+8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?


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Lair Larrikin

Posts: 24

Joined: Tuesday, 24th July 2012, 01:44

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 15:59

+8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

In general, which would it be better to have: 8 more AC or 8% more GDR? I have a +12 chain mail and a +4 plate armor. Obviously the chain mail will let me cast better, but just in terms of melee survivability, which would be preferable?

If it's close, I would prefer the chain mail because I do want to do some casting with my Naga Warper.
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Pandemonium Purger

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Joined: Saturday, 7th July 2012, 02:28

Location: Limbo

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 16:13

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

It's by far the 8 AC. GDR Is simply a percentage of your AC, so by reducing it by 8, the only thing you'll get is an armor that's worse in all aspects. (Except armour skill bonuses based on base AC.)
take it easy
  Code:
!lg * won !DD-- min=turns -log
<Sequell> 20749. Bloax, XL24 VSTm, T:13320: http://crawl.lantea.net/crawl/morgue/Bloax/morgue-Bloax-20140907-000920.txt

Did you know that I like ruining crawl every now and then? Go check it out.

Ziggurat Zagger

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Joined: Friday, 6th January 2012, 18:45

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 16:38

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

In the short term, the higher AC will benefit you more. Longer term, you'll be able to train your Armour skill and enchant the plate, and it will quickly outstrip the chain, all other things being equal.

Ziggurat Zagger

Posts: 4055

Joined: Tuesday, 10th January 2012, 19:49

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 16:43

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

That is really good chain mail you should use it.

Lair Larrikin

Posts: 24

Joined: Tuesday, 24th July 2012, 01:44

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 17:18

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

Blacksheep: they are both artifacts, so no further enchanting.

Guess you guys are leaning more towards the chainmail, then.

Mines Malingerer

Posts: 30

Joined: Tuesday, 28th August 2012, 07:03

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 17:23

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

Maybe I got it wrong but to me GDR isn't a percentage of your AC. However I do agree it's the better option right now.

xAC simply means you reduce 0-x damages.

GDR% reduces incomming melee damages but caps at half your AC.

The two aren't cumulative.

No matter the figures:
  • GDR% is a lot more situational (melee only)
  • If you get hit hard in melee, raising GDR% won't help as it will still hit the same cap
  • If your AC roll is higher than what GDR would reduce, the later won't be used (happens more than half the time because of cap).

So I'd go for the chainmail as well. However, as BlackSheep said, as your armor skills gets better the base AC of the plate will outgrow the chain. But then the EV penalty isn't as bad on the chain, if you can make use of that.
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Blades Runner

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Joined: Wednesday, 10th August 2011, 01:06

Post Tuesday, 11th September 2012, 20:40

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

The chain will probably be better for you all game then that plate. You might outgrow the AC, but you won't totally outgrow the EV penalty or spellcasting penalty, which is a huge deal.
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Crypt Cleanser

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Post Wednesday, 12th September 2012, 00:37

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

A useful chainmail, it's so rare you SHOULD use it.
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Pandemonium Purger

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Post Wednesday, 12th September 2012, 21:22

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

Lulero wrote:Maybe I got it wrong but to me GDR isn't a percentage of your AC.
GDR% reduces incomming melee damages but caps at half your AC.

*Cough* *Cough*
I think dependencies kind of talk for themselves.
take it easy
  Code:
!lg * won !DD-- min=turns -log
<Sequell> 20749. Bloax, XL24 VSTm, T:13320: http://crawl.lantea.net/crawl/morgue/Bloax/morgue-Bloax-20140907-000920.txt

Did you know that I like ruining crawl every now and then? Go check it out.

Mines Malingerer

Posts: 30

Joined: Tuesday, 28th August 2012, 07:03

Post Thursday, 13th September 2012, 02:00

Re: +8 AC or +8% guaranteed damage reduction?

GDR is a percentage.
This percentage means you will reduce incoming damages by that much.

Bloax wrote:GDR Is simply a percentage of your AC


I'm no expert and your answer confused me. I checked the wiki and shared.

I can see your point (you were talking about the cap), and I'm sure you understand mine as well.

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