Guild Wars 2

Hello, I will just keep this short and sweet and straight to the point, also share what I use and see how I could improve it.

I currently have a level 42 Guardian (So I haven’t really opened up to that many options yet) and I am wondering how to make myself both durable and sustain-like while also dealing decent enough damage, currently I am using in the preferred area: Greatsword with Sword and Shield, on the off-chance I would use Hammer and Mace and Shield (Sometimes I also use scepters and torches, never staffs or focuses)

So any experienced Guardians able to give me any advice? I am really interested in the idea of getting punched in the face a lot, which is why I usually play tanky classes in games

Are you planning on just playing PvE or doing WvW at some point?

What if i tell you theres no tanky guardian? o_o?

Just play Sword focus crit build with meditations…

The worst thing about Tanky guardian is that you need to have allies around so you can heal with boons….. Thats as tank as it goes.

Well I am planning of mostly doing PvE content because…WvW is unplayable for me due to the mass scale of people playing it (Makes it laggy for me…I have a average computer, cut me some slack, people that are able to afford a super-strong computer) and PvP via the Heart of the Mists is…Well…I don’t trust it that well, I keep losing every match…Maybe it’s me just being bad in PvP.

And about the Tanky Guardian part from Aeolus: I did not think of it that way, I just thought it was able to be like that if you smash in everything involving vitality and armor and such, but I guess it’s the other way around, thank you.

Kalgert.5681:

(…)

And about the Tanky Guardian part from Aeolus: I did not think of it that way, I just thought it was able to be like that if you smash in everything involving vitality and armor and such, but I guess it’s the other way around, thank you.

That is a bad build,in WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limite, same goes on PVE, max u can be is a mace/shield with invader armor and vit trinket on a 0-0-30-30-10 build with soldier runes but i call that bad gameplay becouse game in PVE “forces” you to play zerker.

Best defense in this game is tryin to kill target as fast as possible, imagine gw2 as a press button to win.

It sucks to hear as a new player that wants to play tank, but it’s true, there really is no tanking in this game. You can build yourself beefy and be able to take more hits, but you’ll never be able to tank in the classic sense.

Lack of trinity means it is superior to go dps and learn to mitigate damage. The best pve Guardians excel at this, running glass cannon using blocks, blinds, dodges etc to avoid damage. While this is much different than other mmo’s, I happen to find this game play refreshing (many don’t). It’s fun to roll through dungeons or fractals with a full glass group. Sure, we kill things fast, but there is a level of organization that must be attained. These groups especially rely on the guardian to do their jobs, as classes such as warrior will be running full dps, with no Condi removal or defense skills to speak of.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/guardian/Guide-DPS-Guardian-for-PVE/page/3#post3422624

If you insist on being tanky, you could try the hammer build in there with some knight gear. If you’re talking full on tank, hit like a wet noodle, just peruse this forum a bit. There’s still some that are pushing those builds.

Ah well anyways, I guess I could put a bit of a side upgrade to my beefy levels and focus on the punching levels, thanks for clearing things up

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Unfortunately, Guardian cannot tank like tanks in more traditional mmorpg. Guardians have a more offensive role, dishing out damage and boons to allies. I’d suggest damage damage builds suck as 20/25/0/5/20 and use soldier, valkyrie or a mix of berserker and valkyrie armors. Altruistic Healing builds making you tanky, but you can’t do that much damage and you rely too much on giving boons and small heals to allies an hoping they survive to dish out extra damage to compensate for AH build’s lack of.

With an offensive Guardian build, you have a good burst with GS and you are also able to dish out boons. Hammer autoattacks, when traited have the highest dps and can offer 100% protection boon for any allies and you who stand in the symbol, which is imo a better alternative to a super tanky Guardian.

you can’t tank in gw2 but you can get carried by your team

TheGaryTh.1649:

Unfortunately, Guardian cannot tank like tanks in more traditional mmorpg. Guardians have a more offensive role, dishing out damage and boons to allies. I’d suggest damage damage builds suck as 20/25/0/5/20 and use soldier, valkyrie or a mix of berserker and valkyrie armors. Altruistic Healing builds making you tanky, but you can’t do that much damage and you rely too much on giving boons and small heals to allies an hoping they survive to dish out extra damage to compensate for AH build’s lack of.

With an offensive Guardian build, you have a good burst with GS and you are also able to dish out boons. Hammer autoattacks, when traited have the highest dps and can offer 100% protection boon for any allies and you who stand in the symbol, which is imo a better alternative to a super tanky Guardian.

hammer isnt the highest dps

Well, Urkules is here to say that everyone who has responded is wrong because I tank with my guardian every day.

