So, after getting my vanguard training, I was faced with an action bar with far too many abilities to comfortably use, and I'm only level 10. After doing some poking around, I've come across advice that once you go vanguard, you can safely drop the following off your primary bar:

Explosive Blast (better alternatives)

Full Auto (channeled)

Pulse Cannon (channeled)

 

Does this seem about right to folks? The two channeled abilities make sense to me to move off the main bar since they can only really be openers due to their being interrupted after you get aggro.

 

I can see explosive blast as an option as well since it is very close to Ion Pulse.

 

Am I making sense? So far I'm relying on stockstrike, ion pulse, sticky grenade, and hammer shot for most of my dps, besides the occasional proc of High Impact bolt.

I wouldn't drop Pulse Canon, because it is an extremely useful tool for establishing AoE agro when Mortar Volley is down. The other two abilities could easily be dropped, though they do keep their uses for PvP (Full Auto more than Explosive Round).

That makes sense, and I like the cannon for the dps it puts out at the start of a fight too. Definately a shift+2 or something like that.

Pulse cannon does not suffer from pushback. Fullauto is great for when you drop your stun or you open with. Both keepers. Explosive shot should be removed from the action bar as soon as you have enough abilities for a rotation without it. Focus on skills that use 2 ammo or less in the rotation and keep your ammo at or above 8 which means you will be throwing in hammer shot.

Go into option and add in your bottom action bar. For tanking I use buttons 1-11, Q,E,R,T,F,G,V normally. This gives you a lot of key binds and with my Merc Stealth keyboard makes reactions seamless. I sometimes branch out to my mouse buttons, but not as much and normally reserve "Oh Poop!" buttons for the mouse.

 

As for the abilities, I use them all. Having done a decent amount of tanking in beta as a Shadow and a Vanguard, you'll use them. Certain bosses have PbAoE dmg that needs to be kited. Others go stationary but cannot be approached for <x> seconds for various reasons and so on. During these times you'll really want to use abilities like Pulse Cannon to keep threat high. Or as in the case of Hammer Station, Explosive Blast to knock off the adds. Range is also a factor if you find yourself needing to face a boss one way, but need to get aggro of 2+ adds with ranged.

 

I hope this helps, but don't drop abilities, find ways to use them.

Go into option and add in your bottom action bar. For tanking I use buttons 1-11, Q,E,R,T,F,G,V normally. This gives you a lot of key binds and with my Merc Stealth keyboard makes reactions seamless. I sometimes branch out to my mouse buttons, but not as much and normally reserve "Oh Poop!" buttons for the mouse.

 

As for the abilities, I use them all. Having done a decent amount of tanking in beta as a Shadow and a Vanguard, you'll use them. Certain bosses have PbAoE dmg that needs to be kited. Others go stationary but cannot be approached for <x> seconds for various reasons and so on. During these times you'll really want to use abilities like Pulse Cannon to keep threat high. Or as in the case of Hammer Station, Explosive Blast to knock off the adds. Range is also a factor if you find yourself needing to face a boss one way, but need to get aggro of 2+ adds with ranged.

 

I hope this helps, but don't drop abilities, find ways to use them.

 

Thanks, that does help. And I definitely do use the second bar, but just got freaked out because you get a whole lot of stuff really fast (faster than I was expecting I guess).

 

re: Pulse Cannon Info

Thanks for that too. Glad to know it can have a spot on the secondary bar. (for those times when its wind-up animation doesn't make me crazy)

I didnt have a problem when I hit 10 I used a layout similar to the above layout with two bars moved my openers, and buffs to the lower bar and kept my steady rotation on 2-5 (I have small hands so 1 is not as quick for me to hit)