use on it. 
 

I will also look into radiation as well. 
 

I also started a ninjitsu stalker. 
 

I will report back after I get them in the 30s and put basic IOs on them. 
 

Please feel free to continue posting opinions on this topic though as it continues to help me and possibly some others. 

[Saikochoro]

51 minutes ago, DrBasics said:

I mean, how much bonus damage does offensive offer? (If it is possible to put it into a percentage, even if you have to guesstimate)

The stat tracking damage bonus gives it a +25% on stalkers. And I think it’s 31.25% on scrappers. Pretty sure it’s 25% on sentinels and brutes, but can’t remember off the top of my head. Plus there is a varying extra bit of toxic damage applied that seems to be anywhere from 5-15%. Granted I’m not 50 yet on any of my bio armor toons. So not sure if the extra toxic damage become pretty immaterial or not. 

 

It will show you the percentage on your hardened carapace toggle when you have it on and offensive selected. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Saikochoro

[Murcielago]

It's not shield defense. 

 

/thread

[Sovera]

Also, the sacrifices made to increase S/L defense to at least 40% are convoluted and steal from a variety of ways including usually cornering Destiny as Barrier and not allowing to slot more damage procs. Something like Energy Armor allows to easily reach 45% without even the fighting pool (look, a whole free new pool!).

[THEDarkTyger]

On 2/11/2020 at 9:58 PM, biostem said:

The best defense is a good offense;  Roll up an archery/tactical arrow blaster and never look back!

Archery? I thought you said GOOD offense. >.>

[VileTerror]

Haven't tried Tactical Arrow yet, Tyger?

[THEDarkTyger]

1 minute ago, VileTerror said:

Haven't tried Tactical Arrow yet, Tyger?

....but archery. ><

[MTeague]

I'm kinda the opposite to the original poster.  I keep wanting to TRY Bio Armor, but I .... just.... can't.... get past the animation on Ablative Carapace. 

I know, the set has a "minimal fx" option.  As a whole.  But that specific power, Ablative Carapace, does not, not when I browse the customize options for each power in the tree during character creation..

So I'm guessing it still animates the same. 

 

I know it's not a long lasting animation.  Lasts a few seconds then gone.  But those few seconds on a power you'd use probably ever few pulls (or more?) is enough for me to keep finding a reason to try some OTHER resist/defense set instead.

 

To the main question though.  Try /Regen.  You said you like healing.  There you go.  It works best if you sugar daddy the character along the way with a variety of attuned IO's as you level.  (What doesn't?)  But start stacking defense through Kinetic Combats and the 3% uniques, start stacking resistances via Reactive Defenses and Shield Wall uniques and Resiliance and Tough and Preventative Medicine sets in your /Regen powers, and suddenly you just truck through everything and end every fight at max health or at least you're up to max health before you even get to the next spawn.

[MTeague]

1 hour ago, THEDarkTyger said:

....but archery. ><

I rocked Praetoria 1-20 soloing an Arch/TacArrow Blaster, +1 with Bosses.  Died far fewer times than any other Preatorian run I've done yet, and was surprisingly resilieant when I learned to leverage Glue Arrow as a kiting tool, Web Arrow to keep Ghouls from being next ot each other to stop them from healing, and Ice Arrow to lockdown one long enough to kill a few others.  Reduced incoming damage by QUITE a bit, and outgoing damage was still plenty good.

[THEDarkTyger]

7 hours ago, MTeague said:

I rocked Praetoria 1-20 soloing an Arch/TacArrow Blaster, +1 with Bosses.  Died far fewer times than any other Preatorian run I've done yet, and was surprisingly resilieant when I learned to leverage Glue Arrow as a kiting tool, Web Arrow to keep Ghouls from being next ot each other to stop them from healing, and Ice Arrow to lockdown one long enough to kill a few others.  Reduced incoming damage by QUITE a bit, and outgoing damage was still plenty good.

