114534-rune-sets-or-rune-to-max-skills

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			I've heard some people talk about ignoring rune sets altogether, while focusing on just rune-ing for your best stats. Like, just go for getting base health, phys resist, and tech runes (for an Engi tank for example), at the expense of going for sets. Any thoughts on this? Are the rune sets really that underwhelming?	
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			I think most people just rune sets to the first bonus, then use regular runes. some sets are worth going all the way tho	
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			As a stalker I use a full 12/12 weapon specialist and 4/12 Assassin currently. However, I can do so while mostly using the stats I am going after anyway because I bought/farmed the hell out of the pieces I intended on using. I'm pretty sure I could add even more but I've been holding out for the rune change drop. Who knows, maybe I am doing it wrong. It wouldn't be the first time haha.	
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			it's almost a guarantee that any rune set you would want to use is already comprised of desirable stats	
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it's almost a guarantee that any rune set you would want to use is already comprised of desirable stats
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As a stalker tank I wonder about this a lot.   For example - the Crystallize set needs 8 pieces for the first bonus, and gives me HP.   The thing is, I dont NEED a little more base HP to justify building an 8 rune set, unless the runes in that set are ones I would use anyway.   The rune stats are base HP, grit, tech..... ok, all decent, but that earth slot could be Phys. Resist.  So the question is - do I rune a lot of HP and Tech that is a semi-useful, and at the end get more semi-useful HP, or do I skip it all and jam in a ton of Phys. Resist?
 
Maybe Crystallize wasn't the best example to use, so consider Fusion Guard or Protect Your Neck, whose set bonus both give you armor.   That's a set bonus you want, but if you have to choose between 4 armor runes, or 3 armor runes+1 tech+set bonus.......   It seems like easy subtraction but after 40+ runes and 4/5 different sets, you start to get overwhelmed and wonder what others are doing.
 
This doesn't apply as much to DPS builds that want AP AP and AP and brut and AP and AP.    For obvious reasons.    	
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Rune set bonuses are bad. Really, really bad. Assassin, for example, gives you 30 dps. Just plain awful. 
 
Weapon Specialist and the Tech equivalent for DPS are about the only sets you should be trying to get, and only because you can get Assault Power runes for that general set. It is generally not worth slotting a sub-optimal rune just for the set bonus (e.g. weapon specialist crit/phys resist in an earth slot instead of Brutality).
 
The reason for the above reasoning is this: Yes, you will likely see a *small* increase in DPS on target dummys by gaining the set bonus. However, as you gain upgrades, and have to switch around your runes, and gain/lose access to specific slots, you will end up having to rune, re-rune, and rune again if your goal is to always maintain the set bonuses. 
 
So, in reality, the best practice is this:
When runing new gear, for dps, ask:
Can this slot have an assault power rune in it? If yes, slot it.
If no:
Can this slot have main stat in it? If yes, slot it. 
If this rune slot is a duplicate, can I slot a different assault power rune in it? e.g. the second fire slot on an item can get Assassin Assault Power, or for stalker DPS, first fusion is Unfair Advantage AP and second fusion is regular AP.
 
If you have a 4 slot or 5 slot item, and you get super duper lucky, you can often use the final few slots to fill out a rune set you are otherwise close to. 
 
For example, if you have a 4 slot item, and the last slot is Earth. On another item, you have a first slot Earth rune. Currently, you have a Weapon Specialist rune of Crit Sev in the first slot earth, which gives you 8/12 or 12/12 weapon specialist, and you have brutality in the 4th slot. It would be better to instead slot Brutality into the first slot earth slot, and the crit sev in the 4th slot. 
 
However, again, this all becomes increasingly and needlessly complex, as the rune set bonuses are all in all *bad*. Best practice is to try to pick up 4 set bonuses, or any unique to your class 6 set (Unfair Advantage for stalkers, for example), and otherwise slot the best stat possible. 
 
Weapon Specialist, far and away the agreed upon best rune set, gives you the following, at ~5k DPS, assuming 100% of your damage is physical (not the case for most even predominantly physical damage dealers):
4 set, 1% increased damage: +50 dps (5.050 is your new dps)
8 set, 1.5% increased damage: +75 dps (5.075 is your new dps, an actual increase of 0.4%)
12 set, 2% increased damage: +100 DPS (5.100 is your new dps, an actual increase of 0.49%)
 
At 7k DPS, the 4 set goes to a +70 dps increase. Everything else is proportional. 
 
All of these are going to be incredibly hard to even notice, as fluctuations in your up time, rotation diligence, and RNG deflects will all play a much bigger part in your total damage dealt number.
 
For tanks, currently:
Slot tech if and only if you are having aggro issues. If you are holding aggro just fine, stack armor and physical resist until the cows come home.
 
For tanks, in the future:
Slot tech if and only if you are having aggro issues. Otherwise, stack armor and whatever your current lowest resist is.	
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			My original plans were to get my 4 piece bonus in a couple things and then straight stat ruining, but honestly, I am holding off on any continued ruining until the change comes down. I have also stopped getting gear as they are supposed to be normalizing AP across classes. I see no sense in wasting any money or gems on this stuff and having to do it again. It also helps that since the free server transfers my server is in worse shape than before. Can't even find anything on the AH or CE. Can't wait for that patch. 	
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