Feedback: New Player Tips for Wardens

[Frelorn]

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on the classes in our Tell the Community Team threads. In keeping with that theme, we want your help. If you could give one tip to a new player about playing the Warden class, what would it be?

[Murtanion]

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on the classes in our Tell the Community Team threads. In keeping with that theme, we want your help. If you could give one tip to a new player about playing the Warden class, what would it be?

Group up as much as possible while leveling. Many Warden's level to the cap solo and then don't know how to tank or function in a group setting. This makes for poorly played Warden's and a very frustrating time.

[Regero]

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on the classes in our Tell the Community Team threads. In keeping with that theme, we want your help. If you could give one tip to a new player about playing the Warden class, what would it be?

Only one eh? hm....

Get and learn to use your masteries. You won't have access to these traits until level 30-ish, but they are one of the most useful tools a warden has in his arsenal. They will save your power, help your DPS, and let you build gambits faster AND at range.

[gildhur]

Don't use multiple target gambits when you only have a single target, and vice versa.

[geoboy]

When grouping, worry about threat first and self-buffing, healing later. Your number 1 priority is to protect your healers, and you should learn to trust them to keep you alive while you gain control of a situation.

[BINKLEY1]

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on the classes in our Tell the Community Team threads. In keeping with that theme, we want your help. If you could give one tip to a new player about playing the Warden class, what would it be?

READ THE WARDEN FORUM!

Perhaps not as suitable for in-game as other tips, but I cannot count the number of times random perusing of the Warden forum led me to some new, effective or fun thing to do with my Warden.

(I wish other class forums had the same esprit d'corps.)

For in-game, I'd advise new Wardens to avoid rushing into combat: we have many good options to consider for starting an encounter besides acting like Champions.

[lf2536]

do class deeds, do class deeds and then do them some more. there is no better way to memorize the gambits.

[cedwin]

Heal over Time gambits stack with other HoT gambits, you can have multiple heals going at once, same for Damage over Time gambits.

[LagunaD]

Learn to love Precise Blow; it is your best single-target threat gambit.

[cedwin]

One more.

Watch your power, it's easy to burn through power as a warden. Equipping In-Combat Power Regen items helps.

[JeanCarlo]

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on the classes in our Tell the Community Team threads. In keeping with that theme, we want your help. If you could give one tip to a new player about playing the Warden class, what would it be?

Try to curve any feeling of alt-itis while playing a warden! Or in other words, stick to it for a Long while.

One thing I've found, having been away from the game off and on since I created my warden, is the sheer volume of what to Remember in terms of Gambits. Unlike other classes (I also have an Rk that's only L32 but was created first day of MoM) there's a Lot more gambits than there are skills and they're not easily seen on your skill bar.

[qannadi]

I would say learn to think of gambits in the big picture rather than trying to memorize each and every one.

Understanding that Fist-Shield and on does a certain type of effect, that Shield-Spear is going to be HoTs, that 3-1-2 leads you to leeches.. Yes, there are some specifics to know, but if you can figure out the intent of each "branch" vs each individual Gambit, you'll wind up learning 6-8 things versus 40+.

[Rissien]

Practice, practice, practice. Use your masteries and learn many different ways to build the same gambit incorporating different masteries. This way if you have one of your key mastery skills on cool-down you can still build your needed gambit quickly.

[thegneech]

Don't be too proud to let the guardian have the aggro ... sometimes.

(But more seriously, don't go around with a chip on your shoulder. Just learn to be awesome, and people will notice on their own.)

-The Gneech

[Barruktp]

Most of my would-be suggestions have been covered already, but....

Tanking is the hardest job in the game bar-none. Never let anyone tell you you suck or you are worthless because you don't have experience. Be patient, learn to pull mobs around corners and into safe zones, learn to turn mobs, and trust the capabilities of your other team-mates.

Oh, and let the champ have all the aggro he wants. It's his fault if he dies going "shing-shing" in fervour mode.

