Maer's Template

[Maer]

This is my merc's template that i am working on and this is the best i can come up with. I realize that I probrally need to get another ring besides band of shadows to minimize my melee resists but i cannot find a ring on the housing merchants to help. If someone could help I would highly appreciate it!! Thanks...

Statistics
STR:80/80 CON:78/80 DEX:75/75
QUI:75/75 INT:0/75 PIE:0/75
CHA:0/75 EMP:0/75
Hits:280/280
Power:0/25
AF:0/50

Resistances
Body: 29
Cold: 26
Heat: 21
Energy: 25
Matter: 25
Spirit: 26+5
Crush: 32+2
Slash: 29+3
Thrust: 31

Skills
Slash: 11
Dual Wield: 11
Parry: 11

Bonuses
Style Damage: 5
Melee Damage: 5
Melee Combat Speed: 10

Chest:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
3 Slash
60 Hits
9% Energy
25 Constitution
Utility: 64.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Arms:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
3 Dual Wield
25 Dexterity
11% Energy
5% Cold
Utility: 63.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Head:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
4 Dual Wield
60 Hits
4 Slash
22 Quickness
Utility: 69.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Legs:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
28 Constitution
9% Heat
28 Quickness
2% Matter
Utility: 59.3
TOA Utility: 0.0

Hands:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
60 Hits
25 Quickness
9% Cold
3 Parry
Utility: 64.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Feet:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
4 Slash
4 Parry
60 Hits
4 Dual Wield
Utility: 75.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Hand (Battler):
Imbue: 27.0
15 Strength
15 Dexterity
5% Crush
5% Slash
5% Thrust
5 Melee Combat Speed
5 Melee Damage
Utility: 50.0
TOA Utility: 50.0

Left Hand (Malice Axe):
Imbue: 20.0
15 Strength
15 Strength
40 Hits
5 Strength Cap Increase
5 Constitution Cap Increase
40 Hits Cap Increase
5 Style Damage
Utility: 30.0
TOA Utility: 55.0

Neck (ancient copper necklace):
Imbue: 45.0
10% Crush
10% Thrust
10% Body
10% Spirit
Utility: 80.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Cloak (Harpy Feather Cloak):
Imbue: 30.0
6% Crush
6% Slash
6% Thrust
4 Parry
5 Melee Combat Speed
Utility: 56.0
TOA Utility: 25.0

Jewel (matter bender gem):
Imbue: 24.0
7% Matter
13 Dexterity
13 Constitution
4% Thrust
Utility: 39.3
TOA Utility: 0.0

Belt (Belt of the Sun):
Imbue: 23.0
5% Energy
5% Spirit
5% Crush
10 Strength
40 Hits Cap Increase
10 Dexterity
Utility: 43.3
TOA Utility: 10.0

Left Ring (band of shadows):
Imbue: 33.0
6% Crush
6% Slash
6% Thrust
7% Body
7% Spirit
Utility: 64.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Ring (cenalons ring of might):
Imbue: 31.0
25 Strength
12 Dexterity
12 Constitution
4% Spirit
4% Matter
Utility: 48.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Left Wrist (ebon hide bracer):
Imbue: 30.0
6% Cold
6% Body
6% Heat
6% Slash
6% Matter
Utility: 60.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Wrist (ebon hide bracer):
Imbue: 30.0
6% Cold
6% Body
6% Heat
6% Slash
6% Matter
Utility: 60.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

[Yetti]

Statistics
STR:80/80 CON:78/80 DEX:75/75 <---- PROBLEMS
QUI:75/75 INT:0/75 PIE:0/75
CHA:0/75 EMP:0/75
Hits:280/280 <----- PROBLEMS
Power:0/25
AF:0/50 <---- PROBLEMS

Resistances
were ok. all over 20 minimum, capped if possible.

Skills
quite necessary to max em out imo. Usually depends what your cap using them is, and how your RAs are spent (ie if your capping at parry with only +12 because you've spent a ton on MoP RA and into parry and are a high RR... won't need much, use a calc program to calc your parry... ask someone on the merc boards)


Bonuses
Style Damage: 5 <----- PROBLEMS
Melee Damage: 5 <---- PROBLEMS
Melee Combat Speed: 10

**You really need to fix this so that you take full advantage of pushing the new ToA stats into your template. If you only go up to 80 in a stat vs. someone who's pushing 100 into it, you're now a BLUE CON OPPONENT to them. Sure, you're Yellow con for to-hit calcs, but you're hitting them less than they're hitting you for. By default someone putting a little more research into a template has a starting advantage before combat.

**My suggestion is to scrap this as a 'first attempt.' You learned a bit while making it, now the next step is obvious. You just gotta do some homework and find HIGHER UTILITY items. Morjin posted a linky to a website that I'd requested a few months ago when I was on the VN boards. In it, you can design a search for items using various labels. One label is, UTILITY (yes you can set a certain minimum utility for things you want to find). I'd suggest finding items with 70+ total utility in them if possible, only going to the 60+ utility items if there is no alternative. Use your crafted pieces to only fill in the gaps. Knowing that they're going to be for that, you don't need 6 pieces of mp, because you can even toss in a piece or two of dropped loot for those spots (Having a higher total possible utility than crafted can be).

