Tank specific gameplay: cover and defensive bursts

I had this silly idea, and perhaps it's just silly or maybe it isn't. I'm not even a tank main so if that's just a crazy idea from a dps main that doesn't even play tank trying to tell tanks how tanking should be, then I apologize in advance. It's also definitely not thought out to be balanced with accurate numbers or anything.

This was especially me thinking about off tank gameplay, which is the most boring stuff ever created since you're not even tanking the boss, and most tank mechanics are directed at the main tank. Granted those days, even the main tank has less to do since there is a lot less boss positioning left to do, and most tank mechanics seem to be vaguely aimed at the occasional tank buster or party wide to mitigate. And aggro management has been removed long ago. But if anything it also shows that even the MT can feel bored.


Tank Cover

I was also thinking about Cover, you know, that paladin skill that nobody uses anymore because encounters stopped making it interesting to use, and because it got nerfed to the ground anyway: apparently it gave an unfair advantage to paladin. Anyway, not the point here. But perhaps when I'm told that I play a TANK, the first thing that comes to mind is me shielding allies, usually squishy allies, from very nasty damage, by putting my strong and oiled, armored body in the way and take it like a champ. Which is essentially what cover does, and what Guardian does in pvp.

I'd think that introducing more mechanics that randomly target party members with slow casts and clear indicators (like busters), and asking tanks to actually use cover based individual job mechanics would be cool? Obviously in casual content it wouldn't outright delete people until they get enough vuln stacks or something, but in challenging content, it would? And perhaps it's not something you could always do either on the MT due to specific auto attack or buster vulnerabilities that would mess with the whole thing? And perhaps for some truly nasty busters, you'd actually have to do it and help your tank you know? A bit like shared busters but with more involved mechanics than just hugging your suicide buddy?

I'd love seeing some tank gameplay where you have to Guardian into DPS or healers that would otherwise get deleted by attacks. Prey attacks used to be a thing after all, and I think bringing them back with that kind of added mechanic would be fun? Either big hits or very spicy dots? Or other new fresh things? Perhaps status debuffs that can get nullified by this type of cover actions? Or you know, that dickish attack from the boss or an add that targets healers and removes all MP? Take it for them, and it nullifies status debuffs/syphons.

I think each tank's unique short cooldown defensive could be well suited for this : holy sheltron, bloodwhetting, TBN and Heart of conundrum (yes I know it's corundum). Merge them with a cover option, make them less prevalent when used on your own, and buff their effects so that they fulfill their purpose when used on somebody else. I also do think they should have a very restricted range to truly feel that you're covering someone, you know?

The cool thing about this is that it doesn't make tanks a one man army, because it doesn't help them heal on their own or shrug off damage on their own, but it asks them to be proactive as a support role with their party.

Tank spooled mitigations

So I was also thinking about Shake it Off. It's busted I know. But what I like about the ability is the possibility to burn defensives to make it stronger. What if tank defensives were designed more like this? What if say, you couldn't use SiO unless you actually have at least one defensive running to burn, that would turn the button from greyed out to glowy yellow?

Let's take WAR for example: you're using Thrill and burn it for Shake it Off, then it gives a similar buff to the party at range, which is a % HP increase like old Ballad Troubadour. Or, you're using rampart, then it's a standard small shield or a mitigation (or a combination)? Or, you're using Vengeance, then it gives to the party what old Radiant Aegis (from ifrit egi) did: counter attacks of a certain potency every time party members take damage (and add a smol % mitigation to it?). You'd of course wouldn't want to make too obnoxious or go out of hand, so it would only take the last defensive you've used which would overwrite the "proc" from potential others. Say you have rampart running, the button is going to throw a "rampart SiO", but if you use Thrill, now the button is instead going to throw a "thrill SiO".

But wait, there is more. Maybe it could also apply to the aforementioned cover targeted defensives. Imagine you're using your bloodwhetting/nascent cover on someone, and you're using vengeance as well? Well, here you go, if the target of your cover takes a hit, it counters with 100% of the inflicted damage right in the teeth of the boss?

This would make tanks sit a lot less on their mit, but most importantly, bring more tactics to the tank game I feel.

Trigger effects

Every time you use it on yourself as a MT, then you get a proc of some kind if you take damage? And every time you use it on somebody else, same? So that it's actually gratifying and rewards you for using your tools?

An alternative solution is to have a context-dependent effect.

If you use HS/BW/TBN/HoC on a teammate for a raidwide attack, the defensive does what it says on the tin. If you use it on an ally with a 'Prey' type debuff, then the follow-up tankbuster gets redirected to you. Another variant would be that a tankbuster goes out, and if you mitigate it with X seconds left on your invuln timer, you deliver a counterattack that applies a vuln up stack on the boss. There are lots of ways of fight-specific and context-specific ways for tanks to have more impact that could be implemented through conditional effects.

I've noticed that mechanics like party stacks seem to get placed on non tanks, and more often the healers which I think is good fight design, but I do agree there need to be more explicit protect the party, and body blocking mechanics for tanks.

I do feel like the rest of the tanks need some kind of grand 'I will protect you' move like Passage of Arms, but their own unique take on it of course. Yeah they do have aoe, and targeted mitigation skills, and they're strong, but they lack 'oomf' unlike Passage.