How often is having more than four points of KB protection actually a factor?

[ZorkNemesis]

Everybody hates knockback/knockdowns against them.  It's one of the only effects that actually removes control and prevents you from acting in any capacity and I actually had a case where I died by being stuck in KB animations not allowing me to pop a Respite a couple days ago.  To counter this, nearly every build has some kind of KB protection, usually either the armor set's status toggle or an enhancment that adds protection.  It occurs to me though: after I take that power or slot the Blessing of the Zepyhr or Steadfast Protection nothing ever knocks me again from that point save for Diabolique and Fake Nemeses.  Even doing incarnate stuff I seldom get knocked with just that four points of KB protection.  Now i'm not trying to suggest more KB, you become a pinball without that four points in short order, but does it sometimes feel like that one enhancement is a little overkill seeing that it stops 99% of all non-PvP knock effects?

 

Just trying to make some discussion is all.

[Hedgefund]

For non meleers, I'm a-ok with 3 or 4 points (some PVP sets give 3 as a bonus).

 

For a tank I do try to get in the neighborhood of 11-12, for those sets without native -kb protection and resist.  For the other meleers I'm content with 7 or 8, maybe 4 for some Stalkers.

[SupaFreak]

4 is generally all I use as well.

[Snarky]

surprisingly F-ing little.

[Uun]

8 hours ago, Hedgefund said:

For non meleers, I'm a-ok with 3 or 4 points (some PVP sets give 3 as a bonus).

 

For a tank I do try to get in the neighborhood of 11-12, for those sets without native -kb protection and resist.  For the other meleers I'm content with 7 or 8, maybe 4 for some Stalkers.

THIS

[tidge]

IIRC, the next "threshold" for KB is at 11 points... that is, of the (single) enemies that do KB, their is a tier of them that do it with magnitude between 4 and 11.

 

I believe it is possible to end up facing combat where multiple enemies may be stacking KB (Ruin Mages, Longbow, et al.) such that 8 points can provide some extra protection... but high defenses should mitigate this circumstance.

 

KB protection is also purchasable as a temp power in a SG base, IIRC 90 minutes for +10 IIRC.

 

The most annoying mission with KB (for me) is the RWZ Vanguard boss.

[sbloyd]

For the longest time I rolled with zero, and just hovered all the time.  The flip-in-place was much less of a headache than a knockdown/back.

[Ironblade]

Four points is plenty for pretty much every AT that doesn't get it in a powerset.  I never bother getting more than 4 points on anyone that isn't a tank or brute.  Most of the powers that give KNB protection ALSO give KNB resistance, making them even more effective than the points of KNB protection would suggest.

 

For a tank with an armor set that doesn't give KNB protection, I've done it with 8 points and it was rarely an issue.

[PLVRIZR]

7 hours ago, tidge said:

The most annoying mission with KB (for me) is the RWZ Vanguard boss.

Mine is Crimson Prototype in the Market Crash Trial.  Some ridiculous mag 100-something KB, if he picks you.  Hate having tanks, that *never* get knocked down go flying...

[Uun]

18 minutes ago, PLVRIZR said:

Mine is Crimson Prototype in the Market Crash Trial.  Some ridiculous mag 100-something KB, if he picks you.  Hate having tanks, that *never* get knocked down go flying...

He's got several:
Power Push - mag 200 unresistable ST

Nova Stomp - mag 20 unresistable 30 ft AoE

Explode - mag 200 unresistable 100 ft AoE (upon defeat)

 

[kelika2]

4pt will protect you from most of the games knockback

8pt will protect you from higher level things (+2 or so) like 5th/council robots or rocket/grenadeers

12pt is a little overkill because if you get knocked back by something it was most likely designed to knock anyone down.

 

that said my ranged do fine with 4pt

and my dark/fire armor melee do fine with 8pt

i dont do 12pt anymore on recent wave of respecs

[ZemX]

1 hour ago, PLVRIZR said:

Mine is Crimson Prototype in the Market Crash Trial.  Some ridiculous mag 100-something KB, if he picks you.  Hate having tanks, that *never* get knocked down go flying...

 

Goliath War Walker's Ground Slam will knock down anyone with less than 20 KB protection because it is also unresistable.

 

Fair warning too, the new Council on Brainstorm seem to have a "critical" KB that was knocking back my Rad tanker.  Not super often but it was happening.  And that was just a PI radio.  I assume it's probably a mag 20 to 100 somewhere unresistable KB.

[KC4800]

Prima Consigliere can call out Singularities that can toss about Ice Tankers if more than one is aggroed. This is extremely rare. I think it is a later stage Portal Corp mission. Beware.

[Uun]

3 hours ago, KC4800 said:

Prima Consigliere can call out Singularities that can toss about Ice Tankers if more than one is aggroed. This is extremely rare. I think it is a later stage Portal Corp mission. Beware.

That's repel, not kb (Ice Armor doesn't have repel protection). Not common blue side, but very common red side.

[biostem]

I rely on the kb protection IO on my crab spider, and if I'm opening a fight against a group of council, they'll sometimes spam their grenades and I'll still get knocked back.  Similarly, my /ninjitsu sentinels only have the auto power to grant kb protection, and sometimes I'll still get knocked back, since that auto power has a lesser value than similar toggles or clicks.

Edited January 25 by biostem

[macskull]

5 hours ago, ZemX said:

Fair warning too, the new Council on Brainstorm seem to have a "critical" KB that was knocking back my Rad tanker.  Not super often but it was happening.  And that was just a PI radio.  I assume it's probably a mag 20 to 100 somewhere unresistable KB.

Some of the reworked bosses have critical KB which is unresisted.

 

To the OP's point, based on the wiki's list of enemies with knockback powers, 4 points is enough to cover about 80% of all NPC knockback powers, while 8 points is enough to cover about 95%.

[shortguy on indom]

New Hami raid healers being blown back by the wind comes to mind.  Used to covertly drop Zeph enhancements into their pocket.  Never liked the flipping motion of the hover myself.