Member
So I'm not sure what, but something needs to change. It's VERY clear that the Warden was the first class created in this game, as it has very basic abilities with nothing that particularly stands out. What do I mean by that? Well let's just look at the other two Vanguards.
Kensei: dashing attacks that put him on the side; unblockable overhead attack; long range; disorienting hilt strike
Raider: shoulder carry that runs about 10 feet, if not more, that can either immediately kill someone via-environment or knee them in the face for a disorient; massive side-swipe that is unblockable and capable of hitting multiple heroes; hilt strike that blinds and removes stamina
Warden: a single counter-attack used only in a specific direction and requires perfect timing.... That's pretty much it. As more classes get introduced and show dramatically amazing abilities that single them out and make them very unique, Warden basically remains bland. Which is sad, because I think his aesthetic is the most iconic "Knight" look among the 4 classes.
Seriously, something needs to change. Either we need a massive damage buff to compensate for our lack of abilities and range, or we need some new mechanics added to make us actually capable of keeping up with other classes.
This said, I've done very well with my Warden, both now and in the Alpha. But the fact remains that this class is grossly underpowered in comparison to all the other classes, especially as every new class just gets more and more special abilities.
Member
Well the Warden does have a shoulder bash. but even that is pretty boring. No tackling-knee-to-the-face-attack, no spinning-flaming-jump-slash, just a shoulder check and a buffed parry.
Member
This is insane lol. The warden is one of the best characters right now, and the raider and kensei are way down at the bottom of the pack.
Member
You're kidding right? In the Alpha the raider had the highest kill ratio, Warden was second to last.
Even discounting that, the Warden still has a gross lack of abilities to counter and compare to others. It was fine in the Alpha, not too noticable. But now with the Nobushi's ridiculous range, and her bleeds, and her speed, the Peacekeepers bleeds, speed and combos, and even the Warlord's throws the Warden is probably going to be right where he was in the Alpha.
Member
I've played Warden in the Alpha, Tech Test and now the Beta and I think he's one of the best characters in the game.
It's true he has a smaller pool of tools but all of the stuff he has is effective.
Warden doesn't need buffs to his kit.
Member
How am I the only one seeing this? I'm not saying the Warden is bad, but he is definitely out classed by everything else. He's not even on par with the other vanguards on account of having no stun, disorient, or unblockable. Both the other Vanguards have a blind ability and a maneuver ability (Raiders have their shoulder charge, Kensei have their dashing/sliding slice) except Warden. All we get is a lousy shoulder charge that is easy as hell to get away from, and sometimes knocks them back too far in order to follow it up with any attacks.
Again, I'm not screaming "Waah OP kensei/raider/orochi/whatever." Everything in this game is OP in it's own right, it's part of what makes each class unique and play so differently. But by the sheer numbers and ability list, the Warden just doesn't have the range, damage, or abilities to keep up with other classes. It takes tremendous skill just to beat other Vanguards because of the abilities they have. Hell back in the Alpha, if I'm not mistaken, the Kensei didn't have the dashing slice that mimics the Orochi's. At least not during the Alpha I played. So why do Samurai get all the love and my KNights get none?
Not even going to get into how ridiculous the Nobushi is right now with her ridiculous range, staggering pokes, and that freaking bleed.
Member
Warden has one of, if not the best light attack in the game. (Overhead Light)
It:
Crushes other overheads if timed correctly.
Can be canceled into shoulder bash on hit or on whiff (same goes for his side lights)
Good range.
Fast—you won't parry it on reaction.
The Shoulder Bash itself is probably the strongest mixup tool in the game.
You are guaranteed an overhead light on hit or a side light*2 if you're close.
And guess what?
You get to cancel into shoulder again!
And you can mix it up at any time with:
Shoulder cancel into guardbreak.
Shoulder feint, and react to whatever they do.
And don't forget, he has the strongest poke in the game. His zone attack.
Very fast.
Very good range.
The only downside is that it costs a lot of stamina and is - on block and has a longish recovery time on whiff.
Junior Member
considering him vs the other 2 vanguard classes he needs something else added to his kit. both of them have disorients and unblockable attacks. the warden while not terrible is out of line with his peers from other factions.
Junior Member
i agree the warden is to weak and slow it needs a little tweaking hopefully ubisoft fixes this
Member
Are we playing the same game? No, seriously, what am I missing here?
So, will say I am a Warden main, was in Alpha, put him more on backburner in Beta, but Warden main through and through. So lets talk about "small toolkit characters". Warden has a very select set of abilities that make him versatile in every stance. He has an active counter, something shared only by the Warlord to my knowledge, a very strong guard break that can be chained from and to light attacks ad nauseum, a free followup light on side stances, very high damage in top stance, and their crowd clear is probably the fastest in the game. What's that? You didn't know about the crowd clear? Well children, gather round. That is the bread and butter to Warden fake outs. It's a sudden side strike that is VERY fast and can be triggered from other stances. Bait a top guard and do the crowd clear, you get a very good free hit that's very difficult to dodge outside of back dodge.
Next up, lets think about what the Warden IS for this game. In fighting game terms, he's the "Shoryu Clone" character. He's Ryu and Ken. He's Sol from Guilty Gear or Ragna from Blazblue. He's meant to be a relatively easy to learn character that can be taken to new heights through understanding the core game mechanics and utilizing the tools given. Every other character in the game is more specialized, even the other Vanguards.
Lets talk about what the Warden is NOT now. The Warden isn't intended to be the class that does everything in every possible scenario. Instead, it has options in every stance and can do some very impressive chains. Also, keep in mind the deceptive range on that sword. Not as long as the Kensei, but long enough. The Warden isn't a powerhouse truck that can just plow through attacks. That's a heavy's job. The Warden can be tweaked to do what you want, but is very much the jack of all trades master of none type.
Hope that helps clear that up.
