test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
My GF Input / Rant...
billybobjones7
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 7 Arc User
Hey all,
I have a 58 Guardian fighter and getting a little frustrated with alot of the mobs having unblockable attacks and to compound this issue I cannot interrupt with Griffon's Wrath.
I'm currently finishing up Mt. Hotenow, and "for example" the FlameSpikers attacks cannot be block and they cannot be interrupted when they drop their ground attacks. By the time I noticed they are doing the ground attacks, I move so slow there is now way to avoid being damaged. And for being a tanky class, those things hurt!!
Then I had to do the last boss in the quest "Temple of the Primordial". After fighting this boss I am like WTF how am I suppose to do this? He does the same unblockable attack as the Spikers but add about 50 more ground attacks. His PBAOE destroys my guard meter. My companion spends most of the time on all fours. Then after say 75% health more adds. For this to work, I have to run in hit the boss like twice then run out just to stay alive. There will be like 4 expansions out by the time I kill this guy..... After 2 tries I was like @#$% this! With a range class this would be a cakewalk, and rogue and GWF would be pretty easy with the dodge and sprint.
I have a feeling this is just going to get worst in the end game. If blocking is going to the be our core mechanic, I believe it should block everything in the game and of course keep the guard meter. Another thing is give us more options to rebuild the meter when it breaks besides a slow at-will attack or Shouts that take up other crucial abilities in our Encounters slots. It should be a mechanic that a skilled tank has to juggle the balance of keeping their guard meter up and aggro/dpsing.
Is this a valid rant, or does it get better end game?
I have a 58 Guardian fighter and getting a little frustrated with alot of the mobs having unblockable attacks and to compound this issue I cannot interrupt with Griffon's Wrath.
I'm currently finishing up Mt. Hotenow, and "for example" the FlameSpikers attacks cannot be block and they cannot be interrupted when they drop their ground attacks. By the time I noticed they are doing the ground attacks, I move so slow there is now way to avoid being damaged. And for being a tanky class, those things hurt!!
Then I had to do the last boss in the quest "Temple of the Primordial". After fighting this boss I am like WTF how am I suppose to do this? He does the same unblockable attack as the Spikers but add about 50 more ground attacks. His PBAOE destroys my guard meter. My companion spends most of the time on all fours. Then after say 75% health more adds. For this to work, I have to run in hit the boss like twice then run out just to stay alive. There will be like 4 expansions out by the time I kill this guy..... After 2 tries I was like @#$% this! With a range class this would be a cakewalk, and rogue and GWF would be pretty easy with the dodge and sprint.
I have a feeling this is just going to get worst in the end game. If blocking is going to the be our core mechanic, I believe it should block everything in the game and of course keep the guard meter. Another thing is give us more options to rebuild the meter when it breaks besides a slow at-will attack or Shouts that take up other crucial abilities in our Encounters slots. It should be a mechanic that a skilled tank has to juggle the balance of keeping their guard meter up and aggro/dpsing.
Is this a valid rant, or does it get better end game?
Post edited by billybobjones7 on
0
Comments
I'm sure there is people more "qualified" then I to answer this. But i'll give my input all the same. I have a 60 DC (11.4k GS just as point in fact I have some end game experience) and i'm currently leveling a guardian fighter which is 45 which I plan to be my main as I get very bored with the DC in dungeons.
I don't browse other peoples builds, as I generally like to figure it out on my own. And what I've chosen to do is focus on deflection. Being a DC I watch GF's guard meters deplete rapidly in groups of mobs or hard hitting bosses, so I decided to put emphasis on my ability to not need the guard meter except for very specific attacks and building threat. Deflection is how I am hoping to accomplish this, it is a flat 50% reduction to damage taken, although I am unsure of whether it is applied before/after Defense/AC. Last I checked I have a 32% chance to deflect an attack.
I stopped using the cleric companion when I got her to level 15, and have been using a stone ever since to boost my deflection. I do use quite a few potions still, but generally only between fights to top off.
By focusing so much on deflect, I found that I have developed a horrible habit of only blocking on specific attacks, most "red circles" I just eat without block because I take so little damage from a large portion of attacks.
