advice requested

[sextant]

Greetings fellow meatshields,

I'm a 174 soli enfo, 2hb and geared 100% for tanking. I've attached my setup and am looking/hoping for any suggestions you could make on where I am now, and perhaps things to prepare for in the near future.

http://auno.org/ao/equip.php?saveid=17622

A couple of points..
I went 2hb to avoid spending IP on multi-melee, as it's so tight at lower levels. I'll be switching to 1hb sometime around TL6. So far I've been very happy with the decision, as it's allowed me to spread some IP around in other necessary areas.
I'm still low enough that holding agg hasn't been too much of a problem, any insight on when the DD toons will start making it difficult? I'm typically 3 or 4 on damage dumper.
With doc buffs and mongo I have 16k HP. Does that sound about right for my level? I'd like to start looking at more damage rather than more HP.

Thanks again guys.

[Manaas]

Team a shade with dual nippies and you will start seeing aggro shift between you, soldiers+fixers at that level can potentially make things difficult too.

[Mamman]

That setup looks perfectly fine to me, I'd get myself a viral compiler in deck6, to me that's invaluable, some claim it's not worth it but try it out and see if you like it. Can get yourself a penumbra sanctuary key if ncu starts to hurt, you'll still have a buttload of HP.
You can also try a maul of gwyddawg for some mean damage at your level before you switch to 1hb.
You use an ear implant instead of a symb which I think is perfectly fine, but I'd say nanocost owns concealment in bright spot for a tanking enforcer.

Switching your perks around a little could net you a neat HoT from colossal health if you care for soloing, it'll come at the cost of a bit of HP tho since troll form is the only real alternative to take those perks from.

[Dugglerrr]

If you're worried about losing agg, get a MoR and 2 rings that add melee dmg. Might also be worth it to camp some sanguisugent rather than using pred feet and smugglers gloves.

I also agree about the compiler, it's worth it just in saved IP alone but unfortunately for solitus a maul of gwyddawg is not an option . It's too bad too, the weapon is great up until TL7.

Just to briefly answer your questions, my enfo never really had problems with agg until teaming TL7 DD profs in pen missions, the period from 200-210 was a pain to hold agg but wasn't all that bad. If I had a team with a DDer tanking, I just tried to keep an eye on the squishies (mongo when needed) and used challenger a lot

[Mamman]

Ah right solitus, well stick with kyr then

[sextant]

Yep the gwydawg would be great if only I could equip it. As it is im oe on the Kyr without 2hb buffed, and OE on it when challenger and crat buff are running. Odd for sure, but would take too much reperking at this point to get into better Kyr.
As far as a compiler goes, I'll give it a go if I cant max nano init at next ding. Any idea how much I need there to insta cast layers?
A MoR is actually next on my list, just need to round up some friends and make a run to IS.
Some nice sanguisant would be great, guess I'll have to get myself parked in Pen hollows somehow and camp it with an alt.

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated. Would love to hear from some more of you :-)

[Mamman]

Instacasting layers at full def requires somewhere around 2200-2300 NI, I wouldn't nessecaily push it that far but I think having atleast somewhere in the region of 1800 without rage is well worth it.

[Luuv]

Dunno how nano is for you. Maybe nano delta instead of runspeed in the right wrist would be an improvement. Depending on how close you are to next better tick, dumping the VTE or using a second one may be a consideration with that. Same with the ear implant. If you can get into a better nano tick with psychic instead of inteligence in the ear, mebbe exchange it.

Also, you can implant +melee damage in left and right wrist. Dunno if that is worth the effort, but then again, jobe clusters are cheap, and you asked for more damage.

I know that's only me, but I always like paramedic armor for (sub-tl7, non-rich) enforcers. Cheap, good AC, only useful stats. Paramedic gloves for example may be a good replacement for the Smugglers. Or you could do the ely quest for the silver spider knuckledusters. They add melee damage. And you could gather some friend and raid outside biodome a bit. Helluva lot fun, especially if you are sick of seeing huge walking rocks all the time. Reactive armor is decent, nanocost reduction and + HP and other useful stuff, your doc friends will like any spare parts and be glad to be able to use CH for a change. And I can assure you that raiding it involves a lot more tactics than beating up innocent hecks in ado. ^^

[sextant]

Wow supurb info here guys and all much appreciated.
I've started to do Pen mishes, and nano pool is becoming a problem (definately seeing agg move away from me now with higher DDs in team), so im going with psychic (will get me to next higher nano tick). It seems that neither ear or r-wrist nano clusters are available from the vendor. R-wrist has bugged description and ear just isnt dropping from him.
As far as shoulder items, gah there's so many options, but im leaning to swapping clan pad for a MoR.
I hadn't even considered reactive but it looks beautiful for my lev .. pants/boots/gloves give same ac's as as what I have now, mods would be +550HP, -5% nano cost and +5 addalldef, a nice package and priced right. Timing is great too as guild is now on the rampage for a successful raid inside, so the outside stuff might be equipped soon :-)
Instacast layers at full def 2200 NI, arg that's lev 215. Im going with a nice compiler there for sure as soon as I can round one up.
It looks like Im going to have to give up my xp precious rings for melee damage :/


