Curse

Jeff Highwind · Aug 06, 2007, 05:44 AM // 05:44

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Scout%27s_Insignia

Quote:

Scout's Insignia

A Scout's Insignia is a ranger specific upgrade component that provides an armor bonus of 10 extra armor while using a preparation. This bonus is not global and applies only to the armor piece equipped with the insignia.

My question is this: Does the bonus apply when casting the prep or while under it? Cause if it's while casting it the insignia seems pretty useless because you have only 2 seconds of decent perks. If it's the other, it seems pretty messed up because with most preps you are under them all the time.

Also, think this'll be decent armor for Burning Arrow builds? I have 2 radiants insignias atm so I am looking to go outside the box. Also which would be better, Survivor or Scout?

P.s.: Lets keep Campfire safe and not play with flames here eh?

milkflopance · Aug 06, 2007, 07:31 AM // 07:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Highwind

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Scout%27s_Insignia

My question is this: Does the bonus apply when casting the prep or while under it? Cause if it's while casting it the insignia seems pretty useless because you have only 2 seconds of decent perks. If it's the other, it seems pretty messed up because with most preps you are under them all the time.

Also, think this'll be decent armor for Burning Arrow builds? I have 2 radiants insignias atm so I am looking to go outside the box. Also which would be better, Survivor or Scout?

P.s.: Lets keep Campfire safe and not play with flames here eh?

I tested it a while back, and the +10 is while under the effects of a prep.

EDIT: Sorry, i completely missed the other questions.

I'm currently playing around with Scout's insignias, and it's pretty much a constant +10 armor boost.
As for which is better, i'm not too sure, they'll both serve well in different situations.

The +armor for plain physical and elemental damage, and +health for condition and hex degen.

For PVE, i'd probably go with the armor.

moko · Aug 06, 2007, 12:32 PM // 12:32

it should apply once you start using it and then be in effect still as long as it's up.

for PvE i'd never use armor insignias on a ranger, i usually go with health, especially for BA it's no problem to get out of troubles (Natty Stride) PLUS you already got 70 (100) (un)conditional armor.

so basically, it's the best armor insignia a ranger could use, but not the best insignia overall, imo that is.

Epinephrine · Aug 06, 2007, 01:58 PM // 13:58

I am partial to +armour; a +10 always armour isn't a bad choice.

Assuming you can maintain the conditional AL bonus (as in the case of a preparation, where the enemy can't remove it from you) is it worth using +10AL over the potential +35 health from the health armour?

This 35 health represents a 7.3% increase to base health (480), or if you consider a player with Superior Vigor and all Vitae otherwise, a boost of ~6.1%. If you have a +60 health from gear it could be as little as 5.6%, since your base health would be 630.

10 AL provides a reduction of about 16% in damage, or equivalently, 19% or so effective health bonus when all damage is affected by armour. Clearly this isn't the case though; it provides no benefit versus life steals, degeneration, armour ignoring holy, shadow or chaos damage.

Even physical attackers like warriors deal a portion of their damage as armour ignoring; while they are spreading damage using their auto attack it is essentially all reduced, so the AL option saves monk energy long term, but during a spike the damage comes from a combination of armour ignoring bonus damage and base weapon damage - a warrior using large damage bonus attacks like Executioner's Strike is dealing their damage about 50% armour ignoring; and assasin, with low weapon damage, but big bonuses leans closer to 60% armour ignoring, while dervishes and hammer warriors due to the high base damage are only 30% or so armour ignoring.

I suspect it depends really on the proportion of incoming damage that would be affected; at half of the incoming damage being affected the bonus AL would outperform +health, even during a spike. Of course, prot spirited players aren't necessarily gaining any protection from +AL. Long term +AL outperforms +health, since with healing you can gain benefit on each hit, and easily run through your health total many times.

I think overall a +10 AL that you control is probably worth it for a ranger.

moko · Aug 06, 2007, 03:37 PM // 15:37

you're doing it wrong if you are taking damage though. :P

of course, in theory it's better but rangers usually don't take damage...or at least they get out of it quick enough.

actually, i take back saying that survivor is the best ranger insignia..it actually is radiant, you REALLY don't need health NOR armor. :P

jrk247 · Aug 07, 2007, 09:27 AM // 09:27

Yeah it looks like it is +10 armor while using a prep, like while Apply is up you have a constant +10 armor.

I prefer Radiant though, usually if I'm taking heavy damage I'm dead either way or I have WD or NS to run away. A ranger is more of a hit and run IMO.