Goal: Maximise DPS so mobs die/Halaster phases fast enough that you don’t need lots of defensive stats; speed up runs; having a lot of fun!
This build is shown without buffs and overloads. I don’t use them - except in ToMM - as most content doesn’t require them. I have added my ToMM buffs and some other recommendations at the end.
Despite being a tank paragon, the Vanguard has access to powers that have fairly high magnitude. The high damage (and DPS) of our encounters is how we get and hold aggro of mobs. It also makes it possible to have a high-dps tank build! This is the build I run for nearly all content in the game - all RADQ and RTQ dungeons (including TIC and Solo Demo), HC VoS, and ToMM. For ZCM and CoK I would suggest a more traditional tank build as the damage you take is significantly higher and you need to share aggro with another tank.
Before the build, here are some quick general pointers about Fighter Tanking that you should use in all builds:
Only ever use Dig In (TAB ability) to block attacks. The shield is bigger than Block (60% max HP vs 40%) and gives you more stats (15% extra awareness and 10% crit avoid). This means you can have a . It also lets you use Retaliate.
Retaliate (with the feat Shake It Off) is a 500-800 magnitude attack fighters get by releasing Dig In straight after being hit. It has a cooldown of 10 sec. It’s the single highest threat generator the Vanguard has, as well as a high damage power - you should try to use it as often as possible in a fight.
Brazen Slash rapidly increases stamina regen if you need build your shield up.
Threat and Aggro
This is a short overview of aggro for players who are interested or would like to understand it further.
In Neverwinter, aggro is generated using “threat”, which measures how much an enemy thinks you’re threatening it. More specifically, actions that damage or heal generate a 1 point of threat.
Tanks usually do less than half the damage of a dps, so to help hold aggro you deal “apparent damage” to enemies. As a base, your apparent damage is 3.6x higher than the actual damage you deal.Powers that are tagged “Increased Threat” get an additional 8x modifier (28.8x modifier total).
To keep aggro, you need to have a total apparent damage higher than your DPS can deal. This means you can’t just build a tank entirely focused around defensive stats. Even with the modifiers, you would still lose aggro unless you have some offensive stats. At minimum, you need 40+% power, 40+% accuracy, and 40+% combat advantage.
The lower tanking stats will take some getting used to as you will take more damage. However, by dps-ing mob groups and bosses faster, you’ll find you don’t need very high defensive stats that are needed for drawn out fights. The healing that healers can put out is high enough that they can keep you alive. This build has gone through HC VOS with all healers, and ToMM with all healer combos (except OP+OP) without dying.
Race
I play as a dwarf to give an extra 5% defense. It’s also a free race. Choose CON and STR for the stat option when rolling the race.
Ability Scores
All points into DEX (movement speed and crti sev) and CHA (recharge speed and forte).
Equipment and Stats
Power will be 11% higher due to chest and arms.
Awareness will be 5% higher due to arms.
In ST, head can be switched out for Helm of the Skyblazer for 7% extra CA.
For extra survivability, Mirage weapons can be swapped with Lionheart, Watcher, Masterwork, or (in trials) Tyrant.
All armour kits are Major Defense Armor Kit +1. All jewel kits are Major Awareness Jewel +1.
Main-hand modification - Brazen Slash.
Off-hand modification - Defense and Stamina Regeneration.
Enchantments and Artifacts
Dragon Hearts give 10% extra recharge speed = more dps.
Not many people have Heart of the Black Dragon so you will often get to use it as your primary; it’s also good in AOE. If you need to swap an artifact for the group, swap out a heart.
Poisoned Thorn is the best DPS enchantment at the moment, and makes holding aggro much easier. It also procs the Crag Scalar Gauntlets stacks - without it, fighters can only reliably keep up 8 stacks instead of 10. It procs Combatant’s Maneuver.
Garnet Enchantment is the only useful one in Utility.
You can choose anything for the Bonus; I prefer movement speed to get ahead of dps and it makes positioning bosses much easier. Companions
As a solo tank, Dulled Senses is better as targets take more damage than Armor Break (Mirage clones and companions will give this regularly against mob groups).
Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Bruenor all buff each other in the equip slots, making them BIS. Alternatives are available for them if you don’t have these companions, but stats will be lower.
Bruenor - Frost Mimic or War Dog.
Drizzt and Wulfgar - There are lots of different DPS comps you can slot in place of these two; Rainer’s Pocket Wiki v2 is a great resource for finding them.
Mounts and Insignia
Insignia: 4xFortitude, 2xEvasion, 2xGond, 5xCourage, 1xBrutality
Not all of my insignia are mythic yet. But I made the build with all mythic insignia in Rainer’s Character Builder and the defensive stats improve on what they currently are without much change to the offensive stats.
Collars are all Crescent - the important ones are the Sturdy, Supportive, and Wayfaring; the others are just for Item Level so choose what you like.
Dragonbone Whirl is a high damage mount power and is great for aggro in AOE; alternatively use Pegasus in AOE.
For Single Target, you will be using a mitigation mount typically. You should try to get at least one of Swarm, Salamander, Eclipse Lion, Griffon, or Bulette. Swarm is best as you do more damage = more aggro. Boons
Powers and Rotation
I use these feats and class features for both ST and AOE
At-wills:
AOE: Cleave (main), Threatening Rush (make up distance, grab aggro)
ST: Brazen Slash (main), Threatening Rush (build aggro)
Encounters:
AOE: Enforced Threat, Bull Charge, Shield Throw (or Linebreaker)
ST: Enforced Threat, Knee Breaker or Anvil of Doom (“dps encounter”), Shield Throw
Dailies:
AOE: Bladed Rampart and Earthshaker.
