Armor Differences from Prophecies to Factions

As many of you are well aware, some of the armor sets in factions have been changed compared to the prophecy sets. The most notable to me was Dreadnought's set, which was 90 AL and +10 vs Physical attack. Platemail and Dragon armor are only 85 AL +10 vs Physical attack. Obviously this new Dreadnought's armor makes those two obsolete. I will be merging my account when Factions is released, so here is my quesiton. I have 15k Platemail on my warrior, will its stats change to Dreadnought's when Factions is released or atleast will Platemail be made better so its not just a crappier version of a new armor?

This new Dreadnought's armor is also an imbalance in PvP, players who only have prophecies with platemail will be at a disadvantage when players who have factions with dreadnoughts are in the same match.

If they were to change the stats of platemail, I'd prefer it be 85 AL +15 vs Physical, or 90 AL +10 vs Physical. Its only fair.

That is a good question, I can't imagine ArenaNet knowingly making particular existing armor obselete. Although I don't have any confirmed word, I do believe they would bring existing Tyrian armor up to date with Canthan armor.

It has a 13 strength requirnment... not many people would want to meet that... you sacrifice some power in skills for the ability to take hits a little bit better.

That's Sentinel's armour, it has 100AL, -20AL if Strength is lower than 13.
Dreadnought's Armour has 90 AL + 10 vs Physical.
Platemail/Dragon Armour has 85AL + 10 vs Physical.

Also, for elementalist, the armours were +10 vs Elemental, +10 vs a specific element, compared to +15 vs a specific element at the moment.
So Pyromancer had +20 vs Fire and +10 vs all other elements, compared to current Pyromancer that had +15 vs fire, 0 vs all other elements.

And people use Gladiator's Armor in PvP... not platemail.

I'm interested in the armor that adds +health.
I think this would allow people to stack multiple superior runes.

It would be more useful with no superior runes and the same stat setup as your energy set for switching to when fighting a degen build or a spike build. Extra health and no superiors is going to be nice against those.

Ah. Sorry for blatantly proffesing my ignorace. I am not a warrior :-D.


I was also wondering about that Ranger armor. I don't think anyone will go back to prophecies armor after seeing these...


Explorer's Armor:


A total of +35 health, and you still keep the base +30 against elemental damage.
Coupled with any fortitude mod and a vigor rune, you can counter at least one superior rune and have only -10 health optimally from a major rune after that. It's crazy.


Scout's Armor:


Still got that 100 AL vs. Elementals PLUS 10 armor if you're running something like Read the Wind or Ignite Arrows. I heard some people griping about it only giving you armor when ACTIVATING preparations, but I took and edited these screenshots from the PVP CREATION WINDOW not 10 minutes ago. So you're running an almost constant 80 AL with preps and 110 if you're fighting an ele in pvp or in pve, which I must say that I like a lot because I hated the ranger armor specializing in one area and then having no other bonuses, besides druids.


Sentry's Armor:


This armor gives you +10 armor while using a stance. Like fast recharges? Run Serpent's Quickness with an enchantment mod and you've got skills recharging in 2/3 of the time, while bolstering 80 armor, again, and 110 against elementals. A downside to this armor may be that it looks like a frilly french-aristocratic suit, but that can be overlooked.




How could these really compete with the other Tyrian armors? Well, if you specialize farming in a certain place, you'll almost certainly want the 115 elemental armor that you get from Drakescale or Studded. But with the 110 AL from the new armors besides explorer's, which has an equally beneficial bonus, would you really want to buy them? I wonder what ANet was doing. Well, I'm not complaining, anyway.

Comments? Discussions? Criticisms on my commentary?

Yeah, the text is "right", but the armour is bugged, sort of like Bloodstained Boots. It's supposed to give you the +10AL while you have a preparation on you, but it's been tested that it only gives the +10 while you're preparing the preperation, so 3 seconds of +10 AL. It'll probbaly get fixed though.

Also, rumour has it the Drakescale/Frostbound/Studded armours would change to +10 vs elemental, +10 vs element (total of 110 vs elemnts, 120 vs a specific element), similar to Elementalist armours, though it's just a rumour.

Also cheap is that Rogue's/Judges/Censors will still get the -4 EN penalty for +10 vs Physical while Elementalists get Battlemage's robes which have +10 vs Physical, but no penalty.

You really think so? A full set of these "health" armors only gives you +35 life...that doesn't even cover a major rune. :\

they should make major runes only -40. im waiting for that change for ages. :P

I think they'll balance out in the end but what I still don't understand is the war's armor reqs 13 str... in a build that uses lots of strength.. having more armor seems kind of pointless. Normally you want more armor in a tactics build...

as to prophecies armor's becoming unused.. I doubt it, I don't know much, but I am positive druids and glads armor will never go out of style and i'm sure theres others that are just as popular among the other class's

The reasoning for the 13 strength req. is simply balance. Otherwise that armor would be abused to no end. (which will probably still happen a great deal regardless)

Well the option of buying Guild Wars: Factions would be expanded options, not making you obsolete, an extra 5 armor wouldnt make everyone obsolete.

Dont forget now, if your from Prophecies... your going to need armor to begin with, I'm betting your not going to replace your current 85AR set with a low AR set from the 1st town because it has the Dreadnought name.(highly doubt it would be in the 1st town you vist anyhow but you see my point?)

Dont be shouting out for balance issues when the game has yet to be released, given it is 11~12days away, Yes I too will be replacing some of my characters armor, but I know thats a long road ahead.

I'm betting there wont be a magical droknars run to end game armor, and then a more rediculaisly easy henchable mission so a runner could easily take you to either outpost where ascention armor crafters are readily waiting for your level 1 characters to proclaim "I'M LV1 WITH 15K ARMOR LOL"

its only speculation that it would end up not as easily ran, route's around faction areas were traps(Like charlies in the trees!!! ok the kurz's, but they did use snare tatic's)

I wont be ran through factions, too much beautiful artwork that I would miss(I think the places desirve a good looking at, atleast 2~3 times, after that I could see that your in a hurry)

Where is this "Dreadnoughts" Armor? I've NEVER seen a pic of it or it's stats. If you go into PvP creation you can see all the Factions armors and it's not there.

-Sentenel
-Legionare
-Berserker

But no dreadnought. Where are people getting this dreadnought stuff from?

Dreadnought's Armor +1 Strength 10 more AL than Standard, 10 less +AL vs Physical than Standard

it's on GuildWiki but no screen shots of it yet. and that's about all it says

So it's not a confirmed? Because apart from GuildWikki I've not seen anything else related about it. And you'd think this close to release date you'd see something. Probably need to ask the Frog or Gaile what's happening with it.

Dreadnought's armour was on the armour crafter's list. He had Glads, Ascalon, Knights and Dreadnoughts, + the new armours.

The reason there's no pic of it is because all armours look the same depending on the side. Kurzick armour looked like Sentinels, Luxon looked like Berserker.

This might be a surprise but I hope to heck chp2 armor is better. Why?
I'd like to get my male warrior out of his bra for energy, my necro out of tormentor, etc.

However if anything I'm concerned outside the elementalist I see little reason to change. Actually this thread gives me hope I'll actually WANT to use some of the new armors of the new chapter I'd be purchasing.

Because again outside the rather horrible Ele choices at least the pvp armor has had very little to be desired. And I've posted to the effect I wish they'd separate form from function - a lot of time it doesn't make sense anyways (ie more armor less clothes) so let that be craftable/customizable/whatever.

they just HAVE TO upgrade our current armors - at least for ppl who decided to merge their accounts!