Easiest tank class for total newbie tank...?

I have played healers and dps in multiple MMOs but I never tank mostly because I have a poor sense of direction (rather dyslexic unfortunately) and getting lost in a dungeon you have run 100s of times is rather embarrassing :roll eyes:.

However FFXIV dungeons are mostly so linear that I can probably give it a try... (even though everyone else complain about them being linear lol)

I have leveled DPS (bard, blm, smn) and healers (SCH and working on WHT, AST). Which tank class is easiest at low levels? Is PLD easiest to being with? If I like it I can always level a currently more viable end game tank later so not worried about that.

Thanks! :D

Pld is good for a starter tho both starting tanks GLD & MRD are similar they different in few things but not at the start XD

Starting off as a gladiator is probably the best. Even if you do decide to switch to another tank, gladiator's cross class abilities are essential (mostly provoke, but some other's are nice too). It's got the simplest rotation as well to ease you in. The only real problem is you get your tank stance first (sword oath at lvl 30 as PLD) rather than your your tank stance (shield oath at lvl 40). This makes things a bit difficult in that lvl range as people begin hitting harder in those dungeons and if you aren't on top of your game, they can rip aggro from you fairly easily. But that is really only the case for a few dungeons and if the DPS and healer are REALLY on top of their game (or you are really not on top of your enmity).

Holding aggro as a PLD may be a tad more difficult at lower level dungeons, just be sure to use flash. It may be hard to get used to using a non-damaging more to keep enmity at first, but you get used to it :P

Gladiator will be the best option to start, as it's the most forgiving. And as others have said, it lends itself to all three tanking jobs. Guildhests are probably the best piece of group content you can use to practice enmity generation and the basics of marking, your rotation, etc.

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Originally Posted by Malicewolf

Holding aggro as a PLD may be a tad more difficult at lower level dungeons, just be sure to use flash. It may be hard to get used to using a non-damaging more to keep enmity at first, but you get used to it :P

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Flash is your friend. Flash is actually absurdly potent at holding hate in low-level dungeons, and when I've been generous with it, I haven't had any issues with enmity at all.

Hey guys, not to hijack this but I had a similar question as I want to do DRK but am leveling the other 2 to 30 just for the cross class. I'm a healer mainly and have all 3 at 60. I played Sashtasha with my level 30 DRK and had no issues at all. I then tried last night with my level 15 Gladiator (was 17 by the time it ended) and I bought all my gear from the market board which I think came from Sashtasha, and it's level 15 and has the green shading like it's a good item type thing. Anyway I forgot to check if anyone was level sync'd but last night was so hard, every few seconds the other 2 DPS would take aggro. I'd do flash, nothing would happen, do it again, same thing. Shield Lob I was convinced by the end doesn't increase enimity as it did nothing as well. They had to almost stop attacking for me to get aggro back. Didn't happen all the time, maybe 5 or 6 times but it was so hard to get it back or keep it. Am I supposed to be popping flash often during a battle? I was constantly running out of MP using it so much to try and keep it up (mixed with whatever that combo ability is that increases it as well at 200 potency, I forget the name of it but the icon is yellow.)

I assume it was due to level sync, especially if one of the DPS was much higher, but I had zero problems as DRK, but found it happened way more as Gladiator. Probably because I'm such a low level though. I think I was also nervous that someone else would be like wtf are you doing, since like the post above said Flash doesn't do damage. For the life of me I can't remember what other tanks do when leveling as even though I heal I don't pay that much attention lol.

@416 Welcome to the fun that is the lack of PLD aoe enmity generation.

As your gear was on level, the issue possibly lies with how you started your mob pull. Shield Lob, Flash, Flash - rage of halone combo on first target - Flash, > is usually enough for you to hold things in long enough to switch your target (as you have locked in the first target with the full roh combo). Change your target hit it once, change your target hit it once (second part of combo), change your target again and finish with halone. Altering what you hit with your single target attacks will usually keep you high enough on the agro list for all. Pop another rotation where you alter your targets, maybe toss in one last flash and you should be kosher.

DRK/WAR have low level spammable aoe's that pld just doesn't get. You will need to be creative, multi-targeting is just one method that works.

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Originally Posted by 416to305

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It was probably a combination of things honestly. As Alex stated, start off with Shield Lob to get the initial pull going. It does generate enmity, just not a huge amount. Riot Blade is the mp generating attack, but it does not give you more enmity (but does hit harder at lower level than Savage Blade). However, Savage Blade is what give you more hate. More than likely, you had both DPS at lvl sync'd maxed gear that were attacking different targets. At a low level, this makes it hard to keep hate to start with anyways. Then once they pull, they take dmg, which means the healer is now trying to heal multiple people and their enmity is increasing exponentially quicker as well. This leads to a downward spiral.

