So, where to start with this....well, tooltip I guess.
Couple of notes:
- You have to end up with 5 Fortification stacks before the skill goes out to apply this effect.
- 40% damage buff is a mastery-based damage buff. (If you're at 200% mastery damage, this will put you at 240%)
- Cooldown cannot be reduced by any measure.
- Casting Shield-Taunt before you gain 5 stacks will not activate the skill. However, casting it at 3 stacks, getting a crit with Shield-taunt (yes, it counts as a non-damaging hit that can critically strike) puts you at 5, which immediately activates the skill.
- Similarly, casting it at 5 stacks and activating the hit will wipe all Fortification stacks from the Guardian, however, if Shied-taunt scores a critical hit (or Shield The People proc's), you will gain back either 1 (on normal 50% chance proc) or two (on a crit proc)
- While not displayed in the tooltips, the range is an AOE circle, centered on the Guardian, with a 20m radius.
- Affects every ally, doesn't have a max target set nor fellowship restrictions. Ally doesn't have to be in combat either.
Now, the fun stuff:
IF YOU USE LITANY OF DEFIANCE AT 5 STACKS TO CASH IT OUT AND FOLLOW UP WITH SHIELD-TAUNT, YOU WILL GAIN THE BREAK RANKS BUFF WITHOUT HAVING ANY FORTIFICATION STACKS
This needs immediate addressing, as this bug was not present during BR testing. Litany Of Defiance allows a Guardian to gain a large amount of mitigations and, provided other people aren't hit (due to damage redirection effect bypassing a portion of mitigations bug, but that's for another day), you can easily gain 92% physical mitigation. Oh, and the whole "free Break Ranks" thing is kinda bad too.