Tanking 101

I would also add:

-8 man tanking vs. 4 Man tanking and knowing when you are the OT or MT. Typically the norm is who turns stance on first or has the highest HP. Unless a tank says otherwise i.e. "Can I MT?"

-Know what each tank buster does...

• Invlun timings
• Cone/Cleave (and how large)
• Line Tank Buster
• Shared
• Swap
• Double Swap
• Either/or (random buster on each tank flare or point blank and vice versa)
• Stack
• added DOT/Bleed
• Debuff with phsyical damage increased
• Debuff with elemental damage increased
• Debuff with Magic damage increased

-Getting used to tank positioning for DPS players, and moving a boss for positioning with max melee in mind. Moving a boss while DPSing or stutter stepping. (this takes a long time to master since each savage boss is different)

-Knowing when a Boss will go mid or teleport. This helps with always being max melee or using your ranged attack when you can't reach the boss. Remember ABC. (Always be casting)

- Reprisal and Party Utility mitigations/heals. USE USE USE these as sometimes it can mean a clear or 2-3 deaths because sometimes those savage raid wides can just wipe out squishy targets without that added mitigation.

-Communicate with your MT/OT and work with them. The tanks are kind of on a small team...and sometimes called Tank-Bromance. Those tank busters hurt...and tanks need to be in sync so as not to kill each other or other raid members...So take the time to hash out party utility mitigations and reprisal rotation.

-Watch the agro bars....I have seen times when a DPS is in second and that tells me the OT doesn't have their stance on. Or maybe they turned their stance off on purpose for a reason...always be aware of what your OT is doing so you can stay in sync...and keep each other in check. Remember your a small team.

2. At certain level, some tanks gains dps to perform single target rotation when there are only 2 enemies around. It's probably not a huge gain but you'll be fine so long you swap targets. A DPS needs to do roughly 1000 - 2000 or more potency worth of damage to for every tank's 100 potency in order to steal enmity under tank stance. If a DPS manage to pull enmity off the tank, then somebody's gotta stop watching their netflix.

3. In spirit I agree. Not so much in practice however because you really never know how far can you go until you give it a try. Speaking from healer PoV here, if you keep babying healers---especially if they are the notorious Freecure/Medica II Mage/Benefic II Mages---they will never learn that they have all other existing tools to sustain their tank. A Cure I/Physick/Benefic I/Diagnosis Mage can keep you alive with those lv4 Spell through any wall pulls outside exceptions like Mt.Gulg first mega 5 pack pull so long you're tanking properly. Let that sink in.

Not to mention that healer's dps potential skyrockets in AoE encounter. Any healer worth of their salt WILL outdamages good amount of red DPSes in DF duties very easily. So, pull more > let them reap the benefit of their powerful AoE potential > let those obscure healing tools be used instead of collecting dusts > pulls dies faster.

4. Depends on which AoE you're up against. It's a good habit to build: see red carpet? Move out. But as a tank you have what people call "tank privilege". This is especially true as your tank & healer get synced closer to cap level thanks to their monstrous sustenance that they can provide. Did you remember some of your tools are sitting on the bench collecting dust? Perhaps you can think of 'that one' mechanic/AoE that you can just cheese. Go ahead and do that. Healer have $h!tton of those tools collecting dusts on the corner. They'll be happy to finally do something.

5. In general, yes. But in dungeon runs, it's generally preferred to just save your longer cooldowns for wall pulls because that's where most of the damage a tank will receive. Using the 90s ones early on a boss encounter because it'll come back up when that boss dies, but your short, auxiliary cooldowns are best used here to deal with tankbusters and whatnot. Those are enough. The amount of time I have to rub my temple when I see a PLD pop up Sentinel when the boss is at 5% HP just because the boss is casting tankbuster could probably make me a rich man if I get 3 dollar each time that happens. No, just save it for the upcoming pulls. We also regenerate 10% HP/MP every 3s outside combat, remember? It's fine if the tank finishes at sub 50% HP. Nothing's gonna kill them right off the bat.

3. If I'm playing Sage and you're not doing full size pulls, there are five or six cooldowns that I'm not even using because you're not taking enough damage. If you're half pulling I'm probably keeping you alive just by spamming my AoE attack. Maybe one cooldown. Really. You can survive full size pulls.

