Newish to tanking

Hey everyone :D

I've just gotten my WAR to 32. I know it might be a bit early to ask about this but because this is my first time playing a tank in any MMO I figure I should ask anyway since I've got a couple 50's and have a decently vague idea of whats going to be expected of me in the future.

When I eventually get to 8 man content and I have to tank with with someone else, what would the OT's role be considered. I already understand the MT focuses on holding main bosses' hate but I never really knew what OT's are meant to be focusing on (aside from holding add hate).

Also if/when I OT and tank swapping is necessary, would it be considered normal to have Defiance turned off until just before I use Provoke+tomahawk/other hate generating combos, or does it not really make that much of a difference if I leave it on?

Thanks in advance :D

OT priority is always add management. When no adds are available, OT should switch to offensive mode and dps the boss without pulling hate, until the next set of adds.

Awesome, thanks!

Would turning Defiance off and on also be considered switching to and from offensive mode then? I was just unsure as to how much of a hate increase the buff causes.

It depends on the fight. Often it is Adds, often you have time to focus on damage, but sometimes there are other things as well. For example in Ifrit hard mode, the off tank (it's better if it's a paladin) is supposed to stun eruption.

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Originally Posted by Eidin205

Would turning Defiance off and on also be considered switching to and from offensive mode then? I was just unsure as to how much of a hate increase the buff causes.

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Yes. If you're tanking adds (priority as OT)... then turn your Defiance on to stay ahead of any DPS/healing concerning the adds you're dealing with. You can turn it off if you have lots and lots of hate... but that's just personal preference. Your priority is to hold hate on the adds... Defiance will generally help with that.

If you're still OT, and there are no adds, and you're going to attack the same boss as the MT... then turn Defiance off. Also, try to just use the Storm's Eye and Storm's Path combos (no need to use Butcher's Block combo if you're not trying to get the hate). Their additional bonus abilities against the boss will help the rest of the team anyway.
Your priority at this point is to help DPS as much as possible and to make sure that you do not get hate... that will just add confusion.

When you're the OT and a tank swap is coming up... as soon as you want to take hate, make sure Defiance is on (Defiance's hate-bonus is significant). Then do a provoke-Tomahawk or whatever else to get the hate onto you.


*Disclaimer*.... I've never done an 8-man dungeon yet, so all this is just from reading around, planning and my general thoughts on the matter. I'm sure someone can correct any errors.

Probably a stupid question, but do you recommend Provoke as a cross-class skill for MRD/WAR from GLA LVL 22? I'm almost to 22 on my GLA for that very reason, hoping to have one more enmity builder for the Warrior. (I can't even type that word without this song being stuck in my head! The Warrior)

You need provoke for extreme primals and second coil. Those fights have tank swap mechanics and it'd be basically impossible to do them well without provoke.
It's very helpful elsewhere too.

Remember that it doesn't really give you an amount of hate, just puts you a teensy bit higher than the highest guy. You have to do something more to get hate after the 'voke or it'll go right back.
For example: If the only thing you do to a mob is provoke it the very first hit by a DPS or heal thrown for a healer will strip hate off you.

Unless you are currently tanking something defiance should be off. Get comfortable with what I like to call since dancing. Also..bb combo does tons of damage. Don't Ferro it from your rotation when your ot a as some have wrongly suggested. Lastly, provoke and fracture are your friends. Use them wisely