This also helps me build threat, as I throw my X's out and I always have my guard meter at or nearly at full to allow the threat to rapidly stack up (X goes away when the mob hits you, so blocking keeps it X'd and rapidly builds threat. I find by utilizing this, I can even (for the most part) keep enemies off DC's because the X stays and the mob will attack you until the X goes away.
I recently did the Skirmish with the dragon (starts with a G I think) and we struggled because I had agro of the dragon and all the mystics and the dps were not killing them so we ended up with 6-8 Mystics spam healing the dragon taking him from 20% back to 90% before they finally decided to dps them. I accomplished this by only using guard when I would throw my X's out. Even when I would try to run to the other side of the map to separate them, the dragon and all the mystics would follow me even though I had completely stopped attacking for 20-30 seconds trying to lose agro of the mystics so I could split the dragon from them. (Group was 1 DC 1 GF 1 TR 2 CW) This was also the first skirmish/dungeon I've done since the low-mid 20's.
Note: Yes, you heard it here...I had no issue maintaining threat off the entire group, to include the cleric. In fact, the issue we had was that I couldn't lose agro once I had it to separate them. My build is simple, full defensives/threat generating powers/traits, Halfling (for the deflection).
But, like I said. I have not done end game on my GF so things could change and my idea could be complete garbage. But so far, it is still very effective for me.
It's not that GFs can't tank so much as how bringing someone who actually tries to tank is a serious waste of resources most of the time.
GFs who try to tank are less useful then a second Astral Shield. That's why the vast majority go dps.
My main complaint is these attacks you cannot block/interrupt that knocks you down.
It's one thing getting knocked down for not paying attention or caring, but when there's no option in avoiding that IMO is an issue.
Plus when prone, I tend to take huge amounts of damage.
Either way, tanking or dps, these unblockable attacks make the mechanic kinda worthless. The guard has to be in melee range to dps.
At least with the other classes you can avoid the damage outright with a dodge.
If you're actually just refering to those "flame spike" things, then its either directly below you or slightly behind you.
If you take a single step backwards and have the centerpoint of that red circle aoe infront of you, you will block it.
You can't block attacks behind your shield..
I agree that Griffon's Wrath animation is garbage and it prevents proper blocking, but just time your Griffon's Wrath after one of their casts. Bosses and mobs usually have several seconds delay between their large attacks.
Its fairly easy to anticipate, and so long as you don't just use Griffon's Wrath when an attack is imminent, then it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, Griffon's Wrath becomes pretty worthless at 60.
Lunging Strike, Bull Charge, Frontline Surge, Enforced Threat, etc are significantly better alternatives.
Also, you're gonna have to learn to step left and right outside of the AoE anyway in T2.
Guard Meter gets wrecked by pretty much every attack, so unless you want to constantly have broken Guard, you better start strafing and side stepping out of the bad sh*t.
But in reality, having to sidestep or turn your body defeats the purpose of the ability waiting for the slow animation or the movement speed while blocking.
Maybe if they made the movement speed while blocking the same as normal running speed would make life easier.
There has been many time when I anticipate the strikes and did not interrupt, and the other abilities you mentioned have long cool downs. The AI in the game is predictable just like clockwork.
It seems to me with Griffon Stike having charges, it was designed to use as our main interrupt due to how slow we move. Sometimes, there is no way I can get out of some of the AE's unless there is an add I can dash to.
yeah, the guard meter tends to get wrecked pretty fast with little way to replenish it besides waiting.
TLDR: Flame-spikers and Boss mobs that mimic the abilities are overtuned. Either make the attack interruptible, or make the block mechanic work from anywhere in the affect.
Neverwinter Thieves Guild
The extra health pool and block doesn't really offset the additional time to kill mobs and lack of a dodge. I'm pretty much only leveling my GF through PvP, the occasional dungeon and crafting. Quests are just too painful, too slow and I find myself wanting to go back to my rogue alt all the time.
At least the GF is great fun in PvP.
Join Essence of Aggression: PVP-ing Hard Since Beta!
I understand we miss the block because we may be too far forward.
Is it also missing because even though we are in the correct position, the angle is slightly off?
If that is the case could we not force a turn-to-face using CTRL? Perhaps even build a macro that includes CTRL and SHIFT - since I for one have big fat ogre fingers and tend to fumble for a key... and could very well be slightly 'tard.
@Bacillix