Please make Samurai the next Tank class.

[Aaramis]

Not to be *that* guy that compares FFXIV to FFXI, but back in FFXI SAM had abilities that combined evasion with parry/riposte (Third Eye + Seigan) which worked well, and I think could be replicated quite well here. Throw in LNC as a subjob prerequisite for Keen Flurry and Invigorate, and it could really rock.

[Kaonis]

Personally I was fond of making SAM a parry tank getting most of it's mitigation from parry and abilities that boosted parry for a short while.

[Rufalus]

Evasion tanks wont really work with how most end game mechanics work... the RNG gods didnt let you evade that attack, boom one hit KO.

I think a tank that focuses mostly on evasion could work like this... While it would get hit harder than other tanks when it fails to evade, its main damage mitigation move could have a very short cooldown duration. Thus the move needed to significantly reduce damage received would always be available for powerful enemy attacks that would otherwise kill you, but there is added responsibility on the player to know the enemy and be reactionary so the timing is correct.

[Empressia]

lets see 2 handed katana is very very very practical to parrying compared to 2handed axe or 1 handed sword in real life, if there's a way SAM could make it as tank, it will based on the disruptive (debuffing target) / counter (OP skills can only activated if evasion/block/parry succeeds) tank (more RNG Dependant) spectrum as opposed to conservative mitigation tanking aka PLD and offensive tanking aka WAR

[Duelle]

Personally I was fond of making SAM a parry tank getting most of it's mitigation from parry and abilities that boosted parry for a short while.

Seeing how parries work in this game, this would be an appropriate route to take. I'd personally like to see something like parry focus and something else to help mitigate SAM's lack of a shield like PLD or damage shields like WAR. I've mentioned the stagger mechanic from WoW's monk class before, and I still think it would nicely fit SAM.

[Rbstr]

I love the idea of SAM as a counter/parry/partial evasion tank.
But it would suck if the skills and survivability of the class were particularly reliant on the parry secondary. Gearing would suck, because parry would become essential.

Basically, keep the primary tanking mechanic in the stance/skills area. Don't have more than one parry proc skill. Use skills/buffs to create automatic parries that don't rely on the RNG. Have the stance do minor constant mitigation and some % for partial evasion.

If you really want it to be based on parry you need it to be able to make up for the damage potential lost to required gear. Which, I think, becomes very hard to balance.

[HOOT3N]

I don't care about the specifics but a Sam tank will own and I will play it

[Hulk_Smash]

I like the idea as well, especially when I think of Brew Master monks. The way I see it, SAM could prioritize parry or crit as secondary stats.

High crit rate build: each critical AA and skill would add a stack to be used with some CD. The CD would be used to increase evasion rate by some %, with a limit of 60% increased evasion chance.

High parry build: each parry would add to some other CD, or the same, that would also increase evasion by max of 60% evasion rate.

You would also need DR CD's similar to WAR, but the focused would be evasion. Then, gearing options could become very interesting.
"Do I go higher crit rate, parry, or a combo of both?"

Or, SAM could have a base evasion rate of 20%, + X% increased Defence. Some base value equal to shield oath 20% DR, or WAR 25% hp+ 20% extra heals received. Then the CD's would increase evasion rate by variable %'s.
AA Crits CD for + 40%. Parry CD + 20%, Crit skill for + 30%.

[SwashBuccaneer]

Just posting to say...

GO BRONCOS!!!

[LillithCale]

An evasion tank is very hard to balance; you have to design a class around the idea that since they flat out dodge attacks, they will probably have less defense against hits. If RNGeesus decides to forsake you, you could see back to back hits that hurt. Moreover, as of current game mechanics, I believe parry is a very subpar stat. Parry tank is neat, but it’s kind of the same concept as a pally, mitigate damage in some form. The counter concept is actually cool, but does the counter only work on parry, dodges, or hits, or a combination of them? Perhaps all of them? If so, why bother with counter moves? Just allow me the option to use a weaponskill to smack them. If not, the Im’m asking the player to know exactly which counter needs to be pressed based on mitigation, or lack thereof, preformed. On top of which, someone said a katana was a great parrying weapon unlike the pally sword or axe. I'd point out that isn't really true. Musashi's two sword style has the shorter blade acting as the defensive weapon, while the longer as the offensive. It's not solidly set in stone, but that’s the general concept.

This part is slightly opinionated, so bear with me. I do know samurai didn’t believe in shields. There is tons of lore and myth on the idea that katanas were souls, and one was to cut with their soul. Part of training, and still utilized today, is one's Ki. In combat you are to force your warrior’s spirit, or Ki, out to overpower your foe. It’s different in areas, but it doesn’t come off as a defensive concept. That’s not to give the idea that samurai were offense > defense, but the focus emphasizes to defeat the foe, not to hold out against them. Another thing, samurai armor was not the strongest created. It was good, no doubt, but it's not like the steel of full plate which was far more protective.

Point is, samurai seems to me a class about defeating their foe with honed strikes, and a katana, or long sword, designed to utilize both hands for maximum power. Then, there is also the fact that in Final Fantasy, samurai classes have almost always had a focus on damage dealing, with extras on the side. Now, that isn’t to say SE couldn’t try something new, look at what they did with sticking Bard onto the Archer class, but I don’t think experimenting with SAM as a Tank would be a good fit. I could see DRK being more plausible as a tank, though really I’d like to see just a straight up Knight class, one that would focus on the break moves from various FF Lore, like Armor Break, Mind Break, etc etc.

So, in the end, I would prefer to see SAM as a damage dealing class because that sticks truer to the heart of what a Samurai is. It’s personal opinion of course, but that’s my two cents