New Guardian Questions

logisticsauc · 05-06-2010, 12:53 PM

Hey all.

New EQ2 player here. I love playing defensively-oriented characters (the MOST defensively-oriented characters!) and so chose the guardian. Reading this particular portion of the forums has certainly weakened my resolve to play a guardian. There is certainly no shortage of disparaging remarks regarding the guardian!

That said, I still plan on sticking with the guardian. I'm not looking to ever raid, but I would like to be able to do the hardest single-group content available. Is this an unrealistic expectation considering the guardian's apparent (extreme?) weaknesses? How should I approach gearing and AAs with this goal in mind?

I'd like to level with a mix of instancing and questing with a partner - I have another friend who's a new player that will be playing a templar with me. We figured tank / healer would make starting groups a snap.

Thanks for the assist!

Landiin · 05-06-2010, 01:04 PM

logisticsaucer wrote:

Hey all.
New EQ2 player here. I love playing defensively-oriented characters (the MOST defensively-oriented characters!) and so chose the guardian. Reading this particular portion of the forums has certainly weakened my resolve to play a guardian. There is certainly no shortage of disparaging remarks regarding the guardian!
That said, I still plan on sticking with the guardian. I'm not looking to ever raid, but I would like to be able to do the hardest single-group content available. Is this an unrealistic expectation considering the guardian's apparent (extreme?) weaknesses? How should I approach gearing and AAs with this goal in mind?
I'd like to level with a mix of instancing and questing with a partner - I have another friend who's a new player that will be playing a templar with me. We figured tank / healer would make starting groups a snap.
Thanks for the assist!

Although you can do it with a guard you are going to be fighting an up hill battle until you hit 81 and have AA to spect IM. Then you are still a [Removed for Content] instance tank. Unless you have a steady group to play with you will be last pick for PUGs if there is a crusader available.

You should pick anything that will give you the most DPS. DPS is king in this game. You need DPS to hold agro and you need DPS to be considered a good player.

Raahl · 05-06-2010, 01:05 PM

IMO, It would be best to play one of the other tank classes.

In a duo or even single group, all of the plate tanks are fairly equal defense wise. The DPS of the other classes will allow for quicker kills and better aggro control. Especially in a tank/healer combo, you will need the extra DPS.

I'd suggest you look at the tanks that are AoE specialists. The Shadowknight and Berserker are AoE, I'd suggest you check them out. If you choose Berserker and find you want to play a Guardian, you can always betray.

Yimway · 05-06-2010, 01:29 PM

For heroic content zerker, pally, and sk all have significantly more survivability.

I would betray to zerker if you've leveled your guard enough so far. Otherwise consider re-rolling to a class mor attuned with heroic play.

Rocc · 05-06-2010, 02:14 PM

I agree. Run your zerker up, not the guard. You can do the betrayl quest at later levels if you like. But leveling a zerker versus a guard is 100 times easier. You can do the betrayl quests as often as you like but know that each time you do it your spells reset back to apprentice level. You lose all upgrades.

logisticsauc · 05-06-2010, 02:25 PM

Well the amount of suggestions I've gotten here and elsewhere to not play guardian has been fairly overwhelming. I believe right now were both only L10 with about 15 AAs so rerolling won't be a big deal.

Not sure if I'll go the zerker or SK route, though. The things people are claiming SKs can do certainly makes it a hugely tempting choice.

Raahl · 05-06-2010, 02:32 PM

SK's are currently overpowered and it's not likely to change for sometime.

One negative to the SK's is that some find playing one much like hitting the Easy button. Unchallenging and boring.

Again the suggestion of SK or Berserker is mainly because they do more DPS and are AoE classes. You might have troubles keeping aggro when fighting group mobs if you play a guardian.

Wasuna · 05-06-2010, 03:03 PM

Sad day....

Raahl · 05-06-2010, 03:21 PM

Wasuna wrote:

Sad day....

I've been waiting for the pendullum to swing back ever since LU #13.

