Willpower/Stone Melee Tanker Guide
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The Glory of Gaea: A Guide to Willpower / Stone Melee Tanking
This is a proposed illustrated build guide for PvE oriented Willpower/Stone Melee tankers. The purpose here is to build a Willpower/Stone Melee tanker that can tank late game missions at the highest level of difficulty, while keeping the ability to solo effectively at a reasonable pace.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.30
Glory of Gaea: Level 50 Natural Tanker Primary Power Set: Willpower Secondary Power Set: Stone Melee Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Fitness Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Speed
Hero Profile:
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance
(A) Healing IO: Level 40 (3) Healing IO: Level 40 (7) Healing IO: Level 40 (11) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (46) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (46) Resist Damage IO: Level 40
Why this?
You have two primary choices available at level 1: High Pain Tolerance, which has slight but acceptable, passive, physical damage resistance and boosts your overall health; or Mind over Body, an endurance eating toggle that provides better damage resistance.
Why now?
Because it isn't the toggle. Stone Melee is an endurance heavy set. You will need all the advantages you get with respect to endurance.
Why these slots?
We slot health early, resistance relatively late. The health bonus you get from this power is substantial. It mitigates every sort of damage you might face. The resistance bonus you get from slotting this is relatively small. You can put it off until nothing better comes around.
Level 1: Stone Fist
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (42) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (42) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (46) Damage Increase IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because you don't have a choice.
Why now?
See "Why this?"
Why these slots?
This attack is one you get early on. By the time you have slots you can give to your attacks, you have better attacks to put them in than this one; it is therefore the lowest priority among your several attacks.
Level 2: Fast Healing
(A) Healing IO: Level 40 (3) Healing IO: Level 40 (5) Healing IO: Level 40
Why this?
This power boosts your health regeneration substantially.
Why now?
Because it isn't a toggle, and health regeneration helps mitigate all damage.
Why these slots?
ED limits us to three effective slots at SO/IO levels. We want them all, and we want them as soon as possible.
Level 4: Heavy Mallet
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (5) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (7) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (15) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (34) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (34) Damage Increase IO: Level 40
Why this?
The only other power available at this level is the toggle from the primary. But even if you want to be a meatshield at level 4, you still need attacks to generate threat.
You can get a weaker version of this, the Stone Mallet. This one hits harder. So we take it instead.
Why now?
This is a fairly good attack. Slotting this yields superior results to slotting Stone Fist.
Why these slots?
While this build focuses on basic tanking ability, attacks are needed for a character to be interesting to play.
Level 6: Indomitable Will
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (43) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (43) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (43) Defense Buff IO: Level 40
Why this?
This is your mezz and knockaround protection. Get it immediately.
Why now?
Because it protects you from mezzes and knockdown, duh! Once this is in play, you will be able to really tank even in the Atlas Park sewers.
Why these slots?
Slotting this for defense is not a priority. The defense provided is only against psionic damage. It is good that such defense is available. But you really only start facing that kind of damage heavily in the post-40 game.
Level 8: Rise to the Challenge
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (9) Healing IO: Level 40 (9) Healing IO: Level 40 (15) Healing IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because it substantially increases your health regeneration for every enemy you face; and because it also taunts them.
Why now?
Taunt auras are an important aspect of playing a tanker.
Why these slots?
You could, if you wanted, slot this for such things as taunt duration or accuracy debuff. Do this if you want debuff IO sets in your build; or, if you feel you need additional taunt beyond what you can get from your several AoE and single target attacks. But the most important thing is to increase its effects on your health regeneration, and to somewhat mitigate the fact that it chews on your endurance as a toggle.
Level 10: Air Superiority
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (11) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (31) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (37) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (40) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because it's one of the handiest pool power attacks in the game. You will want a travel power pool, and this puts you in the running.
