Guardian "DPS" - this right?

[Makfury]

I hit 50 last night and i complained the whole way. The reason for the complaining isn't that we can't kill stuff. It is in regards to how damn long it takes and how mediocre the damage reduction for guardians is. We should be able to take large amounts of damage and do a steady output. We do a steady output but we don't have any more hit points than other classes and I submit that mitigation is broken. So, if we don't mitigate significantly better or have a large amount more HP than other classes, our damage should be on par.

 

Pre doc, i could kill most gold stars with sending in kira first. Once i got doc it was a sure thing that i wasn't going to die but man, grab a snickers cause you are going to be there a while.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the reason that some guardians think they are doing fine and blazing through enemies is pure ignorance of what the other classes feel like. Call them fanboys or whatever you want but they either don't comprehend what is going on or don't care to compare the class.

 

To reiterate, at no point was I stuck on a quest or certain mob. Just had a bleh feeling the whole way.

[SageGaspar]

I'm kind of scratching my head at a lot of these posts. Not saying I'm the greatest by any means but I haven't had an issue at all from level 1 up to where I'm at now (about to ding 30). I've been tank spec from the beginning and ran with T7 until I got Kira and then swapped for her higher dps (though sometimes I wish I'd stuck with the droid). My gear isn't anything super special - I have a couple of oranges, some blues, and a few filler pieces of greens.

 

You need to be in melee range and hit something every GCD to be effective. That's what it comes down to I think. Most classes when soloing can get away with targeting from range and throwing down some AE, and if they miss some GCDs they regain energy/heat/ammo whatever. If knights or warriors aren't hitting something each GCD they not only miss out on damage, they aren't gaining resources either.

[Zoda]

I am level 41 and have all my points in the tanking tree. I use Kira 99% of the time for the dps. I have had no trouble killing Elites and silvers and i can take on Champions the same level as i am but i have to use the 20 minute cool down. I have a full set of moddable gear and keep the armor mods up to date. With the armor mods i would get half or more modded up on taris and then get the other half and enchanmencts on nar shadda rinse and repeat as you go from world to world. Also dont forget to keep your Lightsaber hilts up to date i worked very hard on my artifice so i had a blue hilt waiting every other level even for kira. So far i am like a M1 abrams tank and kira is my depleted uranium shells and all the baddies fall before me.

[arcana]

DPS Guardians start off slow, usually until you get Overhead Slash. When you spec into Force Rush and Burning Purpose though, along with Zen Strike you'll start hitting like a truck.

 

In all my gear I have Might Mods, and Rage Enhancements. At first I tried for critical chance, and it didn't work out to well. Guardians are focused more on direct damage rather than critical, and with the rage enhancements (artifacts and prototypes) my Guardian hits CRAZY HARD!

 

Also with 2/2 in Force Rush my Overhead Slash grants me 60% chance to crit with Blade Storm for 9 seconds. When it crits, it hits like a truck.

 

This is my skill tree.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500cRZcGMRMuddGoZMM.1

 

I like this build. I may switch over to power and give vigilance another shot before I dump it.

 

 

I've solo'd all the way to 50. I was always a bit ahead of the planets I was on due to early pvp and ship missions so I'm sure that's helped, but I've never had a problem.

[Farrokhan]

AS a dps all the way until 50, Until you get your healer, you sometimes need to use a taunt rotation with your companion to defeat bosses.

 

No, you're not taught to do this, no there's no handholding guide, it's lucky I'm a relative veteran MMO/Bioware player as it happened alot with my shield and sword toting dragon killing ****** in Dragon Age

 

It basically gives you an extra healthbars time to do damage. It is enough pretty much all the time.

 

Start off with T7 attacking the mobs, when he's about to die, taunt, and you have all the extra dps you do while he's being killed, then all the extra dps he does while you're being attacked. Makes a huge difference. You can do it the other way around and maybe even stretch a fight out long enough for survival cds to come back up.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Farrokhan

[WaywardOne]

<< I'm ignorant so this is purely for my knowledge, but do Sents have "guard" and more aoe skills? >>

 

Sents cannot guard or taunt (while all guardians can even though only one is a tank).

 

Sents have the same focus spec that guardians do so they can do the same aoe as focus guardians.

[Seismax]

<< I'm ignorant so this is purely for my knowledge, but do Sents have "guard" and more aoe skills? >>

 

Sents cannot guard or taunt (while all guardians can even though only one is a tank).

 

Sents have the same focus spec that guardians do so they can do the same aoe as focus guardians.

