Official Discussion Thread for "Battlemaster's Corner - The Warded Guardian"

ZOS_JasonLeavey · October 2015

This is the official discussion thread for the web article, "Battlemaster's Corner - The Warded Guardian."

Our latest featured ESOTU player build is The Warded Guardian, a Magicka-based Sorcerer tank self-sustaining build. Read all about it in our latest issue!

keto3000 · October 2015

2 thumbs up!

Zlater · October 2015

Hehe thanks, I've seen some tankish builds before but never anything that was just right. I certainly hope someone finds this useful

Zlater · October 2015

They change a couple of things though, I do mix-max as much as I can as well wood elf is not any longer recommended for a build like this. It was meant to read nord instead xD but that's ok, the thing was originally written for 1.6 where wood elf would have been super awesome

RobbaYaga · October 2015

Any chance of you posting a video of this build in action? I run a Sorc Tank that is similar, but has significant differences and I'm almost of the opinion you've learned to use this build so well it works, but for the average player, they're going to get punked.

Just a side note: with Structured Entropy on only one bar, your health actually changes when you flip bars. It's a small amount and probably pointless if you're at that point.

keto3000 · October 2015

I just finished work on this build for my v16 sorc ( High elf caster mage dps) and I tanked vet CoH as my very first tanking venture! It went really well! Thank you for sharing your build. I will definitely have lots of fun learning how to tank now. A quick question:
How do you feel about the heavy armor skill Immovable ( morphed to Unstoppable)? I have been using it with success on my DPS build in PvP. Is it an option to replace Boundless Storm under certain conditions, since it also gives the Major Resolve and Major Ward?

Cheers, keto

Zlater · October 2015

RobbaYaga wrote: »

Any chance of you posting a video of this build in action? I run a Sorc Tank that is similar, but has significant differences and I'm almost of the opinion you've learned to use this build so well it works, but for the average player, they're going to get punked.

Just a side note: with Structured Entropy on only one bar, your health actually changes when you flip bars. It's a small amount and probably pointless if you're at that point.

hehe I'll see what I can do, I'm just a little bit lazy with these things xD.
If you are just jumping into the role at vr16 after endless amounts of grinding, yes. But if you have leveled up a sorc normally you'll be used to applying shields and getting your timing right.

I suspect you use pets when tanking, its nice and stuff I guess. I honestly would maybe use the restoring twilight if I didn't already have a toggle, but that's hard because inner light is also something I would jump on pretty quickly. What is your build @RobbaYaga ?

Youre right about the drop in health. If I can be completely honest with you, if the meta for tanking wasn't 'DK with 35k-40k health I'd probably play it a little more risky with a bit less health.
You should try sorcing with 10k health and 45-50k max magicka, its disgustingly OP, if only a build like that actually had a use outside of the new msa. (*evil laugh* - one day I'll use this again)

@keto3000 hehe I don't really touch it, I can only imagine that it could be useful against a boss who can apply fear, or nb's lol. Otherwise your stamina is just too precious.

I'm really happy you found that it worked well for you! CoH I've tanked, lol too many; times with my DPS gear and S&B and a Single Target destro staff bar, that negate on the first boss is my only real annoyance. With Nerien'eth I always swap pierce armor and inner-fire around, you might find this more dependable if you weren't already doing it. Silver leash is also a great skill to use here, stamina is really only for dodge-rolling out of the big aoe on that fight anyway.
Congrats too, this is usually a very tough fight for newer tanks, so if you have cleared it so fast you are doing very well!

Zlater · October 2015

Special mention, if you're a redguard or you have more than enough stamina for some reason, consider dropping bound aegis and replacing it with ring or preservation, you'll find 12% mitigation to be much more useful.

Going into Orsinium the build will be with 2xEngines Guardian, 5xSeducer and 5xPermafrost. I'll admit I wrote permafrost off at first, but that was before I knew it came with rings and an amulet! Now it's definately on my hit list. This set I believe will be the missing piece.

Trihugger · November 2015

I have a few questions for you after reading your build and the skill/gear setup.

1) If you swapped to the Atronach mundus, would it be feasible to use the Hist Bark set over the Seducer?
My thinking here is that if you could sustain it, you would be able to drop Evasion as well. In that spot and in place of entropy you could slot defensive posture, further generally reducing the damage your shields are taking just by having it there (and also the mana expenditure to recast them). Obviously this would require quite a few champion points, but I think it would be realistic at the ~350 mark.

I guess I'm ultimately unclear on playstyle as to just how much time you spend blocking as I've mostly only seen what I call Turtle Tanks that are blocking almost the whole time and dead tanks that aren't.

2) Is there an addon that actually differentiates shields instead of a flat +combined total? I know FTC is a combined total.

Thank you in advance, it was a pleasant read.

Zlater · December 2015

@Trihugger thanks for your questions.

Between you and me defensive posture is a completely useless ability for PvE. It increases your block by 8% of its full amount, if you are perma blocking and mostly drinking damage with your health bar this is ok though. So let me explain, say your block is 60% (1.2* 50) including the S&B passive, and your armor is at 33000 for a further 50% reduction and that's it. The block increase calculation would work like this:

0.08 * block * armor = actual amount contributed
So infact you only actually get a reduction of 2.4% of a health pool that you really can't heal through because you're a sorc. It also doesn't reduce damage to your shields... and you must be burning stamina to use block. Not to mention the reflect doesn't work on most projectiles originated from bosses. The absorb magic morph also does not trigger when the shield absorbs the damage instead of your health. The misconception is that it's +8% but in reality it's actually *1.08.

I totally use it when I pvp though, it's such a troll friendly skill xD

About the addon... No, trust me I've looked, a lot. The problem is that the api doesn't allow for this function, not even the base game ui separates different shields. Bosses usually have time between attacks that you can re-apply hardened ward, the aoe and other damage will get handled by harness magicka, harness magicka can be trusted so get used to relying on it ;D
Oh man, don't even mention 'turtle tanks' I could rant forever but in a few harsh but very true words: 0 Dps = 0 group usefulness.

If you are an experienced sorc player then you will with little doubt be used to shield stacking for survivability. It's very much that but I really expand on it in this build. Just try it and you'll be surprised ;D

keto3000 · February 2016

Hi @Zlater ,

I have been successfully using your tank setup (specs per your original post) on my v16 Altmer sorc now with 5 pcs of v15 Seducer set ( purple) and I'm ready to commit and make it all v16 gear. Do you have any update info re your original build to pass along?

Dreddnawt · April 2016

What the hell happened to Battlemaster's Corner?

You ever going to bring it back?

What was the reason for stopping it for the last 10 months?

Devs?

MacPhreak · July 2016

Quick question for a new Sorc player. I'm giving your guide a try, it's very informative & well written. What I'd like to know is which passive skills are you supposed to choose? I presume all the racial passive skills, but what else?
Thanks again for the info