Maddening defense help

[lazlo1]

I respeced before I knew to pick MD. I picked the group taunt one. So I am thinking about upgrading MD to adept 3. I know we get a respect next week but if I can live with adept 3 MD I would like to save my respec for later screw ups <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Does anyone know what the taunt amount is for adept 3 MD ?  If its fairly close I may just live with it till 57.  Also does anyone know is crafters can already make it, I assume they can since its lvl 43. <div></div>

[Nemi]

<P>I have no idea. I'm not a crafter but I'm curious to find out if all these changes have automatically been updated in Crafters books or whether they need to find new books.</P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

[Halade]

<DIV>don't worry, if you check Moorgards posts he states that there will be another /respec available when the bonus xp expires after everyone has had a chance to get the 'feel' of their new characters.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Actually, it was blackguard.... oops</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>here is the link:</DIV> <DIV><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=cs&message.id=42&query.id=15484#M42" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=cs&message.id=42&query.id=15484#M42</A></DIV><p>Message Edited by Haladeth on <span class=date_text>09-16-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:46 AM</span>

[lazlo1]

I got adept 3 maddening defense made for me. I had a ruby laying around. Its already in the books, but it was a server discovery kinda cool. anyway - app 1   threat 174 adept 3  threat 277 Master 2  threat 336 (i think) 277 is not bad so I doubt i will use respect just for that.  <div></div>

[TunaBoo]

It is my primary tool to hold aggro while XPing. I think we get a better one in the upper 50s for raids later on. .but while XPing mad defense master2 is the best thing I got. <div></div>

[Urglu]

<DIV>The adept 3 of Maddening Defense will be fine for you, no need to respec.  Remember, every choice you had will get replaced.  Most people like having the higher proc to keep agro, I had a different view and wanted the best taunt I could have for instances when I need to peel (whether it is because someone peeled off me, or got agro intially.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Still don't have enough data to say anything with certainty, but my Master 2 taunt so far has a much lower rate of being resisted. /shrug</DIV>

[Wolfvi]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> TunaBoo wrote:<BR>It is my primary tool to hold aggro while XPing. I think we get a better one in the upper 50s for raids later on. .but while XPing mad defense master2 is the best thing I got.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Tuna's right on the money with this one, guardians are gonna have to learn to get this ability up and toggle it if needed while grinding. I picked this one for master 2 and it really helps keep agro on grouped mobs. I also started using assuage and placeing it on the guildy who thought he was the funniest and keep trying to pull agro from me.

[Lyrus]

Normally I trio, with a fury and a wizard, and when at first after the revamp, I was using assuage on the fury because I wasn't sure just exactly how much heal agro would be generated, but it turns out that the fury is almost incredibly light on the agro, so instead I use assuage on the wizard and have him crank out the DPS. I only have it at app4 though so if anyone can post the stats on the adept 3 version of assuage I'd be really interested. <div></div>

[Raahl]

What level was the Maddening Defense pick at?

[lazlo1]

<span><blockquote><hr>Urglunt wrote:<div>The adept 3 of Maddening Defense will be fine for you, no need to respec.  Remember, every choice you had will get replaced.  Most people like having the higher proc to keep agro, I had a different view and wanted the best taunt I could have for instances when I need to peel (whether it is because someone peeled off me, or got agro intially.)</div> <div> </div> <div>Still don't have enough data to say anything with certainty, but my Master 2 taunt so far has a much lower rate of being resisted. /shrug</div><hr></blockquote>Yea I think I will hold on to my respec. I was in group of Me, defiler, templar, assassin, swashy, brigand. I had trouble on named guys keeping agro until I smacked around the scouts and told them ease up. After that I was ok. I almost never lost agro to defiler or templar. This was using app 1 MD. So I think with adept 3 I will be fine. I got it just before I logged off.  It also seemed that somthing was up with wards and MD? not sure as I was still relearning things. My normal pulls goes.  group taunt, single taunt, other single taunt, maddening, other group taunt.  Thats the order I liked best. The first 3 are almost no cast time so I get setup then root and use my longer cast master 2 group taunt.  If its a tuff guy I use wall of brawn and anchor next.  MD is a very nice spell. I rarely used HTL before revamp but now its always on. I moved it to my top toolbar by my taunts. Its kinda wierd being rooted all the time. After a couple hours of play I started getting better at toggling it on and off by reflex.  Early on I keep trying to move with it on DOH! Are we the only sub-class that gets this line? I am guessing its gona be nice for raid mobs.</span><div></div>

