Been Asked A Thousand Times...

[Vendian]

Hey Everyone,I know it's been asked a thousand times, but everytime I search it seems it mostly refers to the PVP server, so My question is:What's the best AA class for a SOLO warden on a PVE server?I've searched a few threads, and a few of them I see saying STR? I thought that would be the last AA class to go down for a priest?I mostly solo, or duo with a Guardian. However since im several levels above the guardian, I often tank. Currently I've been going down the STA, and AGI line. What would you guys recomend? I will probably solo all the way to cap.Thanks,

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>My own opinion is that it's not optimal for a Warden to tank and a Guardian to be dps...even if the warden is melee spec'd.  </p><p>Even a lower leveled Guardian should still be able to tank well for you.  If the Guard is significantly lower, it's really best use of both of your abilities to mentor to their level and group as intended (IMO)...plus, it teaches the newer Guardian how to tank.</p><p>If you do the Warden abilities melee spec, you need to have as much STR as possible, since that makes your melee attacks do the best damage.   This usually means going down the STR line - since there are melee enhancing abilities there as well as a heal proc from melee.   It's a little counter-intuitive for a healer to do that, but so is melee-ing LOL.  </p><p>I honestly don't think there IS any 'best' soloing spec for Warden.  I think it depends on what kind of gear you can get (STR vs INT (melee vs. nuking)), and basically how you want to play.   </p><p>Just my 2 <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" />  </p>

[Lazz]

Well I must say I really love the Melee spec for the Warden, this allows you to be a pretty effective tank and healer. I tell people I wil MT and they laugh... only for a min then it turns to OMG dude your the best tank I've grouped with. Now I know to all the flamers out there that a true tank is much better but just stating my experience. Anyhow maxx out all of your CA spells in the Warden tree then take the last power for 75% crit. Then maxx out your STR line in Druid side. From there I went Wis for AOE and speed. Be sure to focus on your str and wis as your primary stats and I promise you will become a Melee Monster like Ol' Grayson. And there ya have it....my thoughts!!

[Skivley101]

<p>While ill aggree the mele warden can be a very good tank , It might just end up making your friend feel inadequate since they'er char is built to be a tank.</p><p>But if your still set on making them feel like dirt , here's a few things to do also with the mele build Grayson mentioned to make you a better tank.</p><p>Spikey adornments (shoulders,sheild & use dmg sheild potions) These will help your agro with a steady stream of dmg to all those attacking you.</p><p>Use a decent 1h and adorn it ( i suggest pwr feed) ... Although a nice 2h yeilds more dmg , The slower delay can leave to much time for others to steal agro , Plus i think with spikey adorn and shield protection , the 1h and buckler outweighs the 2h for tanking.</p><p>Enhance protector of the forest & get the highest rank you can (M2 if available) .... The enhance gives 50% increase to the spell, so the higher the rank, the more mit you get from enhance. Also when picking gear , pay attention to the physical mit it gives & consider this when picking.</p><p>Trauma cure enhance can be a nice boost to mit when you need it (and if you pick infusion , It becomes a dmg spell.</p><p>When you have enough AA pts (64 i think) Infusion is a nice boost to dmg & agro tool (makes all benificial spells proc dmg to the closest mob to you) On those multiple mob pulls , You can move on top of one mob hitting them with infusion while targeting another mob. I like to lead with the Aoe to grab agro from them all , Then cycle between them till aoe is up again. With infusion you have to be careful , it will proc onto non agro mobs also if they are closer than what you have engaged.</p><p>And If you can take Rallos Zek as a deity , he has some good stuff for tanking , But heck , just getting the cloak is worth doing the quests for the mele warden , then switch to somthing else later.</p>

[Vendian]

Hello,Thanks for the all the replies guys! I'll just clear some thing's up <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Currently I'm level 49, the guardian I group with is 45. We just currently started hunting in Lesser Faydark, and are fighting level 55 mobs. That makes them 10 levels highier then the Guardian, and thumps her good! I'm not saying I want to be a Strength speced Warden, I'm just looking for what's best <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Since I'm only 49, I have no idea what's in store in the 50's, 60's and 70's. So I'm look to setup my AA list to benefit me for highier levels. So thus I am looking for help from you all knowing high level wardens! <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/49869fe8223507d7223db3451e5321aa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Thanks,Michael

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>So much depends on how you are going to be playing, tbh.    I'd suggest you try a bunch of different specs and see which you like.   And seriously, if you and the Guardian are fighting mobs 10 levels higher than she is - you really are going to give her a better gaming experience if you fight them a bit more in keeping with your level.  Mentor her and get her more evenly leveled with you, if you are going to play with her often.   Find mobs that con tough, but not impossible and have fun with them, is my advice.</p><p>And let her tank, and you heal.  Sure, melee spec'd you CAN tank, and she CAN sit there and beat things up with you.  She will level, but will not be learning her class to the max. Neither will you.  Both of you will miss a lot of fun, I think.</p>