Now, how to fix that :)
1. Shield Lob to start to get a tad bit of enmity generated on the 1st target and close the gap.
2. Flash! This is your AoE as gladiator! If you haven't flashed yet, that means the other 2 targets can be stolen by a single hit from the DPS or a single heal on you by the healer. Get a feel for Flash's range though. It's not huge. Alex's suggestion of 2 flashes is probably best in this case. It should give you a pretty good buffer to work with.
3. Fast Blade --> Savage Blade!!! This is your enmity generator. Fast Blade --> Riot Blade should only be used if you have a very clear lead on enmity on all enemies and you want to push out higher DMG (only in earlier dungeons before you get Rage of Halone as your 3rd combo for enmity) OR if you desperately need MP to flash and are out (which you should notice if you're getting close to out BEFORE you need it. Otherwise, downward spiral will happen).
4. For single or small pulls, you shouldn't be running out of MP, even at a lower level. Shield Lob, Flash x2, enmity rotation on enemies, should keep you on top of their hate lists. If your DPS are attacking different targets than you, switch between those targets. If you notice BOTH are close to taking enmity off you, use a flash to give yourself a buffer, then go back to enmity combo between the 2 targets.

Also, if you don't know already, you can look at the enmity levels to the left of your name on the party list on the screen. You should be constantly switching through targets looking at that to check enmity levels in order to determine which enemy needs to be focused on the most to keep enmity. If you are holding on all enemies and no one is close to taking (for me, if they are under half of mine) then you can start using other attacks to do more dmg instead of generating more enmity (but continue monitoring).

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Originally Posted by 416to305

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Already some good advice, I don't have much experience other than low level tanking myself but here are some things that help me.
1 mark everything. Its easy for dps to steal hate if they focus on a different target than you. Marking will let them know what to focus on first so you don't have to tab hit as much.
2 put a few skill points in strength. I've found I struggle for hate a little less when I split my bonus points between vit and str. Probably don't go more than half and half though.

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Originally Posted by ChandraNoctis

I have played healers and dps in multiple MMOs but I never tank mostly because I have a poor sense of direction (rather dyslexic unfortunately) and getting lost in a dungeon you have run 100s of times is rather embarrassing :roll eyes:.

However FFXIV dungeons are mostly so linear that I can probably give it a try... (even though everyone else complain about them being linear lol)

I have leveled DPS (bard, blm, smn) and healers (SCH and working on WHT, AST). Which tank class is easiest at low levels? Is PLD easiest to being with? If I like it I can always level a currently more viable end game tank later so not worried about that.

Thanks! :D

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Hi! I have a similar health challenge where I get lost easily. Luckily, FFXIV players have been wonderful when I explain that I get all turned around in dungeons and need some directional help.

Anyways, I play a gladiator/paladin and it's easy. It'll be a great starter tank for you! Give it a shot, you just might end up hooked on it. :D

Thanks so much everyone that's a big help. I actually did put a few in STR but the rest in Vitality for now. I didn't realize I should Flash after shield lob, I guess because as soon as I did shield lob on one mob they all run over to me, so I assumed I had them all. I try to check the aggro meter on the party list as well, just lots to track at the moment (healing was the same, now I wonder how I ever had issues lol). Just needs practice. Question though, if you're fighting say a boss and adds appear and you look over and have hate on all but one is attacking a ranged DPS. I've tried shield lob but it didn't seem to pull aggro back from them, but leaving the boss to run to the other side of the arena to use flash didn't seem good either. Would shield lob be what I'd use either way? Thanks!!

Shield lob is kind of your only real choice if you're going to try to gather adds from a distance, at a level where you don't have access to Provoke. Once you have Provoke, you'd just use that instead and then a shield lob to make sure whoever it's hitting doesn't just reel it right back to them.

Like a lot of other people have said, Flash is your go-to for trash pulls as GLA/PLD. If you don't use at least two Flashes per pull as you rotate through targets with Savage Blade (and eventually Rage of Halone), you're going to be in for a Bad Time because you just won't have enough threat on stuff you're not directly attacking. Also, if you're tabbing through targets and see something about to peel away from you, hit it with Shield Bash so it's stunned as it turns red--this gives you 3 or 6 seconds to get some kind of enmity on it so it doesn't run away. If you get the timing right, nobody notices you let one slip away because it never leaves your side and you look like the Best Tank Ever.

My advice is slightly different to others but I'll give it for what it's worth. I'd start tanking with WAR not PLD as keeping hate is really easy thanks to Overpower living up to it's name and being overpowered. WAR is more about trying to self heal and manage TP but with hate secure you can concentrate on that and not worry about hate. WAR also gets it's tanking stance (with enmity boost) 10 levels earlier than PLD and will take you through Brayflox and Cutters Cy which can be challenging dungeons for a new tank so it does come in handy.

