13 réponses à ce sujet

[Chubby]

I'm quite far into my first playthrough (currently level 17) and I have just entered the Emerald Graves. 

It appears whenever i am in combat with the large shielded soldiers Cassandra gets 100-0'd by them.

 

I'm really uncertain why as she is very tanky and hasn't had health issues the entire game - likewise my character, a Knight Enchanter, doesn't even take damage from them thanks to the nice barrier refresh on every spellsword attack. I can't get my head around it. Is it something to do with AOE while she has bodyguard active?

 

Has anyone else had this issue? 

 

Note: It might be worth mentioning that i have killed Hawke in my storyline and i am still using Varric in my party(sorry for spoiler). I doubt this is an issue but I dont know if this is a character interaction where Varric is less "accurite" with his shots now or something? This is the only noticable change in my progression and I am currently stumped and why she dies so often. 

[Adhin]

I... would respec Cass and remove body guard. If your whole party is being hit, even upgraded, she's taking 100% of the dmg, then 75% more of it. Thats.. pointless. Shes the tank, Body Guard is great for an 'off' tank, to help your main tank tank better. But you shouldn't even have your other party members taking dmg (I realize that's mostly impossible). But Cassandras job should be holding the line, not absorbing dmg for others via Body Guard.

 

That aside no idea why she dies often, especially at lvl 17. I was doing Emerald Graves at lvl 12-13 on Nightmare and she never got 1 shot from anything. I dunno though, almost sounds like a bug with but I'm sure it's not. It has to be something, try just making it so she doesn't manually use Body Guard and see how it works out. One thing I would ask since I've never taken Body Guard (cause I think its fundamentally a bad skill) but... does it stop stamina generation besides auto-attack? I can't see why it would but if it did that could explain her dying too as she lacks the stamina for proper Shield Wall. Which is another thing, if she has low stamina and tries to Shield Wall she wont absorb or build guard, she'll take full dmg and get knocked around.

 

Ultimately, I don't have her using many skills and have her reserve no stamina at all with heavy favor for Shield Wall. Ultimately, I just want her Shield Walling and Taunting. Everything else is a waste of stamina as a tank. I 'do' have her using Shield Bash or the SnB charge skill but she doesn't use them often unless theres a reason. Such as to close distance, or cause the target has Guard and/or is Frozen or something.

 

Anyway instead of respeccing, just disallow her use of Body Guard and see if that improves things... if it doesn't, maybe her stamina consumption is an issue and shes just not able to block/build guard against the enemies due to a power move there using.

[Manki]

I actually have my Cass with bodyguard on. However I don't run with more than 1 other melee. So normally no one gains benefit from it (FYI the circle on the ground is the range on it, it's really not that big at all.). In my experience though, it's really good to have when Cass has to run back and pick up an add off me or the mages.

 

As far as her getting 1 shot....idk mate. I'm currently in the Emerald Graves at level 14 and not having an issue really. Maybe try using your party to cc those particular enemies until you can fight them 1 on 1? Don't really know what else to tell you 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I'd be curious to know how much affect armor class matters since I've noticed sometimes my Cassandra gets absolutely squashed. I ran into some Red Templars in Crestwood and my Cassandra was absolutely oblitered by them, despite being the same level.

[Fu_Xi]

I had this exact same problem, what did it for me I had a purple shield equipped with "berserk" ability which gives 10% damage bonus but you take 100% more damage. I sold that rubbish at the first merchant. I don't understand the point of a weapon that gives only 10% more damage but you take double damage,  and a shield especially. What in the name of the maker is that rubbish!?

[Manki]

I'd be curious to know how much affect armor class matters since I've noticed sometimes my Cassandra gets absolutely squashed. I ran into some Red Templars in Crestwood and my Cassandra was absolutely oblitered by them, despite being the same level.

 

Actually this is a question I would like to know the answer too as well, mostly in regards to the Trust the Steel passive. I'll update when I get home from work with what my Cass stats are and you can compare them. Maybe its a build issue?

 

Also, to derail, I assume the answer is yes to this question, but does anyone know if while Barrier is active, does the tank get benefit from Armor? If not this may explain the reason as to why Barrier is so much larger than guard. 

[Manki]

I had this exact same problem, what did it for me I had a purple shield equipped with "berserk" ability which gives 10% damage bonus but you take 100% more damage. I sold that rubbish at the first merchant. I don't understand the point of a weapon that gives only 10% more damage but you take double damage,  and a shield especially. What in the name of the maker is that rubbish!?

