Guardian Tanking Tips?

[Solzean]

Hey,

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for a guardian tank.

 

My biggest problem at the moment is aggro especially in group packs. I am lvl 34 atm. I am using Bladestorm and Riptose and burning excess points with Slash for single target.

 

For AoE I am using cyclone slash and force sweep as often as possible. I am not sure there is much more of a strategy to it or not but the question is can anyone offer any advice?

Edited January 7, 2012 by Solzean

[EvanSnowWolf]

You are doing it right. Just make sure you have the highest DPS on Guard to deal with his Threat. Make sure you never leave Soresu form. Taunt as needed. Make sure all mobs have been tapped by you at least once to avoid them hitting healers. Make sure you kill mobs in order of weakest to strongest to reduce the total number of attackers.

[bobadiiq]

most likely the problem lies with the group not you...aka guardian has all the skills necessary to hold agro against multiple targets within reason. (single target forget about it) kill order and CCs make everyone's life easier. some groups grasp this, others, well...

 

make sure they let you pull and have 2-3 secs to acquire threat. i like to tell groups i'm leaping into combat 3 seconds after i activate my lightsaber. that way i can jump - forcesweep BEFORE mezzes are cast...

[Solzean]

Is master strike worth using? TRying to also get some useless abilities off my bar so they'll be less cluttered.

[bobadiiq]

master strike is one of your highest damage abilities...it's all about knowing when to use it. i love using it after hilt strike or stasis (talented = no channel) most of the time there's no escape. if you're running out of keybinds consider using Q,E, Alt+[1/2/3/Q/W/E/S/A/D/Z/X] for critical abilities...my hand doesn't move and i still retain mobility. Edited January 7, 2012 by bobadiiq

[EvanSnowWolf]

Is master strike worth using? TRying to also get some useless abilities off my bar so they'll be less cluttered.

 

I use everything. But then, I'm a gosh darned dirty "clicker". I keybind some of the more important powers, like Force Kick... but I am not about to bind 15 buttons. No way.

[Atamasama]

Master Strike is definitely worth using. Even when you use it, there will still be times when you are out of Focus and everything is on CD and all you have left is Strike. So don't neglect it, it is really nice DPS.

[catbussing]

Thank you for this useful mini-post. I had previously defaulted to thinking I should always Guard the healer for threat reduction and the lightbulb just came on that I should be guarding that cannon to reduce threat (especially when she's got an itchy trigger finger and jumps my mobs).

[EvanSnowWolf]

Thank you for this useful mini-post. I had previously defaulted to thinking I should always Guard the healer for threat reduction and the lightbulb just came on that I should be guarding that cannon to reduce threat (especially when she's got an itchy trigger finger and jumps my mobs).

 

Yeah, I learned very swiftly that Guard doesn't work well on healers with Jedi Knights. Mainly because we keep Leaping forward to new packs of mobs and are not always within that 15 meter restraint.

Edited January 7, 2012 by EvanSnowWolf

[RJMazz]

Hi, guys. Saw stuff about keybinding here, and I find my current keyboard setting really effective, at least for me, so I feel like sharing it with you guys, it might help you, I dunno.

 

You might end up switching a few keys that are used to open windows with some others, mostly on the right side of the keyboard, there are a few keys that are not used. In any case, you can keybind windows with Alt+(Insert Key Here), it's a pretty versatile tool. Anyway, here goes.

 

I use 4 bars. Three are keybound and the last one isn't.

 

The first bar is the easy access bar, the first bar, in which key skills and the most used ones are slotted into so that your hand wastes the least of itself. In general, you barely have to move it if it's big enough. Mine's not giant, but it's above average, so I'm cool.

 

Slots are, from 1 to 12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, E, R, F, G, X, C

 

No, I don't have any keyboard turning, I turn with my camera. As you can see, all of these keys are close to your hand and you can access them pretty easily. Generally, I use Q for interrupts, R for ranged attacks as a melee class (which is what I play the most), F for gap closers, G for AoEs, E for snares, X for Cooldown Reductions, Break-Frees and the associated, C for any self-heal or replenishing ability.

 

1 is the main filler ability, 2 is the most powerful kind of ability, like a finisher, which isn't used as often as fillers or resource builders, 3 are secondary fillers, 4 is some kind of channeled ability (in Guardian's case, Master Strike), 5 for a definitive finisher.

 

The second bar is used for more advanced and complicated skills and a few "OH SH*T" options. They're but a copy of the first bar using SHIFT as a modifier.

 

Slots are, from 1 to 12: SHIFT+1, SHIFT+2, SHIFT+3, SHIFT+4, SHIFT+5, SHIFT+Q, SHIFT+E, SHIFT+R, SHIFT+F, SHIFT+G, SHIFT+X, SHIFT+C

 

With keys having basically the same functions, except SHIFT+4 being exclusively for my run-of-the-mill stun (Stasis, Hilt Strike?), and SHIFT+C being for the OOC (Out of Combat) recovery skill.

 

The third bar is a secondary skill bar, in which most of the timed cooldowns and secondary skills are put, like Sprint, Throw the Ball, Guard, Taunts, and a few others which are not necessarily affecting direct combat and damage with your opponent. Shortly saying, utilities. Please note they're still used and A LOT, don't neglect them because they're secondary. Remember them if you wanna be good.

 

Slots are, from 1 to 12: V, B, Z, T, Y, 6, SHIFT+V, SHIFT+B, SHIFT+Z, SHIFT+T, SHIFT+Y, SHIFT+6

 

Those are the quickslots I most have to stretch/move my fingers in order to reach, which make them more secondary outputs, but still important for setting skills. I generally put my Sprint at 6, Guard at Shift+6, Throw the Ball at Y, Taunt at T, the rest you customize as you wish.

 

Now the 4th bar is used for social skills or out of the combat skills in which you have more freedom to use as you wish without having to stress yourself in the heat of the combat, like resurrections, companion resurrections, fast travels, stims, etc.

 

Hope it helps you guys and hope this makes your game less clicky.