Lack of Improved Block on raid-quality items

[khaliss]

I keep looking at T2-T6 gear and notice that there really aren't that many items with Improved Block, but too many items with Improved Parry, Dodge, etc. AFAIK, the only common drop that has improved block is the shoulder/back item that drops from a warder in ST.

I can think of several items that are not that rare that can change to Improved Block worn effect. A good candidate would be Ring for the Strong (instead of Improved Parry VII, how about Improved Block VII), Sleeper Ring (instead of Dodge VI, how about Improved Block VI), or Powerful Metal Vambraces (Improved Parry VI to Improved Block VI).

[Jeido]

Why? What warrior uses a shield ><

[khaliss]

LOL sorry I'm a noob, forgot this is a shield-oriented stat... /delete thread

[Tyler]

Improved Block is a monk skill. What does it have to do with Shields?

[Aesop]

On the LDoN merchant both the Improved Block VII and the Improved Parry VII augs have the same description word for word. Can you verify that imp block and imp parry have different effects despite the identical description and does imp block indeed effect shield users? (knights and warriors who use shields believe this is true, and I'm inclined to agree with them)

[Jeido]

Warriors have an AA called "Shield Block", and I guess I just assumed that improved block helps it proc more often. Shield Block allows the warrior to completely block an attack if they have a shield equipped. I may be wrong about the focus working for it though, as I've never had reason to test it. Any warrior who raids with a shield will not be the one tanking =p the DPS would!

[ChaosSlayer]

http://www.thehiddenforest.org/spell.php?id=8618

its an enhancement to Monks Block ability

the reason its worded exactly the same as improved Parry is cause it essentially does the same thing, with only difference that monks do not get parry skill, and other classes do not get block.

On LIVE some time ago, soe MERGED the both abilities into ONE, and its now called:

Improved Parry/Block, and does BOTH

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spel ... pell=20515

Oh yeah, back on live during days of PoP-GoD, warrior with a shield was a SIGNIFICANT boost to warrior survival, if you plan to beat the mob AT ALL DPS simply had to HOLD BACK for as long as 5 minutes before going in.

[Jeido]

Yes, well when a warrior has 4.5k-6k AC then another 150-200 AC from a shield won't help. Especially since swords already have good AC on them. For shields to be worth bothering with here, they'd need 400+ AC ><

[ChaosSlayer]

blame Tyler

in days right before GoD, my guild top tank had a warrior ONLY shield (which had 93 Ac and Furious Bash IV focus) which he used to hardest encounters, and it helped tremendously.
He was barely breaking 2.2k Ac at that point

[khaliss]

Yeah, back on live (circa 2003) it was unlikely for a tank to survive RallosZek (Potime version, which was probably the hardest hitting boss in PoP) without having to use a shield. If I remember correctly, he had an unusually high riposte rate that would eat a full elemental geared warrior alive if you didn't use a shield, we had to go through 3-4 tanks for the entire fight. That was my favorite encounter cuz it got my blood pumping lol.