Holy Shield vs Defiance [Archive] - Diablo 3 & Diablo 2 Forums

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k/t

31-10-2004, 05:31

Ha, I was gonna ask people how to start a new thread...it seemed difficult, but I just found the New Thread button. Yay.

I've seen lots of people (on this forum) advocate putting a few points in Holy Shield, then maxing Defiance as a synergy. What's the rationale behind this suggestion? More points in Holy Shield means longer duration, higher Smite damage (not that I use it), and higher blocking % bonus, while mana cost stays the same. Each point in Holy Shield gives 15% extra defense, just as each point in Defiance does as a synergy. So why get Defiance? To use once in a while as an active aura? That seems to be the only explanation... Anyone know?

Incidentally, I did try searching the forum for previous posts on this topic, but I kept getting an error message.

TheGreatDivorce

31-10-2004, 05:56

You answered your own question, both Holy Shield and Defiance will boost your defense. It's passive, meaning you don't need to activate Defiance to see it's effect.

k/t

31-10-2004, 07:38

Lunatic

31-10-2004, 12:00

I think it's because with lots of +skills the block won't get any better. Thus if you're not a smiter it doesn't really matter to you (the duration is quite long in 1.1 anyway). If they put points in defiance they get a passive bonus towards holy shield (the 15%) and they can flash the aura aswell , which gives them another defense bonus.

This is the only 'logical" reason I can find behind this "dilemma". :D

Masticophis

31-10-2004, 13:19

???
I don't think I have...

I'm trying to say that people recommend putting extra points in Defiance instead of in Holy Shield, and I want to know why, since the increase in defense is the same per point for both (of Defiance as a synergy to Holy Shield) while putting points in Holy Shield gives increased Smite damage, increased duration, and increased chance to block.

Are you saying Defiance is now a passive skill? I doubt it... But even if it was, it's still better to put points in Holy Shield, so why are people advocating Defiance?

Edit: By the way, I saw someone with the account name TheGreatDivorce on the realms, and I thought it might be you, so I whispered him, but he never answered...

I think that it would be good to put pts to defiance if the circumstances fit.. under these conditions I would put pts to defiance, and stop putting to HS.

1) I am a Hammerdin
2) I have maxed block already
3) All synergies for Hammers are maxed
4) You plan on playing with a few other pally's that have higher conc lvl than you

Now these arent in any order, just what I would need to have in order to justify using pts to defiance. If you already have maxed block, then obviously HS isnt going to increase it anymore. Therefore you can afford to put the points to defiance for the same defense bonus that HS giver per lvl. Again, I would only do this if you plan on activating holy shield, then actually using your defiance in a party system.

If your in a baalrun, or whatever you are doing, and you are the only paly there, and you are a hammerdin, then you will be using conc, and will rarely, if at all, use your defiance aura. In this situation, you have wasted points.

I am a perfectionist when it comes to my hammerdin, so, all my points are placed in order of importance... Hammer dmg is FIRST and most important. I have maxed hammers, and all its synergies. Then 1 pt to med, clense, redemption, rest to holy shield. All stat pts were planned out from the beginning to use the following gear :

Char name : X-CLoneKiller
Shako
Hoz
Enigma
Hoto
2/2 seraphs
bk ring + 10% fcr with 18 energy and 55 mana
Arach sash/tgods (tgods goes on when tele'ing to baal, arach on in throne)
65 life waterwalks
magefist gloves
19/20/10 anni charm

Currently lvl 93 on HCL US-east

Hope this helps...

k/t

01-11-2004, 08:21

I doubt there's a point to flashing an aura like Defiance...besides, flashing doesn't work in 1.1. I wasn't planning to do it, anyway. Or to use Defiance. Hmmm....I think I'll just drop the points into Holy Shield. Seems like the best policy.

Lunatic

01-11-2004, 11:39

I didn't meant flashing like that. Against some unique monsters getting some more defense insure's your survival alot more then getting some more dmg. You switch to defiance there. Not the aura stacking from 1.09.

k/t

02-11-2004, 03:14

Ah...I see. But it still doesn't matter, since you would gain the same amount of defense from points in Holy Shield as you would from Defiance. Besides, I have a Defiance merc. Ok...Holy Shield it is...

By the way, what unique monsters are you refering to?

Cap'n Buttsniff

02-11-2004, 05:35

What hes tryna say is that if u put more points into defiance, you can increase your armor with the synergy to holy shield and increase it by actually using the aura.

For instance, You have a few points into holy shield and a lot into defiance. You still have the same amt of defense as you would if u had maxed holy shield but if you wanted you can add the defense defiance gives you as an aura for things you dont want to hit you. Now this might be useless if you had an exile, but the exile wouldnt synergize with your holy shield.

MhUser

02-11-2004, 09:06

lets say u have 25 points to spend and have +10 all skills

option #1:
u put 20 into holy shield and 5 into defiance
your holy shield should look like this:
Duration: 755 seconds
Defense Bonus: +535 percent
Successful Blocking: +37 percent
(u get 4% more blocking)

option #2:
u put 5 into holy shield and 20 into defiance
your holy shield should look like this:
Duration: 380 seconds
Defense Bonus: +535 percent
Successful Blocking: +33 percent
(u get an extra lvl 30 aura (+360% defence))

duration doesnt matter cause u can always recast