Health mod or dmg reduction?

Quote from shield plz

I would imagine health only because dmg reduc only applies to physical damage

While it is true the -2/enchant and similar mods are physical only it's irrelevant here. These mods go in the inscription slot which can never contain +health. The question for that slot is whether the -2 is better than +10 armor vs damage or creature type. The health vs armor slot is the suffix mod, and also the prefix for staves. A +5 armor mod here affects all armor effected sources of damage. https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/List_of_weapon_upgrades

I'm not a chestrunner by any means so I can't speak specifically in that context, but as a general rule +armor is preferred. A few reasons:

-Armor typically increases the amount of damage the enemies have to throw at you to kill you by more.

-Armor makes healing more effective.

-Adding x to your maximum health achieves absolutely nothing until you get below x health whereas armor is always helping.

There's more to say about it then that, but there you go. I'm sure the relevant build pages on pvx/wherever would detail the preferred equipment anyway.

in general on os shields a health mod does indeed have an option to better be a reduc mod. my personal favs is to wield 10/-2 shields best suited for the area (ench/stance depending on build and ench removal of enemies, armor mod depending on most present creature or damage type - I often take multiple with me to always use best suited ones) then also an emergency high hp set - if you really get to low healtg or if there os just no 10armor mod that'd trigger in the area. also a hex high hp set helps tons at times

Quote from Cloud Strife

Hello me again

I was curious which is better for chest running in general. More health or reducing dmg?or is it preference?

Chest running I would say the HP matter more. Note that if u have more HP then also the Shroud of distress triggers earlier* and that skill + SF is what keeps you alive basically.

*edit/Explanation: You will have higher HP with Shroud. So it's starts blocking incoming DMG at a higher HP cap.

1.Say u have 400hp. Shroud triggers at 200hp.

2. U have 200hp + 45hp from shield. Shroud triggers at 222hp so 22hp earlier then in the previous case.

For PvP some people even said duo reduce Shields are OP but I think we can do a small calculation here to prove that wrong:

U get 45HPwE or - 2wE

45/2= 22,5. So u need 23 Procs of PHYSICAL-Dmg to make it worth to run the - 2 Mod over the flat 45hp bonus.

Even on a triple Frontline spike u hardly will get 23 Physical Procs in.

I think the 45wE and 10vsXX will be best mostly for chest running 🏃 most PvP situations and generell PvE tanking etc as well.

Like 10vs dwarves shield +45wE on Tascas Demise chest run.

But let's be super honest. It really doesn't matter on chest runs most of the times. I can run stable with a green shield with - 5/20 +30hp 😁👌

IF you have 45wE actually shroud of distress will trigger LATER! for example say you have 500hp without the mod then shroud will trigger after 250dmg taken, whilst if you have a 45wE it will trigger after 273 damage taken.

the health mod doesn't provide any benefit unless you take spike damage with huge hits or when you have percentual healing like infuse health (which you will not have on chest running).

since in PvE there is never any spike you will always be better suited by reducing incoming damage since the healing output you have is an absolute and anything reducing damage lowers the weight against that.

also chest running != sf+shroud. certainly one of the popular ones, but many areas don't require an sf upkeep, which basically saves you 1sec standing still every 25 seconds and you might be better suited using "charge" or "escape" to lose aggro and you will neither be delayed by standing still to cast nor exposed to projectile attacks by not strafing or melee attacks catching up.

another aspect to consider however is the different mechanic of the armor mod between insc and os shields. basically a "watch yourself" caps the bonus armor category making any and all inherent armor mod bonuses useless (with no penalties present like cracked armor) and hence will usually be without effect really since you usually bring a skill to provide armor and health regen for the tough parts like shadow sanctuary. and on the non tough parts it is irrelevant anyways. so you could as well run a singlemod -2 shield and be just as tough as wielding a super sophisticated adapted shield for any situation. whereas ofc a armor mod will extend the time between two times where your safe skill is necessary - and sometimes this may make the difference. but with the general argument:

1. insc is better than inherent, but there are only health secondary mods which don't provide any benefit on PvE

2. inherent armor mods are irrelevant on the relevant PvE sections

3. leaves attri and cond duration reduction mods (or a second reduction mod on prenerfs) as useful secondaries to a reduction mod as useful chestrunning combos.

so you might as well bring your trusty 1/20 str/-2wS shield as the perfect option.

