Invul/Super StrengthTank Guide
by Ran Vage

Well, MJB was asking for this, so I dug it up, fixed some errors, changed some things to reflect the current game, since a lot has changed since Issue 6 when I first prepared this, and also added a secondary guide of sorts.

Some Numbers

First off though, some numbers, thanks to buffy again over at the cov/h forums.

For ED purposes, the numbers per enhancement only affect the first 3 of one type. After that, the numbers plummet and any more of that enhancement is close to worthless. Also, some of these numbers in dispute, or in Invincibility’s case, have been changed.

Resist Physical Damage (RPD) is 7.5% resistance to smashing and lethal and each single origin (SO) enhance damage resistance (DamRes) enhancement provides 1.5% more.

Dull Pain (DP) adds 40% (unenhanceable) of your base hit points to your hit points, and then heals you 40% (enhancable) of your hit points.

Temporary Invulnerability (TI) provides 30% resistance to smashing and lethal and each SO DamRes enhancement provides 6% more.

Resist Elements (REl) is 7.5% resistance to fire, cold and toxic and each single origin (SO) enhance damage resistance (DamRes) enhancement provides 1.5% more.

Unyielding (Uny) is 10% resistance to all types except psionic (only 5% to smashing and lethal), and each SO DamRes enhancement provides 2% more, 1% smashing and lethal. It also provides status-effect protection (hold, sleep, disorient, knock, immobolize) that increases with level up to level 35. It also has a 5% defense debuff.

Resist Energies (REn) is 7.5% resistance to energy and negative and each single origin (SO) enhance damage resistance (DamRes) enhancement provides 1.5% more.

*Invincibility (Inv) provides 1.5% melee defense (0.75% ranged) to all but psionic damage for every foe in melee range up to 14 foes and also adds a to-hit bonus for every foe in melee range up to 14 foes. It also provides a melee Taunt effect. Each SO DefBuf provides 0.3% melee (0.15% ranged) more.

Tough Hide (TH) is 5% defense to all types except toxic and psionic. Each SO enhance defense buff (DefBuf) enhancement provides 1% more.

Unstoppable (Uns) is 70% resistance to all types except psionic and each SO DamRes enhancement provides 14% more. It also provides status-effect protection (hold, sleep, disorient, knock, immobolize) and a boost to endurance regeneration. When it ends, it leaves you with no endurance, unable to recover endurance for a short while and 10% of your hit points.

Tough (Fighting pool) is 15% resistance to smashing and lethal and each SO DamRes enhancement provides 3% more.

Weave (Fighting Pool) is 4.33% melee and ranged defense and each SO DefBuf enhancement provides 0.866% more. Weave also provides some status-effect protection against immobolization.

Health (Fitness Pool) is 40% health regeneration and each SO Heal enhancement provides 13.3% more. Health also provides some status-effect protection against sleep.



Mandatory:

Temp. Invulnerability

This shield gives you the most resistance to smashing/lethal, your bread an butter. Take it at level 1, love it till level 50.

Slotting: 4 slots - 3 resist damage, 1 end reduction


Unyielding

This is your status protection, as well as a good chunk of your meager non-s/l resists. It unfortunately also gives a 5% defense debuff. Despite that debuff, you need this too live. Period. Without this power you will die horribly. Did I mention dying horribly? Unfortunately, with the defense changes in issue 7, def works differently, making that 5% debuff actually lead to more damage when Unyielding is activated, since it effectively nullifies the resistance offered by the power, and in turn lowers it basically. Until 18, this power can be a pain to work with, and it is advisable to turn it off if you don’t require the status protection and your team is able to keep you going. After 18, it no longer matters and should be on at all times.

Suggested Slotting: 4 slots - 3 resist damage, 1 end reduction



Invincibility

And here is the only defense you get to non-s/l damage. Never mind the fact the set is resist base. Anyway, if you didn't know, this power gives a boost to defense and accuracy based on the number of mobs in melee range. It's not 100% known what it caps out too now, but it's believed to give about 30% defense with around 5-7 mobs around. The accuracy bonus is still up in the air, but it's not enough to go without slotting acc in your attacks anymore. As well, with recent changes after Issue 8, its Taunt Aura has been improved immensely, and slotting an extra slot for taunt can now be considered an excellent investment if you have a slot that you just can’t find a place for.

Suggested Slotting: 3 slots - 3 defense buffs


Dull Pain

Formally a "meh" power, this power has now become a staple of the Invul powerset. With the recent boost that allowed healing enhancements in the power to actually increase the amount of hp it gives, this power has become even better. Combine with Invinc and Health from the fitness pool, and you have a Regen/Super Reflexes tank.

Suggested Slotting: 6 slots - 3 heal, 3 recharge rate

Resist Physical Damage

I was hesitant to put this here, but since s/l is all Invul has, it seemed like it should be here. With this slotted properly, combined with Unyielding and Temp Inv slotted as suggested, you come out with roughly 65% s/l resistance. Believe me when I say, you need it.

