Guardian Flexability

[Ozlandu]

Hello Guards. Been reading up on the class quite a bit and have found enough information about it meditate on for a year. Kinda overwhelming for players like myself, but I'm excited to learn and figured I'd further that learning by asking a question here.

 

In the raid videos and streams I've watched, I can't say I've seen a guard in a DPS role. My experience is just that though. This interest me because I would like to use a Guard for a DPS instead of a Sent simply for the meaningless cosmetic difference of one lightsaber vs two. I'm also a fairly experienced tank, but after watching alot of end game content I just don't feel comfortable with micromanaging other players as much as I do my own abilities. So rambling aside my question is, Is It Viable To Have A Guard In a DPS Slot For End Game Content? Or is it one of those things that people just shake their heads at and either politely endure or boot without hesitation?

 

Asked a similiar question on the PT forum and got pretty much a 'No' there. Starting to think the designated Tank classes, aside from maybe the Assassin/Shadow, are in the end best optimized for that role. However it seemed the PT was once capable of fulfilling that role, so it lead me here to see if my next choice in character is viable. Trying to nail down a main, so any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Ozlandu

[Creslan]

Guardians can dps in current end game content. I'm currently 5/5 Hardmode on both Dread Fortress and Dread Palace. All classes are viable in a dps role in current hm operations. Viable, not optimal. People, especially raid leaders, tend to go with whatever makes the groups life easier and it's much easier to run 1 melee (sentinel) and rest ranged dps. This is due to the fact that sentinels just have more raid utility than guardians or any other melee dps out there at the moment.

 

Most fights are very melee unfriendly, it's just easier to use ranged classes. We run a 2 melee (sent/guard) and 2 ranged (GS/commando) set up that works for us and a few times had 1 of each advanced class in a role in the operation. What works for us may not work for others though and some people don't want to adjust to working with 2 melee, or 3 melee. This is mainly due to mechanics of the raid, not the classes themselves.

 

Community perception is that we are "only" tanks the same as Vanguards and Shadows. This isn't helped by the fact that the only contact that someone may have with a DPS guardians is focus spec in pvp which can alienate people even more from guardians. It makes us come off as mindless, skill-less players that face smash the keyboard for damage.

 

Yes we can dps raid content, the biggest hurdle will be finding someone that wants you to dps in the spot. Sorry if that sounds bleak.

[Ozlandu]

Thank you Creslan that answers my question.

[Riivan]

You are viable for hard modes no problem. Nightmare will prove more difficult. You are less survivable than a Sent, bring less utility and do less dps. That's not to say that a guild wouldn't take you, but it's a more uphill battle. At best with a decent proc rate you'll squeak in at the minimum dps required for nightmare fights. I cleared most of the nightmare content with my guard (All of EC, half of TFB and half of SnV) before switching to Sent for quality of life. I hope to return and my guard is still my main, but for now it just makes more sense to go with the class that takes substantially less damage and does more DPS.

 

You're more viable than a Commando, Shadow DPS or Vanguard DPS, but less than Slinger, Scoundrel, or Sent. We will have our day though.

[Ozlandu]

A day I look forward to. Thanks Riivan.