Guardian

Class Difficulty: Basic

Role: Tank/Damage

Available to races: Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, Man, River Hobbit, Stout-axe

Gameplay: Guardians are the shields of the Free Peoples. They stand at the forefront of the battle in order to win great victories in the name of the Kings of Middle-Earth. Guardians must be focused in the fights they wage, managing to capitalize off of their own parrying and blocking of enemy attacks. As a Tank, Guardians excel in managing large amounts of enemies and surviving without support from their allies from the usage of their strong defensive abilities. With the building of Fortifications from their Shield skills, they can support the Fellowship, but at a cost to their own defence. Guardians can also specialize to deal damage by maintaining a series of devastating bleeds on their foes.

Lore: The Guardians are the stout protectors of the weak, and defenders of those in need. They are loyal companions to the end. True Guardians stand in the forefront of battle, shielding allies from enemy assaults.

This class was inspired by the hobbit Samwise Gamgee, whose loyalty to Frodo Baggins knew no bounds.

Class-infobox
Classes
Skills
Traits
Deeds
Traceries
Effects

Role in a Fellowship

The Guardian's ability to wear Heavy Armour, use a Heavy Shield and the highly defensive skills available to the class enable him to face creatures that would make other heroes' morale fail. He also has the ability to draw the foes' attention away from his allies and to himself. The Guardian also has reactive abilities that can only be used after blocking or parrying incoming attacks.

Guardians specialized in the Defender of the Free tree fulfills the role of Heavy Tank, with lower overall damage output in exchange for improved survivability. It is one of the most durable classes, with high morale (health) and a number of abilities which mitigate damage taken.

Alternatively, Guardians can choose to specialize in the Keen Blade tree, sacrificing some of their survivability, to deal damage with 2-handed weapons through an assortment of bleeds, heavy hitting abilities, and AoE attacks.

The Fighter of Shadow tree is an auxiliary tree that augments either specializations with additional skills and abilities.

Skills

Default Skills

These skills are granted automatically as you gain levels. The effects of many of these skills are improved in various ways by your choice of specialization and how you spend your trait points. Some skills may also be replaced by an improved version of the same skill as you increase in level.

Active Skills	Category	Cooldown	Range	Source
Guardian's Ward	Melee + Buff + Power	3s	4m	Level:	1
Sting	Melee	2.5s	4m	Level:	1
Retaliation	Melee	5s	4m	Level:	1
Shield-swipe	Melee	5s	4m	Level:	1
Sweeping Cut	Melee + AoE	9s	5.0m	Level:	4
Whirling Retaliation	Melee + AoE	5s	5.2m	Level:	6
Let Fly	Ranged	9s	30m	Level:	8
Vexing Blow	Melee + AoE	4s	5.0m	Level:	10
Charge	Run Speed	1m	Self	Level:	14
Challenge	Force Attack	1m	7.2m	Level:	16
Ignore the Pain	Cure	5s	Self	Level:	18
Improved Sting	Melee + Corruption	2.5s	4m	Level:	20
Turn the Tables	CC removal + AoE Stun	1m 15s	5.0m	Level:	20
Bash	Melee + Stun	5s	4m	Level:	22
Fray the Edge	Force Attack + Fellowship Manoeuvre	10s	25m	Level:	24
Shield-blow	Melee	10s	4m	Level:	26
Stagger	Melee + Debuff	5s	4m	Level:	28
Catch a Breath	Self-heal	45s	Self	Level:	30
Warrior's Heart	Buff + Self-heal	2m	Self	Level:	32
Stamp	Melee + Interrupt	20s	4m	Level:	34
Guardian's Promise	Utility	15s	Self	Level:	36
Engage	Force Attack + Debuff	30s	4m	Level:	38

The Defender of the Free

These skills are acquired by spending trait points in the Defender of the Free (blue) trait tree. You can only obtain the Set skills if you specialize in this tree.

