Guardian - Orb + Sword PvE Build

Overview

Class: Guardian

Weapons: Orb and Sword

Designed for: PvE

Focused on: Tank and Support

Difficulty:

Normal

Strengths

Great Self Sustain
Good Support
Good Healing

Weaknesses

Mana Hungry
Low to no damage

This build is up to date for the September 23, 2025 patch.

Overview

This tanking Guardian build focuses on combining the tanking potential of the Sword & Shield with the healing and shielding potential of the Orb into an alternative to the traditional Sword + Wand combo Templar. While the main feature of this build remains tanking, the Guardian is a very strong self healer and capable of taking care of itself without the need for a secondary healing in lower tier content. Even in high tier PVE, the extra shields and healing can help a lot with helping the melee allies stay alive during boss fights.

Attributes

PRIMARY

Strength

+

Fortitude

SECONDARY

Perception

+

Wisdom

Why are there no exact stats?

With the unique stats and attributes system in Throne and Liberty, it can be difficult to determine exactly where to invest your attribute points at each stage of the game. This is because gear pieces provide attributes just like leveling up does, meaning everyone will have a different number of attribute points depending on what gear they are wearing at the time.

Given this variation, it's best to reset your attributes regularly to adjust to the new gear you acquire. Aim to reach the achievement effects, which provide extra benefits at milestones like 30, 50, and 70 points.

Mixing the need for Wisdom as a traditional healer and the need for both Strength and Fortitude can be a difficult task but it can and is achieved in this build, pushing for high Strength in order to gain high max HP while Fortitude and Perception adds extra defensive stats.

Skills

Shield Strike

Counter Barrier

Void Slash

Restoring Constellation

Temporal Leap

Guardian Defensive Wall

Annihilating Slash

Stalwart Bastion

Immortal Pride

Provoking Roar

Distortion Veil

Starcalling

Passives

Defense

Guardian

Food

Purification Stone

Guardian’s main healing option is the Restoring Constellation doing single target healing. Meanwhile, placing down Starcalling will improve the healing done with Healing Wave (Void Slash).

However, the main attraction for this build is the many shielding options with Counter Barrier, Guardian Defensive Wall and of course the single target option of Distortion Veil. The build isn't lacking in buffs either as Stalwart Bastion & Immortal Pride are incredible tools for tanking.

Eternal Veil is used to boost shielding further, increasing the shield HPs by a great amount while Aegis Shield and Impenetrable offer great passive defensive power.

Equipment

Tier 2

Tier 3 (Work in progress)

Bulwark of Invulnerability

Heavy Attack Chance

Max Health

Hit Chance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Primary

Talus's Transcendent Core

Collision Chance

Buff Duration

Max Health

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Auric Vanguard's Barbute

Max Health

Melee Endurance

Ranged Endurance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Cloak of Victorious Destiny

Max Health

Weaken Resistance

Skill Damage Resistance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Auric Vanguard's Full Plate

Max Health

Melee Endurance

Ranged Endurance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Auric Vanguard's Gauntlets

Hit Chance

Ranged Endurance

Melee Endurance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Auric Vanguard's Gaiters

Melee Endurance

Ranged Endurance

Max Health

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Royal Praetor's Sabatons

Ranged Endurance

Melee Endurance

Max Health

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Gilded Granite Teardrops

Front Heavy Attack Chance

Front Critical Hit Chance

Side Heavy Attack Chance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Noble Birthright Brooch

Skill Damage Boost

Max Health

Buff Duration

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Bangle of the Clearest Night

Max Mana

Skill Damage Resistance

Debuff Duration

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Solitare of Purity

Max Health

Skill Damage Boost

Buff Duration

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Honor's Promise Signet

Skill Damage Boost

Buff Duration

Max Health

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Hero's Legacy Warbelt

Max Health

Debuff Duration

Skill Damage Resistance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Info

Equipment is being updated, if tier 3 items are in the tier 3 tab, it means the equipment on this build was updated.

Calanthia's Aegis of Dominance

Hit Chance

Collision Chance

Max Health

Primary

Cordy's Source of Contagion

Mana Cost Efficiency

Collision Chance

Max Health

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Steel Juggernaut Great Helm

Max Health

Melee Endurance

Cooldown Speed

Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance

Calanthia's Confession

Max Health

Skill Damage Resistance

Collision Resistance

Resonance Effect: Max Health

Steel Juggernaut Platemail

Max Health

Buff Duration

Melee Endurance

Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance

Righteous Gauntlets of the Resistance

Max Health

Hit Chance

Melee Endurance

Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance

Auric Vanguard's Gaiters

Max Health

Ranged Endurance

Melee Endurance

Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance

Auric Vanguards Plate Boots

Max Health

Melee Endurance

Ranged Endurance

Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance

Earrings of Umbral Petals

Max Health

Side Hit Chance

Front Hit Chance

Resonance Effect: Collision Chance

Necklace of Exceptional Greed

Collision Chance

Max Health

Buff Duration

Resonance Effect: Collision Chance

Shackled Twilight

Max Health

Skill Damage Resistance

Collision Resistance

Coil of Corruption

Collision Chance

Max Health

Heavy Attack Damage Resistance

Resonance Effect: Collision Chance

Ring of Falling Dusk

Collision Chance

Max Health

Buff Duration

Resonance Effect: Collision Chance

Belt of Echoing Chants

Max Health

Skill Damage Resistance

Collision Resistance

Resonance Effect: Collision Resistance

Weapon Masteries

Orb

Sword

You should be aiming to reach and unlock masteries (the corner nodes) as soon as possible as they usually make the largest impact in the build. While minor nodes shouldn't be forgotten, make sure to unlock masteries as fast as possible before spreading out and spending into less important nodes.

Artifacts

Greedseeker Talistone I

Damage: 10

Heavy Attack Chance

Magic Critical Hit Chance

Magic Heavy Attack Chance

Greedseeker Solarstone

Weaken Chance

Silence Chance

Weaken Chance

CC Chance

Greedseeker Talistone III

Max Health: 1750

Max Mana

Mana Regen

CC Resistance

Greedseeker Talistone II

Defense: 200

Ranged Endurance

Endurance

Heavy Attack Evasion

Greedseeker Lunarstone

Weaken Resistance

Collision Resistance

Weaken Resistance

CC Resistances

Greedseeker Talistone IV

Max Health: 1750

Critical Hit Chance

Magic Heavy Attack Chance

Magic Critical Hit Chance

Rotations

AOE/Single Target Aggro + Shielding ↴

Use this rotation to grab mob aggro and shield yourself. Begin with Counter Barrier to increase shield block chance and overall defensive before using Annihilating Slash to pull mob aggro. Then, use Provoking Roar to keep the aggro before using Distortion Veil to shield yourself from the incoming damage.

Carry on the rotation with Shield Strike and Annihilating Slash.

Healing + Shielding Rotation ↴

Use Starcalling to put down 3 orbs before using Guardian Defensive Wall to create a large shield capable of taking a great deal of damage. Follow up with Restoring Constellation to keep your HP high enough while Void Slash is used to AOE heal all nearby.

Useful Information

Lady Knight Kamarshea is the best all-around choice for a guardian, offering strong synergy with her shield that absorbs damage equal to 50% of your mana. This not only provides reliable protection but also speeds up cooldowns, letting you heal more often. If you’d rather take a more offensive route, Shade Revenant Stheno and Geen Ranger Elowen are excellent alternatives in party play. Stheno adds burst potential while Elowen helps control the battlefield by rooting groups of enemies.

Other Guardian Builds