Hey chaps

Been always reading but never reg'd as many a question is already supplied.

But one thats not been covered to my own personal needs is my current problem.

I have a 24 Dragon Monk. I use a Martial sword for it quicker than bladestaff but still give nice dmg.

The problem is im part of a two man team, me and my buddy a Disciple are doing very well indeed and work well together.

However since ive hit the early twenties - solo I get slapped all over the shop.

At times it looks like theyre cutting through butter with the amount of dmg im taking and i cant get anywhere atm. Ive read alot and heard alot about people saying this is "just monks fatal flaw" and that I wil have to carefully pick my way through the lvls. Anyone agree? its great that there is no class that can do it all and if this is monk then fair enough - working as intended.

The only time I really show off is with my buddy, just shows how good healers are eh?

Also to add - taunts...as i know im not a tank but my taunts do seem pretty ineffective at times, not a major problem and the way the game should work in my opinon but are there any tatics or tips people can suggest to make me better in my role as front end fighter?

Hmm ok

Couple of questions back...whats a SNARF? 

And how does martial sword be defensive - i was looking at dmg and speed for the weapons tbh.

Claws and fists are lower dmg due to their speed, sword middle of the road with dmg and speed and obviously bladestaff slower but more dmg.

How does the defensive type of weapon come in there?

As for the rest yeah i was reading more and seeing that it could just be the dragon style ive chosen. Thanks for reply in advance

So knowing what im aiming for would you suggest Drunken style? or is that too much a drop in DPS?

I solo'ed alot with the Dragon, and duo'ed at times with either other monks, or a disciple (our team is 3 monks and a disciple).  I'd recommend keeping all the weapon types maxed in specialization (staff, bladed staff, martial sword and one of the h2h weapons).  For duoing, my first tip going into the 20's and up is not to use our DPS stance.  Use the regen stance... the slight healing is somewhat helpful and let's you keep your actual mitigation/ac... the defensive stance slows you some, enough that i don't recommend it.  Dragons main dps comes from our crits, with the h2h weaons, your gonna see greater damage than the martial sword... but the m.s. increases likelyhood of successfully counterattacking... very handy with the way I burn through endurance. (Extremely useful when combined with RitW).  I use the m.s. when tanking 4 dots or higher, but otherwise other than skilling up each lvl, it's not a primary weapon for me.  A note on our defensive stance, typically i'll save it for when im chargin through a series of mobs to either pull or vacate an area.  Our dps stance i save for grouping, and then only if someone holds aggro well... personally i feel the extra crit chance and damage boost aren't enough, and the mitigation penalty way overinflated (again i'll say i think it should be a parry/block penalty rather than mitigation.. but current adds aren't enough to justify the penalty regardless).

p.s. regarding your newest post.. i'll vote harmonious, currently Top Dog, with extreme hopes they do some damage repair to drunken, and yes... we dragons are still waiting to get the tools we need to fill our role as THE dps monk

Harmonious gets my vote, I was a Drunken awhile back but found soloing a struggle and became harmonious, it made things easier, and then the GU3 updates came in and Harmonious got better.  at 26 I have a 50/50 chance of killing 4 dot lvl 23 Sappers at Skawlra rock, the fact I can kill a 4 dot at all that still gives xp impressed me.  3 dots are good to consistently solo now. 

Against 4 dot mobs I use defensive stance and martial sword as Parry is the key to success-the counter attack that reduces mobs damage is essential, if I have an unlucky fight where it almost never lights up (rare but at 25% Parry you'd expect it to occur all the time). It means I do less damage due to not using a stronge weapon, though as it happens the m.s is a better weapon than the rest I have so not too much DPS is lost.

Against 3 dots if they are a few lvls lower I will go max DPS weapon and usually my neutral stance, closer to my lvl I mix n match until I find a combo that works best-maybe high DPS weapon in def stance, or m.s. with neutral stance, maybe high DPS and neutral stance or maybe even m.s and def stance