 

Sents running focus do a bit of aoe through zen, however guardians do hit harder in their focus spec(not saying they do more overall) due to vigilance tree enhancing Sweep.

[xaglacion]

False

 

OP: Go defense for leveling until 34 or so.

 

1: Keep all your gear up to date with every new zone

2: Same as above apply it to companion

3: For class quest bosses make 110%sure you interrupt ANYTHING that has a cast bar

4: For class quest boss/golds send kira in first and taunt off her when she gets to 20%hp or less

 

Also, make sure you use Soresu at all times when leveling with a shield generator. Saber ward for every gold and as often as you can to reduce downtime. Leveling is cake with those steps.

 

edit: For buffering damage meters you can go sweep spec for pvp and get over 30k damage in 1 aoe. Not a good way to gauge as well.

 

What is the build you are using? You seem to know your stuff.

[Rynak]

From 30-50 it is very different from the perspective of a shadow or vangaurd. BW has already stated that they will make some adjustments to the SJ/JG soon after launch. This was looked at and also announced around November during beta that they were next up for additional attention. Most of the other classes are smoother. The sentinel is a little clunky, but it can perform well if you figure out the correct rotation.

 

Aoe threat is a huge issue right now compared to the other two tanks.

[gurugeorge]

I think the whole point of the JK classes is:-

 

PATIENCE, YOUNG PADAWAN

 

 

It's basically simulating the difficulty of becoming a Jedi Knight, with the reward of being fairly uber after 40 if you persevere through the hard times.

 

Either that or the trees need to be rejigged to give smoother progression

[JefferyClark]

I have heard horror stories of peoples' encounters with Sith Juggernauts specced for DPS in PvP. They do not die easily, and they crit hard.

 

I hope you get that reputation as a Guardian one day.

 

That's because they have backup from a class with endless supplies of heals, lightning, and cc.

[Zarthorn]

Well, reading up on some of the other threads... I guess it was BW's intention to make the class less appealing so that not 90% of the population was Knight or Warrior... sad though I guess I should go back to my Sentinel, or maybe my Shadow eh?

 

 

Anyway, thanks for the replies... I guess I'll convert my Guardian to an Alt ::sadface::

 

Everything improves when you get Doc.

 

It's a hell of a long wait, but worth the wait.

 

Once you pass level 40, providing you keep your gear up to scratch and get a good skill rotation going, you can down even some even con champ mobs without breaking a sweat, sure it takes time but at least you don't dance with death.

[Jinook_Phi]

I'm ignorant so this is purely for my knowledge, but do Sents have "guard" and more aoe skills?

 

Sentinels can spec any number of ways. Im a Level 30 Sentinel and have always leveled with Kira. Im Focus specced, which means I'm heavily AOE and go through trash mobs like butter- almost always have. Watchman Sents tend to be Guardian "like" without any of the heavy armor perks, in that they shine in one on one. That said, once you get about Level 27-28 and DEFINITELY when you hit 30 as a Focus spec Sent, there is little I cant take on as long as I dont attract multiple golds (unless one is a droid- in which case I can then solo two golds). I recently did a quest that typically spawned two strong silvers with nine total baddies at once. As long as you have your targeting and leaps hot keyed and know your rotations, you can survive a great deal. Force Kick is a must when fighting golds and bosses. Hit it every time it comes up. Also, once you get Singularity, your Force Sweeps start to do silly crazy damage. I dropped five dudes from a crit after a stasis- sweet talent.

 

The Guardian, when I played it in BETA, got it to about 26 I think, excels far more at tough one on ones and can take on higher level baddies, with more HP such as Champions. Its just a matter of what floats your boat; uber bosses or mowing through mobs.

 

As many have noted in this post, no matter what you choose, keeping up your gear is key in solo PvE. I got lucky with Kira and got two Epic world drops about 4 levels ago that still cant be beat. With my Sent, I orange pants, robe, head and gloves- which I always mod with the highest available, whenever I change a zone. With sabers, I tend to upgrade my oranges every third new zone or so.

 

Dont know if that comparison or my notes will help, but there ya go. :-)

[Snorkenhaufer]

False

 

OP: Go defense for leveling until 34 or so.

 

1: Keep all your gear up to date with every new zone

2: Same as above apply it to companion

3: For class quest bosses make 110%sure you interrupt ANYTHING that has a cast bar

4: For class quest boss/golds send kira in first and taunt off her when she gets to 20%hp or less

 

Also, make sure you use Soresu at all times when leveling with a shield generator. Saber ward for every gold and as often as you can to reduce downtime. Leveling is cake with those steps.

