Copy paste from another thread I posted this in. Please try using the search function next time :-). "I ditched my matrix cube in 1.2 and am using both the on use defense relic, and the proc absorb relic. As a guardian tank you already have 3 defensive cooldowns, so in my opinion using two on use relics would be a little overboard (Since you can't pop them both at the same time). That being said, if your gear is already at 400 defense, and your shield/absorb is low i'd go with the shield/absorb on use relic. If you don't want to have to click a relic, the proc absorb relic is VERY good. I would recommend taking a look at ditching your matrix cube if that's what you're using in your second relic slot. In 1.2 it only gives you a few more endurance, like 18 defense rating and a lump of strength. The few end is minimal compared to what you get out of a campaign relic, and the strength is a slight dps bonus over the power from a tanking relics. However, 18 defense rating is very low compared to the ~400 absorb proc or the + shield/absorb / defense on use. I wouldn't recommend a dps relic if you plan on trying to tank Denova hard mode or any top-tier endgame content. The end would help a little but endurance just gives your healers more time to heal you, it doesn't help mitigate any total dmg taken." In regards to your post, use the Shield Amp for tanking. If you're just doing normal / hard mode KP/EV or hard mode flashpoints, the dps relic be decent, but in Denova you'll want the extra tank stats. Leave the threat generation to your other gear and spec, you shouldn't be having that bag of a time with threat unless you're doing a time sensitive tank swap boss (Torn/Zoth, StormCaller/Firebrand) where you have to reserve your single taunt. If you're having problems with threat, please post your spec, rotation and gear setup and I'd be happy to give some pointers. TL;DR Ditch the matrix cube, pick up the shield amp relic, and get the defense clicky relic if your def is low, or the shield/absorb clicky if your defense is high and shield/absorb is low (if you plan on doing ops).

I agree that this would be a cool thing to have, but in a game sense it would still just be in your left hand and a focus in your off-hand. There are no two-handed items in this game and im not sure the game system allows them to make any (as in taking up both hands).

For PVE tanking, both choices are viable. The hybrid tank spec does more dps and therefore threat, but it requires you to keep leaping to keep your damage resistance up. The defense spec (though I would move your pts in command into momentum of solidified force) does less dps but has more overall survivability. I've been playing in a 31/8/2 spec, and have been doing defense since launch. I've tried the hybrid spec and didn't like it much. Its really up to your playstyle, and you'll have to tune your gameplay to make it work for you either way. If your gear is decent both choices are fairly viable, and you won't see any situations where one really outplays the other in terms of tanking unless you're doing HardMode Denova and really min-maxing.

The reason you don't notice the difference is because there isn't much difference. You just get a free move every 10 seconds or so instead of paying 3-4 focus. I've been playing a defense guardian since the game released and i don't see any reason not to get it. I've even been playing with a new spec for the past few weeks(Link Here) because I haven't been happy with blade barrier and its 4 piece set bonus, so i don't ever use blade storm unless i'm out of range. Even with this spec/rotation not using blade storm, courage is still very useful for a free sweep every time sweep is off cool-down (12 seconds in my spec). Overall i'd say if you're going for a 31 pt defense build there's not really anything else good to get, and because of that there is no reason not to get it. With decent defense gear you'll have a 3 stack up around every cool-down of either blade storm or sweep, leaving more focus to spend on other moves.

Kira does energy (if she's using a real saber, if not kinetic) and internal dmg. Rusk does energy dmg. Both dps companions benefit from your armor reduction debuff. As for which one does more dmg, its really just dependent on which one has better gear. Theoretically yes, if both were balanced to do equal dmg then yes, rusk would benefit more from sunder armor since kira's internal attacks bypass armor. However, from what i've seen while playing my guardian, Kira is the higher dps companion. Overall, use whichever dps companion has better gear.

When i was trying to decide which oranges I wanted to aug for my tanking set I was disappointed in the lack of good heavy armor oranges that isn't trooper gear. I ended up going for valor 60 to wear the battlemaster war hero oranges that I crit crafted for an aug slot, and I just hide the helmet. Its the first time I can remember since making my char that other people could actually see i'm a Zebrak and not a human with tattoos on my face.

For pve tanking, no i would not recommend command. I hardly use force push as it is, and that is only on trash pulls.

The +5% dmg bonus from the pvp set is a +5% dmg bonus to players only. So, this only applies when doing pvp. If you check your expertise tab it just adds a flat 5% to the total dmg to players section. This would not apply in pve content unless you were fighting like a mind controlled party member.

I ditched my matrix cube in 1.2 and am using both the on use defense relic, and the proc absorb relic. As a guardian tank you already have 3 defensive cooldowns, so in my opinion using two on use relics would be a little overboard (Since you can't pop them both at the same time). That being said, if your gear is already at 400 defense, and your shield/absorb is low i'd go with the shield/absorb on use relic. If you don't want to have to click a relic, the proc absorb relic is VERY good. I would recommend taking a look at ditching your matrix cube if that's what you're using in your second relic slot. In 1.2 it only gives you a few more endurance, like 18 defense rating and a lump of strength. The few end is minimal compared to what you get out of a campaign relic, and the strength is a slight dps bonus over the power from a tanking relics. However, 18 defense rating is very low compared to the ~400 absorb proc or the + shield/absorb / defense on use. I wouldn't recommend a dps relic if you plan on trying to tank Denova hard mode or any top-tier endgame content. The end would help a little but endurance just gives your healers more time to heal you, it doesn't help mitigate any total dmg taken.

