Weapon BlockThere is a section on Weapon Block in
Xepo's Assassin Handbook which you ought to read.
- Pros
WB is able to block a lot of attacks that ordinary shields cannot
WB blocks as much as the skill says, regardless of Dexterity and Character Level - Cons
WB cannot reach 75 % and is subject to diminishing returns, as we noted for HS
WB does not work (0 block) while running or walking
How many points to invest in WB is a build-specific discussion beyond the scope of this guide. Some of the Assassin PvP experts recommend shooting for ~ 60 % claw block, including +skills. Choose as you see fit.
The following table presents
Weapon Block breakpoints; minimum levels of WB needed to increase the CtB.
Code
Weapon Block, Chance to Block (%)
26 32 36 39 42 44 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
slvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 21 23 26 31 36 42 49 60
Diminishing returns formula for Weapon Block (graphed below),
- Chance to Block (%) = [ (65 - 20) * [110 * slvl / (slvl + 6)] / 100 ] + 20
Verify the values in the table if you want.
Speeding up Blocking(essentially based on information from TitanSeal's guide @ inDiablo,
[FAQ] Bewegungs- und Animationsgeschwindigkeiten, ("Movement and Animation Speeds"). Credits to everyone who contributed to his FAQ)
Block FramesRecall that D2 internally runs at 25 FPS (Frames Per Second) and that virtually everything having to do with animations is measured in frames (25 frames = 1 second). Since we are dealing with blocking here, the relevant number is the Block Frames, i.e. the frames required to block an attack. As such,
Code
Block Frames = { (256 * FramesPerDirection) / [(AnimationSpeed * (50 + EFBR) / 100)] } - 1
I have deliberately cut through most of the formal machinery. Those of you who cannot live without knowing the details, well, you know where to look. The well-known FBR breakpoints emerge from rounding in the above formula, as you can check once you have read the rest of this section.
FramesPerDirection and AnimationSpeed are animation specific values, fixed by class and form (Bone Fetish, Vampire, and the two Druid wereforms).
Code
FramesPerDirection AnimationSpeed
Amazon, 1h swinging weapon *) 3 88
Amazon, other weapons **) 3 256
Assassin 3 256
Barbarian 4 256
Druid 6 256
Necromancer 6 256
Paladin 3 256
Sorceress 5 256
Werebear 5 200
Werewolf 5 256
Bone Fetish ("Delirium") 10 256
Vampire ("Trang-Oul's Avatar") 4 136
*) single-handed swinging weapons (1hs): swords, axes, clubs, maces, scepters, hammers, throwing axes
**) including javelins; they are known as thrusting weapons
EFBR, or the Effective Faster Block Rate, is subject to a diminishing returns formula,
Code
EFBR = [120 * FBR / (120 + FBR)] (+50)
The +50 bonus to EFBR applies to Holy Shield only. Looking at the Block Frames formula, this HS bonus lowers the required Block Frames. Even with 0 FBR, a Paladin using HS is at 2-frame blocking.
Morphing !When your character morphs into a Bone Fetish ("Delirium") or a Vampire ("Trang-Oul's Avatar", Necromancer only), he/she no longer has a blocking animation. You can still block in either form, though. In the absence of a blocking animation, both forms use the hit recovery animation when blocking; consequently, you need FHR (not FBR) to speed up the animation. Since the FPD and AnimationSpeed values are borrowed from the hit recovery animation and there is a similar formula for EFHR (without the +50 HS bonus), the FBR breakpoints for these two forms are exactly the same as their FHR breakpoints.
Block TimerSome 1.09 players might recall the awful "Block-Lock", a continuous blocking that completely immobilised your character, unable to perform any actions. To patch this, 1.10 introduced a 'block timer' (~ 10 frames = 0.4 seconds) during which your character
can still block but
without the blocking animation playing. This block timer may be slightly increased by FBR, even when morphed into a Bone Fetish or a Vampire.
FBR BreakpointsThe table below presents FBR breakpoints up to 200 %, for all classes and forms.
