It's been informed to me that WAR's wearing STR gear isn't correct.

[SpookyGhost]

You're forgetting one huge, undeniable benefit of bringing PLD - Rage of Halone STR debuff. It's huge, and its loss is both a survival risk in new content and such a mitigation loss otherwise that you have to lose a lot of healer DPS to compensate.

I see what you mean, but that's why PLD MT / WAR OT exists. WAR MT / WAR OT is for farm content for optimal DPS, if we're talking about FCoB then you should be bringing both tanks, for sure. T9 you may want both for progression, but I think the echo kind of mitigates needing Path/Halone. I also agree that PLD MT is best at our current gear level for T13, it might also be best if it's left that way unless the PLD is somehow able to tank adds in Sword Oath. Kinda curious what the numbers are like for PLD/WAR OT with Dread weapon and Ruby accessories, but I don't know if the people who have access to those weapons have done any testing.

[Sleigh]

I see what you mean, but that's why PLD MT / WAR OT exists. WAR MT / WAR OT is for farm content for optimal DPS, if we're talking about FCoB then you should be bringing both tanks, for sure. T9 you may want both for progression, but I think the echo kind of mitigates needing Path/Halone. I also agree that PLD MT is best at our current gear level for T13, it might also be best if it's left that way unless the PLD is somehow able to tank adds in Sword Oath. Kinda curious what the numbers are like for PLD/WAR OT with Dread weapon and Ruby accessories, but I don't know if the people who have access to those weapons have done any testing.

The problem with fights that WAR/WAR is a decent comp on, is that most of them can be solo tanked, or have PLD OT if you bring one to ghetto out the tank swap.

T1-5 - solo tank
T6 - if 2 tanks, WAR MT with PLD OT using Cover to force stack drops. 1 tank otherwise
T7 - STR debuff is great and allows plenty of extra healer DPS. Can tank adds in Sword Oath by now with CDs anyway, Echo OP.
T8 - solo tank
T9 - solo tank
T10+ - need STR debuff + SE + SP, WAR possibly best MT for T10-12 with practice and most certainly as we gear up.

[SpookyGhost]

Yeah, I mentioned that:

WAR MT / PLD OT is only viable in fights where there is nothing for the OT to actually tank, and in which case you might as well bring another DPS.

The main reason to bring a second tank for fights like T9 is incase something goes wrong and the MT dies. If that happens, it's a wipe. With a backup tank, it's not. Any content that's on farm but you still risk death from someone messing up, I feel an OT holds value. I especially don't get why the default T9 PUG setup is 2 heals, 1 tank, 5 DPS - that seems super risky to me, especially for groups still learning. Damage is predictable, but things can easily go horribly awry.

Anyway, outside of pretty much T9, Ramuh, and Shiva possibly, you might as well WAR solo tank for optimal DPS, I agree.

e: Also agree @ T7, any fight where the OT doesn't need to turn on their tank stance, a PLD OT is better. I don't actually know how significant the RoH debuff is on Melusine, I know all her attacks are physical outside of the fireballs but she kinda hits like a wet noodle anyway. Plus Echo is a thing now. Could easily be wrong here tho, not speaking with any authority on this.

[CrystalMagus]

All STR or bust. x) I roll all strength when I WAR.. I have no issues with tanking Twintania, or any other primal/boss, if you buff correctly you can most certainly compensate for your lost vit with all str. I have had no issue thus far with it and will continue to be all str for my war. x) GL to yous and HF! x)

[Vorpal_Spork]

Those healers are bad and you shouldn't listen to them OP.

[BlaiseArath]

OP

There is very little content that will require you to max HP, correct use of Cooldowns is far more important, from your support and yourself. This is obviously not true for all situations, but knowing when and when not to STR gear is something important. No one who has a brain is going to scold you for STR gear, and if they do? They're not the people you want to run with anyway... just like people complaining about healers throwing up some DPS. So think of it as them doing you a huge favor and saving you from having to deal with them ever again

Unfortunately I can't speak for Shiva EX, but almost no primal EX's require you having absurd amounts of HP. However, the importance of high HP is almost entirely to help healers. The higher your HP, the more time they have to react and cure you before you die, but most healers are able to do this without much problem.

In a random group if they ask me to go VIT I typically do. Clearing is more important then listening to people who don't have a clue tell me how to do my job.

This is very good advice however if you're just interested in getting through it.

[Kirana]

As any job (not just tank) your purpose in the party is to maximize the success of the party (this usually means average clear speed). If trading VIT for STR allows you to clear faster and not wipe more, you should do it. If you do not, you are being a sub-optimal tank.

Anyone who says a tank's DPS does not matter is a fool and does not understand how to maximize potential in this game. If this is your argument, then I suspect you also condone off-tanking in shield oath/defiance or only using wrath stacks for IB or spamming storm's path. Hopefully this is not actually the case, but if not then you are being a hypocrite by defending full-vit tanking.