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[Kyai]

You won't be instacasting layers at 215, there's more important places to put your IP at those levels. At 220 I freed up the IP to max NanoC.Init by resetting various redundant and overspent skills. Personally I like my 2.2kish nano.init self; but this was something I gave quite a lot of thought to, and went for mainly for PvP. In PvM you will never need more than 1.6Kish to succeed; that said, a viral compiler is a must-have

[Luuv]

It seems that neither ear or r-wrist nano clusters are available from the vendor. R-wrist has bugged description and ear just isnt dropping from him.

Not really, the jobe vendor doesn't sell nano delta clusters - and that is the reason why it is the only rollable jobe cluster. Even for clusters ql201+, which is really nice. Names of the clusters are
A Shining NanoCluster of Nano Regeneration
(right wrist)
A Bright NanoCluster of Nano Regeneration
(right arm)
A Faded NanoCluster of Nano Regeneration
(feet)

Using the bright cluster in a right arm imp is prolly not an option. The shiny one definately is. Bright nano delta and bright brawling collide in the right arm, and you'd be loosing str, AAD and AAO as well from using an implant.

And I meant psychic in ear, instead of intelligence. Not nano delta. But maybe you meant -nano cost, which is named
% Add. Poison Dam. Refined Jobe Cluster - Shiny (Right-Hand)
for all 3 kinds of clusters. Not 100% sure that the jobe vendor sells them, i think not.

I really like the outside biodome raids. They are quick and fast-paced and deadly if anyone screws up. And unlike other placeholder raids, the next placeholder instantly pops as soon as the old one is down, so there is nonstop action until you got your reactive armor parts.

[sextant]

Thanks again for teriffic direction here.

Regarding insta-cast layers, all I can say is .... someday.

179 now, and the only useful places to put any IP are NR and NI, I should have them both maxxed at next ding, allowing me to start saving for the switch to 1hb.
Because im going with psychic in the ear I decided to throw in a NCU cluster there as well, to help make up for what im losing with a viral compiler. If losing the xp cluster there starts to bug me I'll just go back to it and live with less ncu.
Luuv I was speaking of -nano cost in the ear, but as you said, that cluster is one of the bugged ones, and my understanding was that you should go with the info inside the description, rather than the titled description. Is that correct?
If so, the new imps will be r-wrist:
shining nano regen
1hb bright (gotta blitz the cluster so will make that switch now)
multi melee faded
ear with maxx ncu and psychic.
I'll update the setup as soon as they're done.
Last question here:
With the switch to 1hb, do you guys suggest the tier shoulderpads or MoR, or is it simply personal preference?

[Luuv]

Luuv I was speaking of -nano cost in the ear, but as you said, that cluster is one of the bugged ones, and my understanding was that you should go with the info inside the description, rather than the titled description. Is that correct?

Yes, but I somehow vaguely remember that I looked for this cluster at the jobe vendor once, and didnt find it.

With the switch to 1hb, do you guys suggest the tier shoulderpads or MoR, or is it simply personal preference?

If you can afford it, get 2 tier shoulders, if only to help with buffing on bigger hammers. For combat wear, MoR may improve your damage more. I think....

[Mamman]

I'd go with 2 tier pads until the QL300s are on atleast, since you're past 175 now I'd also take a look at an azure chest.

[Kyai]

I use 1 tier pad and alternate between an N-Ball and MoTR for my right shoulder, and have done so since I switched to 1hb.

[sextant]

Many thanks to all who contributed here, especially Mamman, Luuv and Kyai. It's been super helpful advice.
We did IS yesterday, 2 guild docs each got a pair of gelids and I got my MoR :-)
I threw in a 286 complier, and though I'm snivelling about the loss of NCU I now have 1310 NI, making layers castable during a fight...very nice indeed.
The +55 nano delta in right wrist is gonna be a huge improvement, and if I can gather up some folks for the three days necessary to spawn Octusus , an azure bp will be my next phat.
Cata runs for T2 embryos, a couple biodome raids, 200 Dummy kills and 100 Admirals ... soon I see you all in Pande :-)



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[Kyai]

NCU is going to be a problem for a long time. Until you get a high-level sanctuary key, APF belt and some decent pande NCUs, you're always going to have the perennial enforcer problem of having to cancel buffs to leave room for mongo and rage. One step to help with this is to use an ear symb instead of the xp implant, doing the sanctuary quests is another good step, the pen garden and sanctuary quests really aren't so hard if you have the support of a semi-decent org.