Don't know which way to jump on AA raid build - advice appreciated

[Ovrload]

Heya,Asking for some help on my Guardian's AA raid build <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Atm I'm a Str/Wis line Guardian, with EoF lines in stalwarting and overpowering (I think that's it, the melee damage boosting one). The alliance I tank for is just starting to get ready for EoF zones power-wisePretty well geared KoS raid wise; having about 61.2% mit and 58.9% avoid with 8.5k hits self-buffed - nowhere near the big raid guild mega-tanks of course, but alright atm it seems for what we doing now(i.e. : -Doomrage Faceguard, Doomrage Vambraces, Bloodsoaked Gauntlets, Doomrage Breastplate, Qeynos Guard, Vilucidae's Sword of Shielding, Light Chitin Ring, Jagged Band of Cursing, Claymore arms and jewelery items etc etc)Done lots of KoS raids main tanking, but I'm just not sure about my wisdom line mainly anymore - I first started using it when my gear was legendary scalelord to compensate for the fact we were all more or less just starting to raid - so would like some help with regards to how I can push my guardian that little bit further up the scale dps, survival and aggro wise as at the moment I think i'm not getting as much out of my guardian as I should and as the alliance I tank for deservesThanks in advance,Yours,Doomguard TX'SqueakinatorRatonga Guardian (plz don't laugh too much)

[Wilin]

<p>If you're using Vilucidae's, you would benefit quite a bit by some decent haste so the INT line would work great for you. Drop 8 points into Accelerated Strike and keep it up throughout the long fights and drop 8 points into the Int3 ability that just gives haste. With your standard haste item, you should be hitting 70% haste with all that. As well, the best bang for your DPS buck is the STA line even after the nerf. The thing is that when you start to move into EoF, you'll start feeling alot less comfortable behind a buckler until you start getting some EoF fabled gear. I'd say that if you're having no problems with aggro now, move out of WIS into INT. It will have alot  to do with your MT group setup as well, but most typical MT group setups have no haste in there, but plenty of DPS mods.</p><p>So, the short of it is:</p><p>STR 4483INT 48882</p><p>After you get the Howler and others start getting better gear, your guild DPS will probably go up and you may want to consider an AA build with STA. But, STR/INT is a good transition build until that happens and you may decide to stick with it even later.</p>

[Deluw]

My own build is:Int 44861 (obviously for relentless assault, slayer speed and accelStr 4448Agi 41 (for Dragoon spin, very nice to have 2 blue AEs to use with reinforcement)Guardian tree:Overpower 5Vindictive Strike 5Rescue 3Reinforcement 5Flay 5Lay Waste 5Double Attack 1Plannig:Command 5Wall of Force 4Plant 3Guardian Sphere 3Tower of Stone 5Block 1Wisdom line is something you better forget I think, well from my experience anyway.

[Wilin]

<cite>Deluwen wrote:</cite><blockquote>My own build is:Int 44861 (obviously for relentless assault, slayer speed and accelStr 4448Agi 41 (for Dragoon spin, very nice to have 2 blue AEs to use with reinforcement)Guardian tree:Overpower 5Vindictive Strike 5Rescue 3Reinforcement 5Flay 5Lay Waste 5Double Attack 1Plannig:Command 5Wall of Force 4Plant 3Guardian Sphere 3Tower of Stone 5Block 1Wisdom line is something you better forget I think, well from my experience anyway.</blockquote>You're missing something in your planned build. You left out Unyielding Will. You have to have 2 ranks in that AND 2 ranks in Stone Sphere in order to get ToS.