 

For that DPS SnB BABY!

 

.......actually i want to try this now.......

[Adhin]

Barrier gains no benefit from 'any' DR. And best I can tell, contrary to what I would initially assume % stuff is counted before Armor. Armor is direct damage reduction, if you have 200 armor you are removing literally 200 from physical damage. With all the SnB passives and a Shield, from the front Cassandra can easily avoid vast majority of dmg. Coming from an angle though and she'll start taking actual damage.

 

In my current lvl 15 game she has less Armor then my 2H warrior (my char) but will only take 1 dmg often from the front while I'm taking 20-40. This is on NM, mind you. You got the defense which acts like %DR, she has 50% reduction from ranged (not ranged defense so its multiplicative... maybe), 20% general DR from the front. Has 176-ish armor from the Front.

 

If a ranged attack comes in at 400 dmg, lets say, that's cut in half to 200, then 20% is cut off bringing its base to 160, her armor is higher then that and she only takes 1 dmg. This is rather consistent. Even say 500 dmg, cut to 250, 20% from the front cuts off another 50 bringing it to 200. Shes only taking 25 dmg at that point which is a far cry from the initial 500 you'd see to Barrier (haven't seen 500, see 350-450 usually when hitting barrier).

 

That's gonna be the easiest way to tell how the DR and DR% are taking effect  - see what the dmg is vs Barrier, then see what Cassandra is taking with out barrier on. That's how I've come to the basic conclusion that the %DR (defenses/passives) are going into effect 'before' Armor is. Which is far, far more powerful. As an example of that 400 dmg mark in reverse with ranged? 400 - 175 gets you  225, cut that in half 112.5, 20% off that and your taking 80 dmg. 80 dmg is a far cry from the 1 she actually takes in game.

 

What this ultimately means is all those %DR stuff, as low as they might seem make a massive difference to physical dmg when combined with armor. It ultimately makes your armor super effective. One thing I've noticed, and haven't had a chance to test it in full yet but +Armor% bonus seem to only effect Armor, not Front Armor. Which you might think supersedes Front Armor if its higher but... I dunno. I've seen me take less dmg from the back then the front after a War Cry, not sure if thats broken or im just delusional. Hopefully its fixed if its broken.

[Gigamantis]

Especially on Nightmare even Warriors don't take hits very well.  Shield Wall is what makes a tank a tank in this game.  If Cass doesn't have Shield Wall up you'd better hope Barrier is off CD or she has full guard, because if not she's going down fast. 

[Chubby]

I had this exact same problem, what did it for me I had a purple shield equipped with "berserk" ability which gives 10% damage bonus but you take 100% more damage. I sold that rubbish at the first merchant. I don't understand the point of a weapon that gives only 10% more damage but you take double damage,  and a shield especially. What in the name of the maker is that rubbish!?

I had this also! I didn't realize this was the problem. Thanks man!

What a stupid item!

[Adhin]

LOL oohh Berserker stat. God that is so pointless. It's like it was designed for rogues who like being 1 shot in NM. Absurd property all together.

[konfeta]

Shield Wall is what makes a tank a tank in this game.

Now I am curious, has anyone tried a 2-hander tank with Block and Slash to see how it stacks up to Shield Wall? They seem to be the same skill with a difference of how they spend stamina and secondary effect (can move with shieldwall, get a free swing with block) at a first glance.

[Manki]

Now I am curious, has anyone tried a 2-hander tank with Block and Slash to see how it stacks up to Shield Wall? They seem to be the same skill with a difference of how they spend stamina and secondary effect (can move with shieldwall, get a free swing with block) at a first glance.

 

I believe this was determined in another thread that I cant seem to find.

 

Block and slash drains stam over time, just by holding it. Shield wall only drains stamina on hit. At least, thats what I remember seeing posted. Secondhand knowledge YMMV.

[Giantdeathrobot]

Yeah, Bersek is absolute rubbish. Maybe decent for mages and archers, for anyone else it's a massive waste. At level 18 my Cass is face-tanking level 20 dragons, there's no way she should die to random mooks.

 

Also, make sure your tank faces the target(s). Attacks from the flank will do much, much more damage.

 

Also, @ Konfecta: it doesn't hold up. Shield Wall is much less stamina-hungry and blocks more than one attack, and is less micro-intensive.