Equipping HGs - +dam or +hps?

[Zax]

Trying to decide on what rings to put on my new HG. Choice is +2Dam rings or +1HnD, +20hp rings. Ignoring the +hit, the choice is between 2 extra damage per hit or 40 total hps.

40 total hps equate to 160 extra hps if sanc'd and resist. That's good for what, another round or two against the top mobs?

+2 dam/rnd equates to 10hps/rnd if hasted which drops to 5hps/rnd if the mob is sanc'd and 2hps/rnd if mob is also resist.

So my thought is that a HG is normally just a meat shield, intended to absorb as much damage as possible while the other members of his party deliver lethal attacks. Therefore the +20hps is more appropriate.

But I've always been told that the game is all about HnD, which should always be maximized to the greatest extent possible.

I'd appreciate hearing the thoughts of other players on this topic.

Zax

[Glenn]

Well, that all depends on whether you are soloing things with your HG more or using them in groups more. With groups I'd go for more hp because you really are just the meat shield and other people can pump out the damage. If you are soloing more then you are also having to put out the damage so you have to balance more hp vs more damage. I've always shot for trying to get 500 hp and then whatever damage I can get after that but I also don't really overgear my sc-wa because if I do use it to solo a decent bit I'm probably more likely to get killed by missing a bash and I'd rather it be easier to re-equip. If I were to go for the best gear I'd still probably shoot for 500 hp and rest as much damage as possible, maybe an item or 2 with saves.

[luna_sexton]

I always stacked myself as close as possible to 650 as possible. I had dps that helped.
I go more with +2 damage in slots I can't stack at least 20 hp in. Ears are a weird slot.
Ears I go with resist and +1 dam.

I run 500 hp right now with my giant, and he runs impressive damage.
He runs a ring of free action and has some resist fire/energy immune hold and drain.

[Zax]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Let me give you the specifics...
I made a new HG (Hax). When wearing the HoR with his current eq he has 556hps, is dragon armored, and has +36 damage bonus (counting the +4 for his treant club). His eq includes a re:fire cloak and re:energy shield (Thank the gods for quest items!).

He currently wears 2 spiked rings, each of which is +2 dam. The choice I'm pondering is getting him a set of RoBs to replace the spiked rings. This would give him 40 more hps but take his damage down by 2 to +34.

I think I'll leave him as is for now...mostly cuz the RoB quest is so tedious (and I now have to do it anyway to get Zax's rings back :p ).

[Scalamoosh]

These are perfect ring replacements for you IMO. Protect yourself from losing your gear from a misplaced bash with the -4 saves.

The Blessing of Chaos..It glows red..It glows blue – The Skeletal Palace of Orcus
Object 'blessing chaos ring', Item type: WORN
Item is: METAL MAGIC ANTI-GOOD ANTI-NEUTRAL ANTI-CLERIC ANTI-MAGE ANTI-BARBARIAN ANTI-RANGER ANTI-PALADIN ANTI-PSIONIST ANTI-DRUID
Worn on: TAKE FINGER
Weight: 1, Value: 13, Rent cost: 2500 [RARE] [LIMITED]
Can affect you as :
Affects : SAVING_ALL By -2
Affects : HITROLL By 2
Affects : WIS By -4
Affects : DAMROLL By 1
Affects : ARMOR By 5

[Zax]

Thanks for the suggestion Scalamoosh. Hax could definitely use some -SV help as he currently has none. I only wish i knew how WIS affects saves. He currently has 13 WIS. Two of those ring would drop that to 5. Would there be a penalty to saves with that low of a WIsdom that would offset the psv benefit of the rings?