I've been looking through my spec, rotation and gear lately trying to find a solution to the threat problems I've been having. Sure you can be just fine if you taunt every time taunt is up, but I would prefer a more direct aggro approach by increasing my dps. What i've found is that i use blade storm in my rotation because I have a 4 peice set bonus and 2 pts in blade barrier for my spec, but im not quite sure why. My blade storm's base dmg is about 1447, costing 4 focus (less with courage procs but those can be used with sweep) with the bonus of being a 10m range spell and granting me blade barrier, which I saw in another thread is about 59 dmg resist/second, 71 dr/s with the set bonus. However, I have also found that because I use blade storm in my rotation, I don't have a lot of time to use Slash or Cylone slash. Slash's base dmg is about 1225, costs 3 focus, is melee range but has the benefit of lowering combat focus's cool down by 3 seconds (which would allow for even more focus dumping). In some quick target dummy testing, I found that swapping blade storm out of my rotation entirely and using slash in its place to dump focus caused me to have a noticeable dps increase. This would also allow you to take 2 pts off of blade barrier and put them into a cooldown of resolute (not a great option for pve, I know, but its all I have left). It would also allow you more flexibility in gearing by only requiring the 2 piece pve set bonus. Just wanted to know if anyone else had tried this out or had opinions on the matter. Any input is appreciated. If people are interested I can try doing some more in depth testing later on actual dps increase with just swapping rotations alone, and not changing gear or spec, but don't have the time do it tonight. Related thread of blade barrier protection and the 4 piece set bonus: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=448261

I posted this thread on the guardian tanking forums but thought I might get some more input here since i had 0 replies yet there. "I'm currently playing a full rakata defense guardian (31/8/2) and am working on getting my second campaign relic from daily comms. Up until 1.2 I was using the shield amp proc relic and a matrix cube, but now it seems like the matrix cube may be a little underpowered for tanking. I am planning on using the Campaign Relic of Shield Amplification (absorb proc relic) in my 1st slot but I am wondering if anyone has any input for what to use in the second slot. I feel that as a guardian I already have a lot of cooldowns to pop and am also wondering if a dps proc relic might be a better choice for some extra threat and endurance. The basic choices are: Matrix Cube (52 str, 60 end, 18 def) Triggered Tank Relics Campaign Relic of Shrouded Crusader (57 end, 41 power, +255 shield and absorb for 20 seconds triggered effect) Campaign Relic of Imperiling Serenity (57 end, 41 power, +405 defense for 20 seconds triggered effect) Proc Tank Relic Campaign Relic of Shield Amplification (57 end, 41 power, On Hit: Shielding an incoming attack grants 405 Absorb Rating for 6 seconds. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds, and shares this limit with similar defensive effects.) Proc Dps Relic Campaign Relic of the Cerulean Nova (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 246 additional energy damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of the Kinetic Tempest (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 246 additional kinetic damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of Elemental Transcendance (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 184 additional elemental damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of Dark Radiance (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 184 additional internal damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Curious to see anyone's thoughts and and feedback, and if you have seen any numbers done by other sites please list them here, I couldn't find anything with several Google searches. Thank you for your input."

I'm currently playing a full rakata defense guardian (31/8/2) and am working on getting my second campaign relic from daily comms. Up until 1.2 I was using the shield amp proc relic and a matrix cube, but now it seems like the matrix cube may be a little underpowered for tanking. I am planning on using the Campaign Relic of Shield Amplification (absorb proc relic) in my 1st slot but I am wondering if anyone has any input for what to use in the second slot. I feel that as a guardian I already have a lot of cooldowns to pop and am also wondering if a dps proc relic might be a better choice for some extra threat and endurance. The basic choices are: Matrix Cube (52 str, 60 end, 18 def) Triggered Tank Relics Campaign Relic of Shrouded Crusader (57 end, 41 power, +255 shield and absorb for 20 seconds triggered effect) Campaign Relic of Imperiling Serenity (57 end, 41 power, +405 defense for 20 seconds triggered effect) Proc Tank Relic Campaign Relic of Shield Amplification (57 end, 41 power, On Hit: Shielding an incoming attack grants 405 Absorb Rating for 6 seconds. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds, and shares this limit with similar defensive effects.) Proc Dps Relic Campaign Relic of the Cerulean Nova (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 246 additional energy damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of the Kinetic Tempest (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 246 additional kinetic damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of Elemental Transcendance (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 184 additional elemental damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Campaign Relic of Dark Radiance (84 end, On Hit: Damaging attacks have a 30% chance to deal 184 additional internal damage to the target. This effect can only occur once every 4.5 seconds, and shares this limit with similar damage-dealing effects.) Curious to see anyone's thoughts and and feedback, and if you have seen any numbers done by other sites please list them here, I couldn't find anything with several Google searches. Thank you for your input.