5/0/30/30/5.
Take meditations and symbol traits.
Use meditations.
Use hammer/greatsword (ranged weapon when you need one ala Arah/Fractals)
Profit.

URKULES NEVER DIES. Why? Because I have virtues to heal me/give me aegis, I have a heal on 6, 789 all heal me, my 0 makes me invulnerable, and my basic attack on hammer gives me constant protection and heals me from the symbol.

Urque.6837:

Well, Urkules is here to say that everyone who has responded is wrong because I tank with my guardian every day.

5/0/30/30/5.
Take meditations and symbol traits.
Use meditations.
Use hammer/greatsword (ranged weapon when you need one ala Arah/Fractals)
Profit.

URKULES NEVER DIES. Why? Because I have virtues to heal me/give me aegis, I have a heal on 6, 789 all heal me, my 0 makes me invulnerable, and my basic attack on hammer gives me constant protection and heals me from the symbol.

You have some video of this epic tanking? I’d like to see you tanking fractals scale 49 or arah.

^ Ranged weapon when I need one. as in those 2 examples you just gave. Then I have to use a scepter.

‘tanking’ in gw2 is just an excuse for not dodge rolling

There is a HUUUUGE difference between tanking and not dying…

Mhmm, ranging isn’t tanking.

laharl.8435:

Mhmm, ranging isn’t tanking.

Depends … if he’s holding aggro, he is. Tanks hold agg and survive. Doesn’t matter if he’s at range or not.

How do you suppose a Gaurdian is to hold aggro? Gaheron doesn’t care about my Gaurdian. He just follows the Warriors cause they’re naturally more threatening. theres no visible aggro system so it may as well not exist for the purpose of tanking

Odin The Wanderer.1763:

How do you suppose a Gaurdian is to hold aggro?

I don’t know but it doesn’t mean that if someone claims he’s tanking that he isn’t. I do understand what you are getting at …. someone can’t CHOOSE to tank, grab aggro and hold it through some active measure.

Still, if the guy got aggro, held it and survived at range, I don’t have a reason to not believe him even if we aren’t familiar with what makes aggro.

laharl.8435:

Mhmm, ranging isn’t tanking.

Some warlock tanks from the good old time would tend to disagree

You can be tanky, but only in relation to everyone else in GW2. Meditations will let you suck up alot of damage if you trait them to heal you, and keep perma-vigor up via the Honor line so enable alot of dodging. It doesn’t support a group much though, unless you’re dropping symbols down alot with a Hammer or Mace (hammer with Writ of Persistence can be very nice support all on its own).

Urque.6837:

^ Ranged weapon when I need one. as in those 2 examples you just gave. Then I have to use a scepter.

Oh man my ele is the best tank ever.

CptAurellian.9537:

laharl.8435:

Mhmm, ranging isn’t tanking.

Some warlock tanks from the good old time would tend to disagree

Couldn’t help but bring this old jewel out of the closet:
How to Raid a Warlock

stop saying to the new player to run full zerker for anything!!! for example in wvw and pvp zerker is a bad choice, and i want to see how many of you were running a full glass cannon guardian in arah or fractal a year ago when your were learning how to play!!

I was >_>

The closest you can get to tanking in this game is the Champion Ettin in the Uncategorized fractal. He responds to high toughness for some reason. I have a set of knights gear on my guardian that I never use except for this fight. Makes it a little easier if you can hold him to one side of the room while the rest of the group kills the shaman.

Molch.2078:

There is a HUUUUGE difference between tanking and not dying…

^

Guardians are great at not dying i can tell you that. I found Guardians to have a great recovering rate then the other classes. Idk how many times i get my health low but can get it back upjust from virtue/boons/skills(not using the heal skill)/or the dodge roll heal trait.

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Dont pretend to be pro, show-off its not nice, and yes my ~30k can take alot of damage with the right rolls and bloks, but if u know the game that well when facing certain builds they can almost instadow you at your minimal mistake or lack of atention facing several targets.

And im not talking about WvW walking bags (zerkers).

Aeolus.3615:

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Dont pretend to be pro, show-off its not nice, and yes my ~30k can take alot of damage with the right rolls and bloks, but if u know the game that well when facing certain builds they can almost instadow you at your minimal mistake or lack of atention facing several targets.

And im not talking about WvW walking bags (zerkers).

Where anywhere in gw2 are you running a vitality guardian, with 30k health??? o.o

Seriously, I don’t pay a ton of attention to all these build, usually I modify a guild build or something….. I wvw mostly, so i don’t know alot of pve…. anyone can answer me why someone would stack so much vit??

