PC Warding vs. Menacing (or Lucky?)

[redstonecreeper8]

I know this is an age old question, but I still haven't found a definitive answer. Some people swear one is objectively better, some say it doesn't matter, and some say it all depends. Is there one you guys prefer, and if so, for what reason? If you think it is different for everyone, do you know of a definitive test to find out which one works best for my playstyle or yours? I am setting up a loadout to kill the ML as a ranger and want the safest modifiers for the boss fight, not necessarily for everyday convenience.

Is warding safer because it directly reduces damage taken?

Is Menacing safer to maximize damage and minimize fighting time, therefore reducing damage taken?

Is lucky more effective at getter higher DPS than menacing? If so, does having a high crit chance weapon affect that positively or negatively?

Is a percentage increase (such as menacing or lucky) more effective later game because it scales with your gear, unlike warding which is a flat value?


I'm using the Sniper Scope, Hoverboard, Celestial Stone, Lightning Boots, and Obsidian Shield with the Vortex Beater and chloro bullets as my primary weapon which as of right now has a 43% crit chance and 88 damage while not in stealth mode. (if that helps)

 

[ppowersteef]

For me it all depends on your current equipment. There isn't really a 'best' option as that varies depending on your build.

Warding on all accessoires is useful if you want to be tanky, though it'll only reduce damage by 10 at most. (15-17 at Expert mode, I think)
Lucky sounds like a good preference if you go for fast, low-damaging weapons. since that won't be scaled down by weapon damage.
Menacing is preferred for high damaging builds, like the Sniper Rifle. since the damage scaling will benefit you more. And because it's slower, it's also more luck dependend to get a critical hit.

In general, I'll just go with whatever I get. Mixed reforgements of Menacing and Lucky seem to work better than solely focussing on one set.
For Expert Mode though, I'll go for Warding usually as survival is key.

 

[Kazzymodus]

The choice between Warding and Menacing/Lucky depends squarely on your ability to stay alive.

Think of Warding as increasing the amounts of hits you can take, not merely the amount of damage. If you are adept at dodging, Warding won't do anything for you. Moreover, while Warding helps you stay alive, it won't help you deal with whatever is trying to kill you, whereas Menacing and Lucky will aid you at that. So all in all, the choice between Warding and damage enhancing modifiers defends on how good you are at not dying.

As for the distinction between Menacing and Lucky, Menacing has two arguments in its favour: the first one is that damage increase works for summons, while crit chance does not. The second argument is that Menacing is more reliable. Neither are overwhelmingly compelling, so in my opinion it depends on which you find cooler.