Defense Builds: A Case Study in Practicality

[ClothoBuer]

Disclaimer: The contents herein are based on my observations, and as such are subject to my bias. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but if you're simply going to post troll comments or flame bait, please do us all a favor and don't post at all. I'd like to keep things here generally on topic.

This project of mine initially started out as an experiment, triggered by a couple posts within the PSO2 forums about Defense-based Hunters, and, when the second set of classes were introduced, the function and utility of the Gunner's Showtime skill. What wound up happening with said experiment turned into something that I really didn't expect, and as a result it introduced me to a different approach to how I play PSO2 now, one which I truly have fallen in love with. That said, I'd like to share what I've found while playing as a Defense-based character, and hopefully give some people out there the inspiration to try, and have some engaging discussion with those who may already.

~:The Build:~

Gunner Main, Hunter Sub, build listed is both at 50 with both extra skill COs completed.
http://ryuhiroshi.ry.funpic.de/pso2/...b00000ib00000f
First off, I should note that I'm only 48 on my Hunter, but the extra 2 points in JA Bonus are not critical to the build's function. Additionally, the core function of this build and playstyle are survival tanking, not the other way around. Tanking with this build is certainly viable, but with the way Hate Generation currently works, your damage output is too low to keep Hate on you instead of the burn-happy Force. Cycling your taunts is a good way to sustain Hate, but once again, the overall low damage will still bite you in the butt.
#Core Skills#

1. Gunner Tree
   
   • R-Defense Up 1
   • Showtime
   • Twin Machinegun Gear

These are your fundamentals for playing as a GunTank (witty reference, I might add) and as such should all be maxed. HP Up 1, R-Attacks 1 and 2, and Attack PP Restorate are all excellent skills, but points can be juggled between them without seriously affecting your ability to survive.

1. Hunter Tree
   
   • Guard Stance
   • War Cry
   • S-Def Up 1
   • Iron Will

Guard Stance is the cornerstone of all Defense builds. Having any less than max is a major hindrance to your potential mitigation. War Cry meshes with Showtime as your Hate production skills, and one can almost always be active while the other is down. Iron Will isn't what I would call a major benefit to Defense builds, but the 75% chance to negate a fatal blow falls in line with the intent of the build, and quite frankly, it's really handy to have in a pinch. JA Bonus and HP Up 1 are maxed, but that simply comes from the standpoint of not having anything better to obtain that is within a feasible investment of points. Unfortunately, the Hunter's tree is really rather lacking in full defense-themed skills, aside from what we already have.

At this point, you may be wondering why GunHunter, rather than HuGunner, or Hunter with another subclass with defensive attributes. The reasons are as follows:

• In exchange for passing up the Block skills, using the Gunner's sole class weapon, Twin MachineGuns or Twin MechGuns (TMGs), give you access to the best dodge (which for all intents and purposes shall be referred to as "Shiftstep" throughout this post) in the game. This in turn allows you to invest points that would be in Block skills into other areas.
  -Note: I consider the TMG Shiftstep as the best dodge in the game on the following grounds: First, it has a high amount of invincibility frames, slightly more than the Dive Roll, but less than Flash Step. Second, you do not suffer the movement penalty inherent in Flash Step, the widely considered best dodge. Third, it can be executed multiple times in quick succession, and if timed properly, can be chained in such a way that you do not trigger the third "Bullet Time" animation. Lastly, In addition to providing a much-needed escape, it is also excellent for navigating the battlefield, similar to how Step works, however, Step cannot maintain any airtime, and triggers a landing vulnerability and movement penalty. Shiftstep not only can maintain airtime, but has no landing or movement penalty.
• In order to fully utilize Showtime, Gunner must be your main to retain access to the best available Twin Mechs. There are all-class weapons that can be used, but losing close to 400 R-Attack for an extra 50-60 S-Defense is not ideal.
• On the subject of defenses, as a Gunner you only have 50~ less S-Defense than a Hunter, and in exchange gain about 45~ more R-Defense. It may not sound like much, but it can be the difference between making and missing the 1k Defense mark. Which in turn yields the advantage of having a more balanced defensive stat pool.
• Finally, ranged units are generally more tailored to S/R-Defense, whereas more melee units are based around R-Defense. A great example of this is the current 10* sets, Vardha units have much greater mitigations than Ragne units.

