There is Hope

[Tobann]

I must admit I was pretty down the first day after the combat changes. I think 10 deaths in the first 2 hours would do that to anyone.. I also posted saying this was the end and so forth and so on. I however see a little light at the end of the tunnel.I played all this weekend and "relearned" my guardian skills. I can solo blues and white even with ^ if carefull which seems to make sence if we assume white con means equal level.My DPS is definatly up.I was able to play effectivly as a guardian in a group as well. First pull with your arrow,though I sure miss the range I had with anchor. Hit the mob with deafen as you pull it back. Arrange with your group a certain spot you will pull to, since you will be rooted soon anyway. Hit Maddening defence as soon as you are there. Then hit melee and shield bash. The mob will be stunned for a bit and then I cast the 2 30 sec mitagation buffs. Then you can hit the other 3 taunts. This seemed to work well with lev 48 ^^^ mobs in DoF ( I am 48 guard playing with simaler lev. Wiz,Ench, Fury). It is harder to hold aggro for sure,but doable. I only lost aggro when enchanters pet sent in too early.Once that happens I could only get aggro back 1/4 times. I figure it is a good leaning leason for the chanter so I didnt hit rescue. Usually if pet died I would be next in the aggro line so no problem. I would like to see somke way to pull aggro back more often than every 10 minutes.I also think that maddening defence has the obvious limitation of not producing aggro unless you are being hit. If someone else gets aggro we have limited ways to get it back. So I do think its playable, at leaast at my level with average gear.It takes more thought and some trial and error but dont give up on it.If some of the more experienced guardians could post some of the new techniques they learned it may help some of us who are still on teh steep part of the learning curve. Tobann  48 Guradian  Faydark <div></div>

[tsaav]

<div></div>btw, just so that everyone knows, regaining agro every 10 minutes is refering to the fact that "rescue" actually works now. <div></div><p>Message Edited by tsaavik on <span class=date_text>09-19-2005</span> <span class=time_text>01:22 PM</span>

[Belce]

The HTL series works very well in multi mob encounters where you can initially get and hold agro from all of them at least initially.  Each time the taunt goes of fit goes off encounter wide, many hands make light work.

[Vandame]

<div></div><p>Yes HTL is critical to holding not only a single multi mob encounter but also works effectively well in multi encounters.  The only issue I have had with it so far is with mobs that have knock back.  They throw me across the screen and I have to cancel the spell to attempt to run back to where I was.  Given its somewhat slow recast most of the time I cannot use it for the rest of the encounter. It used to be an effective means to have ones healer cast a reactive or regen on you before pulling.  But given that these effects now generate hate on the original caster it can be a dicey game.  I have had times where the mobs bashed on me on the pull before I could get off a taunt then took off to wreck havoc on the healer.  Add insult to injury the mobs are a significant faster then you are and often times you'll find yourself rooted or stunned unable to do anything.</p><p>I have found that as a Guardian I am doing a significant amount more damage to mobs then I was doing before the patch, but by the same token I am not able to absorb as much damage as I once was.<span>  </span>In many ways I liked how we where before as it more closely fit my first impression of what a Guardian was.<span>  </span>Someone standing firm as a rock taunting the enemy saying “thou shall not cross this line”.<span>  </span>We seemed to have given up a lot of our defensive capabilities which was what defined us as a class for a more active dps stance, but no where close to the capabilities of our Pally brothers in arms.<span>  </span></p><p>It is my hope that SOE is still not finished tweaking things around and will give the guardian more defensive capabilities reaffirming their role as that unmovable rock, protector of their group.<span>  </span>For many of the changes in combat where needed for agi and mitigation where not working well with in the past system.<span>  </span>They also did great by fixing our protective line of spells many are now instant cast staying up until canceled and using no concentration means they can be the line between life and death for those who get a little to kill happy.<span>  </span><span> </span>Maybe will get some new armor or defensive capabilities that will reaffirm our class distinction for the others.<span>  </span>Until that time I am currently working on trying to find the right balance between Wiz, Agi, Str and Sta.<span>  </span>(Wiz = Resistance, Agi = Avoidance, Str = Power and DPS, Sta = Health, not sure if int has any impact but it might effect our taunts)</p><div></div>

[KiseroHT]

<P>man i feel your postive vibe bud.. gotta make the best. saying that still i think alot of guards will quit or reroll.. but im an ol diehard and i am adapting. maddening defense is a must have... i liked htl and i like the upgrade. one thing i might suggest is getting protect to ad3 asap.. one spell i have been having fun with is blast at ad3; i have hit 900+ with my one-hander on occasion. if i lose aggro with MD up i usually hit blast+anger to get it back. i also have been switching my stances out when soloing.. i use big slow 2h with def stance up at first - if i start to get ahead ill switch to off stance during fight... its alot of button pushing but it helps get through the fights faster..</P> <P> </P> <P>anyways good luck out there guards!</P> <P> </P>

[Tomanak]

<P>While I certain agree on the efficency of maddening defense..I really wish it wouldnt root..I hate being rooted. I have yet to understand why it is a necessary component of the art. I could see it if we were absorbing damage being done to the group, but I dont understand why we have to be rooted to generate aggro. As pointed out above this is especially annoying when I get booted halfway across the map and have to cancel then reapply the art once I get back to the group. </P> <P>On Adept IIIs Im torn between upgrading Protect first or Retaliate. Retaliate would help me more while soloing, and I already have Maddening defense at Master II. So while I know it is a definate upgrade, I am still debating what to upgrade first...maybe I'll get lucky and find a 2nd ruby and be able to upgrade them both <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>