Never without a sword, all warriors hold in high esteem the greatest master of the blade himself, their elder Marat, whose knowledge of ancient sword lore can benefit all those who choose to wield so mighty a piece of steel.

Defender Warrior Strengths:

• Very high defenses
  
• Large amounts of sustain
  
• Increased threat generation
  
• Excellent addition to parties and groups

Defender Warrior Weaknesses:

• No long range damaging ability
  
• Lower damage
  
• Not quite as fast at solo play as other build types

Clad in heavy, durable Plate Armor, Defender Warriors bear industrious shields and are known for a willingness to protect their comrades from the potentially fatal blows of attacking enemies, foes who are often infuriated by such confusing diversionary tactics. Though by no means invulnerable, in times of true crisis, Defenders may call upon the power of the Titans to enhance their speed, power, and aggression.

Defender warriors are the supreme defenders, what some people refer to as ‘Tanks’. The defender warrior is adept at getting in the face of their enemy, and forcefully commanding the attention of all foes in area.

Why would someone want to be the target of the enemy’s attention? To protect of course! While the defender warrior is absorbing blows and staring down the opponents, the friends and allies of the warrior are engulfing the enemy with infernos, infecting the foes with plagues, or raining down hails of arrows. The high damage - low defense, type players remain safe out of harm’s way under the watchful eye of the defender warrior.

But never be fooled, just because the defender warrior is taking all of the hits in no way means they are the group’s punching bag. The defender warrior can easily reinforce and protect themselves with heavy plate armor as well as a variety of proficiencies. Most attacks against the defender warrior simply glance off the armor, leaving little more than a scuff.

Defender warriors can also perform a series of shouts that can not only boost the defenses and damage of their allies, but also weaken their foes.

A few drawbacks of the defender warrior can be their lower damage and slower solo speed. Being able to take heavy hits and command the attention of enemies doesn’t necessarily translate into high damage amounts. This means that in solo play, their pace may be slightly slower than other builds. Additionally, the defender warrior isn’t able to do any sort of damage at a long range. But even so, the defender warriors’ strengths greatly outweigh their weaknesses, and all in all, they are a vital role for any group composition.

While fighting groups, the defender warrior’s primary role is to attract the attention of all enemies, and keep that attention. This is the single most important task that a defender warrior performs.
To begin a fight against a group of enemies, the first thing the defender warrior needs to do is simple: get to the enemies! This is often referred to as “gap closing.” A great way to quickly close the gap between yourself and your foes is the feat ‘Charge.’ Charge greatly increases your moving speed and rushes you towards your foe. Upon arrival the warrior does an increased damaging hit, starting the fight off with a bang.

Once up close, the warrior will immediately have the attention of most enemies in the area through ‘on sight’ aggro (short for aggravation or threat, which is the desire or willingness of the enemy to attack a target). But on sight aggro this isn’t enough! As soon as your fire wizard friend drops their heavy hitting Flaming Meteor, your opponents will begin targeting the wizard as their new target. A good follow up to charge is Thunderous Call. This feat calls all enemies in a large radius around the warrior and forces them to attack. This will draw their attention away from your more vulnerable teammates. As combat continues, make sure to launch a thunderous call whenever you are able.

On occasion, you might have a single opponent who decides to turn and run towards your healer or damage dealer, a simple ‘Challenge’ should draw him back. Challenge is a long range taunt that will force a single enemy to attack you, keeping your allies safe.

Another great way to keep aggro on a group of enemies is to constantly switch targets. As with all classes, in between spells or feats you will also be auto attacking, doing normal damage with your sword. These hits, like all of your abilities, also generate threat on your opponent. If you are only focusing on a single target, that target will have more than enough threat, while the other enemies in the group may just barely be holding on. Simply switching targets every few hits can help you maintain the edge you need.

Often times the defender warriors find themselves face to face with some of the big bad elder bosses of the realms. In a these type of single target scenarios, it is imperative that the warrior maintains a constant threat against the enemy. If, for example, a wizard manages to attract the attention of an elder boss, a single spell or swipe from the boss can have your wizard shaking with the wobbles in no time.

The first few seconds of a fight can often times be the most important. A poorly timed critical strike from the hunter in your group can have the elder boss off and away, slaying those who you have vowed to protect. It is important that you close the gap between yourself and the enemy quickly, and then immediately draw their gaze. Leading in with a charge is a great way to get the fight started, as it is quick and has a damaging attack. As soon as your charge has completed, following up with a challenge helps to make sure your initial threat is higher than your allies.

After these first few hits, the rotation can be up to you, depending on what skills you have chosen and your particular play style. I would recommend taking along ‘Pummel’ as it is a great way to keep a constantly high amount of threat. Pummel is a damaging ability that deals a boosted amount of damage with your sword, plus a largely boosted amount of threat. Also casting ‘Challenge’ whenever you are able is a great way to ensure the elder boss never leaves your sights.

There will be certain times that a defender warrior has the attention of all the enemies in the area, and there is no more need of taunts and calls. In these cases, the defender warrior has a few options to further help their allies.

Shouts:
Warriors can shout out inspiring and disheartening calls that can change the tides of battle. Suddenly not only are your allies doing more damage, but they are also taking less as well.

• Huzzah: Boost the Damage of yourself and your allies.
  
• Rally: Boost the defense of yourself and your allies.
  
• Demoralizing Shout: Lower the defense of your enemies.

Smack Down:
Just because the warrior is defending doesn’t also mean they can’t attack as well. There is an arsenal of offensive strikes and abilities that will allow the defender warrior to put that extra smack down on their enemies. Gnogmenting Griffin Strike, Slash, or Eagle Strike to your sword can ensure the enemy remembers your name. Just don’t forget your purpose! While dealing a little extra damage here and there can really help the team, if you favor doing damage over maintaining aggro, you might end up with some sour group mates.

Often times a defender warrior will run with a holy priest by their side, gracefully accepting an array of heals and shields. With a priest, the defender warrior can focus solely on threat, aggro, and damage. But sometimes, either without a priest or during a critical time, it will be up to the warrior to bolster his own defenses.

Depending on the situation, there are a few feats to choose from. A good bread and butter feat is “Phoenix Strike”; this feat not only inflicts damage, but also does a percentage of life steal as well. This extra bit of healing on the warrior can easily make the difference between life and death.

Additionally, a well-timed Defiant Stand can help push the warrior’s protection to tremendous heights. Defiant Stand boosts the warrior’s maximum health and grants bonus protection against all forms of damage. This feat, which is acquired through the talent tree, can allow the warrior to pass through immense harm unscathed.

Lastly, Unbreakable Will is a great feat that allows the warrior to withstand enormous amounts of damage. Unbreakable Will heals the warrior for vast amounts over a short duration. This feat won’t increase the warriors defenses, meaning heavy hits will still hit just as hard, but in general the warrior will be able to recover quickly, sustaining their own life.

The defender warrior can be an essential part of any group composition. It is both fun and rewarding to control the ebb and flow of battle while at the same time bolstering and protecting your allies. So what are you waiting for? Create a warrior and show the Seven Realms what it means to be a defender. Tailor the build to your play style, and then share your build with others!

What you do is up to you. Who will you become?