[Docimodo]

<p>str 448 sta 8 int 47482</p><p>Overpower 3 kick 2 Vindictive Strike 5 Flay 5 Lay Waste 5 Double Attack 1</p><p>Rescue 3 Reinforcement 5</p><p>command 3 wall of force 3 plant 3 unyielding will 2 stone sphere 4 block 1</p><p>I can reach 2k+ dps in defense stance versus eof mobs and hold versus 30k+ raid dps with no scout hate transfer <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Incase you are wondering my MT grp build is:</p><p>guardian inquisitor defiler dirge warden coercer</p><p>The reason for going for the 8 into STA is that we play with freeport only classes and I need the HPS</p>

[Ferunnia]

When I tested lay waste, it turned from a blue aoe to a single target attack...useless to me, and ya don't need it for the +9% double attack. I'd take those points and put em our boot attack or something...No way I'd give up that aoe.

[Ovrload]

Thanks for the info and the advice guys -have now swapped to Str/Int lines and have tried it out a little solo and also in a group in OoB and CoV. Still keeping stalwarting and slaughering lines of course thoughMit went from 61.2% to 59.9% but avoidance went from 58.9% to 60.4% and I think I've almost doubled my dps output, maybe more than doubled, in groups, so it all seems goodWill test in a raid or two shortly but i think it'll be more than fine - with another dps booster I think i may start scaring my alliance's scouts into working for their livings again <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Thanks again for the advice and assistance - i'd never have thought of the int line otherwise <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Yours,Doomguard TX'SqueakinatorRatonga Guardian

[Wilin]

<p>Yay!</p>

[Macross_JR]

<cite>Ferunnia wrote:</cite><blockquote>When I tested lay waste, it turned from a blue aoe to a single target attack...useless to me, and ya don't need it for the +9% double attack. I'd take those points and put em our boot attack or something...No way I'd give up that aoe.</blockquote>One thing you are missing is that it might turn it into a single target but now you either have the aoe for when there are multiple mobs, but if only one mob you will do more damage with using lay waste as it hits for more on single target.  so now you have situational attacks.

[Deluw]

<cite>Wilin wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Deluwen wrote:</cite><blockquote>My own build is:Int 44861 (obviously for relentless assault, slayer speed and accelStr 4448Agi 41 (for Dragoon spin, very nice to have 2 blue AEs to use with reinforcement)Guardian tree:Overpower 5Vindictive Strike 5Rescue 3Reinforcement 5Flay 5Lay Waste 5Double Attack 1Plannig:Command 5Wall of Force 4Plant 3Guardian Sphere 3Tower of Stone 5Block 1Wisdom line is something you better forget I think, well from my experience anyway.</blockquote>You're missing something in your planned build. You left out Unyielding Will. You have to have 2 ranks in that AND 2 ranks in Stone Sphere in order to get ToS.</blockquote>Thanks, missed that completely, strange requirement comparing to the rest of it but in the end its for ToS. Although I'm not sure if ToS and Block are worth it compared to extra damage you can get. Anyone?

[TuinalOfTheNexus]

<p>ToS and Block are worth it imo versus mobs like MM when it means you can have a life-saver up more often when the delevel hits. I still think maxing stalwarting and slaughtering is the way to go; sticking a few more points in long reuse melee CAs at the cost of Block doesn't seem worth it when most of our damage is autoattack.</p><p>The only thing I miss that I'd like is 5 points in Sever, because 10% more DPS debuffing is pretty significant at the start of a fight. But I wouldn't sacrifice Reinforcement either since it's very useful on memwiping stuff.</p>

[Docimodo]

<cite>TuinalOfTheNexus wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>ToS and Block are worth it imo </p><p>The only thing I miss that I'd like is 5 points in Sever, because 10% more DPS debuffing is pretty significant at the start of a fight. But I wouldn't sacrifice Reinforcement either since it's very useful on memwiping stuff.</p></blockquote><p>Agreed there. Faster re-use on stonesphere, ToS and an extra free block is FTW. Stacking that with INT endline makes for the best combo ever. </p><p>The beginning of the cripple line is imo very nice but I'd go for both the skill debuffs (It's fun to have orange cons actually worry about parries and misses for once!) Like you though I don't see anything I'd drop to get some points over there tbh. Probably a nice line for a non MT guard though.</p>