Some tankers swear by the defense buff in Combat Jumping. This power has almost guaranteed knockup that stops an enemy's attacks for several seconds while doing damage to boot. I think there's more damage mitigation here, although a direct mathematical comparison would be difficult.
Why now?
Because we can.
Why these slots?
This has non-standard attack slotting. Feel free to slot for damage instead of recharge; it isn't really slow. But being able to quickly fire this on a number of enemies in a spawn gets you a lot of both mitigation and aggro.
Level 12: Quick Recovery
(A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40 (13) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40 (13) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because one of the chief attractions of the Willpower set is the ability to get this power at level 12.
Why now?
Because it has been your whole purpose in life to get your willpower/stone tanker to level 12 to claim this prize.
Why these slots?
Because, thanks to ED, it isn't cost effective to six slot this for endurance recovery
Level 14: Fly
(A) Flight Speed IO: Level 40 (17) Flight Speed IO: Level 40
Why this?
It's your travel power. Fly gets it done in one. It also takes a handy IO set.
Why now?
Tradition. You could postpone a travel power if you wanted to, but I don't.
Why these slots?
Fly benefits from being slotted for flight speed. It is the slowest of the travel powers, though the most maneuverable, and the ability to always take a direct line and avoid aggro on the ground is also useful.
The Freebird: Stealth IO from the Freebird set is relatively inexpensive. Slotting one of those here gives you two minutes of Stealth by activating Fly. Stealth is not something commonly associated with tankers, but nevertheless extremely useful when soloing glowie hunt missions. And two of the Freebird set slotted here gives you a small but valuable endurance recovery buff. Endurance conservation is one of the chief focuses of this build.
Level 16: Swift
(A) Run Speed IO: Level 40 (17) Run Speed IO: Level 40
Why this?
A quality of life power. Team members are not always patient, or where they need to be. Swift helps you be the one the mobs notice first.
This puts us in the running for the Stamina pool. Hurdle is the other Fitness option; it makes you jump higher. Both are handy. Swift benefits Fly, which we've already committed to, having taken Air Superiority. Hurdle does not.
Why now?
This starts the Fitness pool. Because Stone Melee is such an endurance heavy set, I recommend an old school, traditional build order aimed at Stamina as soon as possible, and postponing other things until both QR and Stamina are in place. There aren't any other hard hitting attacks available from your secondary at this stage.
Why these slots?
Two slots of running speed in Swift also benefit Fly.
Level 18: Health
(A) Healing IO: Level 40 (19) Healing IO: Level 40 (19) Healing IO: Level 40 (31) Healing IO: Level 40
Why this?
It adds to your regeneration, and stacks with both Fast Healing and Rise to the Challenge.
Why now?
First opportunity.
Why these slots?
The shown slotting violates the ED soft cap: the fourth slot of Healing adds only 5% to the health regeneration bonus of the ability.
It is there for a reason, though. There are a number of Health sets, such as Numina's Convalescence and Miracle, that have unique enhancements that boost your endurance recovery (Miracle) or both your endurance and regeneration (Numina's). These sets are extremely expensive, a fact that testifies to how prized they are. Since under this build you will ultimately be running six (!) toggles at least some of the time, as well as attacking using one of the heaviest endurance cost secondaries, either or both of those rare enhancements are worth seeking.
Four slotting this allows for at least one of those specials to be placed here without losing any regeneration from the base power. If you use either of them, you want to put them here, in a passive power where they will be always on; rather than in a toggle like Rise to the Challenge. Both sets also have pure Heal IO enhancements, which can also be substituted for the generic IO shown, without loss of effectiveness.
If you go to the effort to acquire these rare IO sets, you may want to put more of them in your build. The other IOs in the set add things like endurance reduction, not useful in a passive power. They are only half healing, which reduces their effectiveness at adding to your regeneration somewhat. So if we are going to spec any of those sets, we'd want to put them in the less powerful regeneration power (Health) rather than the more powerful one (Fast Healing), so you lose less regeneration in seeking those bonuses.