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Originally Posted by Rein_eon_Osborne

5. In general, yes. But in dungeon runs, it's generally preferred to just save your longer cooldowns for wall pulls because that's where most of the damage a tank will receive. Using the 90s ones early on a boss encounter because it'll come back up when that boss dies, but your short, auxiliary cooldowns are best used here to deal with tankbusters and whatnot. Those are enough. The amount of time I have to rub my temple when I see a PLD pop up Sentinel when the boss is at 5% HP just because the boss is casting tankbuster could probably make me a rich man if I get 3 dollar each time that happens. No, just save it for the upcoming pulls. We also regenerate 10% HP/MP every 3s outside combat, remember? It's fine if the tank finishes at sub 50% HP. Nothing's gonna kill them right off the bat.

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This literally made me cringe also...as PLD main tank (used to be WAR). Sentinel in dungeons is so damn useful on w2w. I don't think I have ever used sentinel on a boss...like ever...
Holy Sheltron is literally the same thing....and in a tank buster situation is MUCH more efficient to use for the single hit TB as it's only 4 seconds at 30% then reduces to 15%. You don't need 15s of 30% mitigation for a single hit tank buster...healers have so much in their kit to insta heal me to 100%. Sentinel is better served as a mitigation for 10 mobs chomping on your ass.

Holy Sheltron is probably the strongest mitigation in the game imo....but i'm biased. 50 oath for a on demand sentinel is ridiculous, and a clemency level HoT to boot.

TBN is great but MP on DRK is precious as you have to decide to DPS or mitigate with your MP. Also you have to hope it breaks.
Bloodwhetting is great, but I got better return while coupling it with my burst. Great skill and mit...but MUCH more ridiculous during burst.
Heart of Corundum is amazing and would be a STRONG 2nd place, but if you don't hit 50% HP it just kind of misses the mark. Still on demand Excog is nice though.

Holy Sheltron is just...fire and forget....no gimmick...no hoops...just use it and enjoy 30% mit for 4 seconds 15% for another 4 seconds and 1000 potency heal over 12 seconds (250 every server tick). I have used Holy Sheltron literally by itself for tank busters in savage and it was enough mitigation. Tier 2 and Tier 3 pushed me away from doing this as SE added bleeds/dots that last FOREVER. Which is fine...I like the challenge and healers really have to plan ahead for every tank buster...which is better then mashing a single button.

Tanks really have to know their mits and which is used for certain situations.

I hate to break this to you but technically, the first 4 seconds of Holy Sheltron != Sentinel.

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Originally Posted by rawker

I hate to break this to you but technically, the first 4 seconds of Holy Sheltron != Sentinel.

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Correct statement, for anyone confused - mitigation is calculated multiplicatively, not additively.

Math using rest-damage modifiers:
1 * 0.85 [Holy Sheltron] * 0.85 [Knight's Resolve] = 0.7225 ~ 0.72 rounded -> 72% of damage remaining -> 28% mitigation

So while technically not 30% like Sentinel, it is within 10% of relative margin to it with the 28% Holy Sheltron + Knight's Resolve provide - only at ultra-lethal hits with damage variations swinging hard in either direction will it matter between those two.

ADDED: If this was pre-6.3 Holy Sheltron before the readdition of Bulwark and changing Sheltron's and Holy Sheltron's base effect from 100% block rate to -15% damage taken, it would have been 32%, making it actually stronger than Sentinel while effectively deactivating your random passive mitigation by making it active.

1 * 0.80 [Block] * 0.85 [Knight's Resolve] = 0.68 -> 68% of damage remaining -> 32% mitigation

Wall to wall or don't go in at all.-Roegadyn

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Originally Posted by Anienai

Wall to wall or don't go in at all.-Roegadyn

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This. Please for the love of god, don't queue and do 1 pull at a time. If you want to, go do trusts/duty support. It already takes a long time to queue as dps. At the very least, make the wait bearable.

Good rule for a tank don't pull wall to wall if you're under geared. This put way too much stress on the healer.

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Originally Posted by hynaku

Good rule for a tank don't pull wall to wall if you're under geared. This put way too much stress on the healer.

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They claim to have enough healing voodoo nevertheless. There's no reason not to bully tank pull wall-to-wall.
I don't necessarily agree with this post.