There are five different armour pieces;
Chest, Legs, Arms, Feet and Head.
Shields are treaded separately and as many guides explain how these work, I will concentrate on the armour pieces, and picking the right combinations to optimise your combat defence.
These five pieces have differing chances of being hit when one is attacked. The game mechanics take into account elevation and target orientation such that when being attacked from a higher elevation, the chance of being hit in the head armour piece increases.
As such the following should be treaded as a rough guide of the percentage chance that an armour piece is struck by an attack.
Armor Location
Hit Percentage
Chest
37.5%
Legs
25%
Head,
Arms,
and Feet
12.5%
The armour piece that is struck the most is the Chest, statistically it is likely to be struck three times more often than the head, arms and feet and 3/2 or fifty percent more often than the legs.
Likewise the Legs are the target of attacks two times more often than the Head, Arms and Legs. They will be struck 33.33% less than the chest.
Attack Types
Attack Type
Hit Determination
Skill Types
Melee
By chance
Swords,
Axes,
and Hammers
Ranged Projectile
By chance
Affected by elevation
Bows
Spell Projectile
By chance
Affected by elevation
Spells
Spell DOTs
N/A
Spells,
and Hexes
Spell Direct Damage
Automatic hit
to chest
Spells
Melee and Ranged Physical:- These weapons do Physical Damage and can hit any of the armour pieces listed above based on percentage probabilities.
Spell Projectile:- Wands and Staffs fire projectiles to the target, in addition there are spells that are cast that also fall into this category. Examples of these include; Flare, Fireball, Stone Daggers and Water Trident. These are the only type of spells that can hit any of the five armour pieces.
Spell DOTs:- directly effect the â??Pipsâ?? of energy and/or health regeneration. No armour calculations are made and the effect directly modifies the rate of regeneration or degeneration of the target. Examples of these include; Life Siphon, Well of Power, Life Transfer and Conjure Phantasm.
Spell Direct Damage:- Spells that fall into this category do not â??fly through the airâ??, instead are instantly applied to the chest piece of the target. The descriptions of these spells contain â??struckâ?? in the verbiage. Example of these spells include; Lightning Strike, Earthquake, Immolate and Flame Burst.
NOTE: Though there are Melee and Bow weapons that can do elemental damage, this is a weapon enchantment that merely changes the damage type not the attack type.
Importance of the Chest
So we know that there is good percentage that any attack will hit the chest. In addition we have Direct Damage spells that always â??strikeâ?? the chest piece for armour calculations.
Now to continue with this reasoning, a number of the Elementalist spells strike the chest automatically, it can therefore be deduced that higher elemental protection would be statistically beneficial on the chest (on a strictly versus damage type basis). However doing this at the cost of physical should be weighed against how many people are doing each type of damage to you. If warriors/rangers are the Flavor Of The Momemt and you fight 100 of them to each caster then maximising +Elem AL would be flawed reasoning.
One of the problems with delivering a blanket statement that one is better than another is that the game is evolving. It was clearly obvious that War/Monk were in abundance in the WPE and there are still many of them around, but their numbers are declining rapidly in favour of other class combinations. So what is better today, is not necessarily going to be the case in a year or a month as people seek the builds that are the most "effective" or "FOTM" or suit their play style.
Calculating whether you gain or loose by increasing elemental protection on this piece and at the cost of how much physical protection is though speculative, a very important question nonetheless and one that should be considered.
Weighing how much of one versus the other will be a by-product of play style and opponents. Currently fire damage is the most common Elementalist damage, but again even if you endorse the higher +Elem AL then; should the increase be general AL? or a higher level of a specific elemental damage type such as fire? More insight into these questions and others will be provided over the following article.
Lets use the Elementalist as a preliminary example.
Elementalist
There are two main types of Primary Elementalists in Guild Wars.
1. Point Blank Area of Effect - PBAOE (close range, high damage)
2. Ranged (AOE or single target)
PBAOE Elementalists run to the target and spam their high damage spells in an attempt to kill their targets quickly. Hopefully they will catch their targets by surprise and drop them quickly before the opponent or their healing support can react.