#Strengths#

• Abnormally high S-Defense, excellent R-Defense.
• Very high health pool.
• Shiftstep provides a mechanic to negate any incoming damage, while maintaining some damage output.
• Access to top-tier Units, and most top-tier weaponry.

#Weaknesses#

• T-Defense: No getting around it, there's simply very little you can do to boost your T-Defense to levels similar to S/R-Defense. Tech Damage is your priority one on dodging.
• Damage output is considerably lowered: No getting around this either, to add to Defense you must subtract from Attack. Thankfully the new 9/10* weapons boost your Attack values to somewhat respectable levels, but don't expect to be cutting swathes through enemies while rolling 1s on incoming attacks.
• You now have to keep your units at best available in order to be viable, rather than simply having a good weapon.
• Group synergy: This is probably the make-or-break part for many. With this build, you are going to be heavily dependent on group play to kill things efficiently. With a full MPA, you'll mesh amazingly with other players, and in boss runs you'll be everyone's favorite since you pretty much can't die, and can distract the boss for people to heal. But, in solo play you'll find yourself severely hamstrung. TL;DR: Do NOT play this build if you expect to be soloing most of your playtime.
• Don't expect to be a super tanking machine. You'll be able to hold mobs on you, but any high-damage class/build will peel them off. This is sadly a flaw of the Hate mechanic, and very little can be done from this end to correct it.

[ClothoBuer]

~:Stats:~

Base stats, unbuffed, no equipment, no MAG.

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Unbuffed, MAG and equipment.

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Fully buffed (Deband 14, Deband EX Drink) and equipped.

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Above are photos of my stats at various levels of buffs and equipment. Once again I would like to point out that I'm not max level on my Hunter, but the difference would only wind up to be about 2-3 extra points in all stats, and 4-5 more health. Not a major gain. And yes, I know in the third screenshot that it lists me as 47, I leveled recently and I don't feel like chasing down buffbots.

~:Gear:~

MAG

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Main Weapon

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Rear Unit

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Arm Unit

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Leg Unit

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The MAG was grown specifically for this build, and while I'm considering changing its Photon Blast to something that isn't mediocre (Either Ajax Imera, to keep the R-Attack bonus and have better damage range, or Cetus Imera, because it's a gigantic beam cannon~), thanks to the Photon Drop Shop I've got a great set of triggers.
The weapon is a bit of a placeholder, as I'd like to get my hands on a Yasminkov, but Rogbelts don't love me that way. The Fang Soul could theoretically be subbed for another Defense Soul, but it's what I had available at a moment's notice.
Units are all based around Defense Souls. As much as I'd like to get a Body/React/Mind 3 on them, I don't have the patience to fight with Doodoo over it. In all likelihood, the Rockbear Soul on the Rear unit will end up replaced with a Shrayda/Cata Soul for a T-Def boost.

~:Playstyle and Observations:~
While I had hoped to upload videos to show you all exactly what this build is capable of, unfortunately our beloved GameGuard has deemed FRAPS as a malicious program, out to steal my login info and send it to various anonymous underground hacker sites. As well as Steam Overlay, and MSI Afterburner, and PlayClaw, and just about any other program that has any sort of GUI hook for screencaps/video recording. So, if someone knows of a workaround, or some way to get this fixed, leave me a message. In the meantime, the best thing I can recommend is that for those of you on Ship 2 (which is the vast majority of everyone here, I should think), toss Lucette/OMNI Enforcer a Friend Request, and we can party up sometime.

