A couple of weeks ago, I did something that I have never done before in any MMO. I got a second character to the level cap. In all other games, I have only managed to get one guy to the max level . In WAR, I now have 2 (40, not RR max). Introducing Hoplon, the Ironbreaker.
I've probably been working on Hoplon for at least a year. During that time, I have mostly run with a shield. That isn't the speediest way to level, especially when you solo quite a bit. Thanks to the double XP from Mythic's billing apology and the Land of the Dead, I was able to push through those last few levels.
My intent with Hoplon is to be a traditional sword and board tank. For his mastery, I am using a build featuring Oathstone and Punishing Knock. Coming from my Engineer, it is actually a lot of fun to be tough to kill. Even though he is still wearing Annihilator gear, he can take a lot of punishment.
Stat wise I have been concentrating on Wounds and Toughness, 965 and ~815 respectively. A focus on defense means that I won't be able to deal a lot of damage. Often times I am just ignored by enemies, but that's alright. I run around guarding, putting my 50% outgoing healing debuff on their healers, snaring, challenging and just being a general nuisance.
My favorite part of being a tank is the shield. Nothing better that seeing a Block message come up instead of damage. Since my Renown Rank is still pretty low (RR 34), I am using a shield from the Land of the Dead. It is pretty decent even with green souls. Yea, I'm cheap when it comes to LotD currency.
Once I reach RR 38 I can use the influence reward shield from Empire Tier 4, or I can go with the scenario reward shield. It is great to have options. I really need to upgrade my weapon too, as I'm using a Rank 31 axe from the Land of the Dead. I could by the improved version, but I'm not sure it is worth 20 gold scarabs.
Potion wise, I am just using a Liniment of War: Hunger. It comes from the Golden Serrisa hybrid seed and gives me +60 wounds and +60 strength. It may not be the choice for a tank, but it is something my Cultivation/Apothecary character can make. I really do not want to rely on the AH for anything.
As for my defensive potion, I plan on using one to improve my Elemental resist. With my current gear, my current resist is only 266! Spirit and Corporeal are in much better shape. I would use one for toughness or armor, but my Butchering character is not maxed out yet. I need to get to work on a level 200 seed.
It's really nice to have more character options at 40. When my guild needs a tank, I can help out in some situations. Hoplon plays a lot different than my Engineer, so it is a great way to keep things fresh. Speaking of which, my Rune Priest is rank 38, so soon I will have 3 characters at 40.