Active Skills	Category	Cooldown	Range	Source
Shield-taunt	Threat	10s	10.2m	Set:	Initial Skill
Litany of Defiance	Buff + Debuff	1m30s	7.2m	Set:	Initial Skill
Guardian's Pledge	Buff	3m	Self	Trait:	Guardian's Pledge
Shield-smash	Melee + Stun + Interrupt	5s	4m	Trait:	Shield-smash
Smashing Stab	Melee + Fellowship Manoeuvre	30s	4m	Trait:	Smashing Stab
Protection by the Shield	Buff	8s	10m	Set:	Protection by the Shield
Shield Wall	Buff	20s	35m	Trait:	Shield Wall
Juggernaut	Melee + Buff	3m	Self	Trait	Juggernaut

The Keen Blade

These skills are only acquired by specializing in the Keen Blade (red) trait tree and spending trait points. Note that points spent outside the red trait tree will still advance The Keen Blade if you are specialized in it, but at a slower rate.

Active Skills	Category	Cooldown	Range	Source
Breach	Melee + Buff	5s	4m	Set:	Initial Skill
Whirling Breach	Melee AoE + Buff	5s	5.2m	Set:	Initial Skill
Overwhelm	Melee + Bleed	10s	4m	Set:	Initial Skill
Thrust	Melee + Bleed	5s	4m	Trait:	Thrust
Brutal Assault	Melee	20s	4m	Trait:	Brutal Assault
Protection by the Sword	Buff	10s	Self	Set:	Protection by the Sword
To The King	Melee + Stun	5s	4m	Trait:	To The King
Relentless Fury	Buff	2m	Self	Set:	Relentless Fury
Brutal Charge	Run Speed + Buff	1m	Self	Set:	Brutal Charge
Hammer Down	Melee + Stun	40s	4m	Trait:	Hammer Down

The Fighter of Shadow

These skills are acquired by spending trait points in the Fighter of Shadow (yellow) trait tree. Guardians cannot specialize in the yellow trait tree.

Active Skills	Category	Cooldown	Range	Source
Force Opening	Melee + Buff	10s	4m	Trait:	Force Opening
Bastion of Light	Debuff	15s	6m	Trait:	Bastion of Light
War-chant	AoE + Debuff	10s	10.2m	Trait:	War-chant
Thrill of Danger	Self-heal + Power	1m	10.2m	Trait:	Thrill of Danger
Redirect	Melee + Buff	30s	4m	Trait:	Redirect
Cataclysmic Shout	Debuff + AoE Bleed	3m	7.2m	Trait:	Cataclysmic Shout

Mounted Combat Skills

These skills can be used only while riding a war-steed, and only while in the regions of East Rohan, Wildermore, and West Rohan. Passive skills which improve the war-steed's defensive capabilities remain effective even in other regions, but serve only to prevent forced dismount due to enemy attacks.

Active Skills	Category	Cooldown	Range	Source
Discipline: Red Dawn	Stance	1s	-	Quest:	Devastation in the North
Discipline: Riddermark	Stance	1s	-	Quest:	Devastation in the North
Discipline: Rohirrim	Stance	1s	-	Quest:	Devastation in the North
Clash of Arms	Melee + Debuff	30s	4.2m	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1
Driving Slash	Melee + Debuff	3s	4.2m	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1
Pledge to Rohan	Buff	24s	Self	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1
Rohan's Edge	Melee + Buff	15s	4.2m	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1
Serrated Edge	Melee + Bleed	16s	4.2m	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1
Staggering Slash	Melee + Debuff	8s	4.2m	Quest:	Vol. III, Book 8, Ch. 1

Passive Skills

Armour Proficiencies

Proficiency	Level
Light Armour	1
Medium Armour	1
Heavy Armour	1
Shields	1
Heavy Shields	1

Weapon Proficiencies

Proficiency	Level
Daggers	1
One-handed Axes	1
One-handed Clubs	1
One-handed Hammers	1
One-handed Maces	1
One-handed Swords	1
Spear	1
Two-handed Axes	1
Two-handed Clubs	1
Two-handed Hammers	1
Two-handed Swords	1
Bows	7
Crossbows	7

Instrument Proficiencies

Proficiency	Level
Horn Use	1
Lute Use	1
Specialized Equipment	1
Bassoon Use	5
Fiddle Use	5

Other Passive Skills

Proficiency	Level
Bolster	1
Shield Spike Use	1
Critical Defence	20