In the Beginning

From the first moment of play, you can see the Warden is distinctive. The Gambit panel—a special addition to the UI, unique to Warden characters—occupies a central place on the screen. This panel tracks your progress as you perform attacks that, in the right sequence, trigger combos called Gambits. Each of the Warden’s core attack skills adds one of three icons to the panel. Different combinations of icons cause the Warden to perform different Gambits.

In the beginning, the Gambit panel has space for just two icons at a time, making the Warden able to execute two-icon-long Gambits. As the Warden gains levels, the panel expands, and she learns more complex Gambits requiring three, four, or five icons. Every Gambit, though—whether it’s made up of two icons or five—is a combination of just three core attacks. These attacks, combined with two other core skills, make up the heart of the Warden’s combat style.

You read the Gambit panel from left to right. As you add icons to the panel, the rightmost symbol—the one in the shield—changes to reveal the particular Gambit the current icons add up to. When you have the combination of icons you want, just press a single hotkey to trigger whatever Gambit is currently ready in the panel.

Every time you use one of those core attack skills, you build toward a potential Gambit. The question you must always ask yourself while playing the Warden is this: How far do you want to go?

Say your high-level Warden has a Fist and Spear icon already in the panel. Do you add just one more icon to set up your Piercing Strike Gambit (Fist + Spear + Fist) or do you hold out until you’ve added three more icons and unleash Exultation of Battle (Fist + Spear + Shield + Fist + Shield)?

Once you trigger a Gambit, the panel is cleared, and you start setting up your next great maneuver.