Videos may be a no, but I can still provide my opinion on what I've experienced, and I should hope that's what most of you are interested in. The approach to playing this way really is not that complicated. It requires increased awareness of your surroundings, but for the most part you can continue playing in the way you've been. As a rule of thumb, your Shift key should be getting as much use as your mouse is, because, well, you're an evade tank. If you're new to Gunner, and are curious to try this build out, I suggest spending a lot of time just playing with Mechguns in the Forest. Get your Shiftstep timing on bosses and mobs down pat, because this is your number 1, go-to-in-dire-situations skill. Guard Stance will cut your incoming melee damage down a good deal, but evading it altogether is preferred. If Forest isn't your first choice, then go where you like, and practice. Bosses will be your best friend with this, especially ones you've spent numerous times on. Jumping and airborne attacking are also excellent strategies to employ. Bosses such as Wolgahda utilize a heavy amount of ground-based attacks, and most of them can be avoided by simply being in the air. TMGs are perfect for this, since their fast attack speed allow you to minimize altitude drops between shots. Use this to your advantage, jump up, attack, Shiftstep around, focus on trying to stay airborne as long as possible. You'll find it pays off big on quite a few boss fights. Also, even though you're an evade tank, don't hesitate to get in close. Get in a boss's face and shoot it a few times, even if you get hit you'll be mitigating a great deal of it, and if you're the one with Hate, that gives everyone else in your party countless opportunities to lay on some heavy blows.
For layouts on TMG Arts, here's a screenshot of what I currently use. #1 and 3 are for trash, you'll want two separate pallettes for dealing with different mob types and situations. #2 is the boss-killer pallette. Dead Approach gets you in range quick, Infinity Fire is like using a Rifle, only with a high-damage finish, and Elder Rebellion is just loads of damage, as well as an excellent PA to keep airborne over a boss attack. #4 is just for quick movement, especially in Floating Islands to clear the dropped platforms in a hurry. #5 and 6 can be whatever you want. Of course, you can arrange these however you want, in whatever manner suits you, this is only my recommendation based on what's worked in the past for me.

~:Backstory and Conclusion:~
The initial inspiration for this build came from some comments in the Gunner Discussion thread, in that we were viewing Showtime in the wrong manner. Rather than seeing it as a Gear Gauge builder, we should have been looking at it as a Taunt with a bonus effect. Needless to say, with that 180 of my viewpoint, I was sold on trying a defense build. I planned everything out that I've posted above, and rushed my Hunter class to 40 before the Subclass/Cap Increase patches, so when they came I would be ready. When the patch finally landed, I made sure that I went for my subclass CO first, just to see how things performed. Some expectations were met, some were exceeded, some were failed. But, the end result was I had found a way to play that veered from the accepted path, and I loved it. I would giggle every time I walked over a spike strip in the Mines, and rolled 1s, while everyone had to jump over or get hit for triple digits. I laughed in the faces of bosses that would swat me for 100-200~ damage, while everyone else would go flying for 400+. And best of all, I loved the feeling of having a boss chase after me, take a swing, but only hit air, because I could simply Shiftstep to the side and evade. Is the build practical for the current state of the game? Your call, damage still rules at the end of the day. Is it amazingly fun, though? In my opinion, absolutely.

[ecaflip]

Really well written guide! *gives cookie*

[Crystal_Shard]

Quite an intriguing build. I'd be tempted to try it (was even keen to use the Yasminkov 2000H before we knew more about subclasses), but I've got a stubborn internal insistence on having my own tank character use swords, and I'm certainly not going to give up the ability to equip any future Ruin Charm I find. XD

That said, I have a quick question regarding the Hunter side of your skillsets - why S-Def 1 Up and Iron Will, versus Flash Guard 1, Flash Tech Guard and perhaps Flash Tech Guard 2? Seems like a possible way to shore up that hole in your tech defenses, as well as further reduce the damage you receive by a decent percentage. I've also heard that Iron Will isn't as worth it as the skill description makes it out to be.

[Drifting Fable]

I'm somewhat tempted to make a Dante just for the sake of this build.

As a tank enthusiastist myself, I am VERY interested in this build.

Shuck you can't get any vids of it but I'm already sold just by your descriptions.

