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  1. #1

    Block - A Guide for Blockheads

    I've had some thoughts on Block with PvP (hopefully) coming up, so I decided to put them down in writing for the benefit of whoever is reading this.

    BLOCK

    What is it?
    Block is a Passive ability that used to be Sentinel-exclusive until the appearance of Undead Rescuers. It's fairly common for a passive, found on 4 unrelated characters, three Sentinels and a Warrior. According to the description, Block "Takes the damage for any ally below 50% HP or any attack that would reduce an ally below 50% HP." As far as I can tell there is no "spill-over" damage - if the Blocker takes more damage than would KO it, the extra damage doesn't go back to the original target.

    Why should I care?
    Block is essentially a damage redirect ability. In theory, what it does is redirect damage aimed at your squishier characters to something that can take it better. In PvP, this could potentially be a life-saver, protecting glass cannons from the attacks that will inevitably come their way.

    That's great! What's the downside?
    Unfortunately, Block comes with its own negatives. An AoE attack will similarly redirect all the damage to your Blocker in addition to the damage it would normally take, which means it will be receiving the equivalent of about three or four of those attacks. With all this damage, the Blocker ironically becomes the most fragile team member, and end up requiring support of their own to stay alive, which means at least a dedicated healer and/or reviver. One option which I haven't tried is Vampiric talismans - the bonus health might be useful. Block is also passive damage absorption, and the time and effort spent in having a Blocker may be better invested in all-out attack. Finally, as with all Passives, Block is rendered useless by the Prisoner.

    Hmm. So who can Block?
    The four Blockers come with their own pros and cons.

    Desert Guardian
    Level 100 Stats
    HP 8654
    ATK 233
    DEF 598
    MAG 230
    MR 670
    SP 238
    Talisman slots
    Sentinel, Sentinel, Sentinel
    Attacks
    Thrust: Magic damage, single-target, additional true damage for each DoT effect on the enemy
    Fever (3 Power): Magic damage, single-target, 40% chance to Silence enemy for 2 turns
    Notes
    Only Magic-based Blocker. Average HP for a Sentinel, with above-average DEF and MR. Absorbs Magic damage better. Attacks are offensively based and pair best with negative effect casters/talisman users. Can do decent damage with extra effects, but single-target only. Can make use of Shock and Freeze talismans.

    Dog of War
    Level 100 Stats
    HP 8654
    ATK 233
    DEF 763
    MAG 233
    MR 563
    SP 238
    Talisman slots
    Sentinel, Sentinel, Sentinel
    Attacks
    Ruin: True damage, single-target, increases with HP and DEF
    Tackle (3 Power): True damage, single-target, increases with HP, 35% chance to Stun for 2 turns
    Notes
    Average HP for a Sentinel, above-average DEF and MR. Absorbs Physical hits better. Single-target, very little offensive presence even with 6 HP talismans (Ruin is boring, Tackle isn't much better) and can't protect itself very well either. Probably has the best defensive stats of the bunch.

    Angel of Strife (a.k.a. Green Bat)
    Level 100 Stats
    HP 9117
    ATK 233
    DEF 232
    MAG 233
    MR 232
    SP 238
    Talisman slots
    Sentinel, Magus, Sentinel
    Attacks
    Torture: True damage, strikes 3 times, increases with HP of user and enemy, 20% chance to Stun with each strike
    Shriek (6 Power): Immunity for 1 turn, Invincibility for 1 turn (effect durations can be increased by 2 with skill shards), 40% chance to Taunt all enemies
    Notes
    HP is above-average for a Sentinel, all the rest are baseline, mediocre stats. Unlike the other Blockers, can actually increase its survivability as well as cause significant single-target damage. Torture is a great attack that gets a lot of mileage out of effect talismans, as all three hits can proc. Can easily neutralize an enemy for a turn, which is defensively valuable. Being invincible and immune (for a rather steep price) is also great, but the invincibility extends only to damage aimed at the AoS and NOT redirected damage. Feature or bug?

    Undead Rescuer
    Level 100 Stats
    HP 10111
    ATK 531
    DEF 815
    MAG 231
    MR 394
    SP 236
    Talisman slots
    Warrior, Sentinel, Warrior
    Attacks
    Guide: Physical damage, single target, 50% chance to steal beneficial effects, 35% chance to heal for 15% Max HP
    Detour (5 Power): Reflect Shield for entire battle
    Notes
    Now we're talking! Solid stats, great defenses, enough HP to flavor a week's worth of steak, capable of buffing itself, debuffing enemies, healing itself, and bouncing damage back... On paper this looks like the best Blocker by far, if only for the sheer variety of things it can do. If Block teams ever become a valid strategy, this Swiss Army knife has got your back. In the interest of full disclosure I must add that I haven't tried this character yet, though, so I'm not speaking from experience.

