Armor Question

Okay, I've just gotten to Droknar's Forge for the first time and Im a bit puzzled. I'm also relatively new to these forums so if this is in the wrong place, please don't rip off my head for it haha.

I've been looking around at the new armor and have been wondering as to if I should be going after anything but the same Gladiator type armor that I've been using so far throughout the game.

From what I can see, it has the best armor level AND it provides a tiny boost to energy (which is nothing to laugh at as a warrior :P). No matter how I look at it, the other armors are inferior to Glad's in terms of how they perform. Not only do most of the other options provide less armor, they also don't come with the small boost to energy and tend to cost more to boot.

So other than looks, is there any reason to get anything other than the Droknar's Gladiator set? Like...is there some sort of hidden bonus to these other armor types that I'm just not seeing? And should I be looking for any of the collector's for a helm/armor piece or is the armorer guy in Drok's all I'm going to need?

Also, as a side note, I've been thinkin about which kind of sword to look for as a final weapon and I've yet been undecided. Does anyone know where I can find like..an index of the sword skins as they look in game and equipped instead of that itty bitty picture in my inventory?

Any feedback in this matter would be greatly appreciated

Been a while since I played my warrior, but as I recall:

1. Glad's armor did provide an energy boost.
2. Plate has the best armor rating
3. Knight's armor is slightly lower than Plate, but provides damage absorbtion.
4. Don't recall what was special about Ascalon armor.

Ascalon == Knights, but Gladiators is still the "best" as far as numbers go. Plate is cheaper though.
Still, you'll probably want one piece of Knights or Ascalon armor, usually boots, in order to get the damage reduction(together with sup Absorb, 5 less damage taken).

ascalon and knight are the same (Ascalon is just renamed "knight" in later armor ratings).

People get like the Knight Boots. Since the dmg absorbing is global and does not stack it would be a waste to buy a full Knight's set.

And if your a hammer warrior you get the Stonefist Gauntlets.

As for Chest and Leggings if you are going to be fighting alot of non-pysical dmg things go with Platemail. Its got slightly higher AL than normal, but its bonus reduction of melee dmg is reduced - making it better than normal when fighting non-melee dmg.

But yes - for the most part Glad's is the best in most situations. Though dont count Platemail out if your going to be facing alot of non-warrior type enemies. Thats why in PvE you see alot more Platemail/wyvern (these two are also the same just like ascalon/knight).

there are many more physical damage monsters in pve then elementalists
glads is the way to go

The most widely used set (IMO) is Ascalon/Knight Helm or Boots, and Glads the rest. Plate is also used a lot instead of the glads, but it is becoming less common because of all the farming that [used to] require a lot of energy.

Hmmmm interesting.

So far, I'm going with the damage reductin boots and the rest into gladiator's.

nother question though, is there a difference between the natural armor level and the bonus added on?

For instance, say armor 1 had AL 85 and AL+10 but armor 2 had AL80 and AL+20...would the second one always be better? Or are there situations where the first one tops out?

You don't have to go for a full set people. Just take what looks best, the difference isn't THAT big, especially in PvE.

The added AL is for pysical attacks only.

So if you got hit with a fire attack, Armor 1 would have 85 AL, and armor 2 would have 80 AL, a difference that doesn't seem like much, but is up to like a 9% difference in dmg.

but if someone hit you with a hammer - armor 1 would have 95 AL, and armor 2 would have 100. So both are the same just for different attacks.

It depends on whats going to be hitting you the most.

When farming was easy and getting VERY popular, all you saw was Glads. But now look at PvE warriors..and a HUGE number of them are wearing Platemail/wyvern now.

I prefer Platemail, for PVE, simply because as a warrior I use almost all adrenaline skills, energy isn't that big of a deal. But of course, I don't use a warrior for farming.

I do agree, mixing and matching is the better course, if you're looking for getting the most out of your armor. I don't think I have any single character (except for perhaps my Warrior) that uses one type of armor exclusively over others. My Mesmer is using a combination of Courtly and Enchanter (I think). My Ranger is using both Druids (vest) and Drake (everything else). Monk uses a combo of Judgement and Tatoos. Etc.

There isn't much of a difference visually between all of them to think it looks "wrong" - except my ranger, since the female ranger 15K druids is vastly differeent from the drakescale. But the denizens of the UW don't care what I look like. When I'm doing PVE with the ranger, I just wear all drake, since energy in Thunderhead Keep isn't as big of an issue compared to trapping in UW.

If you feel that glad armour is best for you then go for it, the only difference the 15k and fissure armor sets have from Drok's is it's aesthetic value, as almost every thread I have read on this subject has ever said

You're right, the Warrior armors are terribly balanced, and if what you care about is having the best armor then you'll want to be wearing Gladiator's. One piece of Knight's armor is good, as well, as the -2 damage per physical attack bonus is global so you get the benefit of a full set from that one piece.

If you're more concerned about looks than effectiveness, 15k Platemail is largely considered the best looking armor for a (male) Warrior, so go ahead and buy that. You lose 7 energy on the set, but whatever, you aren't running around half naked and that's what's important, right?

Peace,
-CxE

Yeah, I'd have to say that the worst thing about the gladiator set is that you're running around half naked most of the time XD.

Is there any way to get the benefit of the 7 extra energy without being half naked all the time? :P

I prefer platemail for high armor, and then add on superior vigor/superior absorption. The energy boost can be nice...but as a warrior you really shouldnt be basing things off your energy...since you wont be carrying anything into battle to bring it up much...unless you stance/keg for farming etc, but we wont go into that right now. The typical 20-22 energy is enough, try putting in adrenal skills and use the fact that you're attacking a lot to your advantage.

Well...having that little extra bit of energy is what I need to get off an extra attack or so...since I dont use an axe, for now, the better adrenal skills are rather hard to charge.

And as a warrior, tanking in the middle of a physical mob...not even necessarily farming but just tanking as part of a group, I tend to be in the thick of the melee side of combat more than the ranged.

I'm undecided as of yet...and I've held off buying any piece of armor until I can figure out what I want to do as that's a fairly large monetary investment (maybe not to the moneybags out there haha...but to me).

I wonder how it would look to have like...glad chest, platemail leggings, ascalon/knights boots and whatever gauntlets? ^.^" (I always hide the helm anyway so that was never really an issue haha).

If anyone has any other opinions of thoughts, please share! I like hearing how fellow players deal with these purely aesthetic decisions ^.^

EDIT: And just on a side note, I have a shield with 14AL and +7 agains piercing damage. What in the name of good deals piercing damage? XD