Ranged Elementalists will attack from a distance and will often flee if any warrior looks at them the wrong way. Experienced Elementalists may attempt to kite single warriors. Kiting is a process whereby knockdown and slow attacks are utilised to prevent their enemies from closing into melee range.
The Elementalist has the following armour options:
Master's Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 50AL +24AL vs. Elemental
Elementalist's Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL
Aeromancer's/Geo/Hydro/Pyro Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs. xxxx
Note: All armours have the same +Energy (10) and + Energy Recovery (2).
The following block of logic should be applied to all of the other armour types to various degrees. Note: The Mesmer has different armour options, and therefore has to follow slightly different logic in determining whether +AL vs +Phy is better given their options. This is discussed in each class subsection.
Firstly there are a number of things that will determine which armour you choose for you chest and other pieces. NOTE: I am treating these as four different types;
1. Chest (hit 3/8 times)
2. Legs (hit ¼ times)
3. Boots/Gloves (hit 1/8 times)
4. Head (hit 1/8 times)
This is due to the logic in determining which pieces of armour are used in calculating damage and the different chances of each of the pieces being struck.
Play style
The number one question is how do you play?
If you are a PBAOE Elementalist, then you have a much higher chance of being attacked by physical damage types.
If you are ranged caster:
Do you rely on Armour of Earth, Obsidian Flesh, Armour of Mist and your healers when trouble comes your way?
Do you kite with Water Trident and Shard Storm so tanks do not get close?
Do you run at the first sight of trouble and use evade, block and speed skills to avoid physical damage?
Who usually kills you when you are in PvP? Warriors? Mesmers? Rangers? Elementalists? What sort of damage types do they use?
Once you answer these questions, it will help in determining which armour type, and how much of each protection will work best for you.
One important note however. No armour type effects Mesmer damage, Holy Damage, Dark or Chaos Damage. So damage from Mesmers, Smiters and Necros can be largely taken from the equation (with the exception of Death Magic's Deathly Chill and Deathly Swarm which uses cold (water) elemental damage). So when armour says +Elemental â?¦ it means exactly that â?¦ protection versus Elementalist damage only.
If you have determined that Elemental Damage is a nemesis to your play style, then choosing this on the chest is an obvious choice. But hang on, it is not that simple.
Master's Set
Armour: 60AL +5AL vs. Elemental
Aeromancer's/Geo/Hydro/Pyro Set
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs. xxxx
Calculations of Effectiveness
Lets examine the choices once more; Remember that +40AL will usually 1/2 the damage that you take.
Armor Level
Defensive Adjustment
0
282.8%
5
259.4%
10
237.8%
15
218.1%
20
200%
25
183.4%
30
168.2%
35
154.2%
40
141.4%
45
129.7%
50
118.9%
55
109.1%
60
100%
Armor Level
Defensive Adjustment
65
91.7%
70
84.1%
75
77.1%
80
70.7%
85
64.8%
90
59.5%
95
54.5%
100
50%
105
45.9%
110
42%
115
38.6%
120
35.4%
125
32.4%
The Elementalist has a choice between 60AL with a bonus of 15AL agaisnt a specific element or 60AL with a bonus of 5AL against them all.
The table above shows:
While you'll take the same damage from physical damage with 60AL wearing the Master's Set will give you 65AL or 8.3% less damage from all elemental sources (91.7-100 = 8.3). However, the 75AL you'll recieve with +vs. a specific element means you'll take 22.9% less damage (77.1-100 = 22.9) but only against one element, the remaining three will be borne at full damage. The Master's set, then, takes 15.9% more damage against a specific type of elemental damage but 9.05% less against all the others when compared to a specific elemental set. (Armour values are exponential. 65AL vs. 75AL is the same as 60AL vs. 70AL. 84.1-100 = 15.9)
In a situation where you can expect one and only one type of elemental damage the elemental sets are clearly better. But in a situation where you expect to face the elemental damage types more or less equally the Master's set holds an advantage. There is a "break point" where it becomes more sensible to wear protection against a particular elemenatl type and that point is around when more than 1/3rd of the damage you recieve comes from one partcular type (Specifcally 36%). Easy enough to remember as +5AL is 1/3rd of +15AL.
