Imp Smash
Molon Labe.
General Tso's Alliance
403
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Posted - 2014.11.18 04:00:00 -
[1] - Quote
Shield Tanking potentially better than Armor tanking.
Currently Armor tanking > shield.
Conceptually they are fairly even but in practice not quite so.
Legend:
+ = an advantage
- = a disadvantage
+/- neither an advantage nor disadvantage
Armor:
+More Hp (FerroScale vs Shield Extenders) at no movement loss versions
+Constant Regen
+Repairable via Hive or Rep Tool
-Inconsequetial native regen
-For higher regen HP slot must be sacrificed
+/- Varieties exist (MOAR HP for a speed penalty or MOAR native regen for a speed penalty)
Shield
+SIGNIFICANTLY Higher Native Regen
+ No slot usage required for said high native regen
+ Low slot for the regulator (regen beginning faster)
- Cannot be repaired
- Shield HP stacking has Regen penalties
- Delay before regen begins -- does not work under fire
- Lower HP than comparable armor plates (FerroScale vs extenders)
- For higher native regen HP slots must be sacrificed.
-/+ No varieties
I left out damage profiles as there are a variety of weapons that work better or worse against each.
Conceptually they make sense. Shields for skirmishing, armor for sustained combat.
However, the minuses behind armor are more easily mitigated than the minuses behind shields.
Most of the above (with the exception of repair/regen) are limited to inherent factors. THEN add in the cost of fitting options. Shield tankers can't really fit damage mods without sacrificing HP. Armor tankers can't really fit speed mods without sacrificing HP. (or in both cases -- regen) So that further puts shield into the fast skirmisher role and armor in the sustained combat role.
Again -- both of those being better at those roles are fine (creates flavor due to the different philosophies). However, when everything is said and done, I would say shields are *slightly* weaker than armor simply due to the penalties associated with stacking shields. The concept of high shield regen is offset by the concept of armor regenning during combat and being able to be repped. With those two different factors complementing eachother and effectively cancelling each other out, why is it that shield tankers have a regen penalty and less HP for comparable modules (Extender vs Ferroscale)?
For perspective purposes I am a:
Main Toon -- Amarr Assault, armor tanked, laser rifle
and a
Alt Toon -- Caldari or Minmatar Sentinel, shield tanked or speed tanked respectively, HMG user.
Edit note: I do not ever remember shields having 0 delay either. However, I don't think that should happen. Then they would be ridiculous. The current meta with how fast shields return for Cals vs everyone else works well for their skirmisher combat style philosophy, |