Guardian 101 with Jung - Skill Build & Explanation for Guardians
Pros:
- Heavy % damage on low hit count skills; calls for high combo damage
- Highest HP and Defense
- Many Super Armor moves
- Guarding mobility
- Many daze skills
Cons:
- Movement and attack speed suffers from Bulwark usage
- Ability to close gap is quite hard; causes difficult catching up to ranged based characters
- Very few guard breaking moves
This guide follows a level 50 SP build. However, explanations of skills from a level 63 perspective will be offered as well to a small degree.
[Level 50 Skill Build]
Skills that should/must be maxed
Thrust Kick: Universally amongst all fighters, Thrust Kick should be maxed. Its high damage and regularity in combos make it a must-have.
Descent Guardian: As a very high damage dealing catch, Descent Guardian should be maxed due to the ability to deal a free 3 hits if ever caught on opponent that deal a massive amount of damage. The regularity of this skill depends on the class you fight; some classes can simply outrun you if you missed the timing. Also, if your Descent Guardian runs out, and the opponent is near you, you can be caught, so be careful using this – it is not an instant win button.
Guts Power: High strength bonus, with a minor movement speed decrease. It is well worth it however, adding a massive punch to skill damage.
Expert Guard: The king of repelling counters I may say. Expert Guard can push off any attack, so as long as it doesn’t break guard. Even if your opponent is guarding, Expert Guard if close enough can knock your opponents down. Also note that you can cancel out of Expert Guard with Evasive Dash. Be careful however, as you can still be grabbed using this.
Rush Upper: The bread and butter combo placement high hitter. The presence of super armor mixed with a staggering high percentile damage output makes this skill a must use in any short or long combo. Be careful however of the second hit’s finish, as it has a recovering frame.
Threatening Shout: It serves as a combo skill or a catch. In the sense of a catch, it gives the user super armor while releasing an aura that breaks guard, dazes, and puts the effect of the skill on the opponent. In the sense of a combo, some skills allow you to use Threatening Shout in time, so you can curse your enemy with the speed decrease. Once maxed, this skill offers a huge cut in the opponent’s move speed and attack speed, making it harder for them to escape and outrun you.
Evasive Dash: Obvious.
Grab Strike: Grabs are universally every fighter’s bread and butter combo starter. It breaks through super armor, it offers a free fairly high three hits, and it allows the start of combos.
Press Kick: Press Kick is every fighter’s friend. It offers invincibility, daze, and good use in many combos. The more you train this skill, the faster it comes out, making it an even more impressive catch.
Back End Upper: One of the king openers and catchers for fighter classes all around, Back End Upper is a must have for PvP. Dealing rather high damage, invincibility, and the ability to cancel into any other action skill (even chaining into other invincibility skills like Press Kick and linking the invincibility), Back End Upper should be a staple to fighters.
Charge Attack: Charge Attack is Guardian’s main distance closing skill. While it allows guarding and hitting the opponent, do realize your opponent can always break it with a guard break skill, which calls for awareness on the class you are playing. The more you train this skill, the more mobility you get, allowing you to circle and reverse catch opponents.
Defensive Dash: As stated before, it allows Expert Guard to escape easily. The function of Defensive Dash by itself however, is to safely close the distance between you and your enemy with a guarded advance forward.
Breakneck Charge: Breakneck is one of Guardian’s main catch. Offering a quick sudden dash at the end of Charge Attack, Breakneck deals a moderate amount of damage and a daze effect upon enemies. The daze allows us to begin combos or set up ourselves for the next attack.
Max HP Increase: With this in stock, Guardian becomes even harder to kill.
Attack Masteries: Just max them, most passives are useful.
Defensive Masteries: The passive line of Defensive Mastery is the key as to why Guardians are so bulky in HP and defense.
Defensive Stance: Needed for Evasive Dash.
Bound Tactician: Allows us to pretty much change Guardian Descent into an instant win button in PvE and intrusion.
Skills that are recommended for one point. More is up to user preference.
Bash 1, 2, 3: You don’t need to increase bash; there isn’t a height or speed difference for it. It serves mainly as a combo lift, and the damage doesn’t live up to SP cost you’d have to pump in all three.
Round Swing: Round Swing is hard to recommend. It offers a super armor effect (un-reliable) on each start up, it offers daze that makes your opponent unable to evasive attack or dash out of, and since guardian can go up to 3 and 4, we can either ground or knock our opponents out. Personally, I don’t train Round Swing due to the SP cost and the lack of moments for it, but some KR and JP players do train and use it as a counter of sorts.
Upper Swing: I actually have Upper Swing at 0. The usage for it is more variation in air combos, but the damage output versus SP cost and animation time doesn’t really add up. Some people use it as a forced grounder so you can get a free roll out of the area.
Breeze Turn: I have one point in Breeze Turn, mainly for movement in PvP since it has guard. Its catching ability only really works on Hunters who don’t have guard, but for everyone else, it’s very unreliable. I do admit however, that if you max this, the damage output is quite high, making it a decent combo add.
Shield Smash: Mainly, I train Shield Smash to knock out Shrine elementalists, hit grounded opponents for a forced rising and free damage, or shoot at feet for knocking down. The damage and range never really adds up, hence, I don’t train this past 1 point anymore. The firing and retraction time also is risky for us.
Iron Skin: I have 1 point, due to the fact the skill only increases in physical defense and very little help in the decrease in attack and move speed. I would not recommend maxing this at all, since our physical defense is high enough already.
Grab Spike: It is the only move that I am ever so tempted to max, due to it being another grab. The damage is high, the combo use is amazing, and again, it breaks guard. However, since the increments aren’t that long, and to pump points into a 25 second CD skill is kind of wasteful, I left it at 1 as many KRs do.
Armor Combination: Armor Combination in practical PvP, only is good for its first hit. Like Press Kick and Breakneck Charge, the first hit offer daze. However, it is much shorter, making this skill mainly as an added damage hit. You could use this fully and cancel into different combo starts if you want, but training it doesn’t make the damage for each segment all that more impressive.
Crash Bomber: This is a risky skill with high gains. On the one hand, it breaks things like BM’s counter, and has super armor to counter oncoming attacks. On the other hand, if you miss, you’re caught, due to the long recovery time. The damage for this skill is good, but to plot many points and gamble with it is too wasteful. Plus, the MP cost is huge. I personally have left this at 0, sometimes 1.
Earthquake: Almost the same principles of Crash Bomber, but with a twist. Earthquake’s start up when you jump has invincibility, making you able to dodge an incoming attack. While in the air, you have super armor, and can crash down to hit enemies nearby. The damage is average for its risks, since again, it has a long recovery time. I personally don’t use this skill anymore, but sometimes experiment it on different accounts.
Over-Tough: I’ve told people to not train this, but I personally have it. The only reason is, our current SP limit isn’t lenient at all for this skill to be trained. Over-Tough is good in two fronts, the HP regeneration can cheaply earn you HP back and beat HP ties if needed. It also can decrease damage in general, starting at 20%, making it a good buff to throw on if you know you may be juggled, and need to survive it.
Back Hit Grab: It’s a counter grab basically, that offers you a form of invincibility and grabs incoming attacks. The frame is almost like Hunter’s Crouch, making it a timed evasion. Mostly used against foes who are charging you, to put points more than once is wasteful.
Iron Press: I see a problem with Guardians – they keep trying to open up with Iron Press. While Iron Press’ start up has super armor, its landing does not, and has a huge recovery time. This basically means, if you miss, you’re caught. If you glanced the opponent’s guard, you are also caught. Still, in times of desperation, this skill is needed, to both catch and do things like kill summons.
Shield Reflection: Very risky skill, that allows a counter hit on opponents if they hit your guard. It’s hard to say whether you should train this, but at times it does help on melee attacks that constantly hit at you. The hit range for this skill is rather close however, so do not rely on it.
Skills that you should NOT train
Dash Attack: It messes up combos and rolling, and is a waste of SP.
Flank Attack: Almost no need for it, since its moving isn’t very good, damage isn’t good, and could also mess up your maneuvering.
Defensive Stance: This skill shows no signs to most Guardian players of being of much use. The concept looks good on paper, but the advancement of this skill is terrible
.
Shield Blast: Shield Blast costs too much SP to get to, and isn’t even useful. To some degree, it can cancel out of some actions and command skills, but generally it isn’t good at all.
Max MP Increase: No need, accessories and quest crystals are enough.
Critical Increase: No need, gear alone can nearly hit critical cap. You can even buy auspices and souls to max out.
Shield Repair: Waste of SP, it is pretty much impossible to break Guardian’s guard.
