When to use Evasive or Defensive ?

Is there any use to Evasive for a level 55+ other than uber PoP encounters ?

Does any one have some numbers on those skills ?

[Friedrick]

To answer you question, yes you can and will use evasive sometimes. There are threads about it and avoiding hits can be better than cutting the damage if you are tanking. I would always suggest though that you use defensive on a mob if you are MT'ing for your guild the first time you try it. Steady predictable damage IMO is better for your healers than the more unpredictable evasive damage. After you size up a mob and get it down, experiment with evasive and see which works better. Keep in mind though a lucky streak on the mob usually means dead tank though.

When my guild was farming Sleeper's Tomb, we usually had two warriors alternate tanking. We used evasive over defensive for the trash mobs simply because it refreshed faster. Keep in mind this was before POP and the lvl 60 limit being upped. We usually had 2-3 groups and hopefully an enchanter.

[Aldarion_Shard]

evasive is WAY better for exp groups (bad pull + evasive + AE taunt = win)

evasive is also WAY better for nameds with a nasty proc. (im talking single group nameds here - some BoT nameds, etc).

as stated above, if CH chain, I go with defensive.

[Beornegar]

Isn't Tugurok's evasive vs. defensive thread stickied somewhere around here? And if so, is it still being updated when new data comes in?
I'd have to disagree with Aldarion on evasive vs. defensive in xp groups, but that may just be because I'm not at a level of the game where this is true. Thus far, in my admittedly somewhat limited experience, defensive has been the way to go. Probably depends on where you happen to be at the time.

Beo

[Brutul]

Evasive isn't necessarily the best disc to use in exp groups. If you're looking to understand the two disciplines and which is better in particular situations, THIS THREAD will tell you all you need to know.

[Aldarion_Shard]

youre right in theory brutull, I was vastly oversimplifying.

let me put it another way.

In exp groups re use time is a very real issue. In a raid you just swap to another MA while your disc recycles. In an exp group this isnt a possibility.

"Smooth" damage is very important for a CH chain. With a single cleric healing you, the absolute rate of damage taken is more important , IMO , than the spikieness- an unslowed mob, connecting often, and proccing often, can kill you under certain situation (e.g. a bad pull, while the cleric is being hit, etc.).

And finally, AE taunt + evasive is a very real, practical crowd control tool for when you get, say, 4 mobs in camp unexpectedly. AE taunt + defensive is not likely to allow you to survive that situation in my experiance.

I agree that its situational. But I stand by my statement that for the most part evasive is better in exp groups. (of course there are mobs I make exceptions for. non proccing hard hitters get defensive, etc.)

Aaahhhh EUREKA !! Slow brain here

I finally noticed EVASIVE affects chance to hit or being hit

And DEFENSIVE affects damage dealt and damage taken

Because I read somewhere Defensive is the upgrade to Evasive I just kept thinking they were doing the same thing.

I imagine Defensive is generally an upgrade, since the damage reduction is clearly predictable , while Evasive 'chance' to avoid damage is not so predictable.

Thanks much

[Zotha]

Varys greatly, but you need to look at the damage model of the mob (min/max/di) and also the damage distribution youre getting from your ac vs its atk. Then just make a choice as to which is better. Generally evasive is better when either the mob has a small damage range (like archlich), it hits for min alot (fennin), or it has a horrible proc you wish to avoid (reparn).

[Smohg]

Zotha has it right. Its not just the DI/DB - you have to take into consideration that on some mobs you are going to mitigate almost everytime and would be better served just avoiding the hits. I parced my RD experiences and he did less DPS with evasive then with defensive - of course that's not the definative word since it was only 3-4 fights and those fights dont last long enough - but at least its enough to not declare defensive the winner.

[Dobbo Baggins]

mobs that hit hard but slow for me-evasive
fast and weak-defensive
mobs that hit fast and hard-dead