Healing sets can also be slotted into High Pain Tolerance. It too is a passive. Since the heals slotted there increase your base hitpoints, and the damage resistance slotted there is enhancing the base value of a passive power and is relatively weak, non-heal IOS in healing sets should be substituted for resistance rather than heals if you put them there.
Level 20: Stamina
(A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40 (21) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40 (21) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40 (34) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40
Why this?
This power boosts your endurance recovery. By now you know you need as much of that as you can get.
Why now?
First opportunity, again.
Why these slots?
For the same reasons we four-slotted Health, above, and used it as the place to put the unique IOs. Unique IOs that should be sought here include the Performance Shifter Chance for +End, which has a 20% chance to give you back 10 endurance. Slotted in a passive, it goes off approximately once every 10 seconds. Since that enhancement does not enhance the base recovery of the power, a fourth slot is prepared for it.
Level 22: Mind Over Body
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (23) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (23) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (33) Resist Damage IO: Level 40
Why this?
This power boosts physical damage resistance.
Why now?
The second last of the primary toggles, you'd need it eventually. It was, after all, available at level 2. But we've waited until both QR and Stamina was in place to start running 3 toggles.
This power also only starts to really improve your survivability when slotted with single origin or better quality enhancements. Apart from random drops or the Penelope Yin story arc, those become available from stores at level 25. You won't get much benefit from having this chewing on your endurance at level 1.
Why these slots?
Basic slotting for a damage resistance toggle is shown.
Level 24: Heightened Senses
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (25) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (25) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (31) Defense Buff IO: Level 40
Why this?
This is the last toggle of your primary. Itr provides you defense against exotic damage types.
Why now?
This power became available at level 18. We waited until now to take it, because with Stone Melee as your attack set, you definitely want to wait until both Quick Recovery and Stamina are in place before trying to keep up four toggles.
Why these slots?
Basic slotting for a defensive toggle power is shown.
Level 26: Build Up
(A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (27) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (27) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (50) To Hit Buff IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because it makes your attacks do more damage and likelier to hit.
Why now?
We prioritized other things, like a good little meatshield. Now we start to have fun with this character.
This and the next two secondary powers could have been chosen in any order. If you want Fault or Taunt earlier, take them now and postpone this. Fault only benefits from the to-hit buff of Build Up; it does no damage.
Why these slots?
Because we want this to be up as often as possible.
Level 28: Fault
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (29) Range IO: Level 40 (29) Taunt Duration IO: Level 40
Why this?
Worthwhile for any meatshield, this is.
Why now?
This power, though it does no damage, is great fun, and carries a lot of mitigation. You can keep several mobs on their rear ends with this; it's like a multi target version of Air Superiority.
Why these slots?
Since it does no damage, but affects multiple mobs, one accuracy is generally good enough. Range makes it go a little farther. Taunt, because I use this as a mini-taunt. This accept Stun, Knockback, and Taunt IOs. The stun set Rope a Dope is worth pursuing. Two of them give you a regeneration bonus.
Level 30: Taunt
(A) Taunt Duration IO: Level 40
Why this?
Worthwhile for any meatshield, this is.
Why now?
Opportunity. And, by now, with the mitigation from your four primary toggles, Air Superiority, and Fault, you ought to be able to easily survive the aggro you can collect by Taunt.
Why these slots?
Taunt generally does not require slots in PvE. There are a number of valuable sets that can be slotted in taunt powers. But any power in your secondary will take them. Fault might be a better place for them.
Level 32: Strength of Will
(A) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (33) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (33) Resist Damage IO: Level 40
Why this?
Worthwhile for any meatshield, this is.
Why now?
Couldn't before.
Why these slots?
This is your "o fhit" button, the only one that Willpower gets. It's a clicky, and it increases your recovery while it is in operation, so slotting it for endurance reduction is unnecessary. You won't really be needing this that often. So we just max out the damage resistance we get in it and move on.