05-06-2010, 01:04 PM	#2
Landiin Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,749	logisticsaucer wrote: Hey all. New EQ2 player here. I love playing defensively-oriented characters (the MOST defensively-oriented characters!) and so chose the guardian. Reading this particular portion of the forums has certainly weakened my resolve to play a guardian. There is certainly no shortage of disparaging remarks regarding the guardian! That said, I still plan on sticking with the guardian. I'm not looking to ever raid, but I would like to be able to do the hardest single-group content available. Is this an unrealistic expectation considering the guardian's apparent (extreme?) weaknesses? How should I approach gearing and AAs with this goal in mind? I'd like to level with a mix of instancing and questing with a partner - I have another friend who's a new player that will be playing a templar with me. We figured tank / healer would make starting groups a snap. Thanks for the assist! Although you can do it with a guard you are going to be fighting an up hill battle until you hit 81 and have AA to spect IM. Then you are still a [Removed for Content] instance tank. Unless you have a steady group to play with you will be last pick for PUGs if there is a crusader available. You should pick anything that will give you the most DPS. DPS is king in this game. You need DPS to hold agro and you need DPS to be considered a good player. __________________

05-06-2010, 01:05 PM	#3
Raahl Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,792	IMO, It would be best to play one of the other tank classes. In a duo or even single group, all of the plate tanks are fairly equal defense wise. The DPS of the other classes will allow for quicker kills and better aggro control. Especially in a tank/healer combo, you will need the extra DPS. I'd suggest you look at the tanks that are AoE specialists. The Shadowknight and Berserker are AoE, I'd suggest you check them out. If you choose Berserker and find you want to play a Guardian, you can always betray. __________________ R.I.P. Najena Cougaar - 90 Dirge Corwin - 90 Guardian Raahl - 30 something Templar Kilped - 70'ish Ranger

05-06-2010, 01:29 PM	#4
Yimway Loremaster Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 9,707	For heroic content zerker, pally, and sk all have significantly more survivability. I would betray to zerker if you've leveled your guard enough so far. Otherwise consider re-rolling to a class mor attuned with heroic play. __________________

05-06-2010, 02:32 PM	#7
Raahl Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,792	SK's are currently overpowered and it's not likely to change for sometime. One negative to the SK's is that some find playing one much like hitting the Easy button. Unchallenging and boring. Again the suggestion of SK or Berserker is mainly because they do more DPS and are AoE classes. You might have troubles keeping aggro when fighting group mobs if you play a guardian. __________________ R.I.P. Najena Cougaar - 90 Dirge Corwin - 90 Guardian Raahl - 30 something Templar Kilped - 70'ish Ranger

05-06-2010, 03:03 PM	#8
Wasuna Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,222	Sad day.... __________________ The definition of Crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

05-06-2010, 12:53 PM	#1
logisticsauc General Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 11	Hey all. New EQ2 player here. I love playing defensively-oriented characters (the MOST defensively-oriented characters!) and so chose the guardian. Reading this particular portion of the forums has certainly weakened my resolve to play a guardian. There is certainly no shortage of disparaging remarks regarding the guardian! That said, I still plan on sticking with the guardian. I'm not looking to ever raid, but I would like to be able to do the hardest single-group content available. Is this an unrealistic expectation considering the guardian's apparent (extreme?) weaknesses? How should I approach gearing and AAs with this goal in mind? I'd like to level with a mix of instancing and questing with a partner - I have another friend who's a new player that will be playing a templar with me. We figured tank / healer would make starting groups a snap. Thanks for the assist!

05-06-2010, 02:14 PM	#5
Rocc Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 705	I agree. Run your zerker up, not the guard. You can do the betrayl quest at later levels if you like. But leveling a zerker versus a guard is 100 times easier. You can do the betrayl quests as often as you like but know that each time you do it your spells reset back to apprentice level. You lose all upgrades.

05-06-2010, 02:25 PM	#6
logisticsauc General Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 11	Well the amount of suggestions I've gotten here and elsewhere to not play guardian has been fairly overwhelming. I believe right now were both only L10 with about 15 AAs so rerolling won't be a big deal. Not sure if I'll go the zerker or SK route, though. The things people are claiming SKs can do certainly makes it a hugely tempting choice.

05-06-2010, 03:21 PM	#9
Raahl Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,792	Wasuna wrote: Sad day.... I've been waiting for the pendullum to swing back ever since LU #13. __________________ R.I.P. Najena Cougaar - 90 Dirge Corwin - 90 Guardian Raahl - 30 something Templar Kilped - 70'ish Ranger