Hi Welcome wrote on Apr 17
th, 2012 at 5:58pm:
Feel free to say GFY, live in a fire etc if I'm missing something obvious but if the DPS is about even regardless doesn't it come down to what else the stances do for you? And since Wind is only matching up DPS wise because of extra attacks and Fire is matching up because of Ki strikes and Str doesn't that just mean if you don't hit on a 2 Fire for the to hit and if you do Earth for the HP?
Problem with that is that Earth means you tank, thanks to Turbine's exceptionally carefully calculated threat management decisions.
Sure, some quests might be okay with the monk tanking (like, all of them, if you're a decent build and in a half assed group), but other times you'll get to see all kinds of "fun" as the "healer" screams at you because you're holding the attention of the big bad boss better than the 8 AC, 25% Fort, 15% Healing (as in, he found a way to take even LESS healing than should be possible) warforged barbarian with 5 more hp than you. Not that I've seen that happen or anything. Mainly because I was the one healing when I found out about the barbarian who broke the rules. (I'm sure it was just some silliness with a potency/ardor item not working properly, but I thought it was funny enough to remember apparently)
Also, you forgot about on hit effects, which favor wind. Sure, you should hopefully not have enough of them to matter much, but it may affect the decision sometimes.