[kermie-lee]

What a great thread! The warden community is the best, of that I've no doubt. They've helped me on more occasions than I can count. Anyhoo, here's the first tip that came to mind...

Get your gambit class deeds done as quickly as possible. Throw 3 to 4 of those deeds up on your quest tracker bar, and while you're questing and killing mobs make sure to specifically focus on those particular gambits. Once the blue deed bar turns yellow for the day, swap them out for some others. The sooner you get those done, the sooner you'll have access to some pretty cool class traits... and you don't want to be stuck in your 50s or even 60s trying to get them done.

[Drarin]

Use solo time as a way to earn your class traits. You'll find that when you level up in groups things will die quickly, preventing you from making any serious progress on your traits, as most of your class traits require you to preform gambits.

[Gaffer_Tobblin]

When in a group:
"ASK" before using your Stealthed spear throwing abilities.
( or any ability that draws )
These skills can lead do some devastating party wipes.

Wardens are great help in a party, if the party leader is listened to.

So above all, before you set up any attacks, know what you are attacking, where your party is, and if anyone says "don't attack" listen to them, and back up and off your skills induction.

[Big_H]

I would say learn to think of gambits in the big picture rather than trying to memorize each and every one.

Understanding that Fist-Shield and on does a certain type of effect, that Shield-Spear is going to be HoTs, that 3-1-2 leads you to leeches.. Yes, there are some specifics to know, but if you can figure out the intent of each "branch" vs each individual Gambit, you'll wind up learning 6-8 things versus 40+.

^^ that's a great one to know. Learn the basic patterns and it makes the gambit system so much easier.


Set up your keyboard for easy and fast gambit use. Find a layout that works for you and learn it.
For example I've bound two of my Masteries to my R and F keys (with shift variants), so I've got a nice easily reachable builder arc.

[Cammunition]

When fighting spell casters, and no one in your group is dedicated to interrupting, or the interrupter is busy, keep the Spear-Shield mastery empty so that if a mob starts an induction, you can drop your current gambit, pop Spear-Shield, give them The Boot, then carry on.
When you're tanking a spell caster like a Defiler, figure our their induction patterns. They're not likely to begin inducting another spell straight after you've interrupted one, so you can use a few aggro gambits. If it's been a while since they tried an induction, start building a Spear-Shield-Spear-Shield in anticipation.

[Mandragaron]

Best advice I could give to the new Warden is to check out DocHoliday's Warden Guides on Lotro Reporter, starting with this one:

http://lotroreporter.com/2010/02/starting-a-warden/

[LtDiablo]

Love seeing all new names appear just in this thread and no where else lol

One tip to a new Warden, Run Spear Traited, don't consider shield line till you have the pulse traits done. Spear will conserve the most power and end the fight the quickest to where self heals are not needed.

[Happyfish]

Precise blow is the best aggro tool you have, use it and use it often.

Shield mastery is your healers friend and lasts for 1 minute. Keep it up all the time.

Learn how long your HoTs and DoTs last, you can't stack the same bleeds and same heals.

You make the pulls to start fights, not your group.

By convention spear is Sp or 1, shield is Sh or 2 and Fist is Fi or 3. Onslaught for example might be written as 1-2-1 or sp-sh-sp.

[Vugdush]

Set up your keyboard for easy and fast gambit use. Find a layout that works for you and learn it.
For example I've bound two of my Masteries to my R and F keys (with shift variants), so I've got a nice easily reachable builder arc.

Definitely. What I've done is map all my builders and masteries to my numeric keypad:

1-3  2-3  3-2
1-2  2-1  3-1
 1    2    3

I can then fire the gambit with 0/insert.
Left hand handles movement and other actions. This means I'm not too mobile when tanking, but warden tanking's not very good at mobility anyway. My kin knows to bring things to me if they pull aggro.

Having my hands off the mouse means trouble with FMs, so I bind single-quote to targeting the FM target, and shift-arrow keys to the 4 directions.

[Harperelle]

Print this out and put it on your monitor...