Direct Damage (Chest) versus Projectile
Direct Damage spells hit the chest, while others spells are projectile and can hit any of the armour pieces. Cross-referencing against the Elementalist Spell Lists shows us the following
-AL to Earth
Negative Protection to Earth is not a great drawback. Many of the common earth spells ignore armour anyway Stone Daggers and Stoning are exceptions and projectile, though earth is popular, these spells are not highly utilised.
-AL to Lightning
Lightning Javelin and Orb are projectile, many of the others will hit the chest, popular for "Tank Killers".
-AL to Fire
Fireball, Flare and Phoenix(the second portion) are projectile - All extremely common spells
-AL to Water
Ice Spear, Shard Storm and Water Trident are projectile - Popular damage spells often second elemental damage choice to fire.
Considering Other Armour Pieces
Only a small percentage of the Elementalist attacks are projectile. Therefore there are only a small percentage of the Elementalist spell lists that will ever hit armour pieces other than the chest. This shows that Elemental protection is far less important on armour pieces other than the chest.
To emphasise this point it can be demonstrated that
25% of all Melee attacks hit the legs
however
Of all of the Elementalist Spells most are direct damage and will strike the chest, whilst only some are projectile. Of this reduced subset of projectile spells, 25% of these will strike the legs.
Eg.
Warrior hits 100 times
Elementalist Casts 100 offensive spells (50 Direct Damage, 50 Projectile)
Statistically
25 Warrior blows will land on the legs
12.5 spells will strike the legs
NOTE: 37.5 Warrior blows will land on the chest
68.75 = 50 (all Direct Damage) + 18.75 (37.5% of 50) spells will hit the chest
This same logic can apply to the feet, hands and head armour pieces. Each of these will only receive a smaller portion of strikes in Melee and smaller still number of elemental spells striking these armour pieces
The above example illustrates how higher physical resistance is more beneficial on non-chest armour pieces.
I would recommend that if there is a good option to improve attributes or character abilities in the form of improved armour, higher energy or special ability, then these options should be considered on the arms, feet and head first.
Warriors can consider the Captainâ??s Helmet and Stonefist Gauntlets to improve attributes at only a small percentage AL hit, by the same token similar benefits on the legs or chest at an AL cost would not be recommended without careful due diligence.
Elementalist Armour Summary
I find the decision about the best armour for an Elementalist is quite easily summed up. The Elementalist armours have no difference in energy and mixing and matching yields little benefit except when in â??unplannedâ?? situations i.e. Melee range for a Ranged Elementalist. Given this, the Elementalist is one of the few classes that does not benefit overly by mixing and matching their armour pieces. AL needs for an Elementalist can also easily be supplemented by spells and wards such as: Ward against Foes, Armour of Earth, Obsidian Armour, Armour of Mist.
I would suggest that a ranged Elementalist should consider additional Elementalist AL on at least their chest, and higher Elem AL on other pieces should strongly be considered. This is a product of the playstyle, which is to avoid Physical damage. The problem with this comes from rangers who can deal physical damage at a distance.
A more advanced tactic for the ranged Elementalist is to carry two sets of armour, and switch to the higher physical AL armour when being shot by rangers or when finding themselves in Melee Range and switching to higher Elem AL in most other situations.
PBAOE Elementalists should try and maximise their physical resistance. There is a greater likelihood that you will attract the attention of warriors given their close proximity. The Elementalist Set, Aeromancerâ??s Set and Pyromancerâ??s Set are the three that I would consider. The Pyromancerâ??s set gives you increased protection against fire (most common).
Now lets quickly review the other Classes Armour Options:
Mesmer
The Mesmer is often a casting class, however a popular build involves using the Spell â??Illusionary Weaponryâ?? and a fast melee weapon to deal damage. The more traditional Mesmer build however uses casting to shut down, interrupt, drain or damage the opposition. Sometimes, â??reputationâ?? Mesmers can be targeted before Monks as they can wreak havoc and shut down entire teams if left unchecked. Though it is more common that they are the first of the â??castersâ?? that are targeted.
Noble --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs Lightning
Given other options, this set should probably never be considered, though better than baseline, lightning is uncommon so the improvement is minimal.
