On the Viability of Tank Artificers

[Derpykat5]

running up a brand new character to test out the Renegade MAstermaker tree, and generally test how viable tank/melee-focused Artificers are for solo/group play.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1569237528
so far, so good. Then again, I am only at level 4 so not much has had an oppurtunity to go wrong yet. As a side note, that is the highest AC I have ever seen on a level 4 character. The Renegade Mastermaker tree looks very interesting, with several good T5 enhancements.

The more I look at this tree in particular, the more I begin to realize that artificer and warforged are not a perfect pair. Notably the "Converter" action in the RM tree, which can negate the innate self-heal perk that warforged get (though the first few levels could be tough), as well as the curative admixtures that can be used infinitely with the conjure materials spell also in the RM tree. also, the second core works in a way that, unless you have adamantine body, warforged cannot benefit from it. meaning a evade-ey artificer cannot benefit from this unless they take AB, which removes evasion.

anyway, my AC is so high I am barely taking any hits, with the exeptions being Magic Missiles (which I am immune to) and some lucky hits from the kobold throwers (again, still level 4, not much to fight besides kobolds) as well as critical hits.

the point of this post was to note my findings, but I would also like to ask a few questions:

1. I am currently using a medium shield and Bastard Sword. If I want to be mainly tank focused, should I keep the shield or switch to runearms to benefit from the special action attacks in the RM tree? Should I be using a different melee weapon? I do have a friend who I play with, who is going to be a nuker class.
   
2. Since warforged and artificer are really not the perfect pair anymore, what race SHOULD I be?
   
3. Assuming I am playing with one friend, what would be a good DPS/nuker build for them to support me and cover my weaknesses?
   
4. In my stat build, I focused on Int, Con, and Str, ignoring Wis and Cha and only slightly increasing Dex. Is this the best? Should I have put more into dex and less into something else?

[Soap]

1. Tanks can't rely only on armor class in the hardest content. A lot of tanks are going to use a shield because it's a significant difference; also adding Physical and Magical resistance rating. The main reason someone who is tanking might not want to use a shield is probably if they have evasion and also perhaps high dodge.

For your build, I think you could use a rune arm for high damage vs trash mobs and swap to shield for tanking bosses or for elite/reaper. Bastard sword is typically the best single handed melee weapon for a tank but as an arti idk if you'll have enough feats or ability points for that (the ideal being to invest in THF feats), making the first race consideration human, but...

2. I don't know what is the absolute best, I've never played a melee artificer. I really like Half-Elf which is excellent for unusual builds. Check it out on the wiki, I think you'll find there are at least a few things the Half-Elf Dellitante and enhancements can provide to suppliment or give additional bonuses your build.

3. As a melee Arti, I think you'll be lacking in AoE damage and crowd control. Any caster would fit well with that including healers or bards since they could provide the AoE you lack, but any high dps would be fun to play in combination even a melee such as an assassin rogue.

4. I think you'll find this page very helpful https://ddowiki.com/page/List_of_weapons_with_unusual_attack_or_damage_mods
Of particular interest: the Harper Enhancment tree can let you use INT for attack/damage and the Purple Dragon Knight race let's you do that with Charisma for swords including Bastard Swords. You'll probably have the easiest time justifying increasing starting dex by grabbing that Harper enhancement. Edit: but remember if you want to take the THF feats you can't dump STR because they have prerequisits.

Additionally, when the cap was 20 players used to consider their end game item as much as anything, for tanks, this was a common one: https://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Epic_Chimera%27s_Fang

Just something to consider, but personally I advise people to do what they think is the most fun. Certainly, you don't want to gimp yourself as a tank, but you don't have to have the absolute best to be successful either. Good luck.

[Doug]

Originally posted by wTp.Soap:

4. I think you'll find this page very helpful https://ddowiki.com/page/List_of_weapons_with_unusual_attack_or_damage_mods

Fwiw, I prefer the layout here:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/455105-Enhancements-or-Feats-that-change-to-hit-or-damage-modifiers

[Doug]

Originally posted by wTp.Soap:

1. Tanks can't rely only on armor class in the hardest content. A lot of tanks are going to use a shield because it's a significant difference; also adding Physical and Magical resistance rating. The main reason someone who is tanking might not want to use a shield is probably if they have evasion and also perhaps high dodge.

For your build, I think you could use a rune arm for high damage vs trash mobs and swap to shield for tanking bosses or for elite/reaper. Bastard sword is typically the best single handed melee weapon for a tank but as an arti idk if you'll have enough feats or ability points for that (the ideal being to invest in THF feats), making the first race consideration human, but...

I've never done a melee-focused Arti. It would be hard to give up the weapon imbues and bonus damage from a runearm, at least vs trash mobs. As wTp.Soap says, you might find it worthwhile to create weapon sets with runearm and others with shield. And to not have Mighty Slam and Battlefist (prereq: runearm) vs trash would be.. disappointing).

Since Artis get a bonus feat every 4 levels, feat-starvation shouldn't be too big an issue.

[Doug]

2. The infusions are generally used as party support (which is why they're AoEs), particularly in reaper-level content where self-heals are nerfed. And Converter is optional. None of this makes Warforged any worse a fit for an Artificer than it's ever been. It simply also supports other options. Also, as I recall it, the infusions don't scale up anywhere near the healing of a Reconstruct spell... and casting one only to find out Converter had worn off would be.. a nasty wake-up call.

[Doug]

3. The best cover for the weakness of a melee tank is a CC caster. And if it also has means of DoTting or weakening bosses, that's even better.

[Doug]

4. Dex is well-nigh useless on a heavy armor or Adamantine Body toon. Personally, I'd take enough Str for feat prereqs for THF (17 base Str.. not too bad) and use Int for to-hit and damage using the Harper tree (if you have it). Con is obviously a must for any tank. In this scenario, your stats would be primarily Int/Con, 17 Str, and any extra into Wis for Will saves and Spot. Dump Dex and Cha almost entirely. You'll probably wind up with gear that gives you as much Dex as you can benefit from, anyway.

Even without Harper tree, you can use Int for either To-Hit OR Damage (not both, unfortuntely) using spells.

[Derpykat5]

what is THF? No feat comes to mind with that abbreviation.

[Derpykat5]

oh, two handed fighting? derp.

[Doug]

Originally posted by derpykat5:

oh, two handed fighting? derp.

Yes. Bastard Swords and Dwarven Axes can both benefit from glancing blows, so THF is a natural fit (especially if you aren't taking SWF or TWF).

[Sara_MythSense]

I found shadar kai work well with the light hammer option from the BE enhancement tree.
Shadar kai 25% incorperal combined with RM 95% less damage at 50% hp for six seconds gives you more than enough time to heal back to full.

And on an unrelated note the tempest tree from ranger allows one to use scimitars as light weapons making one able to have crit rates that go through the roof with the swinging chain attack.