Suggested Slotting: 3 slots - 3 resist damage

Tough Hide

Originally I had this as a “Meh” power, but with the defense changes from issue 7, it is now an amazing power. Not only does it remove the 5% debuff from Unyielding, but it’s 8-105 budff, depending on enhancement levels, is nothing to sneeze at anymore. With 10 mobs and a full slotted invinc, you come to within roughly 7% of the defense cap.

Suggested Slotting: 3 slots - 3 defense buff



Not Mandatory, but Ver says take if you want to do well:

Resist Elements/Energies

Well, looking at the numbers, with these 3 slotted, and Unyielding's non-s/l, the best you can get is around 25-30% to non-s/l. Now, you need to ask yourself "is that number worth it?" In I5, people recommended not taking these, or if you do, leaving them with there base slot. But with ED now, slots are abundant, and you can find yourself in the 40+ game with slots galore. Personally, I say that number may be small, but if it gives even 5 seconds more survival time, then as a tank, take em both and slot them both.

Suggested Slotting (for both): 3 slots - 3 resist damage

Unstoppable

From god, to bastard child, to AV key. The story of Unstoppable in a nutshell. Basically, up until I6, this power was a panic button. Now, it's the key to AV tanking. Basically for 3 minutes, you are just that, unstoppable. And in many cases, 3 minutes is all you need to take down the AV. I've used it many times now, and it works wonders. So unless you don't like tanking AV's, I say take this.

Suggested Slotting (only if you have the slots to spare, which you will): 3 slots - 3 recharge rate

Tough

Ok, this is a pool power, and you unfortunately have to take boxing or kick to get it. But it is the final piece in your resistance puzzle. With tough, TI, RPD and Unyielding all 3 slotted for resists, you hit the 90% s/l cap. S/L is your bread and butter, so taking this, when you will have slots to spare, while not mandatory, makes your life a hell of a lot easier.

Suggested Slotting: 4 slots - 3 resist damage 1 end reduction.

Health

Ok, since everyone takes stamina, you'll have this anyway. But, most people don't slot it. I say waste the 2 extra slots, get this baby 3 slotted, toss in some heals, and watch how, when combined with dull pain, you're suddenly keeping up with the regen scrapper. For those who don't know, regen speed is based on HP numbers. The more HP you have, the more HP you regen in the "ticks". Since tanks have hp out the wazoo, and dull pain makes that even more so, 3 slotted health can make a tanks regen rate disgusting. For those of us who wanna be the Hulk, that’s how he deals with damage.

Suggested Slotting: 3 slots - 3 heals



The Other Crap Everyone Takes:

Well, you want the fitness pool, just for stamina. Not taking it means you're crazy or you have a concept that will be as painful to play as a hernia. Just my opinion of course.

Travel powers, well, Verfall has teleport, but that’s a concept thing. If you wanna be super man, take fly, but do not....let me repeat that, DO NOT take hover. Air Superiority is the best power in the game for what it was designed to do. Moderate damage, quick recharge, almost 100% chance to cause knockdown and minus fly to boot. Superspeed is meh. I'm not a fan, you might be. Hasten can be good when you wanna unload your attacks in a hurry, but thanks to ED, you have room to slot recharge enhancements in your attacks, and essentially nullify hastens old job. For best overall, Super Jump. Avoid Jump Kick unless you like it's pretty animation. It's currently bugged as of right now, where in some instances the mob you'd knocked down is back on his feet and able to attack before you finish the animation of the attack. Combat jumping is better, gives a bit of defense, enough to nullify Unyielding's debuff, and gives some nice non-end eating movement. Acrobatics, while live or die for a fire tanker, isn't important for invul, since he has all the status protection he needs in Unyielding

Aid self has become the “new hotness” for tanks. It heals for 40% of the characters HP, which for tanks can be a huge number, but is interruptable, and requires 2 power slots. Some people swear by replacing the passives with aid self. I prefer the constant help of the passives, as small as it is, over a power that will be neutered when standing in a group of mobs more often than not. However, if you solo a lot, or run on smaller teams, it can be invaluable, especially versus AVs and Bosses, who usually don’t throw out a lot of rapid fire attacks leaving time to get off an aid self. The most common slotting I’ve seen is 2 heal, 2 recharge, 2 interrupt, or 3 heal 3 interrupt. Testing will prove what the player prefers of course.

The concealment pool is also meh. You're a tank, you want to be seen. If you're not seen, you're not doing your job. Concept's are about the only reason to take this pool.

Leaderships numbers on a tank are crap, don't even bother.

Presence pool can be interesting. Provoke, although requiring a to-hit check, has a much quicker animation time then taunt. And the fears can be useful in PVP. Experiment with this if you want, but for a basic "keep people alive while smashing tank", it's kinda useless. Punchvoke, aoe attacks and taunt from your secondary and Invinc give all the aggro control you need.