Stylish Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL
Baseline Armour
Virtuoso's Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL while casting
Sure you can cast fast, but is it often enough to outweigh permanent +s? I am not convinced. As many of the Mesmer spells have short casting durations, this negates the +AL while casting benefit. The stronger your spec in your primary attribute, the less useful this armour is.
Enchanter's Set --- Energy +14 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +10AL vs. Elemental Attacks
This set has an excellent chest. This gives a 70AL vs all elemental spells (a 15.9% damage reduction). Non Illusionary Weapon Mesmers should consider this for the chest at least. If the Mesmer also uses escape, evade, run, blow or other damage avoidance of physical damage spells, then further use of this set above and beyond the chest may also be considered. The excellent energy bonuses of this set make it the set of choice for all armour switching Mesmers.
Rogue's Set --- Energy +6 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +10AL vs. Physical Attacks
This armour is a very good option, and the armour of choice for Illusionary Weapon Mesmers. Only a small percentage of Elementalist attacks will ever target armour pieces other than the chest (percentage of spell projectiles), therefore I recommend that this armour would be an excellent source of protection against physical damage for many Mesmers. This armour does have considerably less energy than other sets however, which is a definite consideration for the non-melee Mesmers and gives it a back seat against armours like the regal set..
Regal Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 65AL -5AL vs. Earth
A Good option. I would consider Regal or Enchanters for Chest and Rogue's or Regal for other pieces.
I believe the Mesmer really has many armour choices. The Rogue's Set, the Regal Set and Enchanters Set all are useful. I would recommend that the Enchanterâ??s Set or Regal Set should be considered for the chest while the Rogueâ??s Set and Regal set would be excellent choices for the other pieces, depending on your combat role and build energy consumption. For the switching Mesmer, the Enchanterâ??s set is essential.
Monk
The Monk is really the primary target in just about all PvP matches. Interrupts and assist trains often head straight for the primary Monks to remove them from the equation as soon as possible. With that said, they need all of the protection and life extending mechanisms they can get. Due to their intense popularity with opposition assist trains, I would recommend all Monks seek to maximise their physical resistances (the source that most of their damage is taken from).
Silk Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 65AL -5AL vs. Cold Attacks
This armour has a higher baseline AL which is always a good thing for a Monk, the energy bonuses are standard for a caster which also make it this a very good alternative to the Judgeâ??s set. You will take 8.3% less damage against physical and non-cold elemental attacks.
Monk --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL
Baseline Armour
Wanderer's --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +5 vs Elemental
I feel that if you are considering increased Elemental protection, then the Saintly set may be a better option. This will give you slightly better protection over the Saintly set in Cold, Earth and Lightning, however these are less common. When you really analyse it, the Saintly set comes out ahead.
Saintly Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs Fire
Fire Elementalists and warriors with conjure fire, are common occurrences however, I would prefer the physical damage as a Monk. The Energy bonuses are standard so can make this armour a good option for the less important places like feet and arms when under fire.
Ascetic's Tattoos --- Energy +15 ER +2 (though this includes headwear)
Armour: 60AL
This set has more energy (+5) than the other sets, however given the big red target on the back of any Monk in PvP, this is a risky set to use. When you consider that swapping armour is very easy, the more adventurous may keep this set in their inventory and switch to it when they can for the energy bonus. Unfortunately however, Monks are targets 80-90% of the time when they are alive, so chances to use this additional energy would be best stated as meagre. The energy bonus may be nice, but I would think the hands and feet would be the only places that this armour should be seriously considered.
Judge's Set --- Energy +6 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +10AL vs. Physical Attacks
70 AL against physical attacks. This would be a very good option for a monk. Consider that the tanks will be chasing you for 90% of the fight and much of the damage you will take will be either Physical or that which armour does not make a difference against such as Mesmer or Necro. Elementalists will target you as well, but so does everyone else, so I believe a lesser percentage proportionally of damage will come from Elementalists, a full suit of this armour would not be a bad move.
With this you will be taking 15.9% less Physical damage over the 60 baseline. This set however has a large drawback in that you have lesser energy than other sets. Strongly consider this armour on the Chest and Legs, but other pieces for the feet and arms to offset the energy loss.
