Lately tank stance has started to feel more like easy mode

[ValentineSnow]

Since the changes to VIT, tanks have so much HP that with proper CD use it's so easy to survive without tank stance, it's also easy, maybe less so for DRK than the others, to hold hate without tank stance.

Because of this, outside of mass pulling 4 man dungeons and some hard hitting tank busters in ex primals and savage, I basically never use tank stance anymore. It's started to just feel like an easy mode button, the only time I ever lose hate is to tanks who are using tank stance (who are basically just gimping their damage because I'd tank fine if they weren't doing it).

It's making me feel like tank stance should just be removed and replaced with an extra CD because they are just a waste of a hotbar slot most of the time. I get that it helps new and under-geared tanks and for WAR it's kind of rooted into the job. But I think these things could be worked around.

PLD: change sword oath to enlight (same effect just a different name) make shield oath no longer a stance but a CD, remove the damage penalty and just make it increase enmity and reduce damage taken. This makes shield oath more useful to experienced players while still keeping it helpful to under-geared or learning players.

WAR: remove the penalties and buffs from defiance and deliverance and just make them give access to the different moves and tweak some of the moves, unchained = increased parry, healing received and enmity generation, fell cleave add effect increase crit hit rate for 30 seconds. This would lessen the gap between defiance and deliverance on dps allowing WARs to use their defensive kit without feeling like they're sacrificing huge amounts of dps.

DRK: similar to PLD, make grit a CD and remove the damage penalty and grit requirement on souleater's HP drain, change the dark arts effect on power slash to increase damage instead of increase enmity, making the potency of a DA power slash combo higher than a DA souleater combo while keeping an unenhanced power slash weaker than a delirium combo, the trade off then being enmity and damage from power slash vs. hp and mp recovery from souleater. Grit would then serve the same purpose as shield oath in being helpful for learning or under-geared players while just being a buffer for experienced players and power slash vs souleater would have more of a trade off feel to it rather than a "I have to use this combo I don't want to use for the sake of keeping enmity" feel to it.

[bswpayton]

Since the changes to VIT, tanks have so much HP that with proper CD use it's so easy to survive without tank stance, it's also easy, maybe less so for DRK than the others, to hold hate without tank stance.

Because of this, outside of mass pulling 4 man dungeons and some hard hitting tank busters in ex primals and savage, I basically never use tank stance anymore. It's started to just feel like an easy mode button, the only time I ever lose hate is to tanks who are using tank stance (who are basically just gimping their damage because I'd tank fine if they weren't doing it).

well thats a good thing right puts you a step ahead of other tanks

[ManuelBravo]

While it may seem like that, the problem with most tanks is that they don't know how to keep enmity even with stance. As long as your a Vet tank and know your role, yes you are correct it can be done without Stance. It would also become more of a challenge for your healer and blms. So yes you could tank without stance, and pray healer and others know their role well enough not to give you and healer a hard time. You could ignore some mechanics as well, you could unintentionally wipe a group, and be hated for it :P

[SeriousxSarcasm]

As nice as it is when tanks can do this, we already have tanks that can't hold hate even with tank stance on. :/ I'll be completely honest I would probably stop playing if they changed it to that because I wouldn't want to deal with the headaches. Perfectly fine if you can, but it's a little short-sighted/self-centered thinking that they should change the game so everyone has to play with your level of skill. (also you might want to side-eye your damagers a bit more. If you never have to even fight for enmity in DPS stance, chances are you're carrying crappy DDs and should give them shite accordingly lol).

[bounddreamer]

Your post reads as a not-humblebrag.

You're probably overgeared for the group or content you're running with. Tank stance is otherwise working as intended.

[Culfinrandir]

It's got a bit to do with the current ilevel outpacing the "danger" of the content. You may find that in 4.0 the storyline will straight away need you to drop into tank stance & stay that way until, once again, ilevel is unbalanced (later patches). It was the same in later 2.x stages if I recall correctly.

[Cabalabob]

Your post reads as a not-humblebrag

I read it more as why is tank stance even a thing?

Cause if you think about it, it's a weird concept. Healers don't have "heal stance" (except AST but that's more about heal type than actual ability to heal) they just drop their "DD stance".

Tanks on the other hand have to go into a stance specifically to do their job that they're supposed to be built to do.

I agree that tanks should just be able to do their job without needing a stance for it and just have a "DD stance" that actively hinders their ability to tank while buffing their dps, similar to healers having cleric's.

If any job should have a "tank stance" it should be a dps like mnk or drg, so a job that isn't innately built to tank can do it. The same way healers and tanks can dps in their "DD stance".

[Dzian]

If any job should have a "tank stance" it should be a dps like mnk or drg, so a job that isn't innately built to tank can do it. The same way healers and tanks can dps in their "DD stance".

Dragoons already do. It's called"kiss the floor"

As for monk tank. Kinda reminds me of xi. Monk could ask pretty well in counter stance even some of the sky gods. Countering byakkos trick attack was always fun to see.

tank stance isn't really easy mode though. gotta remember pretty much the entire game is easy mode...

[Canadane]

Most tanks at endgame level use their tank stance like a cooldown. After enmity is established, they'll use their attack stance for as long as possible, only changing when a big attack is coming.

[Cabalabob]

As for monk tank. Kinda reminds me of xi. Monk could ask pretty well in counter stance even some of the sky gods. Countering byakkos trick attack was always fun to see.

My thinking is more along the lines of, imagine if fists of earth was shield oath. If a tank died a MNK could pop that and take over (they're usually top of the enmity list anyway). You're not gonna see them solo tanking ex primals or savage any time soon but a dungeon boss or just holding a trial/raid boss until the tank is back up would be entirely doable.