Bulwark

[JackFross]

First, I'd like to say that Bulwark isn't true mitigation like "Rampart" or "Shadowskin".

Bulwark only increase Block Rate by 60%. There's that other 40% where it DON'T trigger.

Couple Bulwark + Sheltron, and you're safe.

It's less than 40%. Your shield has a base block chance of >0%. :0

Never couple Bulwark with Sheltron. That's silly. Sheltron is an instant block. Assuming you have say 15% block rate with your base, using Sheltron alone is +85% block rate. If you use it with Bulwark active, you're sitting at 75% natural rate, so Sheltron is only doing the extra +25%. Unless a physical tank buster comes in the duration of Bulwark, Sheltron is strictly pointless during those 15s.

Finally you can't block magic attacks, so if the tank buster is magical or the trash pull is magic only (like elementals) then bulwark or any cooldown to do with block/parry is redundant.

It's not redundant. Redundancy implies that you're stacking something with one effect on top of something else with the same effect when the additional thing is not necessary. A good example is the above - using Sheltron during Bulwark is redundant. Stacking parry on a Paladin is redundant.

Using Bulwark or Sheltron against a horde of elementals is useless, pointless, or ineffective, not redundant.

[Cabalabob]

It's less than 40%. Your shield has a base block chance of >0%. :0

Never couple Bulwark with Sheltron. That's silly. Sheltron is an instant block. Assuming you have say 15% block rate with your base, using Sheltron alone is +85% block rate. If you use it with Bulwark active, you're sitting at 75% natural rate, so Sheltron is only doing the extra +25%. Unless a physical tank buster comes in the duration of Bulwark, Sheltron is strictly pointless during those 15s.


It's not redundant. Redundancy implies that you're stacking something with one effect on top of something else with the same effect when the additional thing is not necessary. A good example is the above - using Sheltron during Bulwark is redundant. Stacking parry on a Paladin is redundant.

Using Bulwark or Sheltron against a horde of elementals is useless, pointless, or ineffective, not redundant.

If a tank buster is coming and you're only using bulwark you're leaving yourself at the mercy of RNG, if you have Shelton up you guarantee that you will reduce the tank buster with a block and then also have an increased chance to block everything that comes after, if you have no cd's up except bulwark and Shelton when a physical tank buster comes you should most definitely use them together, you'll want to block multiple hits to make sure you don't get 1 shot after the tank buster and you want to KNOW you're going to block the tank buster itself.

Yes you could use them sequentially but then you leave yourself open to animation lag so it's simply safer to use them together.

redundant
rɪˈdʌnd(ə)nt/
adjective
not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous.
"an appropriate use for a redundant church"
synonyms: unnecessary, not required, inessential, unessential, needless, unneeded, uncalled for, dispensable, disposable, expendable, unwanted, useless

[Jim_Berry]

Never couple Bulwark with Sheltron. That's silly.

Different folks for different strokes. Solo Bulwark don't always help against physical tank busters, as I (and other have proven) that I took the less amount of damage from, say, Sephirot if I coupled Bulwark with Sheltron. Bulwark alone was like I never used the CD.

Not saying you're incorrect, but many people tell me to do this or do that, but end up finding my own way to work.

So, yeah, on Sephirot for example again, my comfortability and safeness relies greatly when I could Bulwark and Sheltron. And to be honest, in one group, I coupled Sheltron for each tank buster with each CD (Foresight + Sheltron, Rampart + Sheltron, etc...) because Sheltron was always ready. My healers never complained. In fact, some asked me to do what I did previous when I DON'T couple Sheltron.