The question you need to ask yourself is: is it acceptable to sacrifice 50-60 force damage to gain 20% chance to shield 20% white damage?

 

If yes, then go for the shield generator. If no, stick to focus generator.

 

In my character sheet it's 35% shield and 24% absorb

If you want to do something at WZs drop the shield...rip off all your shield/absorb mods and go for 30% defense chance (defense rating).

My recomendation is :

 

Survivor armorings

Stalker/survivor mods (critical rating/defense rating)

Force master/Stalker enhancements (Power/surge/Accuracy)

Defense rating augments(redoubt)

 

Skill tree:

28/1/12

 

Of course focus and resolve stim with dark guard up.

 

You will be a challenge for every DPS or Tank out there, 12/16 medals per wz.

 

Yeah no. Full power mods and enhancements. 1K bonus damage is easly reachable along with 80% surge modifier.

If you want to do something at WZs drop the shield...rip off all your shield/absorb mods and go for 30% defense chance (defense rating).

 

I'm a Jug tank but I've come to exactly this conclusion.

 

I have 30% base Defense, can proc up to 33% with Retaliation talents.

 

30% Crit, 69% Surge, 104% Accuracy, 400 Bonus Damage, all as a tank spec

 

Being able to actually damage the people attacking your healers is vastly more useful than having Shield+Absorb. Also being able to apply decent damage to enemy healers you may be attacking.

 

Consider that Shield+Absorb achieve half the mitigation of Defense, but cost twice the itemization. That alone makes it only 1/4 as useful. Consider also, that on a successful Defense, Shield is not even rolled at all. That makes its usefulness even more diminished.

 

As for the Shield Generator itself, swapping in DPS mods will still not be as much damage as a pure Focus, since the Focus has more raw Force Power. I personally still use the Shield Generator, since it is a secondary chance to proc Retaliation (which, in turn, raises my Defense), but I am considering dropping it altogether.

 

Tanking in PvP is more about being able to soak up Guard damage from your Healers, and spamming your Taunts as often as possible. (Both of which you can even do as a pure DPS spec). It is entirely possible to have high HP totals and still have a decent Power base. Even as full Tank spec, if you get focused by the wrong people you can still drop very quickly.

 

By using all Defense Mods, with Accuracy/Power/Crit/Surge Enhancements, I found that my survivability stayed the same, but my damage went way up. It depends on having a healer worth guarding, of course, but I can do 300k damage and 200k Protection with the right people on my team.

 

I use mostly Strength/Endurance Augments, but I have a talent that gives me 6% more Strength. Some classes don't have one, I am not entirely sure but I think yours doesn't.

 

At 0% Defense, Shield and Absorb are operating at face-value on all incoming white attacks. But the more Defense you stack, the less efficient Shield and Absorb become. This is why I advocate focusing on one or the other.

 

It's not as simple as saying "Gee I have 20% Defense and 50% Shield, that means 70% total!" because Defense and Shield are two separate rolls. Your 50% Shield is only applying to the 80% of applicable attacks that get through the 20% Defense. So that is actually 40%, not 50%.

 

It would take me half a page to explain because I'm not a math wizard. I do know that the math is there.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Arlanon

In my character sheet it's 35% shield and 24% absorb

 

This skill stuff yea But the straight off trade is 60 force power for 20% shielding 20% white damage.

This skill stuff yea But the straight off trade is 60 force power for 20% shielding 20% white damage.

 

I think it's a good trade off.

My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable and I'm just ferocious!

 

You're not Alexander!

Interesting. How many HPs do you have with that approach?

 

18k+ almost 19k as im using full elite warhero armorings that improves your endurance.

keep the shield. Hybrid build is based off surviving. You'll do plenty dmg, but staying alive and controlling the war zone is what your build is for.

keep the shield. Hybrid build is based off surviving. You'll do plenty dmg, but staying alive and controlling the war zone is what your build is for.

 

Sometimes dying is more useful than staying alive.

 

That said, a shield generators benefit is really nothing big without actual tanking gear.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Evolixe

Then use /stuck you die instantly. I've used both shield and generator, and the extra mitigation helps in 1v1s, plus staying alive while guarding a healer who is getting focused.

 

that lil extra forcepower isn't worth it to me.... but then again if you're playing solo without using your guard then i could see how it would help you.

