Welcome back!!

jeffcostarica

Just came back after 1 year of break. Lots happened, checked builds, and got myself a little confused. However I still really want to have my GF to top and updated! In order to do that, I would need advice from you guys!

Let me put it in my ideal GF:
1) Superior defense & Decent damage dealer (Verstility): Basically having a very good defense, and enough damage to not be at bottom of the scoreboard.
2) Teamwork: Tank & Threat & Protect: I want to be tanky to survive, generate threat and protect my allies. I like to be useful when play in party.
3) IronVanguard: I prefer this over Swordmaster.

Here is my old character´s skill set: http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=2v2x:uy1vja:a1ou:5tb7d,19ix50i:1000000:1000000:1000000&h=1&p=ivn&o=0

I can still reset everything. Could you guys recommend me some guides that are versatile and updated to today´s GF, please?

schietindebux

Hi and welcome back, I am not the reference for GF builds at all, most run Conquerer builds at 3k+ IL, because the damage is pretty nice.
I wanted to get a good mix of protection, buffs and damage. That´s what I run atm.
I use enhanced mark+offhand feat most time for a 5% debuff + combat superiority
enhanced mark is an aggro monster, the threat generation is not to beat. Mark, enforced threat or incase you run IV threatening rush will be a guaranty for having all attention from the mobs. In case that´s not enough take combat superiority offhand feat on top , I prefer the 5% debuff wich is transferred to the group dps.
I run IV for short but I could not find much benefit vs Swordmaster and Threatening rush tends to suck, when lifting the shield ( often you stay unshielded and the TR animation doesn´t stop...deadly in FBI)
1. Weapon master strike, hard to beat for fast soloplay, otherwise IV can use trample the fallen, taking frontline surge (maybe try iron focus on top for mark) + enforced threat, most mobs are "dying on the fly" that way
2. Steel defense 3,5 immunity --> handy sometimes but not essential
3. steel grace crit+deflect+runs speed --> run like a 80% horse, using ITF+gladiator guile

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=1oa5:k6rwk5:8dep:5tb7d,1fi356i:15u5000:1000000:1uu0z51&h=0&p=smr&o=0

distracting shield is also an option for more damagereduction, no need to switch imo


before I run this build, but you should use guarded assault+offhand feat to benefit from crushing pin

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=1oa5:k6rwk5:8dep:5tb7d,1fi356i:1000000:15u0000:1zu0z51&h=0&p=smr&o=0

jeffcostarica

Thanks for your advice. Really appreciate it. It seems that Swordmaster bulds are the ones for atm. You know if I can still change from IV to SM?

lirithiel

You should have received a free retraining token with Mod 10.

jeffcostarica

Just did it. Thanks for the reminder!

Checked every details in forum and other sites... how about this build I just made:

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=2ulk:yuew08:9wxt:9fx6m,1fi356i:15u50zv:150u000:1000000&h=1&p=smr&o=0

The idea is to do enough damage while tanking my allies.

Weapon Master´s Strike & Crushing Surge.
Enforce Threat & Into the Fray & Anvil of Doom
Crescendo/Villian´s Menace & Fighter´s Recovery

Swordmaster with Conquerer´s path.

schietindebux

jeffcostarica said:

Just did it. Thanks for the reminder!

Checked every details in forum and other sites... how about this build I just made:

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=2ulk:yuew08:9wxt:9fx6m,1fi356i:15u50zv:150u000:1000000&h=1&p=smr&o=0

The idea is to do enough damage while tanking my allies.

Weapon Master´s Strike & Crushing Surge.
Enforce Threat & Into the Fray & Anvil of Doom
Crescendo/Villian´s Menace & Fighter´s Recovery

Swordmaster with Conquerer´s path.

A dps spec, I would skip Menacing Impact because Fight On is huge imo, lot´s of stats for 5 point for encounter reduce and the ammount of damage you deal with VM is small.
My focus is more in tanking/buffing and party protection --> daunting challenge + united + Knight´s Valor is 65% damagereduction

jeffcostarica

I see! schietindebux, I just saved your build. As you know, I want to build an "all-around" GF that can do tanking, and then deal damage. I believe that your build is more suitable for that role.

tostrek2012

@schietindebux, I find it very useful too. I have a new GF with a focus on HP, deflection, defense. Which do you recommended? Tact+conq or Tact+prot?

note: the intent of my halfling GF is to be a high deflection toon (with shadowclad) to help the team in buff and debuff. Some have said the GF has moved on to dps (conqueror), but I would rather have this as a team tank since I have already had 3 dps toons.

tostrek2012

I like the Tact+prot (plate agility) because I am using the shadowclad.

schietindebux

I run tact/prot and switched to tact/conqu lately. The 15 point in conquerer are welcome and nice for dps, but tbh not nessesary, not for soloplay and not for dungeons.
I play GF for the support and tankrole, since my setup is more tank focussed in the sum, not build to run a pure dps GF.
Lot´s of player are build for personal dps. (and that´s ok), but the result is pretty poor, if you compare those runs with buff focussed runs.
If I would be consequent in terms of tank/support abilities I would run something like this, using GA offhand feat, plaguefire+dancing shield for maximum group-debuff/buff.

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=1oa5:k6rwk5:8dep:5tb7d,1xix060:1000000:15u0000:1zu5z01&h=0&p=smr&o=0

tostrek2012

@schietindebux, thank you. In the chart, wouldn't "powerful attack" useful in occasional campaign mission?

schietindebux

tostrek2012 said:

@schietindebux, thank you. In the chart, wouldn't "powerful attack" useful in occasional campaign mission?

Sure you can skip action surge completely and go into dps, 95% of the content is grind and low level dungeons, so in the end a damage spec is what most player run above 3.3/3.4k, most go conquerer path for dps, since you can tank everything.
Running broken CS on top will let you deal huge ammounts of damage the more selfbuffs you stack, esp. grouped with classes who deal high ammounts with their encounter like GWF. So it´s about your philisophie and your gear , wich spec is the best choice.
If i go dps, i can do well, but I will never be good, that´s why I main a warlock for dps. So my philosophie is, to run a good buff/debuff build wich is able to tank actual content.
A 4k GS GF can do what ever he wants having 180kHP etc.
If I run conquerer dps tree with my GS, I am 100% sure I would have issues running FBI with random groups. I will get in trouble dropping daunting challenge , United, Surging Tide, Martial Mastery. Everything else can be done with a spec like this imo.

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=1oa5:k6rwk5:8dep:5tb7d,1fi356i:15u50z1:150u000:1u00000&h=0&p=smr&o=0

tostrek2012

@schietindebux Thank you. Excellent explanation in the progression of the GF depends on its usage intent. I will pick up a dancing shield during the wondrous bazaar discount.

jeffcostarica

With all you have said, I have updated my build. I am still learning, so please correct me if necessary:

http://nwcalc.com/index.html#/gf?b=2ulj:xp0lcm:9wxe:9g5v4,1fi356i:15u50z1:150u000:1u00000&h=1&p=smr&o=0

The idea is to do enough dps while tanking, as for PVE and PVP. What do you think?