    Which do you like best?
    Depends on your preference and your team's makeup. Angel of Strife is nice, but I think it's overdue for a stat boost as it's really out of league with the other Angels with high stats and semi-unique passives. Undead Rescuer looks like the clear leader, but I haven't had the chance to try it out myself... I really want to like the Dog of War but those attacks aren't exactly driving me crazy. As for the Desert Guardian, its role is limited to DoT teams.

    Any last words?
    Block has the potential - potential, mind you - to be a valuable asset in PvP, and right now the Warrior Undead Rescuer seems to have the skills that could make it work. Angel of Strife needs a few fixes to shine.

    What about you? Any thoughts on Block? Useful passive or boring space-filler?
    Last edited by Piece of Mind; 01-19-2017 at 08:47 AM.
    \m/ Emile-3944 \m/
    I use all my troopers every day (barring crashes). Let's chase those skillshards together

  2. #2
    Ummmm....bad news for you...it's not sentinel exclusive.

    Warrior Undead Rescuer has it, and is prob the best blocker.
    LoTB Since June 2016

  3. #3
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    Nice writeup!

    As with any other strategy built around passives, it will all be useless once you are up against The Prisoner, which is fairly common in PvP. When up against teams without The Prisoner, block is a great way to ensure your glass cannons survive longer.
    Johan-1264
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  4. #4
    Senior Member Kardas's Avatar
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    Great thread! My only nitpick is that it arguably fits better in the Guides and Tips section.

    I briefly considered using Desert Guardian in a team along with the Pharaoh Dog King, but that was some time ago.

    I also remember Osiris0000 running all three bats along with Grim Reaper in the LOL dungeon so he could resurrect the green bat when it inevitably died. That looked like a good combo
    Last edited by Kardas; 12-21-2016 at 11:59 AM.
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  5. #5
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    I only used block once with a Green Bat. The reason was that I thought with the Bat's power becoming invincible the damage would be redirected but has no effect for that turn. I was mistaken - even an invincible Bat can die. IMHO only uselful if you have a char with ressurect in the party.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member osiris0000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kardas View Post
    Great thread! My only nitpick is that it arguably fits better in the Guides and Tips section.

    I briefly considered using Desert Guardian in a team along with the Pharaoh Dog King, but that was some time ago.

    I also remember Osiris0000 running all three bats along with Grim Reaper in the LOL dungeon so he could resurrect the green bat when it inevitably died. That looked like a good combo
    Exactly! Grim Reaper & Angel of Strife is a killer combo. Actually i am using Green Bat much more than my maxed Red Bat recently. Saves me a lot even i get attacked on first turn along with my maxed Red Troll.

    Revive connection between Grim Reaper and Green bat works much better with high special stat builded team (mostly maxed yellow talismans), especially with highly triggering thief talisman set-up. Because PVP is much more challenging than good old LOL dungeons, there is not much time to fill the Fury meter. If you can fill fury meter in a round on PVP, this team can be very devastating. But for now i kept my full maxed red troll in the team to protect me in case i don't get the first turn (Until i see a damn Prisoner.. Sigh). I will try this Grim Reaper & 3 Bats team on PVP when i throw some skillshards on my blue bat.
    Last edited by osiris0000; 12-21-2016 at 01:53 PM.
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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Kaijester View Post
    Ummmm....bad news for you...it's not sentinel exclusive.

    Warrior Undead Rescuer has it, and is prob the best blocker.
    Curses, I wrote that up and I didn't have the WUR. Will amend it right away.
    \m/ Emile-3944 \m/
    I use all my troopers every day (barring crashes). Let's chase those skillshards together

  8. #8
    Alright, fixed the guide! If anyone wants me to add anything to it let me know. Also if anyone has experience with PvP (I obviously don't), also let me know - actual insight instead of speculation would be nice!
    \m/ Emile-3944 \m/
    I use all my troopers every day (barring crashes). Let's chase those skillshards together

  9. #9
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    I've noticed that the Undead Rescuer's reflect shield doesn't work on re-directed damage.

    It won't lower the damage or reflect it back.

  10. #10
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    Appears that shield Red Undead Rescuer Reflect Damage to Allies

    It appears as though the Warrior Undead Rescuer will redirect damage to allies when he (she?) has a shield up (whether Reflect, Void, or otherwise). I am not sure if this is problem with other characters with a passive block. It is a big problem for the Rescuer because Reflect Shield is a core attribute.

    Has anyone else had this problem with this or other characters?

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