[gigawuts]

This looks hilariously fun. I already play gunner as an up-close class whenever I play it, and have my all class sword...

I'm going to have to get in on some of this. I'm curious how automate deadline and automate halfline behave together. I'm imagining double-injecting mates for attacks that take you from 51% to 24% health, and it is beautiful.

[ClothoBuer]

Quite an intriguing build. I'd be tempted to try it (was even keen to use the Yasminkov 2000H before we knew more about subclasses), but I've got a stubborn internal insistence on having my own tank character use swords, and I'm certainly not going to give up the ability to equip any future Ruin Charm I find. XD

That said, I have a quick question regarding the Hunter side of your skillsets - why S-Def 1 Up and Iron Will, versus Flash Guard 1, Flash Tech Guard and perhaps Flash Tech Guard 2? Seems like a possible way to shore up that hole in your tech defenses, as well as further reduce the damage you receive by a decent percentage. I've also heard that Iron Will isn't as worth it as the skill description makes it out to be.

Block builds are from what I've seen not much different than evade builds, the only change being how you negate damage. Nothing wrong with Sword-tanks, but it comes down to preferences, mine being having the ability to attack from close and medium range, instead of only close.

The biggest reasons for S-Def and Iron Will is point investments and uncertainty. I'm not quite sure what to make of the Flash skills, and to get them I'd have to go through a bunch of unnecessary talents. S-Attack is more or less useless based on weapon choice, and the points I'd have to take out of other skills to get there seem like a handicap. As for Iron Will, I can see the skepticism, but having tested it at 3 points/37%, the proc rate on fatal blows was closer to 50%. Having it maxed out now, I've only had one death in 4 chances. It's situational and preferential, but with just 10 spare points there really isn't much else that can be reached that gives any convincing improvements.

This looks hilariously fun. I already play gunner as an up-close class whenever I play it, and have my all class sword...

I'm going to have to get in on some of this. I'm curious how automate deadline and automate halfline behave together. I'm imagining double-injecting mates for attacks that take you from 51% to 24% health, and it is beautiful.

I don't think a better description could be found. It's truly hilariously fun, unless you're attached to seeing large damage figures, then it may not be. I'm not sure what to make of the Automate skills, but then again I've never seen the need for them, as there's either a Force/Techter around healing, or I simply Shiftstep away to somewhere safe and heal on my own. They do sound handy to have, but not something I saw as a requisite to get.

[Miraclearrow]

This is amazing, I would never make this build but very awesome to see the potential!

[Dextro]

The survivability sounds really great, but I wish it were more practical :/

It's a real toss up between either going GU/HU and being nearly invincible, or going GU/RA and killing the boss in <90secs.
And if you pick the former, will you be able to hold hate while 3 other players geared for max offense are attempting the latter? >_<

I don't want to take anything away from the build idea though - it's still awesome and oozing with fun. I just hope future content makes it more worthwhile than it is at this stage. Since the game right now is just a mad zerg rush of killing X with Y in the quickest time possible so you have more chance of Z dropping.

[ClothoBuer]

The survivability sounds really great, but I wish it were more practical :/

It's a real toss up between either going GU/HU and being nearly invincible, or going GU/RA and killing the boss in <90secs.
And if you pick the former, will you be able to hold hate while 3 other players geared for max offense are attempting the latter? >_<

I don't want to take anything away from the build idea though - it's still awesome and oozing with fun. I just hope future content makes it more worthwhile than it is at this stage. Since the game right now is just a mad zerg rush of killing X with Y in the quickest time possible so you have more chance of Z dropping.

True, with the current state of the game it doesn't really speed things along, but I've found on boss runs it's almost irreplaceable. Fights like Quartz, Wolgy, Zeshy, etc., someone is always dying, or someone who should be chugging out damage isn't able to because they're always dodging attacks instead of dealing them, that's where I really show my potential. Ruins has been nice to me as far as this playstyle goes as well, since the newer mobs are bruiser-types. Hopefully with the Dark Falz EQ addition in a couple weeks I'll see some greater use, but for now it's still a bit of a niche spec.