Post new topic   Reply to topic    Southern Cross Forum Index -> Warden
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Beriabereth
Member
Freeperson

user avatar

Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 9

Send private message
Reply with quote

re: The long dark tea time of a Waden's soul: coping with change

0
My warden on Vilya... or Imladris, or Windfola for that matter, Rhiyddun is conceptually my main toon, the one I think of as 'me' when I pull him out.

I had renounced betas after they just pulled the plug on Roheryn without warning so long ago. I had been committed to helping beta, built up a whole family of toons, and poof, one day they were gone.

I thought then that was about as angry as they could make me and not leave the game. I was wrong.

One day, they took what a warden was, twisted it 90 degrees, even going as far as having many skills change in a basic way how they affected gameplay without using a different name or anything suggestive that basically, one day you logged in and everything you knew was wrong.

Now, that made me mad. I'm still here, though, so I'll stop speculating on just how hard they'd have to try to drive me away. I've finally calmed down enough to look over the changes and try to analyze how to get back to the business of killing every Orc in Middle Earth.

One of the ironies of the Warden class is they are the Swiss Army knife of classes, and can do almost any single battle related task to a better or worse degree. Unfortunately, only one at a time, and it usually takes some planning ahead, and gauging the flow of the fight. This hasn't changed much.

Okay, first off I noticed in the Power Attack/Mighty Blow line, they took away the bonus. The bonus was PA put a low bleed DoT on. Mighty Blow would deal bonus damage if a low bleed was present, like hunters Barbed arrow boosts a Scourging Blow's damage. Mighty Blow would then put a medium bleed on, which the 5-length Unerring Strike would do bonus damage if present. That was my main DPS line... ooops.

I used to trait 4 fist 3 shield, start with Surety of Death and Brink of Victory, and then to a Power Attack, Mighy Blow, and if necessary Unerring Strike series to finish off normals or sigs, because the fist stuff would bleed longer than the spear bleeds. I've had to revisit this thinking, and still haven't finished.

I'm still looking for a reliable dps series, after all I still need to get Vilya's Rhiyddun from 66 to 75. It now uses lots and lots of little tier 0 and possibly higher bleeds one can put on a mob. Mobs are still bleeding, but it's harder to tell how badly. Dark Before Dawn can be used anytime now! Does a fair bit of damage too. Power Attack is good against blocks, Mighty Blow is good against Parry/Evade. Boars Rush can now scare them briefly, just enough to break inductions, or daze(not stun) them briefly,3s I think it is.

Before I get into specifics and put all the guards to sleep, I'll summarize what I'm formulating as things a warden is suited for. I see three main and different styles of traiting, which I'll describe without too much analysis.

First off, there's what I think of as a traditional tanking warden, emphasizing BPE, mitigation and regen, traited for lots of heal pulses, extra threat, and so on.

The one I find interesting is focusing on the new ranged stance, Assailment. Conviction now negates -99% threat for 10 seconds in a 10m radius about a warden, only when in Assailment tho. On the down side, setting up the 5 gambit Conviction with shield bashes and screams takes a few seconds itself, so stealthing a small group around you is not going to leave time for much else. It will heal the squishies as a side effect tho, about a Solliloqy's worth for pretty much the whole fellow. With a couple other shield gambits here and there, you can also boost ranged damage 7% or so, and tactical damage about 5%.

Then of course is a DPS traiting, which oddly enough also boosts fist skills, so you have the choice of being a squishy tank that hurts them more also it seems.

At the moment, Rhiyddun is 66, and is doing book stuff around Nar's Peak, vIIIb3, working towards Galtrev slowly. As I learn and develop more on this new style of Wadening, I'll come bump the thread again Happy


_________________
Seven stars, seven stones, and one white tree
Aldarionn
Idril_Aldarion
Member
Esquire



Joined: 07 Nov 2010
Posts: 40

Send private message
Reply with quote

re: The long dark tea time of a Waden's soul: coping with change

0
HUGS!

I don't have a Warden....but my best friend in game does and believe me I've shared his pain. I levelled my Mini up with his Warden, and it was a pretty decent toon....then disaster struck...RoI! My friend (who may want to remain nameless-but everyone will know who he is wink ) tried.....he kept bringing that Warden along to the 3-mans...myself and a.n.other would look at one another, pity in our eyes...for we knew the fate of our 3-man....when the Warden came along...........

Joking aside, it was horrible to see what Lotro did to the Warden, I can't imagine how angry I'd be if it were my toon, my mini or my beloved Champ....thankfully I LOVED the improvements they made to those classes. Speaking strictly from someone who runs with the Warden, I have noticed a marked improvement, we are now able to do 3 & 6 mans, and my healer can keep the Warden alive and indeed the Warden can keep himself alive......but I'm told that they fix one thing, and break another.

Most of your post went over my head Rhyd (not knowing the technicalities)....but you certainly have my sympathy and understanding and my hug at the beginning is heartfelt and warm Happy

love,
Aldie xxxx
Beriabereth
Member
Freeperson

user avatar

Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 9

Send private message
Reply with quote

re: Exploring the Spear line

0
I'm trying to zoom thru all this Enedwaith content, at least getting the book stuff, and the inevitable side quests one just feels obliged to do because you're there. I cleared volume III book 3, and picked Trum Dreng, where I'll be heading in just a bit to start book 4. I decided to experiment, figured, why not, I'm well nigh invincible anyway, let's trait DPS and at least let them get a lick in.

Now, before the big update, I usually had traited somewhat conservatively, 4 fist and 3 shield, relied on bleeding them to death mostly, lead off with a Brink of Victory, Surety of Death, then the Fierce Resolve line on a big mob, with the Power Attack series I described above as a dps finisher, basically always ready to tank something if I had to.

Traiting spear was a first, and I got a surprise when I went all the way and went Recklessness and looked over the gambit descriptions. The spear line also grants bonuses to the fist gambits in Recklessness that favor my previous tactics of fist then spear attacks. The fist-spear gambits seem to do good damage these days, it seems like more than the Power Attack line, but that's a subjective impression, and I'm still looking into that.


_________________
Seven stars, seven stones, and one white tree
Posts from:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Southern Cross Forum Index -> Warden All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum