I’m getting back into tanking since taking a break in SL season 2. I’m heavily leaning towards guardian in large part because I’d also like to gear up the balance side and be effective in higher keys. However, I strictly PuG since it requires no time coordination with others. Reading a few posts below has me worried, however.
Is guardian fine up until ksm levels? I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy tanking so am thinking of tanking full time now. I’m certainly not going to do anything crazy but want to ensure I don’t gimp myself too much…
Guardian is the worst tank right now, but if youre doing lower keys it doesnt really matter. You wont get invited to groups as much because of the communitys negative perception, but thats a time issue more so than a “can guardian tank a +6” issue.
if you are looking to just get ksm, Bear will be more than fine.
but if you are aiming for KSH or anything higher, well bear is far from being fine, it is the worst of the worst currently right now for tanking.
Can bear tank keys up to 20+? Yes
Can other tanks do it much easier? Yes
Is other tanks much better at higher keys say 15 and up? Yes
Does playing a bear tank above a 12+ give you healer more stress vs other tanks? Yes
You can do fine and ok with key 15 and lower anything above that really give you and your healer a lot of stress vs say a port warrior. Anything 10+ and below all tanks are fine. But fine doesn’t mean you are good. Other tanks can do it much better and easier.
Even in low keys you’re going to feel incomparable to warrior. It’s so much more survivable it’s not even worth leveling Guardian, unfortunately.
Some people like the laser-bear style, and others hate it. I don’t really mind it, tbh. However, this whole “high keys only” mentality isn’t really the reality. Guardian is going to feel worse in all levels of content compared to warrior.
Bear can very easily do ksm since its 14s and what not. It is generally more difficult then playing basic any other tank but still not exactly hard.
Progressing further is what starts to be a problem though.
The complete opposite of this is true. Bears feel amazing in low keys and put out some really good DPS while healing the group. Bear tank is a superior low key tank to the war however what everyone else is saying is true, once you get up around +15 you may regret your choice of tank when playing bear.
I say up to 10 to 12 is ok. After that is when you start to notice the little things (well major issue) with bear. After 16+ you really start feel bad.
I mean I tank basically for the weekly and some some low key m+ for kicks it feels fine.
But I am debating if I should try to get into higher m+ on bear or just play another class.
Our mitigation from an UFR build is hard capped by our damage output. The only way to build higher shields is to do more damage.
Our healing/sustain from a Lazer build is hard capped by our damage output. The only way to get more healing is to do more damage.
In higher keys, the damage intake surpasses our damage output, therefor our mitigation/ sustain can’t keep up without outside assistance. Guardians eventually hit a wall.
This problem that guardians are facing in higher keys is non existent for KSM or lower.
All these kids who think that this somehow trickles down and has any affect at all on their 10+ are delusional.
If your plans are simply to reach KSM as guardian, this class won’t hold you back in any way shape or form. Quite the opposite in fact. A well played guardian will not only steam roll through 15+ with ease, but you’ll often find yourself being top damage as well.
If you’re in here suggesting that guardians tanking 10+ are somehow a “burden on the healer”, I can assure you that it is 100% not the spec. It’s player error.
TL:RD
Dont listen to advice/opinions about reaching KSM as guardian from people who haven’t/cant reach KSM.
It is very sad that ufr can only stack up to around 100k meanwhile bdk can stack shields up into the millions.
But for sure 100% will say getting ksm as a bdk was easier on bdk then it was on bear. That just how it is, better tank makes everything easier in every way.
LOL FUNNY how you think Guardian is in a great spot. Here is some logic to for you
As a tank more armor, more leech, better mitigations = less damage taken = less heals require = less stress for the group.
2 Less armour, less leech, worse mitigations = more damage taken = more heals require = more stress for the group.
3 Guardian druid have less armor, less leech, worse mitigations = more damage taken = more deals require = more stress for the group when compare to other tank with the same ilvl
4 Since Guardian is worse off than any other tanks with the same ilvl that means even doing low level content compare to any other tank with the same ilvl put Guardian druid at a disadvantage and wrose off than any other tanks doing the same content with the same ilvl.
5 Still disagree read through point 1 to 4 till you understand
Here is another example
Port warrior is a car
BDK is a Electric bike
VHD is a normal bike
Guardian druid is you walking
You going to work in the monring if you drive a car it takes 30mins, with an ebike 45min, a nomral bike 60min and walking 90min.
You can still get to the work by walking but is slower than the rest, can you do it? Sure you can but it takes longer you are more tired by the end, and if it rains or slows you aren’t going to have to a fun time.
That’s the different Guardian druid vs other tanks at any level of PvE. Yes you can play it but it will be harder and more difficult even at low level content.
You however seem to think HEY is low level content any tank is the same, they take the same amount of damage, they require the same amount of healing, they have the same amount of mitigations. False if a tank is better in high level content it means it is also better in lower level content.
About the same amount of heals actually thanks to how Mastery works.
Yeah that’s how power rankings work. The Ricky Bobby mentality is strong with this group I see.
No one said Bears were the best tanks. Or that they were even comparable to Warriors or Paladins (funny how everyone leaves DHs and Monks out of the equations).
Just that you’ll be able to do KSM level content and even up to 2300 io just fine. Is it easier on other tanks, yes. Does it mean it’s impossible? No. Bears are fine until you get to content thats about 2x your current level of play.
If you’re struggling below 15s, it’s a player issue, not a spec issue. Does this mean Druid > Warriors, no. No one said that. Stop with the strawman and go cry wolf somewhere else