Guardian S&B Build

[Roragar]

Hey folks

Finally getting around to filling out my roster with soldier classes & have been having a blast leveling in polearm spec with the guard, all the old world stuff has been pretty easy tank/spank in that spec but now moving onto khitai/raiding/gearing im looking for some basic S&B advice.

If anyone could just give me a brief breakdown of AA/Build/Gear/Rota etc for a S&B build that would be great, I can derp around with it an try to learn the ropes
Have tried looking for builds in older threads but there doesnt seem anything up to date or they mention that not much has really changed for guards?

Anyways whatever advice you throw my way its appreciated

Cheers

[Shax84]

For starting out.. It's no magic trick to play high agro guardian. A few simple skills and a plain combo rotation keeps you high on hate.

Something in the lines of this could be what you're looking for. http://goo.gl/IvpRAI but Guardian pros probably have a more defined and researched builds.

Basically, open with Shield Slam, and while combo finisher is being done, hit irritate and cry of havoc. If you intend to solotank this boss, hit Stall the Advance (only ever use when you HAVE aggro), which gives a huge agro boost because of high hate retalitory damage, and a half bubble for the next three hits you take. Keep on doing Shield Slam and having taunts always on cooldowns. Other tanks will probably need to use Goad to take it off you when you follow this.

Guard Destroyer gets you +30% crit chance on Overreach and Titanic Smash. You can also use Dulling Blow, but only recommend that if shields are stacked to right and you can't strafe around boss to hit open shields.

Counterstrike is only good as long as you take hits, you can fill with that once you have done Guard Destroyer, Shield Slam and Overreach is just finished.

Battle Cry and Call to Arms should be used as an "always on cooldown" mentality, or if the boss has a particular dps window like Commander in Ardashir Fort or Argo Satha in Vile for examples, save them for that.

Juggernaut is a really nice skill, and if you also use Strike and Guard (oh **** combo) you can survive a lot of damage, but also is a damage buff since it ups your weapon damage by 15%. If you have Counterstrike up before you use Juggernaut, you also get some extra healing.

Last Stand has a too long cooldown for it to be situationally used. Unless the fight is very long, you can't expect to have it ready twice even if using it early. Also you need to have Stamina for it to work, so if you are out, do a plexus strike and eat a stam pot if you can plan to use the bubble.

Gearwise, look for strength, const, hit rating and hate increase. Critical rating is also good of course, but for Guards it is also extremely important to have high hit rating to avoid evade/ignore from mobs. Tier weapons are good for Guards. Old world Unchained epics and even blues are good for a starter Guardian, plus if you are lucky, some very nice accessories have a chance to drop. Get the cape from Caravan Raiders, Demigod.

[Corais]

Counterstrike is only good as long as you take hits, you can fill with that once you have done Guard Destroyer, Shield Slam and Overreach is just finished.

Juggernaut is a really nice skill, and if you also use Strike and Guard (oh **** combo) you can survive a lot of damage, but also is a damage buff since it ups your weapon damage by 15%. If you have Counterstrike up before you use Juggernaut, you also get some extra healing.

Actually Counterstrike always heals you for every reactive hit procced by it if you have Juggernaut feated (passive ability). So yes if you have aggro and go against physical enemies put up Counterstrike.
Really fun for questing as well pull a lot of mobs put on CS and the incoming heal is hilarious. KhitaiRank of it heals you for 70 hp for every procc. Its like running a second daggmalta. Imo that makes SnB superior to Pole while questing. Note that CS doesn't do anything against magical damage.
As for a build I'd recommend rather this: http://goo.gl/KODVek
Wrathstack may be good while questing but in any aggro swap situations it will expire. Enraged Spirit gives 15% weapon damage with full wrath stacks. Then again Sustained Rage does the same permanently.
Retribution grants that at least your vengeance stack will stay up while tanking.
Of you want Improved Defensive Stance due to mediocre gear then take away points from Sustained Rage and Savage Strikes. And you could of course specialize your talents for magical/physical encounters using additional specialization slots.

[Roragar]

Many thanks guys, tis appreciated!

No doubt I will come back at some point looking for some other pointers

[Redd]

While advices you've been given by Shax are mostly good the build is really bad, no offense.

You only need 2 specc for physical and magical encounters and they are basically the same just move points from Iron skin to Stone skin and it should look like this http://goo.gl/hSIB6N.
You need to go down and pick up Powerhouse. You can also move one point from Prowess and pick up Stunning charge if you want.

Also don't look at Strike & Guard combo as an "Oh ****" button use it tactically and time it well to deflect the damage when it is really needed, it is really powerful defensive tool and you can also stack it up with Cunning deflection or Stall the Advance for even more damage deflection.

[Shax84]

Thanks for providing better builds guys, my experience with guards are limited but I know the basics. Should definitely go for Retribution and Powerhouse then I see. Will update my own builds too now. :-)

[Roragar]

Cool ty guys

[magnum92]

Thanks for providing better builds guys, my experience with guards are limited but I know the basics. Should definitely go for Retribution and Powerhouse then I see. Will update my own builds too now. :-)

the build Red have there is the same as mine.

hateful strikes is also a very powerful tool, theres some scenarios where aggro reset, and u wanna have high aggro output each time, then u can rotate hatefull and stall, for example on the projections on entity. But also as a solotank, its very very powerful anywhere u go.

[Chillee]

OP, don't use improved defensive stance once you get to end game and get some decent gear. It provides only a tiny increase in mitigation and protection. Not sure why T6 guards are using it.

[magnum92]

OP, don't use improved defensive stance once you get to end game and get some decent gear. It provides only a tiny increase in mitigation and protection. Not sure why T6 guards are using it.

Why I specc imp defstance? Cause without i have 57.1 mit in provoke, with i have 59.4 in provoke. So if i specc it, I basically have the survivability of tactic defence, while staying in Provoke. Its definitely worth it untill i get full on t6 bigpieces, simple as that.