Weave is crap. It was nerfed into something resembling dog poo. Its end cost is higher than tough, with a defense boost equal to tough hide. Don't take it ever. Boxing and Kick are interchangeable if you do go the tough route. Both put your weapons away if you're an axe or mace tank. Kick does knockback, Boxing does disorient. For SS, boxing looks like jab, but does more slightly more damage. Take whichever you feel works better for your toon.

As for the ancilliary powers, they're all good in their own ways. The energy one is probably the best bet overall, with Conserve Power and Focused Accuracy being very good powers. I'm not an expert on these, but my tank now has Conserve Energy and Focused Accuracy. Conserve Power is excellent for those long AV fights, or when dealing with sappers and carnies and their dreaded end sucking attacks. FA I grabbed mostly for aiding in PVP, as well as to give some accuracy in situations where I am debuffed heavily. I didn’t take Laser eyes, since it doesn’t fit my concept, but it is an excellent power, and if concept and slotting allows, it makes a fantastic power choice. Energy Torrent I really have no experience with outside of energy blasters. I’d test it on the test server before taking it. My experience with the other pools is non-existant really, so I won’t comment.



Secondary: Super Strength

Originally I had left this out, but now, after running an SS brute as well, I feel I have enough experience and insight to give some advice on Super Strength.
I’ll be brief since I don’t have the numbers handy.

Jab

You have to take it, may as well slot it.

Punch

This power I personally left out of my build, since I took air superiority, and had boxing from taking tough. It does damage equal to air superiority, but only has a 30%ish chance for knockback. If any power can be left out of the early attacks, this one is it.

Haymaker

This attack is amazing. A very high chance for knockback, as well as the second highest damage attack of the set, you of course want to take it.

Knockout Blow

This power is beautiful. Utterly beautiful. It is you’re highest damage single target attack, has a hefty hold built in, and has one of the best animations in the game. No question, take this power.

Hand Clap

This power can be useful, but overall unless it’s for a concept I’d avoid this power. The disorient can be nice, but the knockback, rather than knockdown, is annoying, especially for an Invul tanker when having as many mobs in melee around as possible is your goal, and in fact you main means of survival. Hand clap eliminates that when used. Personally, I say avoid this power completely.

Taunt

You’re a tank right? You’re job is to hold aggro right? While Gauntlet and Invincs taunt aura can do it, Taunt makes it even easier. You can’t target the other 2. I personally slotted this 3 recharge 3 taunt, but I’m hardcore crazy when it comes to maintaining my 17 mob aggro cap. For your average tanker, leaving it unslotted and just tossing in one recharge is more than enough.

Rage

Now this power I’m very iffy about. I recently respecced into it, but only for soloing purposes. On a team, the damage boost isn’t really needed, and the 10 second downtime where your defense is floored, you drop 20ish endurance and you can’t use any powers outside of those that affect yourself can be death for you and your entire team.
If you do take it, the damage is essentially a bit less than Build Up, but with 3 recharges the power is literally permanent. It also gives a very nice tohit buff. Once again, great for soloing, awful for teaming.

Hurl

Ugh, this power. It’s essentially a ranged version of haymaker, with –fly, that has the animation from hell. You have to wait as your character bends down, digs a hunk of rock out of the floor( always rock, even if you’re standing in a lab with metal floors) and “hurls” it at the mobs. The only time I have ever seen this power useful is in PVP as a ranged alternative to air superiority. I don’t advise taking it, but it is a fun little power if you have a power slot you wanna throw away, or a concept that can use it.

Foot Stomp

Can you say #$%& Yeah! This power is THE power of the SS set. Essentially it’s damage is a bit higher than punch, but it does it in an AOE with almost 100% knockdown. And, to boot, every target you hit with it is now taunted to you, as well as it sends out a gauntlet effect to other mobs. This is the power you should always lead off with, and it alone is as much damage mitigation as your defenses are. Take it, love it, leave it your first born in sacrifice, cause for SS, it is your God.


Now, for slotting, every attack you take should atleast be slotted with 1 accuracy and 3 damage. Even jab and boxing I’d recommend this slotting. I also recommend slotting every attack with 6 slots. Beyond the “1 and 3” you can play around with things. Maybe 2 end reducers, maybe 2 recharges, maybe another accuracy and an end reducer, it’s all up to the players taste. I personally have 2 accuracies 3 damage and 2 end reducers in every attack, thanks to some dmg/acc hami o’s I accumulated. Of course most players won’t have those, and will have to slot a bit tighter. Once again, slotting is completely based on how the character plays and what needs have to be addressed. I find Invuls to be end whores, especially if you go with my “tough based build” for max S/L resists, since tough is a hefty toggle. Rage also plays in if one uses it a lot, since its end drain every 2 minutes is a hefty chunk. Again, slot based on experience and play style.

-Vage