What to focus on....

[cougerofeq]

I just got my time BP a couple weeks ago. I have mostly VT gear with a few time items.

Since our dps is so weak anyway, I was considering going after +avoidance items. Looking around the boards though it looks like 10 points in avoidance = 1% chance at avoiding incoming hits?

Do you think its worth trying to focus on avoidance gear?  Any type of modifier that has a better return on the investment?

Any other thoughts on what to focus on while we wait for what I hope will be some improvements in the class at lvl70 over the next month or so?

I thought about workin on my epic 1.5 but with the spell issue and the current error with the final fight tuning its less appealing to me until its fixed.

I wanted to focus my question to lvl 70ish players versus general equiptment section. I hope I didnt make a huge mistake posting here but if a mod thinks I did move it to equiptment section.

[Aeshmal]

In general, Shielding is a better investment than Avoidance, but far harder to find on beastlord-useable items and much more highly contested. Accuracy items are another good place to focus if you're looking to increase your abaility to do damage. I'd say to work on Shielding and Spellshield, given the option between those or Avoidance.

But yeah, Avoidance doesn't hurt. From the Steel Warrior board, 10 avoidance equates to approximately 2.5% of melee attacks missing that would otherwise have hit you; however, it's very possible that Avoidance benefits differ by class the same way AC benefits do.

[Dummkopf]

Combat Effects is really worth it as is Spellshield, both are kinda contested though and its not that easy to get much of both effects. One thing to remember is that shielding only effects part of the melee damage, not the the total, spellshield directly reduces the complete damage a spell does on you, dot shielding the same but per tick.

[Liga]

Id go with spell shield and combat effects as well.  Spell shield will almost always help and CE will always help you.  Avoidance doesnt really help if youre just dps'ing on raids.

[Choppin]

hitpoints also always help, Id try for a veil of inferno (unless you plan on having anguish access soon where probably a better form of endurance clicky is available), there is a single grp drop with a lesser form of endurance effect in riftseekers too.

otherwise silver hoop of speed will be hard to replace until anguish too

[Aneya]

Spell Shield, Combat Effects and Avoidance are top on my list.

Dodge, and Block skill modifiers and focus effects are also on my list.

Epic 1.5 is a must have.

[Aeshmal]

I note in passing that, if you solo, Strikethrough is very handy as well.

[Aneya]

How does strikethrough work again?

IIRC on a parry block ripost, strikethrough has a chance of hitting the target anyways. For Ripost you still get hit by their attack though.

[Aeshmal]

That's correct. It appears, however, that sometimes on a succesful strikethrough against a riposte you will not be harmed by the riposte. This information comes from one of my guild's main tanks, who has something like +40 strikethrough and melees straight through Enrage on most mobs.