A Visual Guide to Tanking

Part 1:

http://i.imgur.com/smNx1ZX.jpg

Part 2:

http://i.imgur.com/PEnLMF9.jpg

Courtesy of kayemm36 of Reddit. (Part 1, Part 2)

This should be a visual guide for all melee classes.

lol ''Sacred Soil''

Stand in it

Yep. Those are the things.

This is very good, consolidated info.
I'll be directing the appropriate people to this thread/picture whenever the need arises.

TBH, this is really good b/c I means I have mostly been pretty effective save a few screwups that turn into the lightning party pic due to being overconfident in some zones.

I have been Warrior tanking for a while what do I do when all range tries to stay behind me no matter how many times I move.

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Originally Posted by ShadowYomi

I have been Warrior tanking for a while what do I do when all range tries to stay behind me no matter how many times I move.

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"range" as in on-your-side Ranged DPS/Healers?
Once you do your initial run-through-and-turn-the-mobs-away positioning... don't worry about them, they are not your concern. They can go wherever they want, and if they get hit, it's their fault (because... they can go wherever they want :))

After you set things up so that there is a safe area for the ranged characters (your initial run-though-and-turn)... your concern is on positioning the bad guys so that the melee have access to the butts. Because melee *has to have* access to the butt, and you control that. Ranged does not *have to be* behind you (if they're far enough away that the cleave doesn't get them...).

"range" as in bad guys trying to kill you? Break line of sight to force them to move into the group of other bad guys. If that's not possible, bring other bad guys to them. If that's not possible, you're screwed, just deal with it as best you can.

Set things up so that things can easily work for everyone. But if people want to be silly... that's not your problem :)

An example I run through mobs in wp hm after gaining aggro and turn around. Next thing I know I have brd and blm behind me and sometimes a whm beside me.
Similar to the lazy tank picture.

Good positional guide but...
Where is the cooldowns explanations D:?!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShadowYomi

An example I run through mobs in wp hm after gaining aggro and turn around. Next thing I know I have brd and blm behind me and sometimes a whm beside me.
Similar to the lazy tank picture.

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That's their fault.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShadowYomi

An example I run through mobs in wp hm after gaining aggro and turn around. Next thing I know I have brd and blm behind me and sometimes a whm beside me.
Similar to the lazy tank picture.

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I actually have that happen a lot too. I don't know what they're doing. Especially annoying when you have a melee and a ranged, meaning you cant just go around flipping the mobs all over the place but you cant have the AOE all over the ranged as well. Why can't they just sit still? ):

This is hilarious. /clap /congratulate

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arkenne

Good positional guide but...
Where is the cooldowns explanations D:?!

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Cooldown Explanations, how? I've just been going with my gut/the Healer's tempo, like I got this one guy who was sooo in love with Cure II he never cast Cure I so I had to start them on trash. If you mean Cooldown Maintenance, I keep the shortest one as a main icon on my macro, and then rotate through them all. Two for defense, one for PLD's main off-GCD damage abilities.

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Originally Posted by Kuurei

Cooldown Explanations, how? I've just been going with my gut/the Healer's tempo, like I got this one guy who was sooo in love with Cure II he never cast Cure I so I had to start them on trash. If you mean Cooldown Maintenance, I keep the shortest one as a main icon on my macro, and then rotate through them all. Two for defense, one for PLD's main off-GCD damage abilities.

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For dungeons it's not as important but in coil theres a general "rotation" for your cooldowns when tanking the fight and you need to be aware of when to use what, otherwise you're probably going to eat the floor.

I wish I could make this mandatory viewing for every tank in the game. As someone who mains DRG, that part about not having the mob hug a wall means so much. xD

Part II: Aggro Management has been added.

Omg literally lol at John fkn madden! I love this image

Lol I like this, kudos to you. Also +1 for the "If party contains DRG or MNK" section. I HATE tanks that have the boss inside the fire while they sit just on the edge of it. Melee can't DPS it properly, but hey at least the tank is fine....

This... is... AWESOME!! ;)

If you want to be a good tank, you need to play healer class as well as DPS.

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Originally Posted by SantaClaw

If you want to be a good tank, you need to play healer class as well as DPS.

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Or at least be willing to communicate with DPS and healers. Tanks who know it all without even bothering to understand other class mechanics are the ones who fail the most.

This is awesome.

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Originally Posted by ZhycranaDranix

lol ''Sacred Soil''

Stand in it

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The amount of tanks who really just want to stand outside of Sacred Soil, though.... uuuuugh

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Originally Posted by AskaRay

The amount of tanks who really just want to stand outside of Sacred Soil, though.... uuuuugh

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I had a tank a few days ago who got so scared by the incoming damage from his accidental pull that he legged it out of my sacred soil to save his own skin or something. Wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. :D

Awesome guide. I'd just like to add that tanks should try to avoid cleaves when swapping. This happens far too often in Ifrit and Ramuh.

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Originally Posted by Azukii

Awesome guide. I'd just like to add that tanks should try to avoid cleaves when swapping. This happens far too often in Ifrit and Ramuh.

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The power of the V positioning for swaps.

The guide is nice and colorful with pictures For ppl who do not understand what they are looking at on screen.
Wouldn't necessarily call this a tanking guide, more of just an overview on targeting/ positionals/Ui explanations. Stuff you learn as your leveling.. the common sense type of stuff.

Bad tanks are the unprepared tanks that use mitigation cuz its up, dont have it when it's needed,lack of knowledge on how their abilities work or just don't use em. turns out common sense isn't so common.

on a humorous note this did remind me of a movie qoute in reference to self help books:

you cant help yourself, cuz your "self" sucks

If you have two enemy rangers on your 10 oclock and 2 oclock, either

run forward between them DOUBLE the distance between you and them before you pull

OR run back DOUBLE the distance between you and them before pull

OR run to one of them DOUBLE the distance between you and them before pull

This will group them both. I personally run back because it will put the rangers where I was before pull plus my team will be safer.

When I say "double", I really mean more than the distance between you and them before pull. It will make them move.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShadowYomi

An example I run through mobs in wp hm after gaining aggro and turn around. Next thing I know I have brd and blm behind me and sometimes a whm beside me.
Similar to the lazy tank picture.

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A possible explanation in WP HM is they think you are probably going to pull that group together with the next one, were running to the next group and turn around when they see you stop there to have that group of mobs killed before continuing.

Where the tank may or may not do a big pull it's best for the healer to run and arrive before the tank or not much later and be able to start healing ASAP once the tank has arrived to the place and got aggro of all mobs (but not before so that the healer does not get aggro). The tank's health may go down quickly if the healer is a bit slow to arrive in a huge pull. Same (but not of same critical importance) for the DPS since the sooner the mobs die in a huge pull, the lesk risk of the tank dying.

Very helpful... tanky spanky!