Quote Originally Posted by Reika View Post
Ok, I was wrong about block rate going up. When I looked at my Canopus shield, the block rate is listed as 94, with Self-Presurvation I assumed it would raise to 99. However, the block rates listed are either totally wrong, or some monsters (not including enemies using magical attacks) have some way of ignoring or lessening your block rate. Either way, I think SE should look into the block rates and make sure they're correct.
Block rates are no longer rough percentages, as you can tell. Now it's more of a rating, so that a lower level shield is less effective as you go higher, though they do fine against an appropriately leveled monster. Before, the blocking and wield rates were more of a shield size/class label.

Strength also plays a bigger part in the calculation now. At level 50 we have about 220 STR, and against a level 55 target that leads to a 10~% block rate (self-preservation included.) If you were to stack your strength up to about 280~300 with materia, old jewelry, traits, and gear changes, you'll start seeing about 25~30% block rate against that level 55 target. Take this same high strength test to a lower level monster (say, lv.37~40) and you'll see 65~% block rates, just because you have so much STR over the target level. I assume VIT is the same way with classes than can parry still, and DEX I guess for evasion.

The scariest part is when the patch came out, GLA has 10% block rate, is unable to parry, and still does fine in non-materia-melded gear.