The Basics
Might
Captains are a might-based class so this is the most important stat and increases both offense and defense.Captains who have chosen the yellow trait tree (Leader of Men, tanking) can gain the set trait Two-Handed Prowess that lets you block with a two-handed weapon (normally a shield is required for blocking).
- Increases physical mastery (more melee damage)
- Increases tactical mastery (more potent cries and healing)
- Increases block (avoid physical damage taken from a frontal attack)
- Increases parry (avoid physical damage taken from a frontal attack)
Fate
Captains rely on critical hits a lot to increase damage generally and to trigger Enemy Defeat Responses which can make certain abilities more powerful.- Increases critical rating (more damage/healing)
- Increases tactical mitigation (reduces damage taken from spells)
- Increases in-combat morale regeneration (more survivability)
- Increases power regeneration in and out of combat (more endurance)
Vitality
Vitality increases your survivability.- Increases morale (health points)
- Increases resistance to debuffs (reduce effects of wound/fear/disease/poison)
- Increase out-of-combat morale regeneration (reduce recovery time between battles)
Agility
Agility is a helper stat that increases both offense and defense, but not as much as might.- Increases critical rating (more damage/healing)
- Increases evade (avoid physical damage from any direction)
- Increases parry (avoid physical damage from a frontal attack)
Offense Stats
Physical Mastery increases damage dealt. It's one of the most important stats for Captains and melee damage-dealers in general. Even if you're a healer you will need physical mastery because a lot of heals are triggered by melee attacks such as Valiant Strike.
Tactical Mastery increases healing and cries. If you're a healer you will want lots of tactical mastery, but damage-dealers will want some as well to improve abilities such as Battle-Shout and Routing Cry.
As mentioned above, Critical Rating is important for triggering more powerful versions of abilities, and is useful for both damage and healing. The cap is 25%.
In addition to fate, agility and direct critical rating on gear, essences or legendary item relics/titles etc., the trait trees also provide buffs that increase critical hit chance (Astute Hands in Blue Line for healing and Arterial Strikes in Red Line for dps).
Finesse becomes more important at high levels. It helps weakens your enemies resistance to debuffs and ability to block/parry/evade your attacks. As a Captain who will be attacking in melee range and who has several bleed attacks, finesse will help your attacks to be more successful.
High level enemy mobs, especially in instances or PvP, can also have finesse. Ideally, you want to make the enemy mobs more vulnerable than they make you.
Defense Stats
Physical and Tactical Mitigations are essential for survivability. These reduce the damage you take from physical damage (melee and ranged) and from spells (e.g. light, fire, frost, lightning, shadow damage).
The cap is 60% and you should try to get as much mitigation as you can. Mitigation can be obtained from stats (armour gives physical mitigation, fate and will give tactical mitigation), gear, virtues, essences, legendary item relics/titles etc.
Resistance to wounds/fear/disease/poison helps decrease the damage you take. However, there are also other ways to deal with these debuffs - such as using Muster Courage or potions to remove them, having mitigations to reduce the damage they inflict, or having lots of morale so that they do not significantly affect your health.
As a result, resistance is something that you shouldn't need to gear for specifically. Virtues are a good source of resistance, as well as vitality.
Critical Defense is mainly a tanking stat that reduces the damage taken from critical hits. This can make it easier for healers to keep you alive. It may also be useful when soloing or in PvP. Captains gain some critical defense as a passive skill at level 20. The Yellow trait tree for tanking also provides some critical defense (Shrug Blows Aside). Critical defense can also be found on gear, essences and legendary items relics/titles etc.
Incoming Healing is also mainly a tanking stat that increases the amount of healing you receive. Again, this makes it easier for healers to keep you alive and can be useful when soloing or in PvP. Incoming healing can increases heals by up to 15%. Incoming healing can be found on some gear, essences and legendary item relics etc.
Summary
So the stats Captains need in general:
- Might
- Physical Mastery
- Physical and Tactical Mitigations to cap (60%)
- Critical Rating
- Fate
- Tactical Mastery
- Finesse (at high levels e.g. level 75+)
Please correct me if I am wrong or leave a comment if you have something to add about how stats affect Captains.