I would say generally in terms of chestrunning (but also sc, some farming):

- the slower you are (e.g. u have only dark escape as your IMS) -> which makes u take more dmg packets,

- the more assassin echantments u use on sf build (see Agent Chevy standard assassin chest run build) and have other dmg reduction effects on you (like dark escape) -> which makes your dmg packets are lower like 5 dmg etc,

- the more you relying on shroud of distress (which works only when u have 50% hp, so only 22 hp from health mod),

the more u want -2 ench mod over health mod.

On the other side if u have sf build w/o shroud and sometimes even can drop sf (generally runs where dervish is more optimal), you are faster, and potentially get smaller number of damage packets that hit stronger (like e.g, rangers in raisu palace) u value health mod over -2 ench more.

Chest run where -2 ench/10 armor vs (blunt/slash/skeletons)is great is fow chest run, but probably noone actually runs it . Magma HP run is ofc 45 ench 10 fire. Dwarves runs I run tanky sin build + sin piercing armor + shield 10 vs dwarves / - 2ench, but 45 ench /dwarves shield should also be fine here. All other runs I would prefer 45 ench/10 vs ... (or even just staff for 20 HSR and energy) and dervish with 50 perma IMS. On the other side in most speedclears I use -2 ench / 10 ar vs.. on most sf builds (unless there is high life steal) and 45 ench/10 vs on other builds. Like e.g. 10 vs skeletons/-2 ench is very good shield for lf terra on fow, but 45 ench/10 skele is better for vos who is doing bridge. Ofc in places where u know u can be spiked by elemental dmg (like sheps/bf) u prefer 45ench/10 vs(lightning/plants/fire).

PB168 Said it very well above, I echo all of those statements.

Personally, as a chest runner, I never use HP shields, as a sin, I would always have Shroud of Distress so the extra health gives minimal advantage, however with a -2/10vs shield, that extra armor applies regardless of your current health. The specific -2/10vs shield I use depends on the run, if the run is in an area where a specific creature (example of using vs dwarves around summit) or dmg type (example of fire doing HP), I use the specific shield, otherwise I like to use 10vsPiercing for my default as I find that with a sin, piercing damage tends to drop my health faster even with Shroud of Distress.

The topic is subject as lot of topics are and everyone can have a different preference for sure

But let us talk some numbers based on a Chest run that really hurts - Tacas Demise - these Dwarven rangers are true killers.

So let's say there are 2-3 rangers in a mob groub u wanna pass. Each fires 3 shots on you for a total of 6-9 shots. Now we have 400max HP and an 10vsDwarves - 2wE shield

6-9 x - 2 Mod = 12=18 reduced dmg. AND u have only 200 max hp when shroud triggers.

And they really hit for a lot. Like 50-80 for sure with a skill even with piercing insignias. So the blocking of shroud is 75% dmg Block chance wich will lead to 100% dmg reduce. That is what keeps you alive a - 2 Mod will not change that.

With a 45HP Shield u can basicly eat 1 Hit for free assuming it's. A ~50 Dmg hit. And ur shroud will trigger with a higher max HP Wich makes u less spike able. Cause shroud (wich is ur life saver, not a - 2 Mod) will be there for you earlier.

Also note that On PvP/GvG when u get spiked u pull a 10vsXX/+HP Shields

And not -2/10vsXX Shields.

-2wE will be better if u receive a lot of hits like a tank that pulls huge groups receiving Basicly 💯hits and more.

As a chest RUNNER 🏃 you should do what the name suggest you - do it like FOREST - and run btch ruuuuuuun.

Run and Take max 10 Ranger hits and your - 2Mod will stay inferior to a +22HP on shroud and a 45HP max mod. Quick maffs.

After the 11+ Physical DMG Hit I agree on the - 2wE mod will be superior* -

still keep in mind it only triggers on Physical dmg so for runs like Hells P. its not really Suited since u face nearly exclusively Fire Dmg. And if u come with the burning titans still keep in mind the 11+ hit rule until the - 2Mod will be better. And if u start tanking 11+ Burning titan hits u rather start running pongmeis

DIDNT READ LOL.

But actually the best shield for chest running is probably a dual reduction stance ench 😛

Also didn’t read, I chest run with a staff , 10 hct head, 10 hct inherent, 20% enchant, 20% hsr.

Shroud and SF, I only match a shield while farming and only when it isn’t splitting hairs.