having a hard time deciding....

[Chris14]

Hello all.im currently having a little bit of a hrad time deciding ifi want to play a guardian or a paladin. I like the idea of being the tank for a gorup and i do wish to group often. I know that the guardian would handle much better in a raid situation but in a group..will both be able to handle themselves quite well? what are the main differences between the two? I mean i know the paladin can heal themselves but is that that useful when you have a healer in hte group? is that able to replace the healer in some cases? Might the paladin be more fun to play having a little more versatility with spells and such? Can either of the two solo haha and if so which over the other? Thansk for the input in advance!<div></div>

[Jackula]

<div></div>I think paladins get an undeserved bad rap sometimes.  I've heard many say they don't think a paladin brings enough to the table.  I guess I'm lucky to have a very amazing paladin in my guild.  Not only does he have great leadership skills and knowledge of the game, but he often scores high in dps parses when he sets up for it and can tank/emergency tank in a pinch.  While levelling, having him in the group for some tanking, some AE smiting, some support healing and even some rezzing when needed was handy.  If you play a paladin well you can offer alot.  You may have to prove yourself to groupmates to convince unbelievers, but I think a paladin can be a great tank for normal xp/quest grouping and has something to offer in a raid setting as well.  For a small group or duoing, those healing skills are a great benefit.  The paladin can be very versatile.A guardian isn't the best of the fighters to solo with, but that doesn't mean it's impossible at all.  Your very first guardian AA skill is an out of combat self heal that can help with downtime in between fights, especially when solo.  We shine more in a group.  Hook up with a healer and you're good to go.  From that point on, adding more players into your group just speeds everything up.  As a guardian you should expect people to assume you will be tanking, and we're well suited for it.  Utility wise, all of our tricks are centered one goal... tanking.  We can do decent damage if we set up for it, I get on dps parses too, but that's really never the job you get hired for.  People want you to get hit in the head alot so they don't have to.   That doesn't mean our job isn't important.  We're the wall protecting the castle.  If the wall falls, the castle will fall shortly after.   Being a good guardian takes just as much practice as being a good paladin, but we tend to really focus on one thing.  If I could magically turn my guardian into a paladin I wouldn't.  I really like my class and playing a Guardian keeps me very busy.My suggestion is to spend an hour or two playing each just to get a small taste.  See which one "fits" better for you.  I don't know if I would base my decision on wanting to raid tank.  There is some raiding that can be done throughout the levels, but it really isn't a big focus for many until they get into their 50s at least.  See what seems fun and go with it.  If you don't enjoy the ride, you won't enjoy the end if you get that far.  If you do enjoy the ride, chances are you'll see it through to the end and learn to be good at whatever you choose.  You might also want to ask the same question on the paladin forum and see what input they have to offer.Good luck on whichever path you choose.<div></div><p>Message Edited by countjackula on <span class=date_text>12-10-2006</span> <span class=time_text>03:29 AM</span>

[Kinesthesia]

I have always avoided Paladin / Guardian debates, but I like the way you posed your question, so I will offer my humble input.  I have a 70 Paladin and I have a 70 Guardian.  I enjoy playing them both very much, and they each have their specialties.  My Guard is better equipped and has more Masters and so on because I built him from the ground up to raid tank, however I would say they are very close in capability.  I would tank any group, any instance, any non-raid named, any trash raid ... with either.  Ultimately, there is a difference, in the most extreme fights, against the toughest raid named, I am glad I have my Guardian.  As it has been said many times before, they are better at smoothing out the burst damage, and frankly that's what drops you in an ugly fight.  I hate quoting percentages, but in 99% of the total number of fights I have been in, I could have tanked with either.  And frankly, there are a couple fights (mostly fear mobs) that are easier to tank with my Paladin (though I can tank them just fine with my Guard).In the end, I would always say play what you like.  A tank is still only one person in a raid, elevate the capabilities of the raid as a whole and any tank can handle any mob.<div></div>

[Chris14]

thank you very much for the input, its really helped. I like the versatility of the paladin but i really like the guardians abilities too. I think i might go with the guardian but i am not sure yet.<div></div>

[morningmists]

<P>as far as run of the mill tanking both are really great tanks...</P> <P>for raids though I think guard has the better set of a few oh crap buttons, whereas paly LoH is so long refresh</P> <P>paly do have a really nice +blocking AA, and big dps classes really love ammends</P> <P>we just killed corsolander first time, our paly was so happy to tank it, did dern fine job leaching off our #1 wizzie for agro</P><p>Message Edited by morningmists on <span class=date_text>12-11-2006</span> <span class=time_text>01:13 PM</span>