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Advice concerning Guardian Fighter
victoriious
Member Posts: 7 Arc User
Dear fellow Guardian Fighters,
I just want to preface these questions by stating that I've spent the last week or so browsing these forums and the internet generally for answers. I found Crixus' guide, in particular, useful, but was still left with some questions. Opinions seem to differ so widely concerning Guardian Fighters, so perhaps these questions are best answered on a case by case basis. Regardless, I'm sorry if you feel I'm flooding the forum with the same endless questions that you're used to seeing.
I've just returned to Neverwinter after leaving towards the end of Mod. 1 and have a level 60 Conqueror Iron Vanguard Guardian Fighter. My gear is obviously severely outdated (8.5k gear score :O) and my build may be as well.
I'm aware that Swordmaster is an option now, so I'm uncertain whether that may be a preferable choice. From what I can tell the Swordmaster seems to have significantly lower mobility and less AOE abilities, naturally with more focus on single target DPS.
Also, it seems that Guardian Fighters have been "nerfed" substantially in the last 2 Mods. from what I can gather, at least in terms of their DPS compared to other classes. Nonetheless, I'm thinking that I might still want to stick with Conqueror, as the survivability doesn't suffer tremendously (from what I've read) if played correctly, but that it boosts DPS significantly compared to Protector/Tactician.
My current goals are to build my Guardian Fighter to be successful in PVE so that I can improve my gear, but would eventually like to be able to do some PVP. As such, I of course want to be able to fulfill the standard Guardian Fighter duties of being able to tank and maintain threat, but would also like to have some prospects for DPS, which is why I'm currently leaning more towards Conqueror.
Questions:
Have I understood the differences between Iron Vanguard and Swordmaster correctly? Is one generally perceived as being flat out better currently? What would you recommend based on the information I've given?
Should I consider a different Paragon path to Conqueror? Could you demonstrate using a power "calculator" (such as this one http://nwcalc.com/), where to allocate my feats for the Paragon path that you think is preferable?
I'm a Dwarf (+2 Con and Str) and currently have 22 Str/27 Con/16 Dex/11/13/13 (not certain about the order of stats for Int, Cha and Wis). Do I need to re-roll my ability scores? Is Dex generally perceived as being superior to Str now, or does it simply depend on whether you want higher "tankiness" vs. DPS?
What T1/T2 gear should I strive for and how should I go about working towards them? I.e. Aim for a particular T1 set first and then when a higher gear score is achieved go for a particular T2 set. I don't know if the question is clear, otherwise I can clarify if necessary. Can currently only do the (epic) dungeons which require a 8,300 gear score.
Thanks a bunch for any answers!
I just want to preface these questions by stating that I've spent the last week or so browsing these forums and the internet generally for answers. I found Crixus' guide, in particular, useful, but was still left with some questions. Opinions seem to differ so widely concerning Guardian Fighters, so perhaps these questions are best answered on a case by case basis. Regardless, I'm sorry if you feel I'm flooding the forum with the same endless questions that you're used to seeing.
I've just returned to Neverwinter after leaving towards the end of Mod. 1 and have a level 60 Conqueror Iron Vanguard Guardian Fighter. My gear is obviously severely outdated (8.5k gear score :O) and my build may be as well.
I'm aware that Swordmaster is an option now, so I'm uncertain whether that may be a preferable choice. From what I can tell the Swordmaster seems to have significantly lower mobility and less AOE abilities, naturally with more focus on single target DPS.
Also, it seems that Guardian Fighters have been "nerfed" substantially in the last 2 Mods. from what I can gather, at least in terms of their DPS compared to other classes. Nonetheless, I'm thinking that I might still want to stick with Conqueror, as the survivability doesn't suffer tremendously (from what I've read) if played correctly, but that it boosts DPS significantly compared to Protector/Tactician.
My current goals are to build my Guardian Fighter to be successful in PVE so that I can improve my gear, but would eventually like to be able to do some PVP. As such, I of course want to be able to fulfill the standard Guardian Fighter duties of being able to tank and maintain threat, but would also like to have some prospects for DPS, which is why I'm currently leaning more towards Conqueror.
Questions:
Have I understood the differences between Iron Vanguard and Swordmaster correctly? Is one generally perceived as being flat out better currently? What would you recommend based on the information I've given?
Should I consider a different Paragon path to Conqueror? Could you demonstrate using a power "calculator" (such as this one http://nwcalc.com/), where to allocate my feats for the Paragon path that you think is preferable?
I'm a Dwarf (+2 Con and Str) and currently have 22 Str/27 Con/16 Dex/11/13/13 (not certain about the order of stats for Int, Cha and Wis). Do I need to re-roll my ability scores? Is Dex generally perceived as being superior to Str now, or does it simply depend on whether you want higher "tankiness" vs. DPS?
