Why is Guarding just so...bad?

[Paksenarrion]

I've always had a bit of an issue with guarding. Before Abyssea, there were some things that I tanked, nothing overly hard, but literally every time I would get a guard skill up, I'd state it out to my LS. Even today, other MNKs in my group have adopted the same joke.

Getting guard skill ups is horrible. Even worse, at CAP, you'll only guard 10% of the time.

I liken Guarding to Shield skill. Both are meant to be a defensive capability when a mob is attacking you. In my length of time in FFXI, I've seem at least two changes to Shield skill, upping rates of blocking, increasing skill gain, and even a spell to increase shield blocks and reflect damage. If Guarding has changed at all, I don't recall this happening.

PLD were meant to be a tank, and it's understandable that they should have more reliance on shields. Times have changed though, and MNK has become a big contender in the tanking field. I think it's time to give a second look at Guarding skill. Make it better in some form. I'm not sure exactly what to change about it, but it's one of a MNK's two defensive capabilities (The other being Counter.).

Please consider taking a look at guarding skill again. I'm sure many MNKs would love you for it. =)

[Glamdring]

pups would like it too!

[Lynchilles]

Getting guard skill ups is horrible. Even worse, at CAP, you'll only guard 10% of the time.

Please post tested support for your statistics.

[Neisan_Quetz]

10% was being generous, if it's similar to parry than it's closer to 5% on tougher mobs, potentially more on anything below VT.

[Lynchilles]

10% was being generous, if it's similar to parry than it's closer to 5% on tougher mobs, potentially more on anything below VT.

That's pretty much what I have seen from more than a few people on BG that have capped Guard.

I wouldn't ask SE to touch Guard to be honest. Monk is extremely powerful now and an incredibly good tank both in and out of Abyssea. The only possible way I can see a Monk making Guard work for them on anything that matters is by capping guard and stacking a lot of +Guard Skill gear, which would be counterproductive to say the least. The faster I can kill my enemy, the less situations I will be in where I would need guard to proc.


Monk is just fine where it is. I wouldn't want SE to adjust anything with Monk at this point because that is when things usually go horribly wrong based on past experiences.

[Paksenarrion]

Monk is extremely powerful now and an incredibly good tank both in and out of Abyssea. The only possible way I can see a Monk making Guard work for them on anything that matters is by capping guard and stacking a lot of +Guard Skill gear, which would be counterproductive to say the least. The faster I can kill my enemy, the less situations I will be in where I would need guard to proc.

I suppose I can agree with this. I do still think they should look at the rate of guard skill ups, though. It's really, really slow imo.

[Swords]

10% was being generous, if it's similar to parry than it's closer to 5% on tougher mobs, potentially more on anything below VT.

I'd say guard procs about 5% of the time, I can get parry to proc and skillup about 10-15% of the time. The sad thing is... my parry is about 115 and my guard is about 200.

[Habiki]

I'd say guard procs about 5% of the time, I can get parry to proc and skillup about 10-15% of the time. The sad thing is... my parry is about 115 and my guard is about 200.

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If your parry procced that much it your skill would be much higher then 115 its at most 3% - 7% proc rate I'm at 321 parry skill atm and skill ups have pretty much stopped only get decent skill ups on VT mobs or Notorius monsters. Decent being the occasional .2 or .3 every 3-4 hrs if i see any at all for the day or week for that matter. One thing to consider about parry is it doesn't just activate when it says in the chat log "player parrys the enemys attack" it also effects accuracy of enemy tp moves, I imagine guard works to the same extent as this.

One things for certain the skill up rate of these to defensive abilitys need to be improved some maybe increase them to the lvl at which shield skills up.

On the subject of guard I can't really add much my mnks only lvl 21, didn't jump on the bandwagon.

[Swords]

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If your parry procced that much it your skill would be much higher then 115 its at most 3% - 7% proc rate I'm at 321 parry skill atm and skill ups have pretty much stopped only get decent skill ups on VT mobs or Notorius monsters. Decent being the occasional .2 or .3 every 3-4 hrs if i see any at all for the day or week for that matter. One thing to consider about parry is it doesn't just activate when it says in the chat log "player parrys the enemys attack" it also effects accuracy of enemy tp moves, I imagine guard works to the same extent as this.

Yeah about that, being I'm a Monk I'm usually using H2H weapons 95% of the time. Most skillups I get are from randomly tanking while triggiering.

[Paksenarrion]

Can I quote statistics as "This is what I was told and I was inclined to believe?"

There's probably a reason I'm failing my stats class.

Okay, so I pulled a number out of the air from what I had been told in the past. The number is still abysmally low, like Neisan stated. I will honestly state that I am not the right person to quote statistics. I apologize for using a number I have no proof to back up. =(