[Knight of the Blazing Sun] DPS or just a tank?

[th3gatekeeper]

Been playing my Knight for a while now, I have tried MANY builds. lvl 32, ~lvl32 renown. Have full Stalkers and a few pieces of the PVP sets, a Parry ring, a few "epics" from the T3 RvR rewards as well.


I know a few guys that roll this and when I tried their similar setup (stacking parry %): waronlinebuilder.org - Knight of the Blazing Sun build

To me, it just felt like I was "missing out" on benefits. I had increased damage (2H + stacking STR) however felt much more squishy from stacking STR > toughness and didnt have block chance w/ shield rush. I also missed out on Dirty Tricks.

So while Myrmidia's was excellent against squishy classes and cut through them, the times I actually got to face one were slim to none since they would stay far behind tanks, so if I rush in I die from not being tanky, if I dont rush I end up facing tanks and my only real value then is Staggering + Encouraged Aim + Auras...

It just felt very sub optimal for not only team play but my contribution to the team. Guys who are LONG time Knights seem to LOVE playing a 2H and I just wanted to know what I am missing here.

Since then, I have tried to make a hybrid DPS/Tank and went SnB, stacked STR gear and used shield block for increase block %, stacked full Parry % from renown still for runefang. This felt more fun as I was tankier and could dish out some decent DPS, but still felt squishy - even with the shield + block % increase from shield rush. (Typical build was used here - Encouraged Aim + Dirty Tricks)

So then I went to try full tank spec going into Vigilance (Full Path of Vigilance) and do feel EXTREMELY tanky stacking for full Toughness, but just feel 100% worthless most of the time like my job is to stand there w/ Guard and I usually press mostly defensive abilities with the occasional well timed Smashing Encounter + Repel Darkness.

Ive put a ton of time into my knight, I wish there was a "fun" hybrid option. I considered going full PVP set (the tanky 1) that provides 10% more Parry with the 5 set bonus (I think?) Then going full STR on the stats + talis to have a good "balance" approach between survivability and damage. Im working on farming but have also considered rolling an SW as I see them being a ton of fun.

(For anyone who cares, I recently played Neverwinter where I was a Great Weapon Fighter - basically a 2H tank with good burst damage too and that is what I was trying to go for in this game as well. Moderately tanky, good damage.

Another issue I face is NA player so my ping is probably ~300 making it much harder as melee).

Any thoughts/comments?

[Tiggo]

if you go dps you need guard like any other dps out there ...

[Jaycub]

There is no such things as a "DPS" tank, they will never be able to fill that role in a group. However you can go 2h and focus more on offensive capabilities, but if you are too squishy to constantly guard even a slayer then you are dead weight.

2H knight is pretty much objectively worse than s/b, but it not awful and it can be pretty fun. Things to shoot for.

7k HP
Highest parry possible for mitigating guard dmg (renown spec, 3% parry ring etc...)
at the very least 600 spirit res unbuffed (2h tanks are beacon for sorcs for ez kills)
~450-500 toughness

Then pump everything you have left into strength. With near BiS gear this means you will probably be at 700 wounds, ~400 toughness, ~400 str, 650 spirit res, 23% parry?... then with emperors champ and runefang up you are pretty much a god.

The problem with "DPS" tanks is most build like total ****, cant guard and just die a lot and are a total burden to the team they are on.

I will also build something like this: http://waronlinebuilder.org/#career=kot ... 2:;0:0:0:0:

Run Str aura, toughness aura and resists aura. If you want to be a total scumbag and top the charts then run AoA aura, if you find you are not tanky enough rugged can help a bit while you are still gearing out, but those 3 tactics I selected are all extremely good.

[Shanell]

There is no such things as a "DPS" tank, they will never be able to fill that role in a group.

I can not agree with you on that. That's a screenshots from my BG last two scenarios from yesterday.

Spoiler:

I've failed here to screen all dps done but hihher than me was only a WH that dealt 170k dmg. though he had not so many kills.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

and here is screen that I made for a topic to complain about amont of renwn getting by order, I was really mad about that. Picked that, cause it was first sc result after that two on top^

That's not a highlight of me or cherrypicking screens, just regular scs for me in a party.

P.S Azarael, i you are rading this, can you please make possible to post pics from site radical.ru ? For some reason it is impossible now.

[Tiggo]

so you wanna say bg is op and needs nerf? agree.

[TenTonHammer]

so you wanna say bg is op and needs nerf? agree.

:V

Kotbs has no "dps spec" bar that 30s period with RF + EC Neither nor should you since KOTBS is the single best defensive utility tank in the game

[Tesq]

i dont agree KOBS 2h unless something wil change will be able to be a propper melee dps, he can reach mostrous wep skill value/armor ingore while have str cap, it also have a damage reduction skill of 50% in dps mode if needed. I'm not sure atm which build you should use cos i dont remember what is avaiable but the only real difference from you and a slayer for exemple (apart the aoe spam) it's the anti snare/root which juggernaut can't compete with but you will be able to use offensive set for a 60% boostand the ap tactic for use flee as a charge so you actually are really similar to a melee. Then any changes can happen but on live offensive kobs could pass through any armor stack. Even if the kobs is the best tank in order party composition if you found a party that alredy have one you can go dps for me and it's really a hard hitter
The output damages is really high (with focus offensive which mean ye you need a guard and you take the place of dps cos from a heavy armor you jump down to a medium armor, you still can guard a healer as a plus and your party have 3 more auras )

[peppex91]

Shlomo every1 know that unsupported 2h tank is like a running pie and die a lot, but you are just suggesting a hybrid build, to make a half tank.
That way it's better going s/b for sure, u can pump your str a bit more and deal more dps by 1h still retaining more tankyness.
With 400 str your dps is just laughable, guard is not a chain but can be seen as an occasional tool if u are too squishy to do it steadily or just avoided (if u leave parry behind).
U'll need to be guarded if focused instead and to avoid front-line positions, FO is is quite good vs groups with low phys dps (sorc hard stacking on destro side xD) and can get u almost on par with a pure dps-class (as surv will make u squishyer sometimes).
U'll need around 800 str to have a chance to nuke a bad healer alone (same gear and as SM, who is know how the best one with the BO to be deformed in a dps).
If u are dealing more sustained dps and getting more db then every1 else, no1 will be calling u dead weight for your lack of guarding. It's just that u aren't a tank anymore, but a disguised dps.

Spoiler:

http://imgur.com/8GNlzot

this 1 went good
U'll be the one with the highest death count on a loosing fight with few or no healers or if u are the main front-line tank but can work great with some supp.

[TenTonHammer]

Im sorry....are you guys seriously suggesting slotting Focused Offensive?

The absolute worst tactic in the game?

The tactic that with a 1 cutting claw will turn less armored than a clothie?

[peppex91]

I used it succesfully many times... sometimes you are not even receiving phys dps, sometimes every1 ignore u to go on that hopping BW and sometimes that wicked tact will make u dead in 3 sec.
Keeping it all the time it's crazy ind.