Shields Shields Shields!

[Jabbso]

<p>Ok, so I've recently rolled a Guardian as I thought it was about time I got to grips with the Fighter class after playing a Defiler, Conjuror and Assassin.</p><p>I've gotten myself to lvl 12 quite easily and I'm really enjoying the class (have only solo'd tho and still awaiting the Group Tank scenario). At lvl 12 I've decided to break out the bank and invest in some mastercrafted gear and jewelry.</p><p>I've also decided upon a nice one handed sword and a shield, however, this is were things get a little bit confusing for me. There are umpteen (well a few) different types of shields available, Buckler, Kite Tower etc and I was just wondering what the difference is and what the shield of choice for a tanking Guardian.</p><p>Do some combat arts only work with a certain type of shield and not others? Sorry for the n00bness but please humour me.</p>

[Wilin]

Currently there is no difference between a kite shield and a tower shield as far as the game is concerned. You want the protection value on the shield to be as high as possible but that's about it. There is one CA that we get that requires a tower shield but that's not until 55th level. A buckler is the smallest type of shield with the least protection value(typically), but it is required in order to use one of our popular AA lines.(STA line for dps). And Round shields are fairly useless to us. They serve no purpose since we can use kite/towers and we don't have any abilities that require them. Generally, if you're using a shield but don't have the AA line for bucklers, try to find the kite/tower shield with the highest protection rating and the best stat bonuses.

[MaCloud1032]

For the most part the diff in tower vs kite is the stats one them.  Most kite shields have int/wis where towner have sta/agi.  From my understanding way back tower provided the most protection and kite was a bit more avoid.  although that doesnte exist.

[Wilin]

<p>Tower shields used to give by default 5% more block than kite and they used to be warrior only. (At one point just prior to release, they were guardian only, as was vanguard armor) Then they nerfed tower shield block % down to be equal to kite shields and allowed crusaders to use tower shields as well.</p>

[Ferunnia]

I'd say before Tower of Stone (55), pick and choose your kite/tower shields based on their stats. If you get a fabled Kite shield, use it. I don't really think buckler line is important until post 50s, when dps gets some sick spells, (i.e. wizard's ice nova, assassin's assassinate, so forth and so on) which make it a bit harder to hold aggro using just CAs and taunts unless you're mastered out and have dps that doesn't have a deathwish. Buckler spec makes running instances a lot easier IMO, because you fly through em with your dps going all out on every fight. Your shield bash (a knockdown and damage attack) works with any kind of shield, that's about the only one that isn't shield specific as far as a guard's shield based attacks go.

[Sir_Halbarad]

<cite>Jabbso wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Ok, so I've recently rolled a Guardian as I thought it was about time I got to grips with the Fighter class after playing a Defiler, Conjuror and Assassin.</p><p>I've gotten myself to lvl 12 quite easily and I'm really enjoying the class (have only solo'd tho and still awaiting the Group Tank scenario). At lvl 12 I've decided to break out the bank and invest in some mastercrafted gear and jewelry.</p><p>I've also decided upon a nice one handed sword and a shield, however, this is were things get a little bit confusing for me. There are umpteen (well a few) different types of shields available, Buckler, Kite Tower etc and I was just wondering what the difference is and what the shield of choice for a tanking Guardian.</p><p>Do some combat arts only work with a certain type of shield and not others? Sorry for the n00bness but please humour me.</p></blockquote> Sorry for the history lesson... Back in the days of EQ2 release... Bucklers were intended for Priests Round Shields were intended for Scouts Kite Shields were intended for Crusaders Tower Shields were intended for Warriors Alot has changed since then... Crusaders can now use tower shields as well. The difference between Kite and Tower - for a guardian - is only that Tower of Stone (level 55 ancient teaching) requires a tower shield. Apart from that, use the one with the better stats. Bucklers are now used by Warriors going down the STA AA line. Which I can only advise. 60% double attack is just too good... in any situation - solo, group, raid.

