Combat gear: Headslot

[Sevenless]

Just wondering what you guys think is the most useful for head slots?

I've seen quite a few screen shots of people wearing bear capes in combat. Is the strength bonus preferable to the additional deflect from one of the many defensive helmets? Obviously we're not talking the dragon helm here either.

[Robertzon]

Damn.. thought the topic name is headshot but nvm

Bear cape is gud for the awsome str bonus

[TeckXKnight]

Just wondering what you guys think is the most useful for head slots?

I've seen quite a few screen shots of people wearing bear capes in combat. Is the strength bonus preferable to the additional deflect from one of the many defensive helmets? Obviously we're not talking the dragon helm here either.

It's hard to say. It really is a judgment call every time and what you're willing to risk.

The bear cape does add a small bonus to your damage but in exchange you're losing out on tons of damage reduction.

Just my opinion but I believe the helmet is more valuable. Lets say you've got q40 Everything: Steel plate for 450 damage reduction, add another 50 for the Gauntlets, 100 for Leather pants, and 60 for ranger's boots. Stack it all up for a total of 660 Damage being reduced by your equipment. The helmet would have added 150 more or you can use the Bear Cape which is probably giving you ~40 Damage reduction. At 700, you're nothing to scoff at but what's the difference between 700 and 810 you would have gotten from the helmet? If the guy you're fighting is using a q40 Soldier's Sword.

Assuming the guy has 0% martial/peaceful and hits you at 100% damage, he's doing 800 damage flat with a sting. With the helmet, you would have stopped them. Without the helmet you would eat the damage. Most people run around with Full Peaceful though, for the lp bonus, so drop 20% of that damage. Also, chances are he's going to Valor Strike you for 1.75x the damage because you're so heavily armored and he wants to kill you in one shot. Unless you're being stupid and leaving death or glory/charge up, no one is ever going to hit you while you have 0% defense. Chances are you can get back up to 20% defense when he's at 100% if he really is dominating you so badly. So you brace for 0.8(640*1.75)** damage. You take ~896 damage. With helmet on, you take only ~86 damage from that, chances are you're still alive. Without the helmet on, you took 196 damage, your life expectancy isn't nearly as good.

** - This formula is wrong and depends heavily on your defensive weight and their attack weight. Just so you know.

[Sevenless]

Q40 helmets are a long way off for me, but a Q 55 bear cape is not. I've heard that melee combat is dependant on equipment quality so I've been focussing on unarmed for the time being. As is, the people I've fought can't even get through my defense buffer let alone start working at my armor.

I'm not sure if it answers the question in the short term, but long term helmet seems to have more benefits than a bear cape. Especially when the quality gap is closed a little more.

[TeckXKnight]

Q40 helmets are a long way off for me, but a Q 55 bear cape is not. I've heard that melee combat is dependant on equipment quality so I've been focussing on unarmed for the time being. As is, the people I've fought can't even get through my defense buffer let alone start working at my armor.

I'm not sure if it answers the question in the short term, but long term helmet seems to have more benefits than a bear cape. Especially when the quality gap is closed a little more.

q55 Bear Cape = 34 Damage Reduction
q10 Bronze Helmet = 80 Damage Reduction

The math is scaled down but still pretty much true even at lower levels.

[Norsu]

Bear cape for winning fights you're going to win anyway, helmet for prolonging fights you're going to lose anyway

Seriously, I don't have any experience with pvp, but both only alter damage taken and damage dealt, and I hear if someone's taking damage the fight is already over. I'll find out how true that is eventually I suppose. Perhaps if you strapped on enough protection you could play extremely aggressively, using your blue bar as another resource to deplete theirs?

[zacty]

my pipe

because i love it i dont fucking care if it is utterly useless when not smoking it looks too badass not to wear most of the time

[Kaios]

a pipe is not head slot equipment

[Lumar]

Use cape until your str is enough for the cape to not matter, then use helm

[TeckXKnight]

Bear cape for winning fights you're going to win anyway, helmet for prolonging fights you're going to lose anyway

Seriously, I don't have any experience with pvp, but both only alter damage taken and damage dealt, and I hear if someone's taking damage the fight is already over. I'll find out how true that is eventually I suppose. Perhaps if you strapped on enough protection you could play extremely aggressively, using your blue bar as another resource to deplete theirs?

This is generally true but on matches where you're generally even with eachother (Within 20% skill points of eachother) you will be exchanging blows and both be taking damage. It was much more true in older worlds when you could anticipate the raider you're fighting to have 500 UA from botting while you only had 200.