Korgin

Hi Guys

I dont really do posts, so I'm hoping my appeal for help will be warmly recieved with some good feedback - and not to much flaming as I really do need some guidance.

Let me explain, I'm one of those players (maybe a bit if a geek) where I really enjoy understanding all the intricate details of a class, if I understand a class well it means I can play it well to the very best the class can be, therefore I enjoy playing it. So I'm getting frustrated with myself (not the class!) and I was hoping you could give me some advice.

At lv 20-30 I found the CA's were clearly understood, each having a situtation where it was best used. I felt I was understanding the class and becoming a good player, I felt the Guard was a very tactical class in a group tank role and I really enjoyed this.

But I'm lv 47 now (still learning) and what I'm not happy with is that I seem to slowly be turning into a button mashing newb Guard because we do seem to have quite a lot of CA's and I'm struggling a bit to really get the best combination of what CA to use and when now. Let me explain how I'm playing the guard and maybe that will help you give me your feedback:

Guard Set-up

Lv 47, MC armour and some jewlery.
My AA is str 4-4-8, sta 4-4-8-8 and I'm one point away from double attack final line skill in the guard tree. Only a few of my CA's are adept 3, defense stance and crush.
I's love to be in a group all the time, but it doesnt happen so I'd say that I solo 70% and group 30% typically.

I've read the forum notes on helping dps, so I've got a buckler and went down the buckler line and then into the guard for double attack. But is that the right move at lv 47? I'm not sure If I would get more benefit from getting all points out of the guard tree and maximising the warrior tree first, I think I've got 41 points in the warriroe tree - help needed.

Typical Play style.

As a group tank I body pull a lot to stop social agro in busy rooms, or use bow for single target's wandering around.

I then use the taunt (single or group depends on mob type), when the mob is on me I then use the (single or group depends on mob type) dmg+taunt, ie taunting assult or vengful strike to further built threat.

I then use the two small dot's and debuff's, cleave and ferocious charge. My thinking is that the mob will be doing less dmg to me and I'm doing some dmg to to build more threat.

I then use crush or the other high dmg hit (skill gotten from guard aa tree). I thinking keep damage high as maybe at this stage the dps'ers in the group might be gaining on me.

It's at this stage I get frustrated, I have CA's like Overwhelm, unerring strike, topple, vindication and retaliate. I just find I'm not sure what order to use these 'extra' Ca's so I spam them because I can use them. I'm not happy about this, what strategy am I miunderstanding.

I keep CA's like staggering slam and swamp (knock down's) only for casters so I can interupt them. I dont use any other time.

I use the temporary self buffs, Anchor only when maybe an add appears and I can root it so it doesnt go off chasing a team member until I can get aggro on it - is this right?

I use the CA's wall of brawn when I think I'm about to die in those 'oh deary me moments'.

So thats it guys, can you advise me if I've misunderstood how to play the Guard, I really love the class but I feel I'm turning into a newb tank and I need some expert help.

One last point, I've yet to lose agro in any group I've been in.

Valkos

Banditman

My general steps on a single pull: Acceleration Strike, Interrupt (boot), ST Taunting Blow, HO Starter, DoT (kicks HO), ST Taunt (completes HO), Executioners Wrath, Perfect Strike, etc.

I tell people when they see my HO complete they are free to go nuts.

In general, I try to get my fast recast stuff off early, so it comes back up for use again, while filling in with longer recast stuff.

Honestly, if you are holding aggro, you're doing your part.

If you're feeling particularly generous, you might spin the mob for your scouts. I do this if people are actually listening and waiting until my HO completes to do damage. If they aren't waiting, then I make them get themselves in position, thus giving me a couple seconds to get aggro lead on them.

Guardian Sphere, Sentry Watch and Tower of Stone will be big helps when you get them, very good "Oh (*@#" abilities.

Vormav

For best dps, use your higher damage CA's at first, because they will be ready to use sooner. But always start of with Acceleration strike then decimate (debuf parry ect, but I tink you don't have this CA at your lvl ^^)

__________________
We're evil mans in the garden of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go.. I'm surprised you didn't know that.

SirAmoel

I usually find myself doing this:

Body pull, when on safe distance, encounter taunt, accelleration strike, entrench, topple, HO starter, both my little dots/debuffs, ST taunt (completes HO).

Sounds like a lot, but actually happens within 2-3 seconds at most, usually less (depending on if I have to wait for mobs to be safe, position them for scouts, etc).

As soon as the HO completes, everybody is free to go nuts.

I had severe aggro problem on encounters (think: Runnyeye Citadel Goblins, etc), but the entrench - topple sequence pretty much keeps them on me long enough.

The alternative is to keep entrench for groups that don't wait to pull their big nukes. Being able to root the mobs on you for a moment is really worth keeping. But I hate those groups, and they usually find themselves tank-less after a couple fights ("hey... the tank has gone LD!").

I'm sta+int specc'd atm, and am planing on getting a few points off in the agi tree for the extra AoE and the front-arc autoattack.

I use Wall of Flesh on *hard* encounters once aggro is established, and only after acceleration strike is up, giving me the haste I loose from WoF.

I usually use the Call of Command line on miss-pulls (still learning...), big stuff where some extra mit can be handy, and for I-am-so-supa-ubar-dps wizards, or I-am-dps-not-healer furies.

mafoe

Overwhelm is purely extra damage. Hit it whenever it is up (unless you have power problems).

Unerring Strike is great if you need to land your next hit... since it is "unerring". ;) F.e. when you are trying to finish your 3 hits for Acceleration Strike, or when you.. uhm... used Reinforcement (not sure you have that ability yet).

Topple is an AOE attack, meaning it hits all enemies around you. That's great to build aggro on group encounters, especially again with Reinforcement. Since it is a point blank AOE, it is not restricted to one encounter, like your AE dmg taunt. So if you get 1 or 2 single adds, Topple will help keep them on you while you remain targetting your current mob.

Vindication reduces the mob's casting skills... so in theory, it's useful against caster mobs. Since so few mobs are casters below T8, and I personally don't believe reducing casting skills of a mob does a lot of difference, I'd see it as damage ability.

Retaliate is a high damage CA that dazes the mob if it hits. Daze means it cannot autoattack you for its duration. That can prove useful against strong solo mobs (f.e. bosses) to disable them when you're in red health.

In general tough, I wouldn't save up CAs for rainy days, so to speak... if your power regen is decent, hit them when they're up. /shrug If you don't have aggro problems and want to save power, then don't hit them. .p