Necromancer
Scar Pattern Set --- Energy +14 ER +2
Armour: 60AL
This set delivers +4 Additional energy. This armour set would be a good one to consider if you own multiple sets of armour. Switch to the scar patterns when you are not the target of rangers and warriors, then quickly switch back to the Blasphemer or Necrotic sets when you have company. I would recommend this for the switching Necromancer, as they are the target of attacks less regularly. I would also strongly consider permanent use of the boots and arms of this set for the energy increase.
Blasphemer's Set / Necrotic Set --- Energy +10, ER +2
Armour: 70AL Reduces Protection from Holy damage
Excellent armour choice. Holy Damage is very uncommon and Smiting monks are not popular. When encountering a smiting Monk, they are often Mo/Wa and use skills like Judgeâ??s Insight and Warrior skills to deliver physical damage. Necros are often not the first choice of these people either so, all in all ... I would strongly recommend this set as the primary defensive armour set.
Cultist's Set --- Energy +10, ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs Cold
This set is only marginally better than the baseline set. Damage from Cold attacks is around but not hugely common. There is very little gain by using this armour.
Tormentor's Set --- Energy +6, ER +2
Armour: 60AL +10AL vs Physical Damage
Though 70AL vs Physical damage is nice, it comes at a high energy cost. The Blasphemerâ??s Set and Necrotic Set deliver the same AL vs physical and has the added benefit of providing it against Elemental attacks as well.
Necromancer's Set --- Energy + 10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL
Baseline Necromancer armour
Bonelace Set --- Energy +10 ER +2
Armour: 60AL +15AL vs. Piercing Attacks
I believe you could definitely make a case for this set over the baseline set. But in reality it only provides an improvement against piercing attacks. It does not help vs crushing or Elemental attacks. I find that this setâ??s usefulness is overshadowed by the benefits provided by the Blasphemer's Set / Necrotic Set.
Facial Scars
50 AL and +1 to any Necromancer attribute; or 60AL
Facial scars are perfect when you need to squeeze an attribute upwards. I would consider keeping multiple facial scars and swapping to the appropriate set when casting. Any Necromancer who has two specialties (such as Blood and Curses) should consider swapping to the appropriate gear when they are casting a spell of that line.
Bloodstained Boots --- ER +1
60AL Spells that target corpses are faster
Death magic will make good use of these boots. Boots are only hit by 12.5% of attacks, so the lower AL is only a minor drawback. The boots still have the +1 Energy Recovery so you are not loosing this important modifier when taking the boots.
Ranger
[Assumption] This may vary with individual play style
Rangers are not often primary targets of warriors, and take out casters/healers. Given this, they sometime raise the ire of the said casters and get targeted by elemental attacks maybe a little more frequently than otherwise. Rangers can be a little skittish when a warrior approaches and utilize escape spells to avoid physical damage. If your play style differs from this, then that should be taken into account.
Leather Set --- Energy +5 ER +1
Armour: 70AL +30AL vs. Elemental Attacks
The Druidâ??s Set provides the same protection against physical and elemental attacks and also more energy.
Hunter's Set --- Energy +5 ER +1
Armour: 70AL +30AL vs. Elemental Attacks, +15 vs Piercing Attacks
100 AL vs Elemental attacks is extremely beneficial. Definitely a good option. You will take ½ damage from 60 Baseline from all elemental attacks that do not ignore armour and 35.2% damage less from Piercing attacks and 15.9% less damage from other Physical damage. The chest is excellent giving +5 Energy, 100AL vs Elemental damage and 85AL vs piercing attacks, though +1 energy less than some other suits, I believe the 100AL chest (which is the target of ALL Direct Damage Elementalist spells) easily offsets this.
Druid's Set --- Energy +9 ER +1
Armour: 70 AL +30AL vs Elemental Attacks
Hunters Set provides additional piercing protection, while this set boosts better energy. I would consider switching from this set to the Hunterâ??s Set when under fire for the additional piercing protection.
