Guardian's Role?

[jaydessy]

<p>After reading the many posts regarding the up and coming changes, I became a little confused as to the role the Guardian will fill. As I understand, the guardian is the best single target MT. At least that was what I thought the Guardian's role was. It seems that, at this point, with the changes it will be a good single target tank, but most likely overshadowed by the SK/Ber's ability to maintain aggro on single and multiple targets. Does this seem like the direction SOE is going down?</p><p>I know that hate generation is being revamped, but I would assume that the experienced players out there could give a fairly acurate portrayal regarding Guardians. I would hate to see the Guardian class become a washed out version of the original design for the sake of making other tank classes balanced.</p><p>I've played a Berserker, Sk, and to some extent, a Guardian to date, but I've never been at end game so I can't determine where the tank classes are heading. As such, any input would be much appreciated.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Bottom line is, Guardians still have the best single target snap aggro in the game, the best defense, and are the easiest plate tank to gear. Against single mobs, there is no better tank to stick on a mob if your goal is to stay alive. Period.</p><p>That said, the advantage that guardians have defensively over every other tank isn't that great; Berserkers can come very close defensive. Shadowknights are hard to kill, but also have lower overall defense. Same with Paladins, they're hard to kill, but have lower overall defense.</p><p>Guardian DPS output isn't that great compared to a Shadowknight or Brawler. It's more comparable to a Berserker or Paladin against single mobs (All things being equal, a Berserker will only slightly out-DPS a Guardian on single targets). Lower DPS means longer fights. But you make up for that by having some of the best taunts in the game.</p><p>AoE aggro is abysmal unless you spec down AGI. Even then it can't touch a Mythical'd Berserker, or a Crusader.</p><p>A Guardian's ultimate snap aggro tool is Reinforcement, which pretty much lets you stay at the top of the hate list for a short time, or quickly get to the top of the hate list, as long as you can hit the mob. No other fighter has a tool that works like Reinforcement, and instead have to work with different versions of Rescue (Berserker for example has an AoE rescue, but it's less potent against single target mobs than Reinforcement).</p>

[Rahatmattata]

<p>It's all up in the air right now. Guardians are pretty much the first choice to tank hard hitting single targets. Like named epic mobs. Because of our HP defense and saves.</p><p>It will probably still be the same more or less after the revamp, but who knows.</p>

[Grumpy_Warrior_01]

<p><cite>Rahatmattata wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's all up in the air right now. Guardians are pretty much the first choice to tank hard hitting single targets. Like named epic mobs. Because of our HP defense and saves.</p><p>It will probably still be the same more or less after the revamp, but who knows.</p></blockquote><p>First choice maybe, but not the only choice by any measure.  The penalty for having a slight edge on raid single names appears to be a laborious and humiliating experience as a tank in every zone containing linked mobs (the entirety of the TSO group instances for example).</p><p>So trot out the guardian for raid nights, and roll up a shadowknight for everything else.</p>

[Rahatmattata]

<p>Yea, I'm not a fan of Shadowknights. I have an upcomming berserker for grouping... I don't even raid anymore so me having a guardian is more or less pointless.</p>

[Anttoch]

<p>Tab target tab target tab target. build hate w/everything, use your taunt's, and reinforcment w/ALL your AoE attacks. Whirl, anchor, and slandorus assault. Then tab target somemore. Then pick a target and let the dps that's targeted through you do the rest. Nuf said  =)      Use your rescues if things break loose.</p><p>     Kalladoth</p><p>          Vox 2k9</p>

[Vanderlay]

<p><cite>Anttoch wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Tab target tab target tab target. build hate w/everything, use your taunt's, and reinforcment w/ALL your AoE attacks. Whirl, anchor, and slandorus assault. Then tab target somemore. Then pick a target and let the dps that's targeted through you do the rest. Nuf said  =)      Use your rescues if things break loose.</p><p>     Kalladoth</p><p>          Vox 2k9</p></blockquote><p>That will work fine in a group heroic zone where the mobs will die quickly based on the groups overall DPS.  If we're talking raiding, that's why you have a MA.</p>

[Atavax311]

<p>I'm new to this mmo. i love to tank. i dont think im going to be doing much raiding if any, and im having a hard time deciding which tank to roll. i hate casters, so beserker and guardian are really the only two options. now, is the lack of an AOE threat abillity as a guardian going to be a big deal? and is your soloing going to be much worse as a guardian compared to a beserker? because i've looked at both class forums, and i would seriously prefer to be a guardian, then one of those whiney beserkers, more concerned with their abillity to dps while tanking, then their abillity to hold aggro and take damage.</p>

[Brook]

<p><cite>Atavax311 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'm new to this mmo. i love to tank. i dont think im going to be doing much raiding if any, and im having a hard time deciding which tank to roll. i hate casters, so beserker and guardian are really the only two options. now, is the lack of an AOE threat abillity as a guardian going to be a big deal? and is your soloing going to be much worse as a guardian compared to a beserker? because i've looked at both class forums, and i would seriously prefer to be a guardian, then one of those whiney beserkers, more concerned with their abillity to dps while tanking, then their abillity to hold aggro and take damage.</p></blockquote><p>Then be a guard, trolls make good guards but are rather teh suk at spelling <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Zerks have some things they are better at, guards have some things they are better at. There are situations which one may be preferred over the other, both make great fighters/tanks.</p>

[Atavax311]

<p><cite>Brook wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Atavax311 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'm new to this mmo. i love to tank. i dont think im going to be doing much raiding if any, and im having a hard time deciding which tank to roll. i hate casters, so beserker and guardian are really the only two options. now, is the lack of an AOE threat abillity as a guardian going to be a big deal? and is your soloing going to be much worse as a guardian compared to a beserker? because i've looked at both class forums, and i would seriously prefer to be a guardian, then one of those whiney beserkers, more concerned with their abillity to dps while tanking, then their abillity to hold aggro and take damage.</p></blockquote><p>Then be a guard, trolls make good guards but are rather teh suk at spelling <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Zerks have some things they are better at, guards have some things they are better at. There are situations which one may be preferred over the other, both make great fighters/tanks.</p></blockquote><p>i will not be a troll :p im a dwarf or a gnome, not a troll. looking at racials, im gonna be a dwarf.</p>