The usual story: I took a pretty long break from the game (played a lot before that, but mostly goofed around so I never actually hit adventuring level cap) and came back for the free 100 event. Decided to spend the token on my second highest level character, a 60-something BL, and ran around finally getting to complete most of my warder appearance wishlist which made an already fun class about 300% more exciting. But before I settle into more wandering around and warder-leveling, I should probably clean up my AA tabs and get with the current state of the game. Like it says in the title, I don't raid, I mostly solo, and I like playing in Spiritual Stance 24/7 with some sturdiness and supporting abilities. I'm usually tired (chronic sleep disorder kind of tired) so I need something that's forgiving of mistakes or being slow on the draw rather than a rapid-fire glass cannon, even if it means I take extra seconds to kill things. -Animalist tree: I always ran Beastmaster Sight 1, Marisha Kur's Protection 10, Nurturing Devotion 10, Marisha Kur's Protective Instinct 10, Den Mother's Intervention. The other branches didn't seem worth it compared to the other tabs, but I'm open to being told otherwise. -Beastlord tab: Needs at least enough to keep Tame Exotic Warder (was it always mandatory to keep Tame in order to summon them too? I could swear it wasn't). The Sentinel's Fate row above that didn't seem worth the points - but since two of them are required, suggestions? - but I did take always take Feral Reach and Spirit of Restoration. Above that is where it starts getting chaotic. At a glance I'd assume Quick Swipe+Rush / Spinechiller Blood / Weakness Duration + all the Advantages(?) + Weakness Reuse / Chilling Claws + Multi-Attack + Adrenal Flow + Savage Ruin. Frostwall and a couple points in Glacial Lance (which I really only use for pulling) make it enough points for exotic warders at the bare minimum. -Shadows tab: Both Savage Soul and Savage Blaze sound pretty good, but with my playing habits I'm not sure they'd ever see real use. General row is whatever, probably food + mount speed. Scout row: Strengthened Links + Quick Strike. Animalist row...Frigid Claws + Ruination + possibly Unsettling Howl? Beastlord row I'd assume Feral Rush + Spinechilling Agony + Spiritual Resolution + Efficient Movements? -Heroic tab: Yeah I've never been sure what to do with this. BLs still want ability mod and potency, right? -Dragon tab: Always maxed out the Dragon's Vitality -> Persistence line after this was added to the game. A bit tempted to add Impatience 1 + Vicious Counter 10 + Rallying Drive 10 for the revenge stuns and self-dispel. Leaving the heroic tab empty for the moment, and leaving out Savage Soul/Blaze from the end of Shadows, the above leaves me with 89 points to go. Any tweaks or suggestions? Things you'd take in my situation, or go out of your way to avoid? I know you can do basically anything when leveling down in old content and stuff dies if you sneeze on it, but I'll be doing outdoor questing and whatnot at my new level too and I'd like to be as ready as I can be. Thank you for your time!
While I'm at it (and apparently too late to edit the OP), I'm also spring cleaning my warder spec points. Thoughts? Amphibian: Leaping Lunge and Amphibian Consumption Aquatic: Crushing Force and Aquatic Regeneration Avian: Sky's Restoration and Vicious Talons Bat: Sonic Shriek and Moonlight Dive Bear: Crushing Paws and Hibernating Restoration Boar: Frenzied Feeding and Feral Consumption Bovid: Crushing Hooves and Territorial Regeneration Canine: Charging Bite and Vicious Charge Dire: Dire Drain and Crazed Roar Drake: Wing Beat and Fire Breath Enchanted: Enchanted Eyes and Arcane Affliction Feline: Feast and Feline Nurturing Insect: Infectious Sting and Virulent Mist Mystical: Mental Blast and Psychic Assault Reptile: Poisonous Fangs and Reptilian Vigor Rodent: Consume Flesh and Rabies Simian: Simian Siphon and Simian Restoration tl;dr: Prioritizing lifedrain and group heals, then whatever does the most damage (or to the most targets) on the shortest recharge. I could be wrong and the 20-something-second attacks are the better non-healing thing to boost though. All offensive warders took Enhanced Attacks (though I'm torn between that and the flat boost to all combat arts), all defensive ones took the 10% damage reduction. Offense takes Brutal Decimation, defense takes Spirit Drain. Everybody takes the two spiritual primals.
Get the gathering Goblin merc and you won't need to go heal stance for any solo content. Heck, you shouldn't need to be doing that anyway. Spiritual is for secondary healing in groups that need it on hard encounters. Left side prestige is decent survivability too. Also get the dragon line ward and deathsave. Other than that there isn't much to focus on defensively. You can pick the normal phys mit and max hp stuff without really losing too much.
I agree with Mozil I much prefer the spiritual stance but of course my favorite and highest damage warder requires I be in that stance to use it's skills (I don't have all available warders yet)
I was a little late to edit my post... I have the patchwork badger I put 10 points in rabies and 10 in rabid bite as they are the highest damage skills he has