What T1/T2 gear should I strive for and how should I go about working towards them? I.e. Aim for a particular T1 set first and then when a higher gear score is achieved go for a particular T2 set. I don't know if the question is clear, otherwise I can clarify if necessary. Can currently only do the (epic) dungeons which require a 8,300 gear score.
Thanks a bunch for any answers!
Post edited by victoriious on
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Comments
Have I understood the differences between Iron Vanguard and Swordmaster correctly? - That is one difference. Flourish for SM is single target in comparison to Frontline for IV, and SM's Crescendo is, in my opinion, the better paragon daily. However, the biggest difference lies in the passive skills and at-will difference. Steel Defense, an SM passive, makes the SM path a tanky one, and passives like Trample the Fallen for IV make IV the more dps-oriented path. Steel Defense makes for good clutch moments of immunity in dungeons and even pvp. However, IV comes with Ferocious Reaction, making IV interestingly tanky in pvp. In my opinion, because of rapid gear inflation and artifact offhands, IV is probably the better path for your hybrid. However, both are very nice; I use SM on my tank-oriented GF. Also keep Threatening Rush in mind.
Should I consider a different Paragon path to Conqueror? - Considering your description, Conqueror is the path to go. The Conq can still be tanky when built right and has more damage than the other paths at the expense of less tankiness/team utility. Then again, Protectors can do some damage when built right too, just not as much. As for feats, you have a lot of options. This is an example, but it is not necessarily the best: Here. Many of the feats I put in are subjective. It depends on how much you will be doing PvE vs. PvP.
Do I need to re-roll my ability scores? - Need to? Not really. You have maxed con, which is good. Dexterity is good for PvP GFs and still useful for PvE GFs, so I consider it the better stat. Keep in mind that armor pen past ~24% in PvE is wasted, and Dex adds to your Resistance Ignored %. So in PvE, higher dex means lower arpen. In PvP, going past 24% is good, though many dps-based GFs I've seen stack strength. I haven't played my PvP GF since Mod3, so I don't know how the current damage pvp build works.
What T1/T2 gear should I strive for and how should I go about working towards them? - Well, I must unfortunately say that it isn't necessary to really work for gear anymore. Because of Tiamat, T2 pieces have drastically dropped in price. You can probably buy a full set for less than 70k ad, though I am not 100% sure of that. Knight Captain is still good for PvE support. To be honest, I am not sure what gear hybrids use these days. I ran Purified Black Ice on mine in Mod3. From what I do know, begin working toward the Grim PvP sets. For T2, I guess Timeless is good to have.
Just to help you picture the cheap gear, I recently just hit 60 on a GWF alt. I sent over 30k ad to him, and after some careful spending, he's at 11.4k gs with a t2 weapon and full t2 set. No enchants. Now, if you'd like to actually earn the gear (like I did on my SW before they made it super cheap a month later...) do some Pirate King runs first to get back in the hang of things, then work on Karru and Frozen Heart. Run Knight's Valor and Into the Fray, and your team will probably not complain. Salvage any useless epics you get from those, then buy the chest piece and head piece. Trying to farm ToS and Spellplague with pugs can be time-consuming and irritating.
In case this is not currently the case, find a good group/guild to run with. People are becoming Gearscore-freaks these days, and the sight of 8.3k will make many crawl away. That attitude (I should say Badittude) is toxic and makes me crawl myself. Join the NW_Legit_Community channel; they'll run with you despite a low gs as long as you're willing to work.
Some time ago, another GF posted similar questions. You might find the information there useful. Keep in mind that the info there is outdated by one Mod. Here is the link. Please don't make a new post on it, since it's outdated.
I hope this helps. Hopefully someone with more recent experience can chime in on feats and gear.
P.S. - I would refrain from doing a lot of PvP right now. It's a bit of a mess and with your low gs, you'll be in for a shocking execution.
I also ended up buying a full Timeless Hero set (including sword and shield) for less than 60k AD, which has bumped my GS up to about 10.5k, which is great because it enables the 10k+ game content and still allows me to grind for the best gear, like CBI or PBI. It'd be kind of disappointing if the AD I had lying around could buy me end-game gear.
After improving my mechanics through a series of Epic Dungeons with the new set-up and gear I'm enjoying the character immensely. It was hilarious (although frustrating) to watch as the 3 DPS characters died to the 8.3k dungeon bosses alone, while I'm easily tanking 20-25 mobs in the corner. There are also so many cool little interactions that I enjoy, like using Fighter's Recovery with Guarded Assault, which enables you to heal from enemy attacks while guarding. The bigger, the better.
You don't get much credit for your work, but I still find it rewarding. Plus, the class' disfavor keeps it more unique anyway.