Why is Guarding just so...bad?

[Leonlionheart]

Why would I want a 55% guard rate (reducing but still taking damage) with a 0% Counter rate when I can have a 75% Counter rate (Not taking damage and dealing hate-free damage) with a 5% Guard rate?

Looks like you underestimate the power of Guard...

honest answer: Guard actually blocks physical WSs too, completely nullifying damage. So 55% would be way too much in actuality. Not only that but Guard cuts down pDIF by 1.0, meaning it would actually reduce damage over time by huge, huge, huge amounts when stacked with an easily obtainable high PDT set. Against mobs that you can't counter against (Iron giants, Shinryu, high accuracy/evasion enemies) this ability would probably make MNK invincible.

So really it could be useful, though not in Abyssea, and probably overpowered outside Abyssea.