ST: Second Wind and Phalanx. AOE Rotation:
Bull Charge to a central mob, use Enforced Threat to get aggro of the group. The first hit mobs do is always a big hit, so use Dig In quickly. Immediately after they finish their first attacks, release TAB to activate Retaliate. If needed, use Dig In again - most mob groups fall out of phase in their attacks after 2 hits so you can safely stop using Dig In then.
When mobs are in a close group, use Cleave to deal lots of damage (with the Bull Charger feat) and hold aggro. Use Retaliate every 10 sec for extra dps and aggro.
Shield Throw (with Shield Thrower feat) is spammed at enemies at a distance to draw them close to you.
For mobs that are spaced out and you don’t have any encounters, use Threatening Rush to jump between them and then position yourself so your group has CA.
If you’re using Linebreaker instead of Shield Throw, it can be used to hop between distant groups. I find the power clunky and it has low dps so I avoid it, but it generates a lot of threat so enemies hit by its cone will attack you instead of DPS.
ST (single target) Rotation:
Shield Throw then Threatening Rush the boss. Position yourself so your teammates get CA on the boss. Use Threatening Rush a few times while Shield Throw recharges; use Shield Throw when it is ready again. By now you should have a big lead on threat over the dps, so start dealing more damage with your “dps encounter” and brazen slash.
If your aggro meter is looking good compared to the dps (i.e. dps aggro is at most yellow, if it’s green or invisible even better!) then spam Enforced Threat every chance you can. It lowers the boss’s awareness and so increases their incoming damage (yes, it does go to -10%!).
If aggro is difficult, Enforced Threat is your hard taunt so save it in case you lose aggro - this sometimes happens during the first arti call in ToMM, but with this build I’ve yet to lose aggro.
Use Retaliate every 10 sec when you can as it generates massive amounts of threat and is a big damage dealer. Use Shield Throw and your “dps encounter” whenever it’s not on cooldown.
Anvil of Doom has more dps, but Knee Breaker can procc Combatant’s Maneuver on control-immune bosses to give you more CA. I’m not sure if the latter is intended behaviour. I prefer Knee Breaker for the extra CA. Tanking ToMM:
By default, Crag stacks usually only last 4 seconds, but with Poisoned Thorn you will have them for an extra 4 seconds on top of that. This is really useful for tanking Halaster’s Annihilation Balls. To get more awareness (and so deal with more stacks), you want to keep hitting Halaster until he’s just about to throw the ball down on you. When he moves to do so, Dig In and you will have that extra 5% awareness. Straight after the ball hits, you can Retaliate too as it’s 10 sec to charge the ball.
As Elven Battle no longer exists, I recommend hiding behind ice for Frost Wave because it’s difficult to build up stamina again for the ball that follows. After the damage, run back into CA with the boss and get ready for the ball.
Remember, Brazen Slash increases stamina regen while using it, so use it after balls to build stamina back above 75% for more dps.
This build can reliably take 4 balls (with attentive healers), which is the most you will usually need to tank. I use Second Wind on the 4th ball to ensure I’ll survive it. This build isn’t well-suited to low dps groups where you may need to take 5+ balls - a traditional tank build is better for this.
Sometimes even with good dps then phasing can end up being awkward in P3-4 and you may need to tank 5-6 balls. If this looks likely to happen, swap out the “dps encounter” for Iron Warrior. Iron Warrior should see you through the 5th ball, and Iron Warrior + Second Wind might get you through a 6th if you have a good OP shield.
HC VoS Maze
For most of VoS, you can take part as a dps who intercepts lines against the cat. However, the maze is tricky - there are lots of mobs that spawn spread out, which is difficult for Vanguard’s at the best of times. Most tanks run Ring of the Condemned +4/5 to help with this, and run around the DPS group to get aggro of mobs.
In my experience, this isn’t necessary - the enemies that spawn will usually rush straight to a dps/healer regardless of what you do. If a DPS survives the first big hit from a mob and they’re sticking with the group, then they will be fine. You can therefore continue to act as an extra dps, but you should make sure to use Threatening Rush, Shield Throw, and Enforced Threat more often to keep mob attention on yourself. Stand with the group at the arena edge.
In all the runs I’ve done, it’s been quick mob killing that leads to the most success. Most of the work is on dps and healers to stick together as a group.
Buffs and Overloads
As I mentioned, I usually don’t use buffs for content, except ToMM where the damage is high enough to warrant it. My ToMM buffs are:
Forger’s Box (more power and dps stats)
Potion: Flask of Potency, Rank 3 +1 (dps stats)
Elixir of Steadfast Devotion (defense and awareness)
Food: Watermelon Sorbet (power and accuracy) or Caprese (max HP)
Overloads: Bulwark of Brimstone (5% max HP) and Rage of Flames (5% out damage)
The most important ones to me for ToMM are the overloads and the Elixir. Otherwise there’s flexibility if you want more dps. In other content, you could also swap around everything to get more dps.
Neverwinter Hawk on your potion bar is useful as an extra encounter power for folding aggro.
Scrolls of Fate can give you some extra stats too, but they don’t exist for all stats. Accuracy could be used.
Thanks Yowyn for share your build with us.
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