My view on Guardian/rant

[Kri]

<DIV>Ok.. I see all these posts about how Guardian sucks.. blah blah blah.  This is the first EQ game for me and Guardian is the first and only subclass I've played.  I'm not rich, so most of my skills are app3 or lower.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have no problem what so ever holding a aggro.. hell, last night I was grouped with a 22 SK and 23 Berserker (And others..).  The Sk was the main tank.  Every freaking mob the SK pulled would turn on me as soon as I hit it.  I didn't use 1 hate increasing move what so ever.  After the aggros got on me it took atleast 10 taunts between the sk or zerker to get them off of me.   When I started using anger, shout, HTL, taunting blow.. etc no one and I mean no one could get them off of me.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Guardian works really well for me, as a main tank or as a secondary tank.  Whether I'm there to hold the entire mob or to help the main tank with Intrevene, Sentinel, etc.. I always get nice comments about how well I play a Guardian.  I know very little about the game and how it works.  I just pay attention to how certain abilities work under certain conditions.  Heck, I even have a list beside my computer of when I should or should not use certain skills based on what they do to my group or the mob, never what they do to me.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It Guardians weren't meant to guard, then they wouldn't be called gaurdians.  I think most people are peeved cause they can't solo with the high AC we get.  When I play I imagine myself willing to give my life to keep my group alive.  I never run and I will make myself the first to die if it will save my party.  I hardly ever look at my health, it just makes me start thinking about keeping myself alive instead of my party.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Heh, done ranting now..</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyways, if you're having trouble using your Guardian do what I do.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1.  Worry about yourself last.  Don't even look at your health bar, just concentrate on keeping your group alive.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2.  Experiment.  Learn how your moves work under all conditions. Make a list so you can remind yourself.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3.  Learn the combos that give you the most tanking or assisting abilities for the least power.</DIV> <DIV>     - One that I like is Anger, Shouting Cry, HTL then Assault.  After that, you have to be a god to pull anything off of me.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4.  Arrange your toolbars and screen so everything is easy to see.  Group skills that work together on one spot of the toolbar so they are easy to access. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>5.  Assist macro is a must, but i'm sure everyone knows this.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>6.  Equipment, I shouldn't have to explain this. But if you're a guardian tanking with the warrior class armor pieces, you're going to die fast.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>7.  Learn about potions etc.  They've saved me more than once.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>8.  Don't know about other races, but at level 18 I got a Heal-over-time spell I could cast on myself, very helpful.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Overall, think of the others, not yourself.  You'll find skill of your tanking abilities will go up.</DIV><p>Message Edited by KrisR on <span class=date_text>12-03-2004</span> <span class=time_text>09:49 AM</span>

[Benderla]

<P>question man - you say "warrior class armor pieces" - are you talking about the level 20 quest armor?  </P> <P> </P> <P>In all honesty, ive found those armor pieces to be priceless..</P>

[Demolitio]

<DIV>I have to agree, the warrior class armor is priceless.  I'm now a lvl 22 Guardian and still have it (I desperately want to upgrade since I am capable of better now).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nice post.  I have to agree with it.  I'm just waiting for someone to complain that we can't summon food/drink.  Then I think we will have heard it all.</DIV>

[Uumuuanu]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> KrisR wrote:<BR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1.  Worry about yourself last.  Don't even look at your health bar, just concentrate on keeping your group alive.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Overall, think of the others, not yourself.  You'll find skill of your tanking abilities will go up.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by KrisR on <SPAN class=date_text>12-03-2004</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>09:49 AM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>This right here is the answer that every other post complainging seems to be missing.  As a level 20 guardian on AQ3,  I still remember what the quest to become a guardian said, To paraphrase,  your jobs is to get hit, to stand in the line of fire, to be the last one standing on the battle field, and if if comes down to it -to die face to face with the mob while everyone else escapes.  It gave the option to be a Berserker too,  which was about offensive glory and slaying everyone on the battlefield.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>People,  if you are thinking about yourself, honestly don't play a guardian.  If you EVER think about OMG I dont wanna do this I am going to die, then you shouldnt be a guardian.  On more then one event I have told my group GO NOW AND DONT STOP while I held aggro knowning I was going to die.  Why?  Because thats what a guardian is for,  to take the damage for the group, to die for your group if necessary.   Why would I want to die instead of running?  Because I knew that at least 2 others would have died, which meas more shared exp debt then my one death. When I am tanking, even as 2A,  if I get aggro from adds I hold it until the MT says release it or the mob is dead.  Even when I am supposed to release it, sometimes that doesnt work.  I never look at my health, even if I am dieing I taunt a mob off my group.   </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you want it to be about your group, your raid, your guild,  be a guardian IMO.  So far this has stood true in every group I have been in, whether I was the tank or not.  If I focused on myself and worried about myself, we died or things went bad.  If I focused on my job of being the tank and taking the hits, we did well and it ended up a good night. If you want it to be about YOU,  go be a SK or something else that is DPS and glory. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Xter]

<DIV>Great post!  As I've said before, this is not a class for those that want to lvl fast, or just think about themselfs.   Its not a great solo class either, but I can tell you that most of the really good tanks I know, like to group, mainly becuse of the reasons listed above.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Guard = a very expensive (latest and greatest gear), slow XPing (questing a lot for gear and --&gt<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />, dieing a lot (while hopfully others dont), selfless, leadership role, and VERY rewarding class to play.  First in, last out. </DIV>

[Kri]

<DIV>Sorry.. by warrior class armor i meant stuff like the Militia Chest piece you get at level 10.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've seen a 24 guardian running around with it and a bunch of other lower level quest armor pieces complaing how crappy his class was cause he was dying..</DIV> <P>One more thing to add that i thought of while in class..  If guardians did have uber defense against specail attacks.. everyone would be a guardian because there would be no way to kill them.</P><p>Message Edited by KrisR on <span class=date_text>12-03-2004</span> <span class=time_text>01:13 PM</span>