Test results for new armors

{Edit: If you read this article during or after the Factions Preview Event but before retail Factions release, note that some stats have changed in Release. Look for the other "Edit" comments I've inserted below.}

I tested the situational bonus AL on the new armor types. Conclusions first, then procedure and data.

Conclusions:

Obelisks do lightning damage and will always hit for the same value given a certain Armor Level (AL).

AL dmg
--- -----
60 42
65 39
70 36
75 33
80 30
90 25
100 21

General results:

Most of the new armor types offer their bonus armor LOCALLY. That is, only on the body part covered. They are NOT global like Knight/Ascalon or Virtuoso/Courtly/Performer/Noble.

The exceptions to the above are the "While Enchanted" Monk and Elementalist armors, which provide a +5 global bonus and a +10 local bonus that stacks with the +5 global.

{Edit: ALL of the new armor types offer their bonus armor LOCALLY, and as of retail release of Factions, the monk and elementalist armor no longer have the +5 global while enchanted bonus}

The above statements pretty much summarize everything, but for completeness, here are my individual conclusions:

Warrior:

Legionnaire provides +10 local armor while in a stance.

Sentinel provides +10 local armor while strenth is 13 or greater.
{Edit: 100 local armor if your strength is 13 or greater, 80 local armor if your strength is 12 or less}

Ranger:

Scout provides +10 local armor while activating a preparation only. It does NOT provide additional armor while under the effects of a preparation. This means that Scout armor is next to useless. This bonus does not apply if you are doing anything other than activating a preparation, for example, setting a trap or summoning a spirit. I would really like to see Scout armor changed so that it provides its bonus while you are under the effects of a preparation.

{Edit: As of Factions retail release, Scout armor now provides +10 local armor while you are under the effects of a preparation, not while you are activating a preparation}

Sentry provides +10 local armor while in a stance.

Monk:

Acolyte provides +5 GLOBAL armor while enchanted, and +10 LOCAL armor while enchanted. The body part covered by Acolyte armor therefore has a total of +15 armor while enchanted.

{Edit: As of Factions retail release, this is no longer true. Acolyte provides a local +10 armor while enchanted, with no global bonus.}

Disciple provides +15 local armor while suffering from a condition.

The +5 global bonus from Acolyte armor stacks with the Disciple's +15 while suffering from a condition for a total of +20 armor on body parts covered by Disciple's armor while enchanted and suffering from a condition.

{Edit: As of Factions retail release, this is no longer true. Acolyte provides a local +10 armor while enchanted, with no global bonus.}

Necromancer:

Minion Master's armor provides +10 local armor while you have 3 or more minions.

Blighter armor was not tested.

Mesmer:

Charlatan provides +10 local armor while enchanted. It does NOT have the global effect of Monk Acolyte or Elementalist Tempest armor. I wonder if this is intentional or not. For consistency, I think that the mesmer armor should be changed to behave like the monk and elementalist armor, or the monk and elementalist armor should be changed to behave like the mesmer armor.

{Edit: As of Factions retail release, the Mesmer, Monk, and Elementalist While Enchanted armors all behave identically, providing a +10 local bonus.}

Savant provides +10 local armor while in stance.

Elementalist:

Tempest provides +5 GLOBAL armor while enchanted, and +10 LOCAL armor while enchanted. The body part covered by Tempest armor therefore has a total of +15 armor while enchanted.

{Edit: As of Factions retail release, this is no longer true. Tempest provides a local +10 armor while enchanted, with no global bonus.}

Battlemage was not tested.

Assassin:

Nightstalker armor was not tested.

Ritualist:

Emissary provides +15 local armor while affected by a weapon spell.

Mystic provides +15 local armor while activating skills.

Oracle provides +10 local armor while holding any item. The item can be a Ritualist ash pot, a flag, or repair kit. It will probably work with Sorrow's Furnace gears or the Fissure of Woe book.


Procedure:

The Obelisk Test:

1. Equip new PvP character with a combination of basic +hp armor and the armor to test. Put armor to test on chest and hands, and the +hp armor on the legs and feet.

