Why go Melee?

Discussion in 'Warden' started by ARCHIVED-awetzel, May 7, 2010.

  1. ARCHIVED-awetzel Guest

    Im really new to the game and am interested in playing a warden but i dont understand why i want to go melee or why there are so many melee AA's and hardly any caster ones. If im reading it right my dawnstrike will be on a longer recast and force me to be close to a mob but casts faster. why wouldnt i rather want to be away from the mob and recast much faster? I guess what im really asking is what is the biggest benefits to Being Melee in PVE and PVP?
  2. ARCHIVED-RodHammer Guest

    The melee AAs allow you to do much more damage earlier in your life then the traditional spell attacks. This is because the melee attacks that replace your spells level with you. Also, there are several other melee attacks you can add with AAs. Instead of just a few spells you will have a large number of strikes. You will take a beating when soloing, but will kill fast enough it will not matter, especially with your heals.
    Of course, when grouping you will probably want to use a healing AA build, I find the melee is best for solo xp grinding.
  3. ARCHIVED-awetzel Guest

    Thanks i have a scribe so my spells were at expert level i think that was why i was under the impression that the spells were better. Im only level 12 but i will take your advise and start to go melee. Should i start in druid or Warden trees first im assuming switching dawnstarike and ice strike to melee should be my first priority but ill ask to make sure

    Thanks
  4. ARCHIVED-StaticLex Guest

    Yes, fill the combat art AAs in the warden tree first, then the strength line, then litany of combat in the TSO tree.
  5. ARCHIVED-awetzel Guest

    such good tuff thanks for the advice guys
  6. ARCHIVED-Liyle Guest

    I have my Warden configured for melee becaue I duo a lot with my husband who likes to play a tank. Typically we are a bit short on DPS and a bit heavy on healing, tho that can change quickly if things get rough. I like the flexibility I get from playing a melee/healer. Also I just don't think it's as much fun being off in the distance casting. Another advantage is in places where you don't want the group spread out, like in dungeons and congested overland zones. As a beginner, tho, you might find the slower pace of casting from outside the core of action helps to ease you into the game.
  7. ARCHIVED-Hamervelder Guest

    StaticLex wrote:
    This is outstanding advice. People playing wardens will enjoy themselves much more early-on if they do this.
  8. ARCHIVED-Direfrost Guest

    The melee road for wardens isn't just for levelling up or solo/duoing. I main solo heal in melee spec for my regular guild group and we do very well. The only thing I cycle is my healing stance aa vrs my damage stance aa and that is really only necessary for tough fights. As always heal is primary and damage secondary but if you can do both why the heck not? Groups will really appreciate the dps boost as long as you keep them alive. Go melee cuz you can handle the main healing and not fall asleep doing it LOL!
    Elder Hierumphant Dathayn Ebonrose
    90 Half Elf Warden of Unrest
  9. ARCHIVED-ElsaRat Guest

    Because I like hitting ugly monsters with a big stick.
    Seriously, after over a year of playing Everquest, after rolling many different classes of toons, I've never stuck with any of them except the scouts. I can't explain it. This is purely a matter of personal preference; perhaps a psychoanalyst could explain. When it's time to relax and play a game, I want to hit the ugly monster with a big stick (or whack it with a sword, or shoot it with a bow).
    So when I decided a couple weeks ago to roll another toon, this time a healer, I picked the most scout-like healer I could find; the melee-specced warden. So far I'm having a blast. There's so much to choose between, and my toon is doing fine. Warden's get the scout abilities run-speed and eventually evac, and I made a kerra so I could have tracking and safe-fall; all I'm missing is stealth (and I do have a wood worker who can make totems). Sure I understand our fury brethren can do more dps than us, but I don't want to sit back, point my finger, and root and nuke. I want to run up and hit the ugly monster with a big stick.
    I've been level locking to level slowly to try various specs out and learn my toon, using an AA mirror to switch back and forth. As people have said, I'd start with the warden melee tree to convert your spells into melee abilities as you get them. Beyond that though, the first AA line I'd work on is Agility rather than strength, until you can put 10 points in wild regen. You can't hit the ugly monster with a big stick if you're dead, and that wild regen improves your heals quite a bit. Experimenting, I found I was able to take on bigger uglier monsters if I bought wild regen first. On the other hand that also depends on your play style; I like to stretch myself, and send my warden where she'll face mobs she's not necessarily supposed to be able to handle at her level.
    After that I'm not sure, but stamina looks promising. Remember with stat consolidation, that 16% crit bonus raises your melee crit as well as your heal. On the other hand, you spend less points to get the x2 autoattack from strength. I don't think I've ever played a class with so much good stuff to choose between.

    P.S.
    I understand Wardens can be specced to go the root and nuke route to, if you go down Int. I'm impressed by the flexibility.
    P.P.S
    Fixed an error; serenity line is stamina.
  10. ARCHIVED-ElsaRat Guest

    Just to add, after getting to 65 AA at level 20 I respecced to take advantage of litany of combat as suggested above, together with everything else melee I could afford (Strength and of course the warden CA's). The result was very impressive.
  11. ARCHIVED-raydenwins Guest

    Try both specs, you'll see how fun melee is then.
  12. ARCHIVED-Dallamar4212 Guest

    I have a 52 warden so far and am loving it as it is similar to my main which is a berserker as well. I went for the CA points first then the stam line for the crit bonus (heals spells and melee crit can't go wrong) then I put points into INT line for the bonus spell damage....I have 78 aa's atm and have already got a few points into litany of combat (thanks for the tips as i love it so far) but what I am curious about is does the spell damage improve the ca damage that I use AS WELL as the spells or ONLY the spells?

    Barring that question, I have some points into the improved regen spores trigger and the bat for power regen improvement. I had wanted to ask though if the str line is worth going into after that as well or not so much? I don't really rely much on my melee actual hits as much as the ca cycling and heals really.

    Thanks for the input,
    Fenrier, 52 warden (mistmoore)
  13. ARCHIVED-concealed_identity Guest

    I have somewhat off topic question, but I don't think it is deserving of a new thread -- is it required to melee as a warden? Or is there a build I can go to where I won't have to melee? I would like to be a pure healer. Thing is I don't have Sentinel's Fate yet so I can't check those aas.
    I am already level 55 and I am doing great as a pure healer, but I do understand things change at max level.
  14. ARCHIVED-Leemeg Guest

    concealed_identity wrote:
    there is no requirment to be melee. You can be healer\caster if you want.
    I'm healer first, and as much as a pure healer you can get, but still I have gone Melee. It doesn't really lower my heals. I just change from a 2-hammer when i want to dps, and 1-hammer+shield when i want more heals.
  15. ARCHIVED-greenmantle Guest

    [IMG]

    IS this the epic of a finger twiddling dress wearer or a get stuck in melee type?
  16. ARCHIVED-azcn2503 Guest

    I would just like to add that a melee spec'd Warden is a powerleveling beast. I level up all my alts with my Warden :)