Auto-Defense and Defense Skill obvious question.

Does the rank of Defense increase the effectiveness of Auto-Defense, or is it solely dependent upon your Shield Mastery? I'm a Giant with a Lance and Shield so I can't actually use Defense at all and am thus wondering if I should put AP into it. I hit Rank 1 Shield Mastery a while back, but my actual Defense skill is sitting at a meager B as a leftover from when I used sword and shield. If it does influence the amount of Defense and Protection gained from triggering Auto-Defense it might be worthwhile to add that here.

If this doesn't get any responses I'll probably ask it again on the Defense Skill page.

The defense skill does not change auto defense, but does contribute to some passive defense and obviously active defense greatly

True. It's probably worth upgrading it just for the additional HP and Base Defense.

Defense has nothing to do with Auto Defense, period. Using Defense with a Shield seems to "trigger" magic and ranged Auto Defense, but otherwise its just normal Defense triggering with an aesthetic added onto it.

Auto Defense DOES NOT increase defensive stats; that's Passive Defenses and they simply have Auto Defense integrated into them. Auto Defense just completely negates stun. Melee Auto Defense is a slight exception that it halves all damage after calculations, but that isn't the same as increasing defense/protection.

So triggering Auto-Defense does not cause you to gain the Defense and Protection listed by the Defense skill, I see. Does Auto-Defense not reduce incoming damage at all when it activates, and instead just has a tendency to only activate against things that already don't hurt?

Defense skill doesn't say anything about Auto Defense. All it does is just increase your Defense and Protection by a flat amount while loaded; that's it.

Except for the melee auto defense, no it does not reduce incoming damage.

“	Does the rank of Defense increase the effectiveness of Auto-Defense, or is it solely dependent upon your Shield Mastery?	„

Defense does not do anything to increase the effectiveness of Auto-Defense and is dependent on shield (and heavy armor) mastery.

“	I'm a Giant with a Lance and Shield so I can't actually use Defense at all and am thus wondering if I should put AP into it. I hit Rank 1 Shield Mastery a while back, but my actual Defense skill is sitting at a meager B as a leftover from when I used sword and shield. If it does influence the amount of Defense and Protection gained from triggering Auto-Defense it might be worthwhile to add that here.	„

I'd advise ranking defense to increase tanking ability. Auto-Defense will cut damage in half if you just pinged from the auto-defense or load defense. I have no idea what the update way back during enlightenment did, but I have noticed my damage when I ping is almost always half of what gets pinged, save a few exceptions. Defense and protection does not influence Auto-Defense.

Enlightenment just made melee auto defense half all damage when it triggered and was calculated after all other damage reductions. Magic and ranged auto defense don't have that half damage benefit.