[Laereneth]

<p>This leads me into similar question regarding shields.  I read here and there that the STA AA line is popular for the dps for agro control.  But the Tower of Stone req a tower shield.  Does this req a lot of shield swapping to use the CA and still go down the STA line?  And does the STA line provide more defense with the buckler?  Would the hate from the STR line paired with the (lesser than STA line but still added) dps from the INT or WIS line do a similar role of keeping the agro control?</p><p>Thanks for your feedback!</p><p>Laer</p>

[Ferunnia]

You can just right click on the ToS icon and add a macro to use a tower shield immediately before casting...I have three of those macros for different tower shields on my guard. Scary how fast I go through towers in groups...but I tend to group with crazy people. Anyways, I also have an equip buckler macro right beside the ToS macros, or you can macro it to your single target taunt or overwhelm or your kick line, any of the fast reuse, because those three shots of stoneskin are gone really fast, just make sure it's down before you switch back to the buckler or your buckler loses health.Far as defense, you get a total of 8% all directional riposite added if you max the fourth line of sta. Not really all that great, but you aren't as worried about the defense when you're using sta spec. You can get all that from adornments and certain armor if you're a raider. Your temporary abilities add enough defense also that you are rarely without enough to tank about anything. I know I can tank two maybe three seperate ^^^ four-five levels above me without worrying about aggro in a pickup group, using buckler spec. I've not really needed the extra hate from the str line myself. I'm specced fully 4/8/8/2/1 agi 4/4/8 sta 4/5 int on the kos side and I hold aggro just fine on assassins. I hold aggro off warlocks a lot easier than I did before agi speccing too. Just my 2cp.P.s. I wouldn't bother with wis...some people swear by it, but you can get a lot more out of the other lines. We just aren't required to be pure defense anymore. Int is a pretty good line, especially if you go all the way through...pair that with the crits from str or the double attack from sta and you'll be doing awesome on single target aggro...just not so much the ae aggro.

[Laereneth]

<p>Great information Ferunnia.</p><p>I guess what I'm trying to see is if I can justify a different AA build other than STA and still maintain agro.  It seem STA is so popular out there.  Is it really the end all be all of AA builds...STA + another?</p><p>The STR tree looks very appealing with the crits, INT looks nice for the reuse and attack speeds.</p><p>Just kicking around ideas.</p><p>Thanks!</p>

[Laereneth]

Oh, Ferunnia, I just reread your post again and noticed you went heavy AGI line.  Was that for the AoE agro control?  Or just wanted more AoE dmg?

[Kasar]

<cite>Halbarad@Blackburrow wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite></cite>Sorry for the history lesson... Back in the days of EQ2 release... Bucklers were intended for Priests Round Shields were intended for Scouts Kite Shields were intended for Crusaders Tower Shields were intended for Warriors Alot has changed since then... Crusaders can now use tower shields as well. The difference between Kite and Tower - for a guardian - is only that Tower of Stone (level 55 ancient teaching) requires a tower shield. Apart from that, use the one with the better stats. Bucklers are now used by Warriors going down the STA AA line. Which I can only advise. 60% double attack is just too good... in any situation - solo, group, raid. </blockquote>If I recall the manual correctly (and I'm not going to try to find it), vanguard was guardian and paladin only initially.  It was one of my considerations when going that way.  I think that was a determiner in not going zerker, though I still think real zerkers should be in chain.But as above, whatever you can get for shields.  Once you get ToS, you'll probably have multiple towers and a buckler.  Many of the lower level tower shields, if they haven't been changed, had int and other useless stats, so check the rare crafted stats.  In each tier there should be decent ones, the ones in game forever are probably trash in comparison to those from newer zones.  I recall some decent kite shields I passed on.I was full wis/str for a while, the 300+ mit boost in wis helped while getting gear.  Now I'm agi/sta/int mostly to try different things.  I like the haste boost along with the multi and double attacks, but haven't parsed this build yet.