Some Warrior Q's

[Izsha]

Yeah its just driving home that war isn't "squishy" at all on tabk busters. One you realize that defiance=shield oath and IB=rampart, all of wars "crappy" CDs are built onto that already very sturdy base. I still don't know why the myth persists that war is the "squishy" tank.

[BlackenedTiamat]

i play one ps4. i find it extremely beneficial to only use two sets of crossbars.

my first crossbar has my main dps/tank rotations on the "R2" side. and main def cds on the "L2" side, besides Thrill and Inner Beast (more to follow as to why.)

2nd hotbar-

L2 side

Left D/PAD- Defiance
Up D/PAD- Deliverance
Down D/Pad- STR Pot
Right D/Pad- Convalescence

Triangle- Provoke
Square- LB
X- Fell Cleave
Circle- Decimate/Marker

R2 Side- (Mainly Defiance related skills.)

Left D/Pad- Thrill of Battle
Right D/Pad- Equilibrium
Down D/Pad- Second Wind
Up D/Pad- Storm's Eye, reason its here is due to convenience of use.

Triangle- Infuriate
Square- Unchained
Circle- Steel Cyclone
X- Inner Beast.

i also macro Awareness with Raw Intuition to save space, But mainly because it compliments Raw Intuition very nicely.

this is just what im use to. to each their own really. do whatever is comfortable. I find it less convenient to use skills that are on the L2 area of the controller. so all my main attack abilities are easily accessible on "action" buttons. Besides Storms Eye, idk why its so comfortable to use it there lol.

[BlackenedTiamat]

when it comes to magic based attacks. its always important to look to your other players in the group. have a BLM? Apoc is an instant cast skill they have.

If a BLM has an issue with using it, then theyre not a good BLM.

[Einheri]

The more I read these forums the more apparent the class devs idea of the pld shield block isn't a consideration of the player base. You can see in all these posts about war and pld very rarely is pld block considered. I assume its because in the raid meta block and parry can't be counted on for mitigation.

alot of people ask for pld to get an aoe damage spell because the current meta is to deal damage. Pld doesn't get aoe because it can block autoattacks and a war can't gen wrath to spend on mitigation using overpower. This keeps the class idea of pld being defensive and war being an offensive tank but doesn't work in the current meta.

Look at IB it reduces all damage by 20% and costs stacks. Pld blocks for more mitigation but it's rng can proc 5 times in a row or not at all and only physical. Blocking a flatten was awesome your health would barely move but your healers healed like you didn't block anyway cause they can't afford it if you didn't.

inner beast being a skill also makes it makes it better for stacking with cool downs on tank busters. I guess sheltron can do this now but for more mitigation against physical. Imo the devs need to reavaluate the role of block in the content design.

Also thrill is often over looked. Its as good as rampart for increasing your eHP to eat a tank buster but lacks the natural eHealing rampart provides. For single hit spike it holds its own pair it with con for ongoing mitigation.

Pros and cons they are very well balanced. But content design is highlighting the cons of one class.

[Ishmachiah]

3) Gamepad layouts - I play on ps4, and while i've gotten my hud layout and hotbar layout to something i'm USED to, i'm aware that it's not very... Is optimal the right word? What do you guys have going on, any advice?

I play on PC, and I use a gamepad. I prefer the UI setup for the gamepad more so than that of the keyboard and mouse. Holding down right and left bumpers or right and left triggers for various abilities is simple, easy and much preferred by many, including myself.

[Ashkendor]

Yeah its just driving home that war isn't "squishy" at all on tabk busters. One you realize that defiance=shield oath and IB=rampart, all of wars "crappy" CDs are built onto that already very sturdy base. I still don't know why the myth persists that war is the "squishy" tank.

Probably because we have a lot of really bad warriors, especially now that they're the current favorite tank.

[Brian_]

snip.

I don't think many intelligent posters think any of the things you've assumed.

Nor are some of the larger points you've made true.

PLD isn't the defensive tank. WAR also isn't the offensive tank. This has nothing to do with the meta. The issue is tanking is not such a duality, it is a singularity in the case of WAR and not in the case of PLD. On one hand, you see dev comments about how PLD can't have damage because they're a defense focused tank. On the other hand, you see WARs with internal synergy that means their damage increases their survivability and their survivability increases their damage. Nevermind the reality that even in terms of pure defense, WAR outclasses PLD.

There is a massive inequality here. WAR defense is on-par or better than PLD. PLD offense lags behind WAR by a country mile. If you want to make PLDs the better defensive tank, then make the difference equal. In most cases, you see WARs dealing 130%+ of a PLD's DPS. Why doesn't a PLD have 130%+ the eHP of a WAR? If there are scenarios where you cannot pass a DPS check without a WAR, there should be scenarios where a PLD is the only tank that can live through incoming damage.

However, that's just horrible design. So, nobody is asking for that type of garbage. They are asking for homogenized balance instead. That is why you see requests for more AoE damage and whatnot.

Do people consider block? Yes, obviously. People consider PLD better in A2S partially because of block. For content like A3S and Thordan EX, block is huge. Obviously people acknowledge the usefulness.

Content design obviously plays a big part in class balance. But, that is more in relation to DRK and PLD because of their differing damage affinities. Outside of very specific situations, WAR will never be forced out of content and double WAR could easily be better even if you adjusted content to be better for PLD.

[Reynhart]

I play with a controller too, and once you're accustomed to it, it is as effective as mouse/keyboard.

My two tips to make it smoother :
1) Make one macro for Defiance and one for Deliverance. In each macro, you can set the action tied to your stance at the same spot "Inner Beast/Fell Cleave" and "Steel Cyclone/Decimate". It will help save some space.
2) Display a hotbar to put every CD not in your main crosshotbar so that you can see when each one is ready.

Enjoy your WAR.

Why doesn't a PLD have 130%+ the eHP of a WAR? If there are scenarios where you cannot pass a DPS check without a WAR, there should be scenarios where a PLD is the only tank that can live through incoming damage.

This is exatcly what they don't want...and why we're screwed.
Or, they could improve PLD to bypass most of the tank swap/dual tanks setup (And reducing even more its DPS for balance). Your choice : Two tanks or one PLD.

[Alphras]

Also thrill is often over looked. Its as good as rampart for increasing your eHP to eat a tank buster but lacks the natural eHealing rampart provides. For single hit spike it holds its own pair it with con for ongoing mitigation.

Thrill and Rampart are not equivalent. Rampart increases eHP by 25%, ToB only by 20%.

[Einheri]

Thrill and Rampart are not equivalent. Rampart increases eHP by 25%, ToB only by 20%.

that's true if its additive and not multiplicitive
defiance + thrill is a 50% increase in hp not a 45%

Shieldoath + rampart is a 36% damage reduction and not a 40%

((20000x1.25)1.2)=30000 or +50%
((25000).8).8)=16000 or -36%

25k dam would kill any 20k hp tank in tank stance popping either thrill or rampart would allow the tank to survive with 20% total hp left