Code
Block Frames (25 frames = 1 second)
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
Amazon, 1hs 0 4 6 11 15 23 29 40 56 80 120 200
Amazon, other 0 13 32 86
Assassin 0 13 32 86
Barbarian 0 9 20 42 86
Druid 0 6 13 20 32 52 86 174
Necromancer 0 6 13 20 32 52 86 174
Paladin 0 13 32 86
Paladin, HS 0 86
Sorceress 0 7 15 27 48 86 200
Bone Fetish 0 4 7 10 15 20 27 35 48 65 86 129 200
Vampire 0 2 6 10 16 24 34 48 72 117
Werebear 0 5 10 16 27 40 65 109
Werewolf 0 7 15 27 48 86 200
The highest possible amount of FBR in the unmodded game is 155 % for a Paladin (Guardian Angel + Griswold's Honor socketed with 3 x Shael Rune) and 140 % otherwise.
Morphed FormsRegardless of which class is morphed, the blocking animation in each of the morphed forms is determined by the values applying to that form.
Sources of Faster Block RateLegend: [R] rune, (S) suffix (magic, rare), [S] set item, [U] unique item, [W] rune word. Holy Shield is not a source of FBR, rather it modifies the Paladin FBR breakpoints, as we noted above.
+10 % FBR+15 % FBR+20 % FBR- [R] Shael Rune, shld
- [U] Radament's Sphere (Ancient Shield)
- [U] Steelclash (Kite Shield)
- [W] Sanctuary ('KoKoMal'), shld
- [W] Splendor ('EthLum'), shld
+25 % FBR+30 % FBR- (S) "of Deflecting", shld
- [S] Taebaek's Glory (Ward)
- [U] Guardian Angel (Templar Coat)
- [U] Alma Negra (Sacred Rondache)
- [U] Herald of Zakarum (Gilded Shield)
- [U] Homunculus (Hierophant Trophy)
- [U] Moser's Blessed Circle (Round Shield)
- [U] Visceratuant (Defender)
- [W] Exile ('VexOhmIstDol'), pala
+35 % FBR- [U] Stormshield (Monarch)
+40 % FBR- [S] Whitstan's Guard (Round Shield)
- [U] Pelta Lunata (Buckler)
- [W] Rhyme ('ShaelEth'), shld
+50 % FBR- [U] Blackoak Shield (Luna)
+65 % FBR- [S] Griswold's Honor (Vortex Shield)
Sources of Increased Chance of BlockingLegend as in the previous section, [C] crafted item. Holy Shield is covered above and will not be listed, as it is not an item source.
+Y % ICB- [C] Safety Amulet: +1-10 %
- [C] Hit Power Shield: +5-10 %, +15-20 %, +25-30 % *)
- [C] Caster Shield: +5-10 %, +15-20 %, +25-30 % *)
- [U] Spirit Ward (Ward): +20-30 %
*) +15-20 % or +25-30 % whenever the fixed property, +5-10 % stacks with either suffix, "of Blocking" or "of Deflecting" below.
+7 % ICB+10 % ICB- (S) "of Blocking", shld
- [U] Bverrit Keep (Tower Shield)
- [U] The Ward (Gothic Shield)
+15 % ICB- [S] Civerb's Ward (Large Shield)
+20 % ICB- (S) "of Deflecting", shld
- [S] Sigon's Guard (Tower Shield)
- [S] Griswold's Honor (Vortex Shield)
- [U] Guardian Angel (Templar Coat)
- [U] Alma Negra (Sacred Rondache)
- [U] Pelta Lunata (Buckler)
- [U] Radament's Sphere (Ancient Shield)
- [U] Stormchaser (Scutum)
- [U] Swordback Hold (Spiked Shield)
- [W] Rhyme ('ShaelEth'), shld
- [W] Sanctuary ('KoKoMal'), shld
+25 % ICB- [S] Taebaek's Glory (Ward)
- [U] Twitchthroe (Studded Leather)
- [U] Moser's Blessed Circle (Round Shield)
- [U] Steelclash (Kite Shield)
- [U] Stormshield (Monarch)
+30 % ICB- [S] Isenhart's Armory [Complete Set]
- [S] Trang-Oul's Wing (Cantor Trophy)
- [U] Gerke's Sanctuary (Pavise)
- [U] Herald of Zakarum (Gilded Shield)
- [U] Stormguild (Large Shield)
- [U] Umbral Disk (Small Shield)
- [U] Visceratuant (Defender)
+40 % ICB- [U] Homunculus (Hierophant Trophy)
+55 % ICB- [S] Whitstan's Guard (Round Shield)