Field Surge without PFF - a good active defense?

[Archived Post]

I'd like some opinions on this: Field Surge as an acitve shield defense. I'm using it on an invuln/might tank, and it happens to fit perfectly thematically. Again, I am NOT using it with PFF.

My initial testing seems to indicate its a nice "oh crap" power to absorb a certain amount of damage. Has anyone used it extensiely in this manner? Does the amount of damage it absorbs scale as you level?

I suppose the alternative is a heal, but themeatically a heal doesn't work as well as this little bubble shield, and I've not heard great things about the heals lately.

Does anyone have any advice or comments?

-Z

[Archived Post]

I'd recommend unbreakable over that for an active defense. It'll fit your "oh snap" idea perfectly and can be advantaged to give enrage as you are hit.

[Archived Post]

I'd like some opinions on this: Field Surge as an acitve shield defense. I'm using it on an invuln/might tank, and it happens to fit perfectly thematically. Again, I am NOT using it with PFF.

Incoming bump! I'm also interested in feedback on this approach.

[Archived Post]

On Field Surge, the patch notes for the test server mention that it's being changed. Basically if you don't have PFF it won't work as well as it could with it. Something to keep in mind for later.

However, I'm not sure if that change has gone live or not yet. If it hasn't and Field Surge is still bugged, it works better without PFF than with it.

About scaling, the in game tool tip doesn't mention scaling with anything other than adding more ranks to it.

That said, I agree with Kenpo on Unbreakable.

[Archived Post]

My fear with unbreakable was that it seemed that if you attacked, you lost the defense. As I am not regen, I need to be able to attack in that "oh crap" moment in order to survive...

I'll check out the notes on test. A proper comparison of Field Surge with Unbreakable would require looking at how much each mitigates for how long, how they scale, and what advantages they provide, something I can't look into right now...

[Archived Post]

My fear with unbreakable was that it seemed that if you attacked, you lost the defense. As I am not regen, I need to be able to attack in that "oh crap" moment in order to survive...

I'll check out the notes on test. A proper comparison of Field Surge with Unbreakable would require looking at how much each mitigates for how long, how they scale, and what advantages they provide, something I can't look into right now...

Where do you get the idea that unbreakable breaks when you attack? I haven't noticed that in the ability description. Seems it's more of a rune that absorbs a set amount of damage, after which damage comes through as normal. Click it, and even while attacking you get 0s above your head until it wears off or you take enough damage.

[Archived Post]

My fear with unbreakable was that it seemed that if you attacked, you lost the defense. As I am not regen, I need to be able to attack in that "oh crap" moment in order to survive...

I'll check out the notes on test. A proper comparison of Field Surge with Unbreakable would require looking at how much each mitigates for how long, how they scale, and what advantages they provide, something I can't look into right now...

Unbreakable does not end when you attack. I use it all the time. The description says something about it's protection stops regenerating when you attack. But for 15 secs you (I know I don't) wouldn't notice it regenerating anyway. It currently functions like adding a set number of HP to your total. At my level it absorbs 1300 points of damage or lasts 15 seconds. Which ever comes first. And it adds enrage when I get hit thus buffing my offense as well as my defense.

[Archived Post]

Unbreakable does not end when you attack. I use it all the time. The description says something about it's protection stops regenerating when you attack. But for 15 secs you (I know I don't) wouldn't notice it regenerating anyway. It currently functions like adding a set number of HP to your total. At my level it absorbs 1300 points of damage or lasts 15 seconds. Which ever comes first. And it adds enrage when I get hit thus buffing my offense as well as my defense.

Ahh, I missunderstood the description it seems... though what they are trying to say and how it actually works is still somewhat of a mysterty to me.

I like the look of field surge, like I said it fits themeatically perfectly... I'd give up the benefit of the enrage stack if field surge had an equivalent amount of HP as unbreakable - does anyone have any numbers on these two powers at equivalent levels?

[Archived Post]

Ahh, I missunderstood the description it seems... though what they are trying to say and how it actually works is still somewhat of a mysterty to me.

I like the look of field surge, like I said it fits themeatically perfectly... I'd give up the benefit of the enrage stack if field surge had an equivalent amount of HP as unbreakable - does anyone have any numbers on these two powers at equivalent levels?

You can open your powers window, select all powers and filter for unavailable. The advanced description of each power should have the numbers you want.

[Archived Post]

I'd imagine Unbreakable functions like this

3 Mobs are attacking you, X, Y, and Z
You pop Unbreakable, and during this time, X and Y both hit you. There attack is greatly reduced cause of buff, and you receive two stacks of the dmg buff. You then decide to strike Z. This burns the two stacks of dmg buff (so essentially, its a On-Next-Hit DMG Buff). As soon as you hit Z, he hits you back, which inturn, gives you 1 stack of dmg buff... Rinse/Repeat

[Archived Post]

I'd imagine Unbreakable functions like this

3 Mobs are attacking you, X, Y, and Z
You pop Unbreakable, and during this time, X and Y both hit you. There attack is greatly reduced cause of buff, and you receive two stacks of the dmg buff. You then decide to strike Z. This burns the two stacks of dmg buff (so essentially, its a On-Next-Hit DMG Buff). As soon as you hit Z, he hits you back, which inturn, gives you 1 stack of dmg buff... Rinse/Repeat

It doesn't work like that.

If X,Y and Z are attacking you they will hit you for exactly 0 damage until they burn through the hitpoints on the unbreakable or until 15 seconds is up.

The advantage is a single stack of enrage that boosts the damage on all attacks you do for its duration which I believe is 20 seconds. It is not a buff to a single attack.