Guard.

[Fuzzbox]

Re: Guard

Originally posted by shinjaku

Yesterday in all jpn pt, pld dies I am next cause of damage . Bark Spider does critical hit on me, but takes only 17 hit damage to me, when it did same move to pld and took 691 hit damage and tank dies.

A PLD fighting Bark Spiders will NEVER take a 691 critical hit - the only move they have that can get that high is Sickle Slash, and there is no way for a mob to use two TP moves directly after each other. Monsters have exactly the same atk/def curve as we do - whenever I deathwarp from Rabao as a level 1 job, monsters near the rabao zone will hit me for ~230 and crit for around ~300; and this is level ~50 mobs vs. a level 1 BLM with next to no defense. Bark Spiders vs. a PLD in exp gear will have probably matching atk/def so there is no way a critical hit can get as high as 691.

PLD took a sickle slash, you guarded a normal hit - this is like comparing apples and oranges. You can only prove if guard saved you if you can post a screen of "The Bark Spider uses Sickle Slash; Shinjaku takes 17 points of damage".

Also comparing Guard to Parry/Block/Evade is again comparing two different things - Parry/Block/Evade completely negates the attack but Guard will only reduce its damage.

At level 65 PLD I have 187 shield and 174 parry and I will see maybe 2-3 of each per exp battle. Guard probably triggers about as often as both of these combined, but halving the damage from 6 hits is not as powerful as completely negating those 6 hits.

I would agree that Guard is nice to have while farming/soloing however it is next to useless in EXP (mistakes do happen, mobs do get lucky with TP moves but you should not rely on guard to save you, the same way that a PLD should not rely on shield/parry and NIN should not rely on utsusemi).

[Talus]

Holy crap get over yourselves.

Vargas you have a very limited view on monks. Guard skill NEGATES some damage, whether it be by an IT to you or a TWTBW mob.

People are also confused about what happens when a monster attacks you. There are a few possible results in this "hierarchy" so to speak:

1) You get hit or you evade the attack. IF THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN...
2) You get hit or you counter the attack. IF THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN...
3) You get hit or you guard the attack.

This is why guard skill is hard to raise, since it's not the highest priority as far as your reaction to attacks go.

Guard skill is ALWAYS helpful since it negates some damage. When I want to skill it up, I will wear -evasion gear and +guarding skill gear, like a Cavalier's Mantle (-10 evasion) and Bandomusha Kote (-10 evasion) and coral earrings (swapping out bushinomimi for -5 evasion on each). Then I put on temple hose (+10 guarding skill) and melee gaiters (+12 guarding skill) and tiger mask (+5 guarding skill).

Monks can tank, especially with /nin. Shadows don't last forever so when you're tanking Bune/Serket/pots/whatever, guard can be VERY helpful since you aren't taking full damage.

It's not a perfect comparison but guarding is kind of like shield blocks by paladins, except while we take a portion of the damage from the monster's attack (REGARDLESS of if it's an IT mob or a too weak mob) the shield block completes negates damage.

[shinjaku]

Guard

Thank you talus
You are the first lv75 here to say its helpful and useful, thank you.

[Monk]

Example...
so ur in a fight... u get hit 100, 100, 50 , 100, 50, 50, 100, 50, 100, 50... thats 750 pts of dmg.. (this is exclduding evasions and counters)instead of getting hit 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100 ,100, 100, 100.. thats 1000 pts of dmg.. now tell me whats better 750, or 1000...250 hp could meen life or death or the time in which it takes to get u healed by a mage...

it never hurts to have high lvl guard.. it CAN save ur life just as much as evasion and counter will... imo its an amazing skill.. so as with evasion... however,,, if u mix and match gear and equipment making it give u as much counter+ and guard... that's actually really neat... ppl need to enjoy every aspect of a MNK's ability

if u feel like guarding and countering "yay" if u like to evade more.. also "yay"
further more.. in an exp battle... if u do steal hate.. how much do u actually evade... cmon seriously.. 1-3 hits max so goes for counter and guard... but never theless they ALL do occure at somepoint and does actually save ur life... im sure every monk out there has witnessed a sittuation in which guard has saved ur lives

another thing..counter also has a factor of AGI in it...at lvl 65(me.. i spent 1 yr 5 months getting that lvl cuz i love experimanting and is crazy lol) u can get a total of +9 counter...
Cross-Counters +5 counter -10 evasion
Avenger earing +1 (x2)
and Aikido pants (forgot the name) +2
thats a total of +9 add in some +3 Agi rings and ur good to go.. also bring in some Vit rings if u want so u can Chakra for 230 (@lvl 65) which is also a life savor...

call me crazy if u want but thats what i do...i carry around lots of gear ... yes about 48/55 inventory slots all gear i mix and match regarding how the situation of the fight is..
do it too and lvl each and every skill u have... only then will u 75's really enjoy being a mnk and understand it...

lemme tell u..im sure that i know alot more stuff than most mnks in my server... dont meen to brag or nything

my point is... regardless of what everyone else is saying.. the weapons under ur sleaves will save u at somepoint... it has happend to me and im sure it has for u