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GF or GWF for Tanking
crimsonblade339
Member Posts: 3 Arc User
Hello still fairly new to NW. I just have a couple questions about the two fighters classes.
1) I get that GWF is a Striker/Secondary Tank and the GF was Tank/Defender by design, but my question is with the new paragon paths can both effective tank well now. I see a lot of posts about GF getting hit hard by Mod2, but I was wondering if both are still viable for pure tanking...I don't mind PVP, but honestly looking more PVE. I also want to play the tanker of the two classes. I understand that threat is a kind of broken in the game and that DPS=threat, but honestly just want to know if I want to truly tank which route it the best path. I would assume GF, but seems with new Paragon Path of Iron Vanguard for GWF, you can tank pretty well with this path.
2) I have been out to multiple sites and if there is a tankish GWF, does anyone have a good build yet. Same for GF..does anyone have good tank build for them too (post Mod2).
Thank you for your assistance all.
1) I get that GWF is a Striker/Secondary Tank and the GF was Tank/Defender by design, but my question is with the new paragon paths can both effective tank well now. I see a lot of posts about GF getting hit hard by Mod2, but I was wondering if both are still viable for pure tanking...I don't mind PVP, but honestly looking more PVE. I also want to play the tanker of the two classes. I understand that threat is a kind of broken in the game and that DPS=threat, but honestly just want to know if I want to truly tank which route it the best path. I would assume GF, but seems with new Paragon Path of Iron Vanguard for GWF, you can tank pretty well with this path.
2) I have been out to multiple sites and if there is a tankish GWF, does anyone have a good build yet. Same for GF..does anyone have good tank build for them too (post Mod2).
Thank you for your assistance all.
Post edited by crimsonblade339 on
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Deflect/Regen. I'm now running Tactician build instead of Conqueror.
Both the KC build & Deflect/Regen work great for PvE just depends on if you prefer more DPS or more Tanky.
But ultimately a GWF lacks the GF's core threat moves. Nothing beats the trump of Enhanced Mark, GF's +100% threat to marked targets.
But if you are going tank I still suggest pure damage spec GF. GF has the threat and the game is ruled by Damage. If you do good damage and can tank and hold threat players will love you and you assure your place in a party above any GWF.
That combo immunity + heal is completely useless in pve.. who cares about that much resistance? game just doesnt need anything close to that unless you run with fresh lvl 60 and somehow u;ve managed to find a way to just spam that as a GWF was able to prior to module 1.
I think i;ve said this before... make a guide and provide some ACT data so i can be a believer.
This is not because GWF cannot tank, contrary to what cyanbluestone007 seems to think, it is just that it is much easier with a GF from day one, also easier (due to random PuG demand) and cheaper to gear up a GF (since there are fewer of them) and in terms of balancing GF is by far the more stable of the two classes to date.
In addition, in future, the role of GF as the closest to being a "tanking" specific class in this game (there is no proper tank like in traditional MMORPGs) will never be in question (*). They could nerf or buff everything else and that would never ever change. The same cannot be said about the GWF...
However, I will say that (currently) GWF's scale much better than GF's. So, at high gear levels, there are no limits to what a GWF can do compared to a GF, including soloing, two-manning, three-manning entire T2+ Epic instances or endbosses. I have had a lot more fun on my GWF overall than I ever have on my GF in PvE.
(*) Big caveat to that: if they ever nerf or remove the existing mobility of the GF class, especially Threatening Rush which is critical to GF tanking imo, then I would never ever recommend GF for tanking compared to GWF.
Great Weapon Fighters move alot more, require more attention to battlefield location and hit point management, focusing on taking damage and healing it off. It's a very ACTIVE tank, and requires more work, but also comes with a considerable amount of 'real time' tanking, meaning a GWF can usually adapt to different enemies and types faster, including AOE, CC, etc.
Both can tank exceptionally well. Well enough for any boss or adds in any dungeon designed. My sentinel GWF can take any hits from any boss I've run into, and keep on going. Or tank a room full of adds just fine.
But GWF have an issue to them. If you don't pay attention? You're dead. There's far less 'defense' and straight damage absorbtion. Mobile, active and attentive GWF's can do amazingly well as tanks. Passive GWF's would do better playing as GF's if they want to tank, because they won't do nearly as well.
"D*mn wizards," said Morik the Rogue.
Learn what a GWF and GF really are: The History of Fighters
There's a reason the idea of GF = boss tank and GWF = add tank goes around.
But anyways, I'd say hypothetically if your team will only ever take one fighter class, then the choice really comes down to do you want a sword/shield and the ability to block the occasional attack (notice I said occasional attack. If you try and block spam you die), or do you want to swing a giant sword/axe around and HAMSTER things off by hitting them a lot. The game isn't hard enough that you can't complete a dungeon if you have a GF over a GWF.
Pinny Foxfang - 60 Guardian Fighter
Pinny Foxfire - 60 Scourge Warlock (Temptation)
yeah but he would need to be dps spaced not tank
I have and continue to prove this incorrect. Especially with the full sentinel tree and using threatening rush and daring shout, plus powerful challenge and the terror enchant. GWF is fully capable of grabbing and maintaining aggro, even without a tab taunt.
There is also a point of communication and teamwork with other players. IF you can't maintain aggro, talk with your CW's and TR's and see if they can't pull back on the pure dps output on the mobs you need to work on. If your boss tanking, ask the CW to focus on debuffs if they pin the boss, or the other adds. And you can swap with the TR and let them stealth out when necessary.
A tank's job is to protect their teammates. A simple takedown or flourish can often do that.
"D*mn wizards," said Morik the Rogue.
Learn what a GWF and GF really are: The History of Fighters
Aoe tanking: Wicked Strike + Sure Strike.
Boss tanking: Sure Strike + Threatening Rush (great for mobility due to boss aoe or teleporting boss too).
Reaping Strike has a minimum cast time that makes it sub-optimal in both threat (via dps) and mobility. It also seems to cause some players to glitch while using Unstoppable if they hold down the At-Will button.
While a GWF apparently has to ask their teammates to not DPS an enemy as much so they can keep aggro on them, a guardian fighter can literally click one button (that's not tab) and maintain aggro regardless of their team's DPS.
Pinny Foxfang - 60 Guardian Fighter
Pinny Foxfire - 60 Scourge Warlock (Temptation)
And this is exactly what it all comes down too. GF simply has more tools to tank with than a GWF. And a properly built GF can also have comparable damage to a GWF. And when you dont need damage as a tank but just have to pick up adds I can keep my pure damage spec GF equip pure tank gear, Knights Valor and Enhanced mark and gather up all the adds in the room in Valindra's Tower final phase. GWF's just cant do that they dont have ranged threat generating powers.
And those adds are brutal alot more so than just kiting FH. Especially since they all spawn at the same time.