Request Experience/Feedback regarding Shield and secondaries...

[Owenknowone]

Rolled a few different shield tankers thus far.  SD/DM     SD/RAD     and      SD/MA.

 

I am asking those who have rolled tanks with these combos what their thoughts are on them.  I can make all of them work concept wise yet DM always seem to just feel magic like so that seems to lean towards a certain way.  I understand Shield is great on a tank and DM seems to offer the best utility of the secondaries yet MA does provide the def buff and it fits nicer in a way with shields (Captain whomever).  OR is shield better suited for a scrapper?  Just looking for help in what benefits shield offers to tanker versus other AT.  I have plenty of tankers ready to move into the 50 zones and want to take focus on one or two and make sure I am not missing anything with these combos.  Thanks!

[PLVRIZR]

I picked War Mace for my Shield tanker, and it is a very enjoyable combo.  I think the greatest benefit of MA is the +Def, which is completely wasted on a properly built SD tank.  I have non-SD tanks with DM and Rad, and both are also good.  DM is a bit slow, with really only one true AOE (but unkillable paired with Inv) and Rad is (IMHO) clunky, albeit effective.

 

Best of luck, with whichever you choose!

Edited April 17, 2022 by PLVRIZR
Typo

[Owenknowone]

Thank you for your response.  I understand your points about each power set.  DM always offers a set of skills that balance SD and to a degree so does Rad but not as much.  

[Psyonico]

I've got a SD/Rad somewhere in the 40s, he's a beast, BUT... OMG endurance woes!

 

I've played a few levels of DM/SD brute... Tanks are just so much better imo, but I could see the synergy there.

[C U R S E]

SD/DM is icing on the cake which is overkill

[Owenknowone]

6 hours ago, C U R S E said:

SD/DM is icing on the cake which is overkill

So it's not worth it?

[SeraphimKensai]

I have an SD/SS, SD/SM, SD/Elec, SD/DM, and SD/BS.

 

I've also played all the other secondaries as well and have come to a conclusion you can't find a bad pairing with SD. So go forth and multiply.

[Infinitum]

14 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

I have an SD/SS, SD/SM, SD/Elec, SD/DM, and SD/BS.

 

I've also played all the other secondaries as well and have come to a conclusion you can't find a bad pairing with SD. So go forth and multiply.

SC + LR + Chain Induction + Thunderstrike + ionic if avail. will wipe most mobs you can face.  Such a cool feeling - brings a grin every time.

[PLVRIZR]

On 4/17/2022 at 4:07 AM, Owenknowone said:

So it's not worth it?

 

Very worth it.  Here's mine:

 

https://www.midsreborn.com/builds/download.php?uc=1587&c=736&a=1472&f=HEX&dc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

 

 

Stats, not including procs or incarnates:

 

[Jiro Ito]

I think shield is just so good that you can pair it with whatever you enjoy for concept or playability and be successful.  I paired it with ice melee because I don't see much ice melee, the slippery ice patch makes me happy and provides some additional mitigation, and the concept of the ice shield paired with ice swords fits my ice golem theme.  

[MrAxe2]

Shield/Psionic Melee here, it's my main. Both sets having a damage buff is nice as it elevates you beyond the minimum damage tanks. Not only that but shield's damage buff really helps make mass levitate a decent attack as otherwise its a bit weaker for a tier 9. Other than that the only other synergy (gameplay wise) is if you shield charge in, wait a second then mass levitate mobs you can keep them on their arses for a good while. Theme wise the psi blades go well with the shield.

[Bill Z Bubba]

Shield/Nrg here. Shield is over the top on mitigation so needs none from the secondary and Nrg is over the top on single target damage and the AoE is improved considerably with Shield Charge. No end woes to speak of and that's with Soul Mastery instead of Energy Mastery unless I'm also cranking Darkest Night but even then, there's always Ageless.

[StriderIV]

1 hour ago, MrAxe2 said:

Shield/Psionic Melee here, it's my main. Both sets having a damage buff is nice as it elevates you beyond the minimum damage tanks. Not only that but shield's damage buff really helps make mass levitate a decent attack as otherwise its a bit weaker for a tier 9. Other than that the only other synergy (gameplay wise) is if you shield charge in, wait a second then mass levitate mobs you can keep them on their arses for a good while. Theme wise the psi blades go well with the shield.

Currently leveling this combo on a scrapper. Shield charge + Mass levitate = good times.

[StriderIV]

On 4/17/2022 at 5:25 PM, Infinitum said:

SC + LR + Chain Induction + Thunderstrike + ionic if avail. will wipe most mobs you can face.  Such a cool feeling - brings a grin every time.

+1. My first 50 was a Shield/Elec based off of Inf’s build. While there may be more optimal pairings, Shield/Elec might be the most “fun per click” in the game.

[Bill Z Bubba]

Spent the day (meaning today, a couple hours this morning, another hour this afternoon... maybe) soloin a bio/rad/soul tank to 40 from 36. Basically a mission per level at max diff. ST still sucks at this point but the AoE is stupid strong already. Both will become ridiculous post 50. Runnin pure efficiency mode. I'm still disgusted by the tank damage changes. They did NOT deserve this kind of damage output with the mitigation they provide.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Bill Z Bubba

[Infinitum]

53 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Spent the day (meaning today, a couple hours this morning, another hour this afternoon... maybe) soloin a bio/rad/soul tank to 40 from 36. Basically a mission per level at max diff. ST still sucks at this point but the AoE is stupid strong already. Both will become ridiculous post 50. Runnin pure efficiency mode. I'm still disgusted by the tank damage changes. They did NOT deserve this kind of damage output with the mitigation they provide.

I think thats more of an effect of the powerset you chose - greater aoe range and cap for tankers + contamination + a crap ton of -def and some -res+ energy and some toxic dmg.  Yeah its going to aoe the crap out of mobs but thats more the powerset than the fact its a tanker - some powersets will be more efficient on tankers than other ATs.

 

Take EM nothing will beat the feels of a EM/NRG Stalker - or even a EM/Shield Stalker - EM just fits best on a stalker but is still decent on other ATs.

 

Try a Rad/Elec Brute and compare it to a Elec/Rad Tanker. The Brute is better - because the powerset fits better.  Not a design flaw but a synergy that exists with every AT in the game and certain powersets - that doesnt mean the tanker changes overpowered the AT because on the baseline its right where it needed to be with outliers on either side.