Guardian Overview of the LOTRO Part Two: Skills and Traits

 

At the Guardian Overview of the LOTRO Part one, you may realize the LOTRO Guardian and some skills. Here we will continue introducing it's skills and traints. Hoping that will help you....

 

Healing Skills

 

There are two minor healing skills that are available to the Guardian: one replenishes morale and the other power. In the case of the former, it only becomes available upon a successful block, while the latter can be used at any time. These kinds of skills are new and unique to the proverbial tank class, but at the same time permit the Guardian increased survivability and new challenges to group play.

 

Guardian Fundamentals: Traits

 

Traits are the primary means of class (and character) differentiation in the Lord of the Rings Online. As such, even in the Guardian class, some very intriguing yet significant choices need to be made. For instance, one could focus on improvements to the might statistic, which increases damage with a melee weapon. Alternatively, one could improve on vitality (increases morale), increases resistances and decrease vulnerability – clearly advantageous to the primary tank. There are a myriad of other possibilities as well, and while it is near impossible to list all of them, I will provide an explanation for the more important traits and suggestions for where aspiring Guardians should focus on.

 

Statistical Traits

 

These traits concern increases to your base statistics – such as mighty, vitality, fate etc. Each of these correspond to an important attribute to your character; might increases damage with weapons and vitality overall morale. As such, if one wishes for increased damage for their Guardian, then increments to might would be beneficial; the same logic can be applied for boons to health. Generally speaking, however, each of these traits – by themselves – do not wield much, but combined together can make a formidable difference.

 

Class Traits

 

These traits are among the most important (save legendary) one can acquire, and as such wield some very significant benefits to your character. These include, but are not limited to, improvements to existing skills and increased chances to block and parry. The latter items are of particular importance: the Guardian relies heavily – both on offense and defense – on being able to parry or block attacks. It would be advisable then to take such skills. Alternatively, however, if one wants more offense and move out of the stereotypical tank role, you could seek skill improvements that deal heavy damage. So while these traits are among the most important, there is room for diversity, depending on ones ultimate preference.

 

Damage Reducing Traits

 

These are the traits that Guardians will seek out if they embrace the tank role. In this category I include decreases to vulnerabilities (long and short range) and increased resistances. Like the statistical traits, they are not very significant on their own, but bundled together they could be very significant, but, unlike them, very situational. For instance, if your fellowship is actively fighting spiders, then traits that increase poison resistance would be ideal. Regardless of circumstance, however, these traits are important in fulfilling the tank role.

 

Which traits should I include, then?

 

As mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, that entirely depends on what sort of role you want your Guardian to be. Do you want your character to be the penultimate tank? If so, you may want to focus on traits that increase blocking and parrying, taunting skill effectiveness and reductions to melee and long range vulnerabilities. If, on the other hand, you want more offense, focusing on might and skills that improve damage would be critical. Or, you could arm yourself with a mix of the two. The bottom line is this: the system allows for an incredible amount of diversity and there is no set guideline to follow; you can do what you want. In addition, there are many other combinations then what was listed here; this is just a basic guideline for trait allocation.

 

Guardian Strategy: Solo Play

 

Like all classes in the Lord of the Rings Online, the Guardian can solo very effectively. Yet, unlike other classes in the title, the Guardian has arguably the most room for diversity; that is to say, they can solo under many different situations. This relates primarily to weapon choice, be it a one or two handed weapon; in other titles, most proverbial tank characters cannot have such a choice feasibly, but indeed a Guardian does! There has been many times where I have soloed with my Guardian character wielding both kinds of weapons and noticed no real difference in my effectiveness or survivability: certainly a boon for aesthetically inclined individuals.

 

Though in order to aid in the above – or any situation really – is your traits combination during solo play. Since you won’t be defending anyone else, typical traits that add to either defensive bonuses or utility skill alteration are no longer necessary; indeed, one should focus on statistical increments and damage skill boons. Yet this is not necessary either: you could maintain those defensive trait benefits and still do just as well; you won’t be as speedy in your killing as the former, but it certainly is a viable option.

 

If there is only one requirement to success in solo play it would be thus: a powerful weapon, be it one or two handed. Due in large part to the Guardian’s parry and blocking abilities, one can deflect a good chunk of incoming damage; thereby making your total armour level less important: this does defeat mini-maxing, essentially. Yet when I say powerful weapon, I do not meant rare or epic weapons that can be found off many humanoid opponents; no, simply an uncommon drop would do just fine (or even one purchased from a crafter). Yet if you do find a rare or epic weapon off a humanoid, your ability to solo increases ten-fold! Though it is hardly necessary.

 

The bottom line is this: one does not need the most powerful equipment or rare weapons in order to solo effectively; it can be done with nearly any setup. In the case of traits, any combination will work – whether you want to focus on offense, defense, utility or a mix of the three – it will simply be effective. Then with equipment, anything goes; barring gross extremes.

 

Guardian Strategy: Grouping

 

Unlike the options for solo play, the Guardian is much more stringent and cookie-cutter in groups; for if one does otherwise, it would be very difficult to play the role effectively. That role, obviously, is absorbing attacks, protecting allies and maintaining aggro. As such, the use of a shield is absolutely necessary and for more then one reason; a good amount of aggro control, damage and self healing abilities can be found in reactionary block offense and defense. Without the use of these ever so important abilities, the Guardian would have a very difficult time performing their task effectively.

When traits are considered it is not much better: offensive based [traits] are not as wanted as defensive boosting ones and those that alter self healing and defensive skills. It is not the task of the Guardian to deal damage – that is demanded of Hunters, Lore-masters, Champions and others – so the Guardian must focus on being as defensively sound as possible. In addition, it would be very wise to include increases to resistances and decreases to vulnerabilities; these will aid all Guardians considerably in performing their proverbial tank role best.

 

Closing Thoughts

 

The Guardian, while very similar to tanks in other titles, does have a number of unique additions that makes the class more fun to play: reactionary skills and self healing namely. The need for mini-maxing – at least in solo play – is demolished as well; it is simply not necessary for an enjoyable game experience. At the same time, however, there are considerable rewards for players who max out their characters: they solo that much more effectively! Yet no matter how much or little equipment one possesses, the chance to solo is evident and varied. The only downside to the class, however, is the cookie-cutter role in grouping; yet it could not be any other way, due to the nature of the grouping beast.

 

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Related article: Guardian Overview of the LOTRO Part One

 

Source from: allakhazam.com