Blackguard Q's

[ace5149]

Hey so I just downloaded the game, trying to pick out a class, been through a few forums but was wondering how Blackguards are. I know they are tanks but how are they damage wise? I didn't play WAR when this class was out but they look awesome. Can their dmg compare to some melee dps?

[noisestorm]

When i was playing my BG back some months ago (lvl32 cap), i regularly outdamaged every destro DD. And i wasnt spamming AoE in case someone wonders.

DMG wise youre really good, but you lack any form of knockdown or healdebuff with a 2h dmg specc atm, which are somewhat essential though. You can go with Shield and still do decent damage and get your knockdown too, but overall the higher the lvl gets the bigger the gap to real DPS classes becomes.

Later on its more likely you will just outtank (or outsustain) other people if youre looking for Duels or whatever. In teamfights you can still do a moderate amount of assist damage, but generally you will be more of a guard and CC-bot.

[Lexxx20]

Hello fellow hate-filled Guards of Malekith!

I wanted to discuss Blackguards in general and couldn’t find a topic suited better for this.

After returning to WAR and starting to levelling up my (second) BG with a couple of friends, I felt torn apart when it came to speccing. Part of me wants to guard our healers, while radiating hate and knocking down and repelling order scum from our glorious back row heroes. But other half of me wants to spread chaos in the ranks of Order' mages and healers, cutting their heals and draining APs while guarding and assisting fellow MDDs.

I know that BG is capable of doing both but logic tells me that I need to spec into Malice for the first one to faster kill harassers of our support classes; and spec into Anguish to reach the heal debuffing tactic to harass their cloth-wearers myself. So here comes my question:

What role do you prefer yourself OR what do you think BG is more suitable for? Do you find that certain spec allows to perform both duties equally?

I don't plan to go 2H because longest KD in game requires a shield. I also recall going SnB earlier, taking Enraged Beating, crit tactic and dealing massive amounts of damage (to clothes) even without 2H. Surviveability is definitely lower in this spec though but I'm ready to accept this.

Thanks in advance.

[roadkillrobin]

Tanks are support classes. Treat em like that. To be a good tank you need to figure out were your support does the moast work. The defensive skills are much more based on what format of the game you play. Rule of thumb is that orvr anti magic is better while in small scale anti melee is better. When it comes to the actuall support and who you should guard you need to undersrand the classes you're about to support. Example. If you gonna guard and support a Witch Elf you can pretty much asume that that player is gonna go for casters. And a Anguish based build is the best option to go for. While if you gonna support a caster a Loathing CC build is probobly better. Malice for when supporting a Choppa or Brutallity Marauder. When it comes to Warband orvr Blackguard is pretty lacking.

[Lexxx20]

Tanks are support classes. Treat em like that. To be a good tank you need to figure out were your support does the moast work. The defensive skills are much more based on what format of the game you play. Rule of thumb is that orvr anti magic is better while in small scale anti melee is better. When it comes to the actuall support and who you should guard you need to undersrand the classes you're about to support. Example. If you gonna guard and support a Witch Elf you can pretty much asume that that player is gonna go for casters. And a Anguish based build is the best option to go for. While if you gonna support a caster a Loathing CC build is probobly better. Malice for when supporting a Choppa or Brutallity Marauder. When it comes to Warband orvr Blackguard is pretty lacking.

Thank you for quick and informative response!

My current play group is: Me as BG, Choppa, Zealot and Sorceress. We try to participate mostly in SCs (taking two PUGs into additional slots) or as a group in a Warband in oRvR.

So, most of a time I either guard my Zealot and Sorc mates (and other support classes near them) or join Choppa to harass their healers/RDDs, guarding him. I can see myself doing (and enjoying) both but I can't decide how exactly to specc...

I know that BGs are good as anti-healers but I'm afraid that I'll lose in DPS department speccing high into Anguish tree. Now, I'm not worried because I'm some 2H DPS wannabe (no offense to those guys!) but because I expect to suck in pealing off DPS from my support mates.

Please share your build if you don't mind, mate! You look like someone way more experienced in this area so I'm all ears

[YUKO]

When i was playing my BG back some months ago (lvl32 cap), i regularly outdamaged every destro DD. And i wasnt spamming AoE in case someone wonders.

DMG wise youre really good, but you lack any form of knockdown or healdebuff with a 2h dmg specc atm, which are somewhat essential though. You can go with Shield and still do decent damage and get your knockdown too, but overall the higher the lvl gets the bigger the gap to real DPS classes becomes.

Later on its more likely you will just outtank (or outsustain) other people if youre looking for Duels or whatever. In teamfights you can still do a moderate amount of assist damage, but generally you will be more of a guard and CC-bot.

I have played Blackguard for a long time and I cannot agree more what Noisestorm said.

They look awesome for everyone visually, but they will be in the end quite moderate and slightly unwanted- because there are other tanks who can do it much better.
Also when playing Blackguard the expectation rate for me was higher because of their appearance but the result wasn't satisfying due to the high chance of becoming "just someone with a guarding possibility"...

[kolchak]

The long knockdown and superpunt are your best features and you can use them together pretty well too. Generally I guard a Choppa or something if I'm going forward. and knock a soft target down and punt it backwards into our team, or if I'm on defense, I guard one of our soft targets and knock down/punt away their would-be killers. With the game where it is, I think you have to go into BG with the mentality that it's your job to frustrate the other guy and grind him/her down, rather than overwhelm them.

[footpatrol2]

The blackguard was my first character and I played it from release for a very long time.

Furious Howl is a amazing ability sadly you don't gain access to this until level 40.
The 5 sec knockdown is really good.
The super punt is really good.
You do have access to a AoE punt through morale 2 ability which to be honest you don't need a spammable AoE punt.
The BG can extend slighlty further then most tanks due to his self cleansing/heal abilities.
Best hold the line tank vs magic in the game.
Choking fury is really good
Outgoing heal debuff is really good.
You have AP feeds through elite training.
Wave of scorn and crimson death is really good.
BG's are a debuffing tank not so much a buffing tank.
BG's have access to a better armor debuff then the BO.

Malice is also very fast attack which is a theme in DE. If you stack damage on hit buff's it will dramatically increase your damage output on the BG due to his faster then normal attack speed.

Damage buff's on hit.
Frozen touch from sorc
Covenant of vitality
Covenant of Celerity

[daniilpb]

Does BGs strength buff from Brutal smash or toughness buff from Feeding On Weakness stack wish potions?

[footpatrol2]

I don't think so. Not sure.

In my opinion this game wasn't designed from a balance point of view to take into considerations potion buff's.

If you remember the grab bag crafting was suppose to be useful but you weren't suppose to be punished for not doing it, If i remeber that correctly.