I was in a few groups yesterday with my Guardian as the tank. most of my gear is Rakata/Blackhole, with a couple of columi pieces. Except my saber. My saber is still tionese level rating.

In some fights (the first boss in EV HM), Full rakata geared players were pulling aggro off my left and right. I was using Pommel strike, and Guardian slash on cool down, and throwing everything think I could at the boss--but I just could not hold aggro--not even against the player who had my bubble.

The only two things I think it could be at this point is either the low damage I get from the hilt, or my technique. (Or both!)

Your hilt/barrel adds to your Force/Tech Power so it matters alot for bonus damage/healing.

Keeping aggro on a Guardian is hard enough already throw in a tionese mainhand and a group of bh+ geared players into your group and you are gonna struggle. Your mainhand hilt/barrel and offhand hilt/barrel/armoring (for non-dual wielders) is your most important slot on any of your gear so push to get them BIS before the rest is my advice.

Your hilt/barrel adds to your Force/Tech Power so it matters alot for bonus damage/healing.

Your MH weapon adds to both white damage, by increasing your basic weapon damage, and your yellow damage, by increasing Force Power. As a tank, since you shouldn't be stacking power, surge, or any of those DPS stats (with the exception of the power that comes automatically with using tank augs), you only get increased damage from 2 sources: your primary stat and your base weapon damage, each of which account for roughly 50% of your total damage dealt. Your primary stat is pretty evenly distributed across your gear, but your weapon damage is based *exclusively* off of your hilt. As such, the hilt is the single most important slot from a perspective of tank damage/threat.

However, it won't really cripple you as much as you think. If you're having threat generation problems, just start spamming the living bejeebus out of your taunts (you shouldn't really have had any problem on the boss you mentioned since you should be taunting after each threat drop and gaining a pretty decent advantage with each one). The only time you *can't* do this is in a fight where you have to explicitly reserve your taunts for explicit tank swap mechanics, none of which happen in KP or EV.

Your MH weapon adds to both white damage, by increasing your basic weapon damage, and your yellow damage, by increasing Force Power. As a tank, since you shouldn't be stacking power, surge, or any of those DPS stats (with the exception of the power that comes automatically with using tank augs), you only get increased damage from 2 sources: your primary stat and your base weapon damage, each of which account for roughly 50% of your total damage dealt. Your primary stat is pretty evenly distributed across your gear, but your weapon damage is based *exclusively* off of your hilt. As such, the hilt is the single most important slot from a perspective of tank damage/threat.

 

However, it won't really cripple you as much as you think. If you're having threat generation problems, just start spamming the living bejeebus out of your taunts (you shouldn't really have had any problem on the boss you mentioned since you should be taunting after each threat drop and gaining a pretty decent advantage with each one). The only time you *can't* do this is in a fight where you have to explicitly reserve your taunts for explicit tank swap mechanics, none of which happen in KP or EV.

no one on my server crafts the guardian hilt 27 yet (i don't think anyone is even bothering), i've noticed most tanks just using might 27 - is it for this reason? Better threat generation aside from taunt stacking?

no one on my server crafts the guardian hilt 27 yet (i don't think anyone is even bothering), i've noticed most tanks just using might 27 - is it for this reason? Better threat generation aside from taunt stacking?

Yes, it's pretty much for this reason. I don't even bother using the high End armorings or hilts on my tanks when given the option. You get all of the HP you need tangentially. Most of the Endurance on the high End armorings ends up being redundant, especially for Guardians and VGs who get no mitigation benefit out of higher hp, whereas higher strength equates to higher damage, higher threat and, in the case of Guardian tanks, some degree of improved mitigation (not that much because the conversion from Bonus Healing to Blade Barrier is friggin' terrible and still kinda questionable as I see it).