**Next, I've noticed many players skimping on HITS in their templates. Instead they're going for more resists. Do you realize resists are just how much that specific damage type hits you, hits are more versatile. They're for how much of ANY damage you can take. In essence, more hits are like an ALL-RESIST in that, the higher your hits are the more damage of any type you can take. Now, don't take it the wrong way. In no way am i suggesting getting only hits and no resists. But I'm saying its important to get hits near cap first(IMO!), Then cap the damage that your armor types are weak to. Then the others fill in against most frequented opponent types. Finally, the other resists. In closing, it also makes skills such as IP and FA that replenish a percentage based ammount of hits to you much more effective.

**Lastly, I'd suggest looking closer at Ceremonial bracers, or even gem of lost memories. Their effect of mez or stun turn is very important to a tank. The reason being, secondary forms of crowd control (root being the most common, snare, etc) can completely eliminate a tank's ability to operate (with the exception of your short bow lol!!!!) if you're forced to use your purge on them. Save the purge for the root, then use a mez or stun blocker effect on your artifact. Even cooler is to have a fast demezzer with ya, purge for roots, and stun blocker running. WOOT

[OUTLAWS Jag]

here is my template im using atm.

LOKI Build Report
Default Configuration:
Build Utility: 803.0
Useable Utility: 802.3
TOA Utility: 371.0

Statistics
STR:101/101 CON:100/101 DEX:15/80
QUI:81/80 INT:0/75 PIE:0/75
CHA:0/75 EMP:0/75
Hits:328/368
Power:0/25
AF:10/50

Resistances
Body: 25
Cold: 24
Heat: 25
Energy: 24
Matter: 21
Spirit: 24+5
Crush: 20+2
Slash: 26+3
Thrust: 25

Skills
Crush: 4
Slash: 8
Thrust: 4
Dual Wield: 11
Staff: 4

Bonuses
Spell Range: 4
Spell Damage: 4
Style Damage: 9
Melee Damage: 11
Melee Combat Speed: 10
Fatigue: 5

Chest (Guard of Valor Reaver):
Imbue: 22.0
40 Hits
18 Strength
5 Strength Cap Increase
15 Dexterity
5 Dexterity Cap Increase
4 Melee Damage
4 Spell Damage
4 Style Damage
4 Spell Range
Utility: 32.0
TOA Utility: 100.0

Arms:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
9% Energy
9% Cold
4 Dual Wield
7% Heat
Utility: 70.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Head:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
5% Thrust
9% Energy
19 Quickness
76 Hits
Utility: 59.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Legs:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
4 Dual Wield
4 Slash
9% Cold
19 Quickness
Utility: 70.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Hands (Maddening Scalars Tank):
Imbue: 20.0
40 Hits
15 Constitution
15 Quickness
5 Constitution Cap Increase
5 Quickness Cap Increase
3 Melee Combat Speed
3 Melee Damage
Utility: 30.0
TOA Utility: 50.0

Feet:
Imbue: 37.5/32 (Quality: 100)
3 Dual Wield
16 Strength
28 Quickness
9% Matter
Utility: 62.3
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Hand (Malice's Axe):
Imbue: 20.0
15 Strength
15 Constitution
40 Hits
5 Strength Cap Increase
5 Constitution Cap Increase
40 Hits Cap Increase
5 Style Damage
5 Fatigue
Utility: 30.0
TOA Utility: 65.0

Left Hand (Battler):
Imbue: 30.0
15 Strength
15 Constitution
10 AF
6% Crush
6% Slash
6% Thrust
3 Melee Combat Speed
4 Melee Damage
Utility: 56.0
TOA Utility: 45.0

Neck (Choker of Dispute):
Imbue: 30.0
6% Matter
6% Body
6% Spirit
6% Heat
6% Energy
Utility: 60.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Cloak (Hardened Cetus Skin):
Imbue: 36.0
16 Constitution
2 ALL melee weapon skills
8% Crush
8% Slash
8% Thrust
Utility: 68.7
TOA Utility: 0.0

Jewel (Gem of Moirai):
Imbue: 12.0
7% Spirit
8 Strength Cap Increase
8 Constitution Cap Increase
64 Hits Cap Increase
2 Melee Combat Speed
Utility: 14.0
TOA Utility: 58.0

Belt (Lava Warped Belt):
Imbue: 31.0
15 Strength
15 Constitution
44 Hits
6% Body
6% Heat
Utility: 55.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Left Ring (Band Of Shadows):
Imbue: 33.0
7% Body
7% Spirit
6% Slash
6% Crush
6% Thrust
Utility: 64.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Ring (Ring of Moirai):
Imbue: 24.0
24 Constitution
40 Hits
4% Spirit
8 Constitution Cap Increase
64 Hits Cap Increase
Utility: 34.0
TOA Utility: 32.0