Just saying, archery is one of the weaker blaster primaries. Tac Arrow is just strong enough to make up for that. 😉

[Snarky]

I honestly cannot figure out why, after Stone, they made another armor set with hard baked costume pieces.  Okay more soft baked but it is still always part of the character. 
 

other than that i would be willing to try it. But i have to come up with a concept that starts at Bio Armor. ....still waiting....  

 

and to me that is why it sucks

[THEDarkTyger]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

I honestly cannot figure out why, after Stone, they made another armor set with hard baked costume pieces.  Okay more soft baked but it is still always part of the character. 
 

other than that i would be willing to try it. But i have to come up with a concept that starts at Bio Armor. ....still waiting....  

 

and to me that is why it sucks

You know you can set it to minimal FX and not have the "hard baked" costume pieces, right?

[Snarky]

I seem to recall messing with it in Costume Creator and still not liking 'minimal'  might be because what was posted in the thread about some powers still growing crap off you with minimal on.  Cant remember.  After leveling a Stone armor to 32 back in the day, loving the costume, just to have it get shit-canned by the game I am not investing in that again.

[siolfir]

15 minutes ago, Snarky said:

I seem to recall messing with it in Costume Creator and still not liking 'minimal'  might be because what was posted in the thread about some powers still growing crap off you with minimal on.  Cant remember.  After leveling a Stone armor to 32 back in the day, loving the costume, just to have it get shit-canned by the game I am not investing in that again.

Ablative Carapace and Parasitic Aura have "growing crap" for a couple of seconds each during the animations, while Genetic Contamination and each of the adapatations have a persistent aura.

 

Here's my SS/Bio with all toggles running:

 

Using Ablative Carapace (this lasts for about 2 seconds):

 

And using Parasitic Aura (also lasts about two seconds):

 

Yes, the effects are ugly but they aren't there for very long, or very often.

[Myrmidon]

8 minutes ago, siolfir said:

Ablative Carapace and Parasitic Aura have "growing crap" for a couple of seconds each during the animations, while Genetic Contamination and each of the adapatations have a persistent aura.

 

Here's my SS/Bio with all toggles running:

 

Using Ablative Carapace (this lasts for about 2 seconds):

 

And using Parasitic Aura (also lasts about two seconds):

 

Yes, the effects are ugly but they aren't there for very long, or very often.

Exactly. Those are side-effects of my Bio/Staff Tanker’s mystical powers.

[Heraclea]

I just made my Bio tanker Spines, which is going to be strange looking anyways.  Then her in game career happened.  Now she's an emissary from the Aztec gods, sent to the City to Kill Skuls.  Which makes about as much sense as anything else I could think of for the combination. 

[Frostbiter]

I remade a water themed martial artist recently as a Kinetic Melee/Bio. I'm hoping I can pass the effects off as water spray and light refraction. Or something. I haven't gotten that toon very high yet.

[MTeague]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

I seem to recall messing with it in Costume Creator and still not liking 'minimal'  might be because what was posted in the thread about some powers still growing crap off you with minimal on.  Cant remember.  After leveling a Stone armor to 32 back in the day, loving the costume, just to have it get shit-canned by the game I am not investing in that again.

The only way I will ever be able to make a Stone Armor character is by NOT taking Granite Armor, Ever, not even on an alternate build, and just running the lower level toggles.

 

Also, @siolfir, I thank you for the posted screenshots.  That's confirmation that Ablative Carapace still hurks up a shell around you even with minimal effects on, and FOR ME, that means the set is dead to me until there's something less ugly or a true no fx option for that specific power.  I'd suspected, but had not KNOWN that it still does that animation.  Apologies to anyone who really likes that power but I just.... can't.... get past that animation.