Aeolus.3615:

DeeSystm.1256:

Aeolus.3615:

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Dont pretend to be pro, show-off its not nice, and yes my ~30k can take alot of damage with the right rolls and bloks, but if u know the game that well when facing certain builds they can almost instadow you at your minimal mistake or lack of atention facing several targets.

And im not talking about WvW walking bags (zerkers).

Where anywhere in gw2 are you running a vitality guardian, with 30k health??? o.o

Seriously, I don’t pay a ton of attention to all these build, usually I modify a guild build or something….. I wvw mostly, so i don’t know alot of pve…. anyone can answer me why someone would stack so much vit??

WvW server bonus + aplyed fortitude + stats, http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQJASWlYgiCXFyLEm4ERWBRi9AjZsjXPSoEZIA-jUBBIjBKBtIasVWFRjVZDT9iIqWKATUGB-w

And the why? was playing on large group at that time so i decided to see how guardian would work if had that health, nothing more, and i only played WvW in this game to just got bored becouse wanted to play something different.

Oh I thought there might be some pve content that required a massive amount of vitality.

Aeolus.3615:

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Dont pretend to be pro, show-off its not nice, and yes my ~30k can take alot of damage with the right rolls and bloks, but if u know the game that well when facing certain builds they can almost instadow you at your minimal mistake or lack of atention facing several targets.

And im not talking about WvW walking bags (zerkers).

Oh I apologize if I pretended to be a pro. I just hate people who are giving false facts to new guardians, discouraging them to try to be tanky for WvW. Your build explains so much though, thanks for the clarification. I was curious how 30k HP guard get downed easily, now it makes sense.

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

xFireize.6318:

Aeolus.3615:

WVW i can reach 30khp in my guardian yet being downed with 2 hit since roll and block are limited.

That is a hilarious story. Here I am standing at 22k fully WvW buffed and thinking it’s overkill.. oh overtanky?

Dont pretend to be pro, show-off its not nice, and yes my ~30k can take alot of damage with the right rolls and bloks, but if u know the game that well when facing certain builds they can almost instadow you at your minimal mistake or lack of atention facing several targets.

And im not talking about WvW walking bags (zerkers).

Oh I apologize if I pretended to be a pro. I just hate people who are giving false facts to new guardians, discouraging them to try to be tanky for WvW. Your build explains so much though, thanks for the clarification. I was curious how 30k HP guard get downed easily, now it makes sense.

Internet words might sound blunt anytime^^, and yes, being sturdy on WvW Guardian its not good if theres no damage and yes there are build that still do 20k if hits on that stats and was just a test i did, it is not discouraging to new guardians, game mechanics are damage wise (DPS, and anything outside that poorly works or do not work at all, leave that role to warrior (they have excelent builds for that kind of gameplay) if they want to be really sturdy.

OMG your test is so true! (=^_^=)

I thought I knew the game mechanics. I clearly don’t understand them. You are right, if I stupidly stacked vitality and toughness without thinking about healing and direct damage mitigation, I would still get downed easily too. I mean, who cares about Vigor, right? Let’s use a Shield trait when we don’t use one.

Guardian sucks and the game mechanics are broken, let’s roll warriors together. Warrior is da best best best best! Let’s eat those 20k hits! Yummy!

There are certainly good reasons for a 21-22K HP Guardian in WvW. But it usually involves being in specialized groups of similar builds, acting as a ‘distraction’ for an enemy zerg (while the main force flanks them and gets the bags). Certainly not for the faint of heart (or older PC hardware, for that matter) but I’ve found it very interesting.

Anyway, for the OP: Check the Healway thread as a start, its one way to be survivable, and is easily ‘twistable’ to your needs (I used it with Zerk trinkets and weapons for balanced damage/heal).

Since you’re going to mostly stay in PvE, you’ll be fine acquiring just Rare or Exotic equipment to test with (the latter should be held until L80). Most dungeons (bar Fractals and one specific TA path) were designed with Rare gearing in mind. Play around some of the builds here until you’ve found something you’re comfortable with, and if needed make your own tweaks. Testing in S/TPvP is not always possible (and may get worse soon), but you’ll still be able to get some hints by tackling the Class Bots at the lobby.

My current build is the ‘distraction’ setup as I mention above, for temporary dedicated WvW (and shaking myself out of a rut, trying different things again after a several week break). I’ll probably settle on something between that and Obal’s build, despite the inevitable objections.