Left Wrist (Ebon Hide Bracer):
Imbue: 30.0
6% Body
6% Cold
6% Heat
6% Matter
6% Slash
Utility: 60.0
TOA Utility: 0.0

Right Wrist (Naxos Abalone Bracer):
Imbue: 23.5
22 Strength
48 Hits
2 ALL melee weapon skills
2 Melee Combat Speed
8 Strength Cap Increase
Utility: 36.7
TOA Utility: 26.0

[Maer]

I have something going on with my stats they are not that low. I did not notice until you pointed it out. They should say some thing like this. This is my base stats with no bonuses.
Str: 119
Con: 95
Dex: 97
Quick: 60
Guess i need to change that on the Loki calculator some way.

[Yetti]

May have forgot to list the weps as equipped or something. Even then, really try to cap out those toa bonuses:) Hits and style/melee damage should be a priority now. They're part of the game, gotta take advantage of em. 100 to your stats, 10 to your class bonuses, 400 hits... then fill in resists and skills on a tank:)

Even if your template slacks a bit on resists, AoM/EM can fix it a little bit. Really swapping out those items with lower utility than 70 can fix it, maybe getting 2 pieces of dropped armor or artifact armor can raise the utility as well. Seeing that low utility gem, i'd really suggest maybe looking at gem of lost memories. It'll raise some toa bonus and have more utility than the gem you're holding. A simple swap of one of those rings for one with hits like gem of the brute for hits. A swap of something like belt of the brute for AF. The brute items aren't nearly the best utility around, but they have the bonuses that you're looking for. If ya can work around em and not use em, I would. But cap those toa stats if ya can!!!

[OUTLAWS Jag]

Maer look at your Malice Axe you have Strenght there 2 times.

Adding all that up tou only have 65 to Str. in your temp

[Yetti]

Wow good eyes Jag! Plus that template makes me hawt, nice one Jag. Swap out the neck, ring, bracer for CB, Zahur and the one off the Leviathan... be pretty tight ticket for a tank.

[Maer]

honestly guys i need alot of help on this temp!!! in my drunken state the other night i striped off all my armor and the last post that i stated from that. I am still a noob at temps because this is the first temp i have ever tried to do a temp even though i was asking jag about it 3 months ago. So any temp speak is kina greak to me and i would apprecitate any one on one with some temp talk!!! I learn fast so just a couple minutes talk i will have a grasp on it. I will be on tomorrow night so if someone could please help.

Thanks,

Maer

[Yetti]

I fear helping others in such ways. Sometimes I make mistakes and don't want you not enjoying yourself as much as you could if I hadn't spoken up. But... someone who doesn't make those mistakes is Jag. I'd bother him a ton. Like call him on the phone. IRL. At home. 3'o'clock in the morning. Every morning. For months.

Templates aren't hard though, most of the time I'll just point out things that I'd change. Pretty much offering little to no help on HOW to change it. Maybe tossing you a bone with some item ideas, usually not. Kinda goes on the 'give-a-man-a-fish, teach-a-man-to-fish' philosophy... without the teaching part. Gotta love all my 'help.'

[OUTLAWS Jag]

First of all Maer you need to decide what you want and the budget you have in mind. Making an awesome template wont help you if you can never get it done. I will be glad to help you if you want just shoot me a tell in game and we can create a TS channel an work on it together.

I will help you as much as I can with scrolls and to farm them if you want just try to have an idea of what you want.

Like I told you earlier on the dex thing.. you need to decide if you want to be a grp merc or a solo merc. Dex is very important to a solo merc because its your Parry and evade. Yet to a grp merc it really doesnt play alot into it because you are usually on an assist train so you can save on the points there and boost something else.

Like Dave also said I would go higher hits over capping every single Resist. 2-3% on a resist wont hurt as much as lowewring you hits 100 points because HP works for everything.

I also would have to disagree on the GOLM or CB yes they are nice but Mercs have something Nobody else has and thats Charge. I would go Charge3 All the way having it up every 180 sec is just so sweet. If you hit it every time you enter a fight you cant be mezzed or anything and usually buy the time it wears off your casters should have the enemy pretty well interupted. Thats just my opinion. Plus they do not have alot of utility.

The most inportant things to a slash Merc is
Str
Con
Qui
Dex

[Yetti]

True, but the group that can outflank their opponents usually wins. If ya get clipped from behind or side and eat CC, that's where the cc turning effect comes into play. Most radar groups will pincer or flank and you'll never see them coming before they're in cc range... that gives you .1 seconds to react and charge em. Nice to know you're not gonna be chewing that fat, saving purge for end battle root, and able to pop charge to start combat.

[Maer]

I run grouped way more than solo so the low dex temp would prob be the way to go. Budget is not really a prob either and as bad as I hate to get another arti and level it, it looks like im gonna need GoV to get the melee caps to 10%. I will talk to you in game either tonight or Thursday. Thanks for all the help so far guys!!!!