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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MwaO" data-source="post: 9373522" data-attributes="member: 12749">The Art of Defending-- A beginner's guide to the Defender role --This is a revision of mkill's The Art of Defending and it aims to take a step back from typical character building handbooks. Instead of focusing on the intricacies of picking feats and powers, it concentrates on how to put your defender into play effectively.More than a Meat ShieldLet's start at the core: What does it mean to be a Defender?As a defender, it is your job to counter and negate enemy attacks. The importance of the role is obvious: If you and your allies are petrified, unconscious or dead, you'll lose the fight, no matter how much damage your group can put out.If your group takes too much damage, they burn through healing surges too fast. If a group's healing surges are used up before they win the final fight of the day and can take an extended rest, they'll have to flee or risk a TPK.The classic defender is the frontline of the party, holding of the brutes' and soldiers' attacks, and preventing them from reaching softer targets. This is a valid tactic, of course, embodied by the shield-bearing Fighter and Paladin, but effective defense can be done in other ways as the highly mobile Assault Swordmage shows.</blockquote>