[lazlo1]

<span><blockquote><hr>Raahl wrote:What level was the Maddening Defense pick at? <div></div><hr></blockquote></span>Its the 44 pick, its a lvl 43 spell.  It prob the best choice.  Good till 57. <div></div>

[Vulking]

<P><STRONG>Maddening Defense(HTL), is working great</STRONG>. </P> <P> Once I learned to toggle it, just like the offensive and defensive stances, I have found I am a much more effective guard.  Im still learning how best to use our defensive buffs and when or if to use anchor. Anchor.... oh how I miss thee.  If anyone has any thoughts on how best to use anchor please post.</P> <P> </P>

[Urglu]

<P>Sorta getting offtopic here a bit, but IMO the 30 sec buffs are fairly useless.  If I need the extra help to survive I need it for longer than 30 secs, and if it is to help recovery after a big spike I certainly need a faster recast.  If a healer eats it on a raid it is nice to use, or maybe throw one up as the fight progresses just 'cause, but generally I think these 30 sec emergency buffs are fairly useless.</P> <P>Commanding Pressence used to be great just as an additional AE taunt, don't know about you guys, but it doesn't seem to generate much hate at all for me now. </P> <P>As for Wards and Maddening Defense, it seems like the ward is blocking the hit entirely which means MD doesn't have an opportunity to proc. Of course the ward is generating agro for the shammy while stopping our ability to generate our own = dead shammys.</P>

[Lyrus]

Anchor is pretty my oh crap button, along with CP, and wall of brawn, alot of people neglect wall of brawn because it seems fairly useless at first glance, but it adds an extra 10 defense or so at app4, so I say use all the help we can get. <div></div>

[ThramFalc]

Wall of Brawn is mostly useless... large drawbacks for only 1-2% avoidance.  You won't notice a difference in damage taken when you have it up. That line needs some reworking.  Better yet, they can leave the line as is but make skills useful or just up the amount given. <div></div>

[TunaBoo]

30 sec buffs are useful. <div></div>

[Lyrus]

Defense may be capped, but it sure never hurts. Besides, if I'm even using wall of brawn in the first place it's because it's in dire straits to do whatever I can to stay up, I leave the DPS in tough situations like that to everyone else. <div></div>

[Corv]

Wall of Brawn is useful when solo'ing and perhaps in a well-trained group that knows how to work with it.  Say you get a nice big train of mobs on you.  Throw up Wall of Brawn and then start backing up slowly.  Some mobs will be rooted (and that root does last a little while) and stay put while you back out of their meelee range with the remaining unrooted mobs.  Using this tactic you can cut the damage you're taking by enough to, occasionally, pull victory out of your *bleeeep*hole.  It's also occasionally useful to use when a big mess of fast-running mobs has snared you and you're going down.  (i.e. Running away slowly from mobs that are rooted beats running away slowly from mobs that are completely free to beat on you.) Has anyone tested if the effect from this spell can be broken by damage?  It might even be useful for AE'ing since there are good odds that when you lose aggro on a mob it will still be rooted next to you...  It might be just too unreliable for that though...  I haven't had a chance to test it. <div></div>

[Grey-Cat]

Yea I for one think wall of braun is a helpful spell. I would like a little longer than 30 sec on it. I usually duo with my wizard husband and we notice it really does seem to help me take less damage in some fights. Especially if it is a group of mobs. I throw wall up at the start of the fight and as when it comes down one of the mobs is usually on its last leg, once it drops the damage i am taking drops as well. So wall is like a band-aid to help me through the tougher beginning of a fight. Now if I could just have a little more mitigation<span>:smileyhappy:</span> <div></div>