If you prefer to start with PLD though it is very viable, for stable hate I simply went with the Flash +1 rule and hate wasn't really a problem for the most part unless I got one of those troll parties that seem to try and make your life difficult. The Flash +1 rule is simple, pull with Shield Lob (not Provoke, only do that when you KNOW why you are) and then when the mobs group up at you Flash one more time than there are numbers of mobs, so flash 3 times for 2 mobs, 4 times for 3 mobs etc... At lower levels you won't fight more than 3 mobs at a time very often. Then start to rotate through the mobs with your enmity skills, hitting a different mob every time with your hate boosters as someone described well, earlier in the thread. That should be more than enough to hold solid hate and you can always use Riot Blade towards the end of the pull to replace MP if you need to. You don't need STR imo at lower levels so I'd go full VIT with your stats and keep your gear up to date, healers will love you for it and it will keep their hate down too. A decent HP pool is useful because healers are still learning as well at lower levels so for me VIT > STR below level 50 at the very least.

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Originally Posted by Artemiz

I'd start tanking with WAR not PLD as keeping hate is really easy thanks to Overpower living up to it's name and being overpowered

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This! Tanking as MRD at lowerlevels is by miles easier than it is as an GLD, and like Arte said it gets tanking stance 10 levels earlier than GLD makeing it even more easier. Braking points for GLD are lvl26(RoH)and lvl40(ShO), before lvl26 everything is pain to tank and at lvl30+ it gets painfully again. But if you are new and want to learn enmity control then go for GLD instead MRD, because nothing is given it needs to be earned. ^^

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Originally Posted by 416to305

Thanks so much everyone that's a big help. I actually did put a few in STR but the rest in Vitality for now. I didn't realize I should Flash after shield lob, I guess because as soon as I did shield lob on one mob they all run over to me, so I assumed I had them all. I try to check the aggro meter on the party list as well, just lots to track at the moment (healing was the same, now I wonder how I ever had issues lol). Just needs practice. Question though, if you're fighting say a boss and adds appear and you look over and have hate on all but one is attacking a ranged DPS. I've tried shield lob but it didn't seem to pull aggro back from them, but leaving the boss to run to the other side of the arena to use flash didn't seem good either. Would shield lob be what I'd use either way? Thanks!!

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There's 2 things you can do if you have adds in a boss come out and are too far away.
1. Move a bit to get just in range with shield lob without turning the boss towards your party (so if you have them on the edge, just run along the edge and have him follow you till your in range). But I would ONLY do this if it is absolutely essential for you to grab that add. And if it takes you too long to get there, obviously a shield lob won't be enough alone to take aggro back.

2. This is where provoke shines. Provoke can be the weakest or the strongest enmity generator in the game pending how you use it. It's +1 of whoever is at the top currently (with the exception of a few enemies/bosses which provoke won't work). So you could go from 0 to 1, or from 0 to 100 with it.

But I will say this, usually mobs are so essential to grab in the lower levels. Get what you can and stay put. Most of the time, your DPS will focus on the stray and burn it quicker than you could make it there to grab anyways.


And as to those saying MRD is the better starter, the reasons you give are in a sense true, however, MRD is very reliant on GLD cross class, unlike GLD who is not very dependent on MRD's. Foresight is no doubt a big one for GLD to cross, but it's also a very early skill (lvl 2) and is just an extra (but worse) mitigation skill for a GLD. MRD/WAR will get HUGE benefits from provoke at all times. Flash is very useful at the start to help conserve TP, convalescence is amazing no matter what level, and awareness is a great cross for the high level WAR who likes to utilize Raw Intuition. That is more so why I suggest start leveling GLD first as it will teach you the basics of tanking with great mitigation tools by your side AND give you access to the necessary cross classes for the other tanks. A GLD on the other hand doesn't really need any of the MRD cross classes to help them out early. As I said, Foresight is a nice extra mitigation, but not necessary for GLD (and if you really want it, do the 1st mission for MRD and you'll be lvl 2 to be able to take cross). Skull sunder is useless. Fracture is ok early, but essentially useless (even for WARs at higher levels it's not worth using as it's less DPS then they can push out manually in the same time). Bloodbath is a great move... If you can AoE attack. Which GLD can't. So it basically turns into a very slight mitigation tool as it basically heals for maybe 30% of what you're getting hit by via enemy auto attacks. Mercy stroke is great early and decent later, but by no means necessary. Best part is just that it's oGCD.

Not saying MRD NEEDS the GLD cross class skills, but the amount of utility provided is substantially different. Leveling a MRD with all GLD cross skills available is 10x better than leveling a GLD with all MRD cross skills available.