BabySkull Posted June 5 Posted June 5 Hello, I've recently just got back into the game, and I'm really interested in a Shield/Axe tank. Not really sure how well it'll play solo though, I don't really have much friends but I do like being tough to kill precisely since I'm typically solo. Any advice for a fledgling hero would be greatly appreciated.
mcdoogss Posted June 5 Posted June 5 I don't have that exact combo, but I have played both sets. You are going to have exceptional damage, especially AOE. Axe is a top tier damage set, and Shield while being a top tier armor set also has some tools (AAO for +dmg and Shield Charge for an extra AOE) to add to that damage. Pretty much every power includes knockdown, so you will be able to have a very high percentage of uptime on the FF +recharge proc. The flip side of this is that both sets are pretty endurance hungry and neither includes any endurance recovery help. You'll want to prioritize sl0tting the perf shifter +end proc and an end mod IO in Stamina, panacea +hp/+end proc in Health, and Miracle + recovery proc in Health. Along with that, slotting end reduction in your attack powers especially the aoes. With Shield I like to slot the power shifter +hp proc as soon as possible, as the set lacks any sort of heal or even +regen and while leveling you are going to be under defense softcap for a little bit. So you'll be taking damage. The preventative medicine +absorb proc is also a priority. A couple of guides to understand the benefits of +recovery, +end, + regen and +hp procs:
tidge Posted June 9 Posted June 9 I think this is my Shield/Axe build at level 50 Spoiler Primary Power Set: Shield Defense Secondary Power Set: Battle Axe Power Pool: Force of Will Power Pool: Leadership Power Pool: Teleportation Power Pool: Concealment ------------ Level 1: Deflection (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (*) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance Level 1: Chop (A) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge: Level 50 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50 (*) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5 (*) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage (Negative): Level 50 (*) Hecatomb - Damage: Level 50+5 Level 2: Battle Agility (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance (*) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage Level 4: Gash (A) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage: (*) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Damage/RechargeTime (*) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime (*) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Superior Gauntleted Fist - RechargeTime/+Absorb Level 6: Mighty Leap (A) Blessing of the Zephyr (Travel/Endurance): Level 50+5 Level 8: Weaken Resolve (A) HamiO:Lysosome Exposure (Accuracy, Defense Debuff, ToHit Debuff): Level 53 (*) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage (*) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage Level 10: Active Defense (A) D-Sync Deceleration (Slow/Rech/End): Level 52 (*) D-Sync Deceleration (Slow/Rech/End): Level 52 Level 12: Phalanx Fighting (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6% (*) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed Level 14: Against All Odds (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5 Level 16: Taunt (A) Mocking Beratement - Taunt (*) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge (*) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range (*) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge (*) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Range (*) Mocking Beratement - Recharge Level 18: True Grit (A) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance: Level 50+5 (*) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All) (*) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance (*) Panacea - Heal: Level 50+5 (*)Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3% (*) Healing IO: Level 50+5 Level 20: Pendulum (A) Multi-Strike - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 50+5 (*) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (*) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage (*) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage (*) Superior Might of the Tanker - Recharge/Chance for +Res(All) (*) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage Level 22: Wall of Force (A) Javelin Volley - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage (Lethal) (*) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage (Energy) (*) Bombardment - Chance of Damage (Fire) Level 24: Shield Charge (A) Mocking Beratement - Recharge (*) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge (*) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (*) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage (*) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Lethal Damage (*) Force Feedback - Chance of Global Recharge Level 26: Grant Cover (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance (*) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime Level 28: Axe Cyclone (A) Fury of the Gladiator - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff (*) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (*) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage (*) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage (*) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage Level 30: Cleave (A) Armageddon - Damage: Level 50+5 (*) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5 Level 32: Build Up (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up (A)Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5 Level 35: Combat Teleport (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Range / Endurance: Level 50+5 Level 38: Infiltration (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed Level 41: Unleash Potential (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb Level 44: One with the Shield (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance Level 47: Maneuvers (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed Level 49: Stealth (*) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All) Level 1: Brawl (A) HO Nucleolus (Accuracy/Damage) Level 53 Level 1: Gauntlet Level 1: Sprint (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5 Level 2: Rest (A) Interrupt Reduction IO: Level 50+5 Level 4 : Athletic Run Level 2: Swift (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5 Level 2: Health (A) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 40 (*) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery (*) Numina's Convalesence - Hea Level 2: Hurdle (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5 Level 2: Stamina (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End (*) Performance Shifter - EndMod (*) Power Transfer - %Heal I did level it up with some differences (besides the lvl 50 enhancements)... my recollection is that Battle Axe is not as slow as War Mace, but it did feel a little clunky until I got Global +Recharge, I wouldn't say it is much worse than other Tanker secondaries. By the time you get Axe Cyclone (and have Shield Charge), you will get a sense of how powerful the combination is. The Primary powers will let you include plenty of LotG +Recharge pieces. I'll repeat some advice for Tankers: Don't sweat turning on, or even slotting, the primary toggles until they will actually make an observable difference. It took me some time to wrap my head around Active Defense. I have it slotted (at level 50) such that it recharges in about 80 seconds. This is overkill but I originally was just using IOs (so I had 2 slots) and I was lazy and didn't test with just a single D-Sync. There are a handful of deep slows in the game but for most content it is probably ok to cut it closer to 100 second recharge, I want to say that I have perma Active Defense down to the lowest level TFs, but I can't recall and I'm too lazy to math it out.
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