Curse

boarderx · Dec 06, 2007, 09:25 PM // 21:25

with the right team, a tank doesnt need to soak up tons of dmg it just needs to be able to hold aggro to makes things easier for everyone else.

when i tank, i deal plenty of dmg, the team knows what to do and when to do it and it makes for a glorious time had by all, we have fun.

zling · Dec 06, 2007, 11:19 PM // 23:19

I'm not gonna get into the debate whether tanking in general sucks or not, which it does but it isnt the point of this thread...
so, going back to the original question, are warrior tanks worth while instead of other tanks.
to answer that question think of what you expect of your tank:
hold aggro-> mobs seem to attack the nearest target with the minimal natural armor, aka casters...
stay alive-> thus bring just enough defensive skills to stay on your feet while soaking shitload of damage, pssst, not the entire skill bar!
helping in the damage department-> a non monk character who deals 0 dmg is a wasted character slot! so even your so called "tank" should be able to deal some dmg...

now with these points in mind lets take a look at some viable "tank":
Ele/Derv-> caster armor, which is a plus as it will attract the mobs to you, which is what you're there for...
amazing bar compression: armor of earth, stoneflesh aura and mystic regeneration are enough to stay up and running... add 1 or 2 more for special circumstances and you got 3-4 skills entirely devoted for dmg, including an elite! sandstorm, aftershock, crystal wave, sliver armor(for specific circumstances, also a hybrid skill offering both dmg and defense) or whatever other earth spells you like.
this tank is very good as it does all of the above points.
Derv/Ele(and 130 derv)-> pretty much the same as the Ele/Derv variant just with less energy and higher armor. not as good as the mobs will tend to abandon you for your fellow casters... however the usage of scythe attacks for damage instead of spells attracts the mobs to you as they'll attack whoever is attacking them.
overall another solid choice, very similar to the above variant.
55-> the ultimate tank, highest survivability with good damage. problem is that without your enchantments you're dead in seconds, so it doesnt work where enchantment removal is likely to appear...
overall the best circumstancial option, however I preffer more reliable variants.
VwK(all variants)-> relies on blockage rather than armor and regen, which works mainly on melee mobs but has problems on casters. which is thus conditional. however it does do pretty nice damage.
Warrior/x-> relies more on block stances than armor, even though it has the highest in the game... works mainly on melee mobs.
overall at a very big disadvantage over caster tanks but less vulnerable in case of an energency, aka worst case scenario.

probably missed a few more options but its enough to make my point. the standard warrior tank(glads def, auspicious and those...) is inferior to the other options as it lacks their damage dealing capabilities and is rather conditional. you can make up for it the damage by using the triple chop warrior with a focus on tanking but than you wont be as good a tank as the others... and the conditional part is shared with other variants, just pick your locations wisely...