[Skivley101]

<cite>Vendian wrote:</cite><blockquote>Hello,Thanks for the all the replies guys! I'll just clear some thing's up <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" />Currently I'm level 49, the guardian I group with is 45. We just currently started hunting in Lesser Faydark, and are fighting level 55 mobs. That makes them 10 levels highier then the Guardian, and thumps her good! I'm not saying I want to be a Strength speced Warden, I'm just looking for what's best <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" />Since I'm only 49, I have no idea what's in store in the 50's, 60's and 70's. So I'm look to setup my AA list to benefit me for highier levels. So thus I am looking for help from you all knowing high level wardens! <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/49869fe8223507d7223db3451e5321aa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Thanks,Michael</blockquote><p>no you didnt say you were going for the mele spec .... but if you want to tank , thats the way to go</p><p>I sugest you keep your current spec and mentor down like Arie said ... Just holding back and healing while the tank a dps hit it can go a long way.</p><p>I was mostly saying all that stuff for Grayson ... I can tell your Aura is diff , listen to Arie ...</p>

[xandez]

<cite>Arielle Nightshade wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>So much depends on how you are going to be playing, tbh.    </p><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Agree 100% here... i love melee spec, but it was not an option when i made my warden, so i do not dislike the spellcasting option either... heh. Melee is just more suited for my playstyle, what is yours?</span></p><p>I'd suggest you try a bunch of different specs and see which you like.   And seriously, if you and the Guardian are fighting mobs 10 levels higher than she is - you really are going to give her a better gaming experience if you fight them a bit more in keeping with your level.  Mentor her and get her more evenly leveled with you, if you are going to play with her often.   Find mobs that con tough, but not impossible and have fun with them, is my advice.</p><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Again, 100% on the mark here. Mentoring is your friend and fighting yellows and lower is much more fun than fighting oranges <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></span></p><p>And let her tank, and you heal.  Sure, melee spec'd you CAN tank, and she CAN sit there and beat things up with you.  She will level, but will not be learning her class to the max. Neither will you.  Both of you will miss a lot of fun, I think.</p><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Yes... i will again be 100% behind Arielle here. </span></p><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">IF you really like to be a melee semitanking warden, then by all means do so. But, then i'd suggest your friend to play an another class, or... maybe you should roll the tank?</span></p></blockquote><span style="color: #ff6600;">++Xan</span>

[Skivley101]

<p>Agree with Orange ... but maybe blooberry has a point ?</p>

[xandez]

<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />++Xan

[Vendian]

Thanks for all the replies guys!     I first chose a AGI and STA line, so I'm not to sure if that was a good idea. I'm still confused about chosing the strength though. I mean STR dosn't mean you take hits better does it? Wouldn't STA give you more HP and be better suited for this? Then AGI would help you avoid hits? Wouldn't STR mean better Melee damage? But then why have that? Wouldn't INT be a better choice for better nuke damage?This all confuses me so much =PThanks,

[Arielle Nightshade]

<cite>Vendian wrote:</cite><blockquote>Thanks for all the replies guys!     I first chose a AGI and STA line, so I'm not to sure if that was a good idea. I'm still confused about chosing the strength though. I mean STR dosn't mean you take hits better does it? Wouldn't STA give you more HP and be better suited for this? Then AGI would help you avoid hits? Wouldn't STR mean better Melee damage? But then why have that? Wouldn't INT be a better choice for better nuke damage?This all confuses me so much =PThanks,</blockquote><p>AGI and STA optimizes your healing so it's a good choice, IMO.   It does this because of the heal crit abilities both lines give you.   STR doesn't make you able to take hits better, it makes you able to melee better - it has the added benefit of being able to carry more strong boxes for all the loot you are getting!   AGI doesn't really do much for us, because that's not the way our mitigation works (exactly), but doesn't hurt.  INT helps with nuke damage /nod.</p><p>I'd say take STR if you are spec'ing the melee abilities in the Warden tree, otherwise, don't even bother with that line. If you are specing as a nuking warden, still spec STA first then AGI, then INT.  Damage is possible with a Warden, and even pretty decent, but it's not really what the class 'does'. </p>

[Overburnzz]

i have been playing around with my tooni have been focusing on wis & int and i have noticed I am criting for over 1000i am 54 and i group with a 69 Zerker and I keep him healed while damaging the 5hit out of the mobsit works pretty well for me