Dark Armor / Savage Melee Tips and Tricks

[Gateisdown]

Hi, I am planning a leveling a DA/Savage Melee Tanker on a fresh server (so this will be a mostly standard IO build for some time). This is my first tank and I was hoping for tips and tricks to help with leveling. Specifically if there are any one slot wonders, leveling tricks, or powers to avoid. (Even though this is a tanker I plan on playing mostly solo.)

 

I am really stuck on Dark Armor but I am picking Savage Melee mostly because it feels quick and engaging. However, if there is secondary that pairs better with DA I'd love to learn more!

 

Tips I've seen from forum include:

• DA can be an endurance hog, so slotting Theft of Essence proc to Dark Regeneration and the Pancea proc to health asap can help. Performance Shifter proc in stamina can also be used.
• For initial leveling you can 6 slot Death Shroud with damage to help with AOE. Later you can run Might of Tanker to get resistance stacks.
• Most final builds all seem to pick up Kick, Tough, and Weave from Fighting... but only later, when IO sets can push the benefits. While leveling you can wait.
• Oppressive Gloom does cause mobs to wander, but can be a one slot wonder when leveling
• Cloak of Fear and may not be worth the end cost, especially at first.
• Soul Transfer can skipped

 

Questions:

• Suggestions for best way to slot Dark Regeneration?
• I've heard Knock-back is problem for DA, is there a recommended way to mitigate? (Acrobatics?)
• Is Hasten recommended?
• How key is rushing Conserve Power from Energy Mastery? Do most also then pick up Physical Perfection?

[Colder]

I just started a DA/ELM for lightning claps stun to stack with OGs stun. I know the updates are coming for energy melee too, so you might consider it as well. 

 

DAs strength is near capped resistances to most damage, a defensive toggle, the most powerful heal in the game, and control toggles. Anything that enhances the toggles CC effect is useful. Also, it sucks but plan on taking the endurance re hiduction alpha. I plan on going all the way without energy epic pool. I always get hasten, it can really reduce the amount of time between dark regen. It's not so much important how you slot dark regen as long as you have the chance for endurance in there, I always try to fit at least 4 slots and slot some accuracy and heal from the same theft of essence set, even though it's base accuracy is pretty good. A lot of people put other dmg procs in it as well, but with elec as my secondary I feel I do enough AoE and it's a defensive power for me. I would definitely try to get your recharge as low as possible though, so you can pop it off every 8 secs or so.

 

KB is an issue, I wouldn't get acro but instead slot kb IOs where you can.

 

Oh and one more thing, soul transfer is a damn good rez power, id pick it up. Just imo

Edited November 11, 2020 by Colder

[Gateisdown]

Thanks Colder! Great points.

[Justaris]

Theft of Essence is absolutely key.    Other endurance passive IOs such as Miracle, Numina, Performance Shifter, Power Transfer and Panacea are nice to have but not critical.    Fit them in once you have the slots and the influence.    

 

Death Shroud and Cloak of Fear are your biggest endurance hogs (and Dark Regeneration, but that's mitigated by Theft of Essence).   Cloak of Fear in particular you may want to put off until the later levels once you have your endurance curve sorted.

 

Agree on the Fighting pool.   It's useful but mainly in combination with a high-end IO build.    Something you can ignore while leveling and respec into at high level.

 

Opinions are mixed as to OG vs CF.   If you have stuns to pair with it, OG's utility goes up considerably, as with the Dark/ELM example above.     Personally I like Cloak of Fear because fear also gives -tohit that stacks with Defense.  

 

Soul Transfer is a very strong rez and autohit stun power and doesn't need much if any slotting, so it's a good pick if you can fit it in.

 

Dark Regeneration mainly needs Theft of Essence and Recharge.   It doesn't need much heal as it's amazing at base values.    You want some accuracy as this is one power you really need to hit its targets.

 

Hasten isn't mandatory but it is very useful if you can fit it in, as getting hit with many slow/recharge debuffs is a weakness for Dark.     The accolade power Geas of the Kind Ones / Force of Nature is also useful as a solution to this problem.

 

There is a knockback hole, yes.   Strongly recommend use of -KB IOs rather than burning multiple power selections for Acrobatics.    Three -KB IOs will give you protection comparable to other Tanker powersets that have it natively.

 

Conserve Power / Physical Perfection is nice but not required.    If you build well and use the above listed IOs in combination with passive Accolade buffs you can do just fine without touching Energy Mastery.    Soul Mastery is an attractive alternative that offers Gloom and Darkest Night (which again directly stacks with Defense). 

 

As far as Incarnate choices go, for Alpha many people recommend going Cardiac as it provides endurance cost reduction and a modest boost to Resistance, which are both useful to Dark Armor.    Again, it's possible to handle the endurance issues without this, but it is a popular choice.   The alternatives here would be Musculature to buff damage output or Resilience to get stronger Resistance buffs.     

 

Judgment is pretty much down to personal preference - Ion is most popular, but I prefer Void as it inflicts a -damage debuff on enemies around you helping you tank more effectively.    Interface if you're playing mostly solo or in small teams is probably best slotted with Reactive for extra damage, but in large teams or trials the interface procs from other players will quickly saturate making another choice more effective (after a certain point, you can no longer stack interface procs on a target, so if 10 other people have Reactive yours won't be doing anything).     Degenerative, Diamagnetic or Paralytic are all decent choices.    Lore is down to personal preference again since pretty much any Core tree Lore pet will provide good DPS boosts.     I strongly recommend the Radial tree of Ageless for Destiny, as it's the only way to get Defense Debuff Resistance and also nicely tops off your endurance.     You will very likely want to go Melee for your Hybrid. 

 

Hope you enjoy your Dark tank! 

 

 

 

 

[ninja surprise]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:54 PM, Justaris said:

Dark Regeneration mainly needs Theft of Essence and Recharge.   It doesn't need much heal as it's amazing at base values.    You want some accuracy as this is one power you really need to hit its targets.

 

I agree with all of Justaris's suggestions. Dark Regen: base accuracy is 75% which is kinda low, especially if -acc debuffs are coming in from Circle of Thorns ghosts or something. It can take PBAoE enhancements so I'd give it the Theft of the Essence +End proc,   plus three or four Acc/Rech IOs from Cleaving Blow, Eradication, etc, plus two EndRedux/Rech from the plain Healing sets.

 

For KB, all you need at first is the Blessing of the Zephyr in your travel power. 3pts of -KB is enough for most of the game and if you do find yourself getting knocked back you can add the Karma one to Combat Jumping and a Steadfast Protection to one of your armors. 12 points of protection will block everything except Jane Tremblor and a few other massive knockbacks.