Sometimes dying is more useful than staying alive.

 

That said, a shield generators benefit is really nothing big without actual tanking gear.

 

You need a mix of tanking and dps gear to be a viable pvp tank.

I would take a dps geared tank hybrid over a full tank full tank geared tank any day for pvp

You need a mix of tanking and dps gear to be a viable pvp tank.

I would take a dps geared tank hybrid over a full tank full tank geared tank any day for pvp

 

Naturally. But the OP is a kinetic dps. So a shield really has only very marginal benefits.

This skill stuff yea But the straight off trade is 60 force power for 20% shielding 20% white damage.

 

I would consider the skills when making the decision, as it is very relevant.

 

You gain more shield chance and absorbtion rating from your template/stance, as well as shielding providing you with more force, and reducing the active cooldown of your Shroud!

 

Oh yeah, and Dark Ward!

Edited December 25, 2012 by vimm

Dang it, I was looking for just a "yes" or "no"! What's with all this long discussion stuff?

 

OK, really, I appreciate all the long, thoughtful posts. And the short, thoughtful ones too. Sounds like ditching the shield is at least worth experimenting with to see if I like it or not. It's not like I have anything else better to do with these coms. I could buy some EWH, but what for... 3 extra force power or whatever? Thanks!

The tank spec relies on having a shield, so use one.

 

You sir are obviously not pvping or have never player a tank assassin with dps gear.

You sir are obviously not pvping or have never player a tank assassin with dps gear.

 

Well my sin is only 49, but shielding gives you lower shroud cd and you have that talent that inc shield chance. Hybrid tankasin is about surviving the other guy, not out dpsing them.

 

But the real answer to the OP's question is, it depends on enemy comp. Are they mostly white damage classes (lots of snipers, combat sents, vig guardians, deception sins, etc?) or are the mostly yellow damage classes. Use a shield when the enemies have a lot of white damage classes.

Hybrid spec is for soloing things and making life easy on your fellow allies. Survival is important but does not fall in line with your main objective. Taking a node on your own must be done as swiftly as posseble, to finish the enemy off and cap the node before reinforcements can even arrive. A shield generator does not help you here.

Its a good class but by no means op. I have been beaten by most classes when well played, As i am sure most shadows have.

Its a good class but by no means op. I have been beaten by most classes when well played, As i am sure most shadows have.

 

I consider Assassin/Shadow Tank/DPS hybrid to be the most OP spec in the game, lol.

I consider Assassin/Shadow Tank/DPS hybrid to be the most OP spec in the game, lol.

 

^ this.

I consider Assassin/Shadow Tank/DPS hybrid to be the most OP spec in the game, lol.

 

Hardly, Dont get me wrong it is a brilliant class and spec, Its just is has to be well played it is not a facerolling class. I have seen operatives burn down shadows when they come out of stealth.

 

Shadows Were already Nerfed some patches back, they had their armor rating decreased and healing abilities decreased so they become negligible.

 

Since when does a shadow have an Aoe hit for 6.5k? I could keep going on but i need to eat

Hardly, Dont get me wrong it is a brilliant class and spec, Its just is has to be well played it is not a facerolling class. I have seen operatives burn down shadows when they come out of stealth.

 

Shadows Were already Nerfed some patches back, they had their armor rating decreased and healing abilities decreased so they become negligible.

 

Since when does a shadow have an Aoe hit for 6.5k? I could keep going on but i need to eat

 

Mi Aoe is 4,5k Deathfield (Recklessness-ed) followed of a + 3900 +1475 shock and coming from Stealth so ..I think is a really nice opening for a tankasin. (the best opening is spike+electrocute+deathfield+shock)

 

The operatives coming from stealth is also awesome, really annyoning.

After this thread I went ahead and bought a shield generator to test it out.

 

My spec is 27/0/14 with optimized dps gear.

 

TBH I don't see that much higher survival rate than when I was using focus generator, granted I play the greasy snake style where I LOS all the time and I'm pretty self sufficient when it comes to healing, maybe if you don't have as good gear as I have a generator is the better choise.

Edited December 26, 2012 by TheBabyEater

I consider Assassin/Shadow Tank/DPS hybrid to be the most OP spec in the game, lol.

 

Thankfully most people don't play the spec correctly.

Since sniper population is so damn low, shield is quite worthless.