OR

1. Equip new PvP character with a combination of two of the armors to test.
Put Armor X on chest and hands, and Armor Y on legs and feet.

If making a warrior, do not add absorption runes or shields that add absorption.

Do not take stances or enchantments that modify your armor level.

2. Enter Isle of Nameless and carry a flag to the stand. Wait 30 seconds for the obelisk to turn hostile and begin striking you.

3. Record default obelisk damage while standing still.

4. Do whatever you need to do to trigger the situation bonus for the armor being tested. Record the obelisk damage.

The Wild Blow Test

1. Arrange for an unrated GvG. Team 1 has characters wearing the armor to test. Team 1 also has a healer. Team 2 has a warrior primary or secondary who has 0 strength, Wild Blow, and both a physical and elemental weapon. Team 2 also has a character who can cast hexes.

2. The warrior uses Wild Blow on several characters having AL 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 100. Record the damages. The damage will be the same every single time for a given AL.

3. The warrior uses Wild Blow on the character wearing the armor to test. Record the damage.

4. The character wearing the armor to test creates the situation that enables the armor's bonus AL (eg., attacking something, or get hexed by the opposing team). The warrior uses Wild Blow several times while that situation exists. Record the damage.


Data:

Obelisks hit naked characters for 120 damage.

Obelisks hit standard-armor casters for 42 damage.

Obelisks hit standard-armor rangers and assassins for 21 damage.

Obelisks hit standard-armor warriors for 30 damage.

Below are the damage numbers when characters are wearing partial suits of armor that have situational bonuses.

Warrior:

30 damage normally.

Legionnaire's, while in a stance:
30 or 25 damage while in stance

Sentinel
30 or 21 damage.

Ranger:

21 damage normally.

Scout:
18 or 21 while activating a preparation.
Always 21 while in a preparation.

Sentry:
18 or 21 while in stance.

Monk:

42 damage normally.

Judge:
Always 42 damage.

Wanderer:
39 or 42 damage.

Acolyte, while enchanted:
33 or 39 damage.

Disciple, while bleeding or poisoned:
42 or 33 damage.

Acolyte AND Disciple, while (enchanted and (bleeding or poisoned))
30, 33, or 39 damage.

Necromancer:

42 damage normally.

Minion Master, while having 3 or more minions:
36 or 42 damage.

Blighter, while hexed:
Not tested.

Mesmer:

42 damage normally.

Charlatan, while enchanted:
36 or 42 damage.

Savant, while in stance:
36 or 42 damage.

Elementalist:

42 damage normally.

Aeromancer:
33 or 42 damage.

Tempest, while enchanted:
33 or 39 damage.

Battlemage, vs physical:
Not tested.

Assassin:

36 damage normally.

Nightstalker, while attacking:
not tested.

Ritualist:

42 damage normally.

Emissary, while affected by a weapon spell:
33 or 42 damage.

Mystic, while activating skills:
33 or 42 damage.

Oracle, while holding an ash pot, flag, or repair kit:
36 or 42 damage.

Wow nice work there. But I found this troubling:

Hopefully that's a bug. They cant honestly think that could be of any use to anyone. +10 armor for the 2 seconds of activating a prep is completely pointless. It's got to be a bug....

Nice work. Thanks for doing all that testing.

Are you sure about that? Sentinel armor is 100 AR against everything while others are 80-85.

Sentinel Armor provides 100 AR IF you have Strength 13 or greater (lol).

Actually to be more precise Sentinal Armor provides -20 AR to the 100 if you do NOT have str 13+

Too awesome to not be bumped^^

Extensive work. Wonderful job. I was wondering about combining the while chanted, while under condition monk armors. I decided to do it anyway. Seems- now that I have read your post- that they truely do work great together.

Very good piece of research!
Thumbs up mate!

nice work

wow... i really hope ANeT changes the way Scout armour works...

/Agree

Nice. I like the possibilities that come with being able to mix and match armor sets.