Level 35: Tremor
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (36) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (36) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (36) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (37) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (37) Damage Increase IO: Level 40
Why this?
Your PBAoE attack. A painfully slow animation, but useful for getting a lot of threat on multiple enemies. It also contains a fair amount of mitigation, similar to Fault.
Why now?
Couldn't before.
Why these slots?
Standard attack slotting is shown. This power accepts Melee AoE sets like Scirocco's Dervish.
Level 38: Seismic Smash
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (39) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (39) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (39) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (40) Damage Increase IO: Level 40 (40) Damage Increase IO: Level 40
Why this?
The best attack is last.
Why now?
Couldn't before.
Why these slots?
Standard attack slotting. You want as much accuracy and damage in this as is reasonably feasible.
Level 41: Boxing
(A) Accuracy IO: Level 40 (42) Disorient Duration IO: Level 40
Why this?
Because you gotta if you want Tough and Weave.
Why now?
If you really needed earlier attacks, it could have been taken earlier.
Why these slots?
Slotting this is not a priority. This is Brawl's older brother. It does, however, accept Stun IOs like Stupefy. Two of those gets you an endurance recovery boost.
Level 44: Tough
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (45) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (45) Resist Damage IO: Level 40 (45) Resist Damage IO: Level 40
Why this?
This power provides a fairly substantial boost to your resistance against smashing and lethal damage. With this and Weave, you could almost skip Strength of Will if you really wanted to.
Why now?
You really don't need this extra resistance until late in the game, but it really helps against archvillains.
Why these slots?
Standard slotting for a damage resistance toggle is shown.
Level 47: Weave
(A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40 (48) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (48) Defense Buff IO: Level 40 (48) Defense Buff IO: Level 40
Why this?
This provides you with an across the board boost to your ability to dodge all kinds of incoming damage.
Why now?
You really don't need this extra defebse until late in the game, but it really helps against archvillains.
Why these slots?
Standard slotting for a defense toggle is shown.
Level 49: Hasten
(A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (50) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40 (50) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40
Why this?
Helps overclock your offense when you want or need that.
Why now?
Little better you can do with the limited slots you have available at level 49
Why these slots?
It's all it takes.
Paths not taken
Primary
One power of the primary has been skipped: Resurgence. This power enables you to resurrect yourself, and provides fairly strong accuracy bonuses immediately after the resurrection, with a crash.
You shouldn't be using this all that often with all of the various sorts of defense and resistance available to you.
Secondary
Two attacks from the secondary are skipped. Stone Mallet, a faster but weaker version of Heavy Mallet; and Hurl Boulder, a ranged attack that can knock fliers down.
Stone Mallet could be substituted for Heavy Mallet if you prefer.
You don't need Hurl in this build: you can fly yourself, and you have Air Superiority to bring flying mobs to the ground.
No epic / auxiliary pools
No epic / auxiliary pool powers are taken in this build.
In my opinion, those power pools offer two choices. You can take Energy Mastery for the valuable power Conserve Power, a clicky that reduces endurance costs. Or, you can take one of the elemental pool powers, where the payoffs are ranged AoE attacks and single target holds.
We don't have Energy Mastery here, because we've constantly focused on getting as much recovery as possible. Quick Recovery and Stamina, together with some of the suggested IO set uniques, should be enough to enable you to maintain an active pace without endurance issues. So that would be a waste. Focussed Accuracy is mostly for PvP, and this is a PvE build.
Holds are valuable for late game tankers specifically because of Malta missions, and the problems posed by Sappers. You get a single target hold in your secondary from Seismic Smash, so you're covered there.
So basically what you are losing here is a ranged AoE attack. The movement bonuses from Swift should be enough to get mobs in your aura before someone else attacks them, if you prefer an active play style.
In exchange for that, we took Fighting instead, which improves your primary role as a meatshield.