Munitions Mastery -> Body Armor

[Darkneblade]

Currently it is auto and giving smash and lethal resistance and gives minimal benefit. So instead of silly things like making it smash and lethal defense , making it +absorb (unregenable) makes more sense. Here is two options.

Auto : %10 hp as absorb. When absorb depletes gives minimal speed buff and/or gives repel to enemies while making you knockback and only regens out of combat (not taking damage for 30 seconds)
Toggle : %25 hp as absorb. When absorb depletes it detoggles instead and 1 minute recharge unaffected by global recharge changes. (Normal recharge should be 10 seconds but if it depletes it rise to 1 minute recharge instead)

In the end Body Armor can mean anything really. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by Darkneblade

[MTeague]

I'm quite happy with the power as it currently exists.  Auto resists to the two most common damage types in the game.  

If you build up your defenses from sets, then defense plus resists together becomes quite strong. 

 

I would not be opposed to a mutually exclusive alternative power being created, or a new tree.

But I would not want the existing power taken away from my characters who have it and are happy with it.

[Vanden]

10 minutes ago, MTeague said:

If you build up your defenses from sets, then defense plus resists together becomes quite strong. 

This is true of literally any epic armor, it's not a selling point for Body Armor. Body Armor's only real advantage is that it doesn't cost endurance, and since Blasters don't run out of endurance thanks to their sustain powers now, the advantage is moot.

[Replacement]

I think if I were to improve it (I could be swayed, but I'm not currently sold that it needs it), I'd simply add a small +max HP buff to it.

[Haijinx]

Its pretty weak sauce compared to Scorpion shield. 

 

As Vanden mentions, its selling feature is nearly meaningless due to the sustains. 

 

It doesn't get suppressed when you are mezzed, so that part is good too I guess. 

 

Replacement's HP idea is pretty solid.   But it should be a small bonus only.   

[Indystruck]

Once armor toggles got changed to not detoggle when mezzed, they should've really gone back to look at Body Armor, since that was its big advantage. Throw in like, 5 unenhanceable smash/lethal def or something for it.

[Novacat]

Body Armor - all of Munitions actually - has been in a terrible spot for a long time. The Sustains and change to toggles both sank Body Armor's value further over time as well.

A small HP buff could work; several examples of auto-power armors are easily found on the Spiders: the Bane armor in particular offers 7.5% to all damage (crab doesn't get psi there) and a bit of extra HP. It also gives a solid base of Mez protection magnitude.

 

If Body Armor offered even half of those numbers, it would be very much worth taking a look at.

[Chris24601]

If it needs a buff, expand the current resistance numbers to all damage types and/or increase them a bit. Done. No need to radically change what it does. It’s simplicity is a part of its charm.

 

I like it because I don’t have to think about it. It’s just there soaking up a little damage and carrying the two resist damage +3% defense procs. Nothing to toggle or worry about a lucky Sapper hit knocking off.

 

It also fits my all natural archer concept better than something that takes endurance to keep on.

 

Also, saying that sustains remove all endurance issues is just incorrect. They help. But unless you’re running super low endurance sets (ex. Archery/Tac Arrow) there’s still additional work needed to mitigate your endurance issues; particularly with high endurance sets and to-hit based recovery mechanics.

 

Sometimes using a passive power like body armor over a toggle that’s pulling 0.21/second is just the better option for some builds.

[Lockpick]

Make it a clone of Scorpion Shield and call it a day.  Or add a Scorpion Shield clone into this set.  I would definitely take MM more if Body Armor was better, but I end up taking Scorpion Shield most of the time for S/L soft-cap.

[Monos King]

On 4/8/2020 at 8:35 PM, Indystruck said:

Once armor toggles got changed to not detoggle when mezzed,

They do still deactivate when you get mezzed though, the toggle just keeps running.

[WindDemon21]

I was talking with a gm about this, good fix would be to just include all damage types and increase the % a tiny bit. Adding some mez resistance wouldn't hurt either.

[Black Zot]

Munitions Mastery in general is terrible.  Body Armor is just one glaring example of how bad the pool is.  In exchange for it not having an end cost, you get just enough resists to qualify for the defense-boost uniques; the base numbers are so low it's a waste of slots to actually enhance them.  An unslotted Tough, overcosted and underpowered as it is*, still stops more damage than Body Armor with a +res IO.

 

* - Compared to every other resist toggle in the game that affects S/L damage, Tough costs more end and provides less survivability.  That Body Armor doesn't even meet that low baseline speaks volumes.