I Want Some Feed Back From Some Good Tanks ^_^

I know some one has probably asked this but I can't seem to find that thread lol

So I'm fairly new to tanking and I love it, it helps with my control issues haha so I got my DRK to 51.

I saw a debate about end game accessories (fending and slaying)

So my question is should I be switching over from my fending accessories to slaying while I level to 60 or stick with fending?

From a healing point of view I notice a lot with my slaying accessory tanks that they die almost immediately all the time in my expert roulette and my fending tanks are easier to keep alive now this maybe a armor issue, cool downs, etc...but I examine my two tank examples same 180 gear just different right sides both DRK....as I saw earlier in a post fending just gives more HP and not defense so....am I missing something.

Thanks for the help guys :)

If you know how and when to manage your cooldowns, and you're sensible about pulls, you can get away with slaying. If you don't know how good your heals coming in are gonna be, however, you may wanna stick with fending. Also a mixture can be a nice compromise. It's all about what you find yourself comfortable with, and whether you play more with strangers or friends. I tend to keep a profile with both for quick changes. Hope that helps. :)

Fending indeed just give more health, some have parry but it sucks so bad you want to avoid it. Slaying makes you do more damage, which also subsequently cause you to generate more enmity and self-heal more.
For expert roulette nowadays, you can probably get away with all slaying without much problem, worst comes worst you can always go back to pulling 1 pack at a time, if your healer is that bad.

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Originally Posted by Aomine1992

I know some one has probably asked this but I can't seem to find that thread lol

So I'm fairly new to tanking and I love it, it helps with my control issues haha so I got my DRK to 51.

I saw a debate about end game accessories (fending and slaying)

So my question is should I be switching over from my fending accessories to slaying while I level to 60 or stick with fending?

From a healing point of view I notice a lot with my slaying accessory tanks that they die almost immediately all the time in my expert roulette and my fending tanks are easier to keep alive now this maybe a armor issue, cool downs, etc...but I examine my two tank examples same 180 gear just different right sides both DRK....as I saw earlier in a post fending just gives more HP and not defense so....am I missing something.

Thanks for the help guys :)

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You have more than enough tools to tank with slaying. Just make sure you use them.

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Originally Posted by RapBreon

You have more than enough tools to tank with slaying. Just make sure you use them.

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What RapBreon said. Or just play what you comfortable with.

The problem in Ex Roulette as a slaying tank is trash pulls. It's unpredictable damage, even with your CD's up. Take this from a 60 WHM and Drk.

Trash mob damage when there is a lot can spike all over the place, unless you're a Paladin because trash in general usually deals physical damage. That of which Paladin excels at, and Drk is just so far behind a Paladin could unequip their shield and point and laugh with their free hand while tanking with their other.

But jokes aside, what I'll usually do is keep both a fending, and a slaying set on me, both in different armor sets on my hotbar. On the first pull I'll test the waters with slaying. If I think the healer can keep me alive while also having time to do a minor bit of DPS if they want without me setting a new land speed record for how quick I'll hit the ground, I'll stay with Slaying. If not, I'll stick to fending for the trash, and quick swap to Slaying right before each boss. Boss damage is far more predictable, and doesn't exactly spike a lot outside of their threatening hits, which you have CD's for. To do this well however, you'd have to be familiar with fights and know when what is coming. Otherwise you'll just look like some tank who's following the "STAND IN THE FIRE DPS HIGHER" motto in full slaying, getting hit like a truck full of truck parts.

As far as priority however, I always prioritize keeping my slaying set up to date, while my fending set is a grade behind. For example I have a full i190 SLaying set, but my Fending set is still i180. Rather spend those bolts on different classes than the fending which I'd probably never use.

I mean or you could just meld crafted i150 stuff and flex on everything.

In most cases, slaying is the way to go.

However I notice a rather large amount of pride from some tanks who are in the mindset that somehow putting Fending accessories on in ANY situation makes them a lesser person, like it strips them of their manhood. Fending accessories DO have their use outside of hitting tankbuster caps on Alex Savage. As a paladin doing trash pulls in experts, you're going to be using Flash so much anyway that your damage will be much lower in proportion to aoeing dps, so may as well give the healer some leeway. Likewise as ANY tank if you intend to mass-pull a dungeon 2-3 packs at a time and the healer isnt one you've run with before, put at least SOME fending things on.

Whilst yes, Slaying accessories are the way to go for most things, tanks need to get out of the mindset that you're a sad failure if you ever decide to put some extra vit on to help a healer have an easier time on certain things. Whilst a faster run is generally better, you have to weigh up whether the small dps gain in some situations is worth the heightened risk of splatting. You can easily have two gear sets and toggle between them on a pack by pack basis. Throw vit on for a double trash pull then swap to slaying for a boss or something.

Good tanks have multiple options in their bags at all times and swap between them on a pull by pull basis depending on their party.

Copying from the last thread that asked this.

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Originally Posted by Asierid

Fending until you are used to the content. You will make more mistakes, thus take more damage. This will somewhat mitigate that until you get used to the encounters. Slowly remove Fending in favor of Slaying til you are comfortable with how it feels in the end.

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Originally Posted by Aomine1992

From a healing point of view I notice a lot with my slaying accessory tanks that they die almost immediately all the time in my expert roulette and my fending tanks are easier to keep alive now this maybe a armor issue, cool downs, etc.

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There are so many variables with this situation, not using CDs properly, in the wrong spot at the wrong time, player abilities...etc. I ran Neverreap the other day with a ilvl156 healer. I have 3 tank set-ups, full VIT, full STR, and 3 STR 2 VIT. I had the mix set-up on. He had no issues keeping me alive (granted I'm running ilvl 184) and I pull every area I can, except where the bees are. I just wont pull the 2 totems and the vandu guy on the hill.

The difference in HP between the sets is roughly 2000 hp, not exactly sure as I don't have the game on now, but I think thats about it from full VIT to full STR. The DPS difference as tested on a monster in the field was I save 2 extra button pushes (don't know the actual DPS). Having the extra STR seems to me anyways better for aggro management.)

I don't know that I'm a good tank, per se. My main is a L60 PLD, but I've never even finished the Steaming Coil of Bathtub, or whatever it is, let alone set foot in Gordon's Fishshack. The raids don't interest me, and never have. On the other hand, I play the Duty Roulettes for the dungeon categories many, if not most days. And I regularly get two or three player commendations out of them. So clearly, I know something about tanking. If asked for a self grade, I'd give myself a B... above average, but not in the top tier.

I find that I want mostly the Fending accessories. Keep in mind that I don't care about Best Possible Slot Fillers; I care about what helps me get through dungeons with pick-up groups. When you don't know if your DDs are going to be overgeared and trying their best to pull aggro off you, and you don't know how much experience your healer has, then having the extra hitpoints on tap is not a bad plan. I wear one slaying ring, because, as someone else noted, the more damage you do, the more agro you pump. But let's face it... when the fecal matter hits the rotating metal blades, you're going to be spamming Fast Blade -> Riot Blade -> Flash, trying desperately to hang on to agro; you're not going to have time to worry about split-second timing on damage mitigation cooldowns.

Now, if you aspire to being one of those Best in Show tanks, consider other people's recommendations. If you're happy being a blue collar tank like me, take mine.