Frostbound Set --- Energy +5 ER +1
Armour: 70AL +30AL vs. Elemental Attacks +15AL vs. Cold Attacks
I think given the elemental protection of other sets and increase energy in the Druidâ??s set, I would consider this set first if I was after energy and the Studded Leather set first if physical resistances were a priority.
Drakescale Set --- Energy +5 ER +1
Armour: 70AL +30AL vs. Elemental Attacks +15AL vs. Fire Attacks
Equivalent of Frostbound set with different elemental resistance.
Studded Leather Set
Armour: 80AL +20AL vs Elemental Attacks --- Energy +1 ER+1
The chest has had energy restored to it. So it has once again become a prime contender for the chest piece. Whilst the Studded Leather chest has +4 energy, this is only -1 on most other sets. This gives a higher base AL and still delivers 100AL against Elemental attacks. The chest is definitely worth considering â?¦ the legs are also worthy of mention due to the high AL and excellent protection vs physical damage. This set and the Hunterâ??s set should be considered for the legs, though other pieces are more noteworthy due to better energy bonuses on less important armour pieces.
Masks --- Energy +0 ER +0
70 AL and +1 to any Ranger attribute ; Or 80 AL
As in the Necromancer build, I would recommend keeping a number of different masks on hand and quick swapping when you are casting/using skills.
In summary, I would use Studded Leather Set Chest or Hunterâ??s Set Chest with the rest of the pieces coming from the Hunterâ??s or Druidâ??s set. For those with the funds, keeping a Druidâ??s set in inventory for the +4 energy would be wise and swapping to the other set for damage prevention when the need arises.
Warrior
Dragon Set --- Energy +0 ER +0
Armour: 85AL +10AL vs. Physical
A very good option. The Warrior receives 45.5% less damage versus Physical and 35.2% less damage against Elemental damage over the 60 Baseline, the higher baseline AL makes this the best Warrior armour at reducing elemental damage.
Gladiator's Set --- Energy +5 (including Helm)
Armour 80AL
This set provides improved energy bonuses, however lesser physical protection. +4 (or 5 with Helm) is a large increase on the base mana pool (20) of the Warrior, however casting is often less important to â??taking damageâ??. I doubt too many warriors will consider the 20% increase in power pool and may prefer to switch to a focus item for this bonus. However, some PBAOE Wa/El will be able to utilize this armour + focus item (instead of shield) bonus to deliver a short term increase in mana to get the energy for PBAOE damage to finish off enemies
Ascalon Set --- Energy +0 ER +0
Armour: 80AL +10AL vs. Physical and Reduces damage
29.3% less damage vs Elemental and 40.5% less damage from Physical + Reduces damage (I am not sure of the exact calculations regarding "reducing damage" stat). I can not compare this set without knowing the exact modifier to damage, but the Pelt cost is so outrageous due to unavailability â?¦ that no one will consider this until availability or material cost changes.
Knight's Set / Platemail Set --- Energy +0 ER +0
Armour: 80AL +20AL vs. Physical
29.3% less damage vs Elemental and 50% damage vs Physical. This set looses 5AL versus all Elemental damage in comparison with the Dragon set however gains and additional +5AL versus Physical Damage. The armour pieces come out slightly ahead on the non-chest armour pieces, though I believe the Dragon chest to be a better damage prevention mechanism due to the improved Elementalist spell defence.
Helmets --- Energy +0 ER +0
80AL +20AL vs. Physical and +1 to any Warrior attribute
Though all Warrior Sets come with a Helmet, these are far better than any of the other Helmets. They provide excellent defence whilst also boasting an attribute gain. Again, I would consider getting multiple helmets and swapping these in when casting â??Warriorâ??s Cunningâ?? or other spells with duration for a minor skill/duration benefit.
Stonefist Gauntlets --- Energy +0 ER +0
75AL +20AL vs. Physical and lengthens knockdown
Useful for any build utilizing knockdown skills.
Much of the armour is equivalent in some way here ... and will come down to personal preference and whether you are Anti-tank or Anti-support. I donâ??t see a great difference between the armours, but recommend the;
Dragon Chest,
Knightâ??s/Platemail Legs and Boots,
multiple Helmets
and the potential for the Stonefist Gauntlets.