Edited February 15, 2020 by MTeague

[Snarky]

yeah i loved stone armor on my Brute until 32. Big old Demon with gnarly feet and hellfire armor. Still my favorite look for. Demon character in this game. Then.  Something bad happened lol

 

I tend to run Robots snd Undead theme.  Bio is not a winner for either of those. To me if speaks to the post apocalyptic mutant genre from some smashed Boomtown world. Or maybe the TROMA superhero.  The Toxic Avenger!   I just dont run in those concepts much. Maybe i should branch out more. Give me a few more decades puttering around with my robots and undead. Maybe i will get there.

 

i just chalk this armor into the rather large heap of things that do not normally work with these concepts.  Water Blast was same. I am like really cool work. Ah crap, i got nothing that goes there

 

[Heraclea]

2 hours ago, MTeague said:

The only way I will ever be able to make a Stone Armor character is by NOT taking Granite Armor, Ever, not even on an alternate build, and just running the lower level toggles.

Unfortunately, the other toggles all have the same issues.  Stone Armor remains a throwback to the early days of the game.  Now I've been trying recently to put together what exactly is wrong with Regeneration and figure out what it needs to be viable.  But Stone Armor is something I really don't care about. 

 

At least not until it gets ported to Stalkers.  That would be totally worth it.....

[Call Me Awesome]

47 minutes ago, Heraclea said:

Unfortunately, the other toggles all have the same issues.  Stone Armor remains a throwback to the early days of the game.  Now I've been trying recently to put together what exactly is wrong with Regeneration and figure out what it needs to be viable.  But Stone Armor is something I really don't care about. 

 

At least not until it gets ported to Stalkers.  That would be totally worth it.....

Er, just HOW would Stone Armor work on Stalkers?  Penalties of -run, -jump, -recharge, -damage baked into Granite Armor.  It's a not well thought out tanker set that doesn't lend itself to a damage oriented AT.

 

I've played Stone Armor to 50 twice back in the issue 5-9 days and it's unrivaled for pure durability but it sacrifices everything that makes a damage AT to get there.  It's a big, nearly immobile stone wall that will survive nearly anything the game can throw, but it can't fight back well.  30% damage and recharge debuff as I recall, inability to jump over a 6" curb and massively slowed movement speed is incompatable with a primarily damage dealing character.

 

I played it in the days after the Great Defense Nerf and ED destroyed the durability of all other tanker sets because it was best suited for a pure tanking role and the only set to approach the durability tankers took for granted in the old days.  Once IO's came around and allowed other sets to once again compete on durability the penalties of Stone were no longer worth the benefits.

[MTeague]

1 hour ago, Heraclea said:

Unfortunately, the other toggles all have the same issues.  Stone Armor remains a throwback to the early days of the game.  Now I've been trying recently to put together what exactly is wrong with Regeneration and figure out what it needs to be viable.  But Stone Armor is something I really don't care about. 

 

At least not until it gets ported to Stalkers.  That would be totally worth it.....

The other toggles may have issues, but i can probably patch around things with IO set bonuses.  Groups will probalby kick me if they realize I don't have Granite, but eh, it's a Brute and my 28th alt, he'll be able to solo just fine lol.

[MTeague]

2 hours ago, Snarky said:

yeah i loved stone armor on my Brute until 32. Big old Demon with gnarly feet and hellfire armor. Still my favorite look for. Demon character in this game. Then.  Something bad happened lol

 

I tend to run Robots snd Undead theme.  Bio is not a winner for either of those. To me if speaks to the post apocalyptic mutant genre from some smashed Boomtown world. Or maybe the TROMA superhero.  The Toxic Avenger!   I just dont run in those concepts much. Maybe i should branch out more. Give me a few more decades puttering around with my robots and undead. Maybe i will get there.

 

i just chalk this armor into the rather large heap of things that do not normally work with these concepts.  Water Blast was same. I am like really cool work. Ah crap, i got nothing that goes there

 

Water Blast I'm working with for a Water/Sonic corruptor.  Not fish-themed as such, but name is Deepfathom, and concept is a mutant heavily adapted to water, sonic worked in on a Sonar angle.