SPR for Magic Def as tank, useful?

[Leathude]

As stated in the title, I'd like to know if SPR is any use for a full END tank? (I just started the game 2 days ago, and as with any game I always end up tanking)
Everyone talks about offense vs defense, and when defense comes into play everyone says full END, although what about magic def? Like 3:1 END:SPR, would it be useful to boost your magic def a bit or does this seem like a useless attempt to make a tank that's also capable of tanking magic mobs?

[Kholai]

Hmm....

The difference between a 3:1 Endurance:Spirit build comes to 5 HP every fourth level. You'll have 25 HP less than the full endurance tank when you reach level 20, and have a 1% higher crit chance and 25 more SP, enough for maybe one more skill use. The full endurance character will have a 0.5% better chance to block with their shield than you do, and that's surprisingly important.

At level 40, another key milestone as it signifies you'll be hanging around much more dangerous areas, you'll have +170 HP (55 less) from endurance, and the same amount more in SP, 5 more M.Def points too, though I'm not sure if Free Stat m.def functions the same way as that gained from armour. Also 2% more crit chance, but a 1.1% worse block chance.

When the full endurance build reaches level 45 though, it peaks. Full endurance will have 50 Endurance now, 5% block chance (0 damage one hit in twenty is hax, especially when there are skills that can boost block a further 20%. 1/4 hits blocked = megahax), 250 HP, 25 defence.
A 3:1 build will only have 38 endurance, 3.8% block chance, 17 Defence, and 190 HP.

But a spirit inclusive build will also have 2.4% critical hit chance, 6 M.Def and an extra 60 SP, and now full endurance is losing its shine. Instead of gaining 0.1% block each time, it's only picking up 0.05%, and 60 HP when the clerics will be casting Endure on you, and giving you an extra 410 HP to play with straight out, the difference in HP and defence means that the full endurance build will be able to tank things about one level before you can, maybe not even then, thanks to your taking slightly less damage than they do against magic attacks.

When you reach 59, you'll have 44 Endurance and 15 Spirit. 4.4% block chance against 5.7%, 75 more SP, 75 less HP. SP will be more appreciated by you, especially when solo, than 75 points of HP you're missing from your 2000+ HP total.

When you hit level 60, you'll receive a 20 Stat point bonus for reaching third class, enough to max out Spirit at 25, Endurance at 50, and still have five points spare. Where you spend this to continue advancing is up to you, but by now the full endurance tank, while they held overwhelming superiority in tanking things up until 45 or so, is now not quite so much better than any other endurance dominant build, most of which will now also have reached the magic 50 level of endurance.


In conclusion, Spirit will help you, and whilst you won't be as good a tank, especially at low levels, in the end, there will be a payoff, you'll solo slightly more easily, you won't suffer quite so much against magic enemies, and when you do tank, you'll be able to spam skills that little bit more often.

Just for the love of god, use a shield!

[Leathude]

Thanks a bunch for your quick and quite helpful reply, this has given me plenty of information regarding my choice of being a magic tank. As for soloing, this char never solos. It's paired with a cleric and a mage all the time.

PS: As for your shield comment, I wouldn't be able to live without it. =]

[Ryokosha]

Fighter are really REALLY bad with mdef honestly. Even if you raise SPR, MAGES will still be better tanks for those mobs that have magical attacks (Phinoflys, Books, Vivis) even though they have only half of the HP (for example dungeon books do ~200 HP damage to a fighter but only ~80HP damage to a mage of the same level).