For raider to be good, it needs to be fully scrolled (sent+well-balanced). For half the price, you can get swifthammer. The scrolls prices will be the same, for sentinel+tutelary. WIth regular 2* raiders, i would get like 800 more att, a little more balance+speed. But with swifthammer, I can get to 9k def while raiders get me like 4,5k def. For not that much more attack.
With 9k def, I can attack non-stop. While 4,5k def, I need to be extra careful, because a raid boss can 2shot me. In the end, I DPS way more with 9k def, because I can tank 5hits, drink 1 pot and get back in the fight. I can attack non-stop.
Maybe if you are uber-pro, you won't mind the 4k def, but with a karok, def is so important.
If I absorb 2-3 hits, sometime I can be as low as 200-300HP, but actually have 2kHP in regen, but it's gonna take like 20 sec to regen (talking about hero bosses that can deal a load of damage here). But if I get hit, the I lose that HP in regen and end up taking the full 3 hits I absorbed + that other 1 I missed.
*edit* I meant to scroll raider with *force* and well-balanced. Not sentinel.
If you have another char, let's say Lann, if I slipped 3 attacks and get hit by the 4th, I take the damage of the 4th.
On karok, if I absorb 3 attacks and get hit by the 4th, I will take the total of the 4 hits (considering they are close and didn't have time to regen my HP).
So in the end, more def = more DPS. If raider gave like 2-3k more attack, maybe I would consider it.