 

edit: For buffering damage meters you can go sweep spec for pvp and get over 30k damage in 1 aoe. Not a good way to gauge as well.

 

And my buddy, a healer for life, on his smuggler had these simple steps for champions, not just elites:

 

1. Heal through it, LOL.

 

Says it's been even easier so far on his trooper healer.

[Kheldras]

i've noticed that one DPS TREE that Guardians have is called FORCE.

 

is pretty weak. OR it requires more skill to play than i currently have. I never thought i was an expert at DPS but i figured any idiot can DPS correctly but that skill tree is to,.. no pun intended. TO FOCUS intensive. i'm constantly looking at cool downs and i have to hit my power attacks as soon as they come up. Basically i'm not watching the game i'm watching my UI.

 

I recently switched to the 2nd TREE (forgot what that as called) but when i got Shien Form. HOLY CRAP!! i've officially found my face roll DPS love child. requires literally to no thought and now i'm dropping enemies like flys

 

Just to note though i'm also level 27. in case you were wondering so i'm three brackets in on the talent tree.

 

FORCE = Focus?

 

2n TREE = Vigilance?

[Laga]

Leveling whilst heading down the Defense tree is a bit of a slog, but it certianly has it's perks...

 

The 5th line of the Defense Tree is just an absolute dream for both PvP and PvE, i was salivating when i saw it and it's what kept me going up till then. I went from a disgruntled, bored lvl 29 to a excited, PvP powerhouse at lvl 34. Yet to die in a 1v1 in openworld (make mincemeat out of SI's) but when i do i know it will be to a superior player or my own stupidity, not due to the class i'm up against - if there were ever to be a 1v1 tournemount, i honestly think a well played JK Guardian would be winning it

 

To reiterate what others have said - interupt, interupt, interupt. You have your normal interrupt on a nice short cd, but when that's not up yet, throw in a Hilt Strike, then you're interupt is up again, next time (for those pesky mobs that constantly use inductions) use a force status etc etc. Get used to using your CC's, you have about 124 of them, so use them. Hilt strike, Awe, Force Push, Force Status, Blade Storm Stun, Force Sweep Stun, Force Leap Stun (great combo - force push, saber throw, force leap)

 

I was forced into leveling a tank build, started Vig, respecced a few times to run as tank in Guild FP's, ended up with my next refeat costing 20k, so i stayed in Tank to lvl. When you get Doc it's a cakewalk (speaking from a JK Defense spec, not Vig/Force)

 

Now at lvl 50 and only jsut starting the gear grind, my DPS seems to be ok for the class i've chosen. Blade Storm is hitting for over 1k, Guardian Slash/Pommel Strike/Backhand Blow (or whatever it's name is) is hitting for over 1.5k, touching 3k on crits. Master Strike is somewhere between 1.5-3k depending on Crits. All this with crappy gear (only thing of note is the Head Piece from EV and Champion Lightsaber) - basically i can chain 4-5K in a few GCD's and this is only the start....

 

EDIT: As a poster very correctly posted earlier - this is coming from someone who has not rolled another class as of now. I dont know if the grass is greener, i dont know if other classes jsut look at a mob and it's dead, i just know what my Guardian can do...

Edited January 9, 2012 by Laga

[Rafaelan]

If you're playing with a DPS companion, this is what I've found works best for Elites:

 

Send your companion at the Elite first so that they can start off tanking it. If the Elite has adds, you kill the adds while your companion is on the Elite. If there are no adds, give your companion a second to get threat.

 

Go through your normal rotation and watch your companions health. When their health gets to around 10%, taunt the Elite off your companion. Immediately use Saber Ward. If you need to you can also use Enure and the ability that finishes the cooldown on Saber Ward (forget the name) for a second use. And of course, medpaks.

 

Also, don't forget interrupts! Interrupting is key to most Elite fights.

 

Using this strategy I've been able to solo almost all Elites up to my current level (41 on Hoth) with no problems.

 

If you're playing with Doc, it's just a race against the Elite while hoping Doc can keep you up.

 

 

lol...good post, this is EXACTLY what I do...

 

Send in Kira 1st, let her build a little aggro, and use her HP while you load up DPS< when her health gets to about 20% or so, taunt, bubble and go all out, use a medpac if need be, but honestly most times I don't need to...

 

I am only L26 and I can easily take out 25k-30k mobs solo

[Bakarn]

An awful lot of your DPS is tied up into Overhead Slash. You won't feel like a DPSer until you get that, and its related Blade Storm autocrit talent.

 

Its night and day after that.