It seems to me that there are two general end-game tanking strategies:
- All three mastery traits and 4 Way of the Shield with the Way of the Shield capstone. This builds gambits faster. EoB is consequently a good deal less valuable for tanking, as you lose the +taunt from every creature that it affected. Defiant Challenge is consequently much more valuable as it affects every creature just the same.
- 2 Way of the Fist traits and 5 Way of the Shield with the Way of the Shield capstone. This builds aggro faster.
On another note, I have enough +Block gear that, with Conviction on, my Block is almost at the cap (14.8%). I find Dance of War (+Evade) takes about the same time as Shield Mastery (+Block & +Evade), puts me equally at the cap since I don't need the +Block and has a couple of advantages. Namely, it pulls as much threat from everyone in the fellowship as Conviction does and I can move during the Dance of War animation (while you're doing the "dance" animation, you're free to move around, while the "bubble" animation locks you in place). Each skill takes about the same amount of time to take to the end of the animation, so with my additional +Block gear, I pull more aggro from my fellowship, get the same end benefit and can move around freely (necessary when facing the Watcher, or any other situation in which you can't stay where you are but must move). Also, regarding Wall of Steel, with a first age weapon with maxed dps, my Wall of Steel doesn't do bad damage -- it also boosts my Parry to the cap and every blow is an interrupting blow (Onslaught and The Boot also have interrupting blows). Banaticus 04:54, 23 August 2009 (EDT)
Just to note you can move during Shield Mastery, I do it while running through mobs while soloing and it looks like you're surfing. lf2536
This is a great guide and has got me excited to roll a warden. I've got him up to L15 and I've been consulting this guide regularly. Thanks for putting this together
