The KGB Oracle
Posted By: nethervoid Metal Armor Comparisons - 05/18/09 06:39 AM
Being an efficiency analyst, I finally got off my ass and analyzed the different options for metal armor suits.

I, as most of us, am on a somewhat limited schedule as far as time available for harvesting, so I like to get the most out of what I've harvested. With that in mind, I built the following excel/google doc to crunch the numbers as far as what protection I'm actually getting out of the various suits of armor that are feasable at this point in the game. The google doc is located here:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rYjnA2RYBLitB_ZuAhPvnlg&hl=en

After taking the various suits into consideration, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. Always fill in your banded suits with scale gloves and boots (scale fillers). For 10 ingots (36 -> 46) you're upping your banded suit from about 16 to 19 points of total protection. While that doesn't seem very nice at all, what it does is keep the prot / ingot ratio fairly high (banded is 0.45 | banded w/scale fillers is 0.43).

2. Scale is a really good bang for your buck. Banded w/Scale fillers, cuirass, and helm ups the total protection 1.25 points over banded w/scale fillers (19.26 -> 20.47) and only costs another 12 ingots (46 -> 58) while going full scale ups the total protection another point (20.47 -> 21.55) which will cost you another 12 ingots (58 -> 70).

3. Armor sets above full scale are not really much better, but cost a LOT more. From full scale to scale w/plate chest and helm you get 1 more point of total protection (21.55 -> 22.68) but at the cost of 30 additional ingots (70 -> 100). If you go to all plate w/scale fillers you again only gain 1 point of total protection (22.68 -> 23.56) but again it costs you another 36 ingots (100 -> 136). Not worth it IMO.

IMO banded with scale fillers, cuirass, and helmet is probably what people should be shooting for, but full scale is really a great set for its cost. Anything above that, IMO, is not worth the extra ingots.
Posted By: Swing Re: Metal Armor Comparisons - 05/18/09 09:00 AM
Very good stuff mate, makes pixels less likely to be worried over too smile.
Posted By: Lock Re: Metal Armor Comparisons - 05/18/09 11:14 AM
Awesome post, deserves a sticky.
Posted By: Tasorin Re: Metal Armor Comparisons - 05/18/09 05:25 PM
Banded for PvE if you need dps protection due to your numbers vs. mob dps. Most times you can get away with chain and leather for PvE. But I personally say Banded because of the protection value should you get jumped while grinding out PvE mobs.

*Scale or better for PvP. The exception to the rule of course is those people going full magic/archery who don't have the armored magic/archery up high enough to offset the penalty.

The magnifying skill set that ups the efficiency is Rigor 75+ and Ignore Pain 50+. By the time you have both Rigor and IP above those levels you have turned Banded into Scale, and almost turned Scale in Half Plate.
Posted By: Kaotic Re: Metal Armor Comparisons - 05/18/09 06:54 PM
NICE!

I am very impressed. I'm also pleased that my "in my head" number crunching came out the same as your actuals smile

I've been working to get up to scale in my Armorsmithing for a couple of weeks now and just finally got there. I'm totally stoked to get some confirmation that it was worth it.
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