Tanks, please use strength gear.. :(

[Alahra]

Why?

It's probably because there's more of a trade-off for a tank to DPS than there is for a MNK to use Mantra or a BLM to use Apoctastasis. Those are off-global abilities that don't generally cost DPS for the person to use. When tanks are pushing for DPS, there's more of a risk involved--it's not always a huge risk, especially if the tank knows what they're doing with cooldowns and the like, but there's a risk. There are similar back and forth discussions on the healer forums with regard to healer DPS that seem to be rooted in the same thing to me.

[karateorangutang]

This is why I prefer mixing up my jewelry vit/str that way I can put out a little more dps and still maintain a nice buffer for when you get one of those healers that zone out and forget how to heal.

I mix up jewelry as well depending on the content. 4 mans is really the only place that i go full STR setup on. Otherwise I try to give my healers a little cushion to deal with. It's the general mentality that surrounds STR accessories that has me at a loss. Most of the people that are defending full VIT setups seem to think that if you don't gear VIT fully then you flop over dead on the first pull. I have yet to run into a healer that is that bad.

It's probably because there's more of a trade-off for a tank to DPS than there is for a MNK to use Mantra or a BLM to use Apoctastasis. Those are off-global abilities that don't generally cost DPS for the person to use. When tanks are pushing for DPS, there's more of a risk involved--it's not always a huge risk, especially if the tank knows what they're doing with cooldowns and the like, but there's a risk. There are similar back and forth discussions on the healer forums with regard to healer DPS that seem to be rooted in the same thing to me.

I can see this I suppose. Like I said in my post though, if your wearing VIT accessories because it makes you feel more comfortable then that is fine. I really don't have a problem with people using VIT setups if that is what makes them feel better. What I don't like is the stance that alot of people are taking where if you don't have a million HP then you aren't viable. I've said it before but STR is an optimization and is by no means necessary for most content. It can be used to great effect even in DF. I run DF too and really don't have an issue. DF is like the monster under your bed, it's really not that bad once you look at it.

[Alahra]

DF is like the monster under your bed, it's really not that bad once you look at it.

That probably depends somewhat on Data Center. On Primal at least I regularly experience and hear from other healers about frustrating STR tanks.

However in general, I agree. I think full VIT is pretty wasteful after a certain point, though that point does slide around based on the content in question, individual skill and to a degree, group composition. Personally, I like STR tanks on AST more than I do on my SCH, as the former isn't as competent in AoE DPS as the latter, which means less is given up if I spend more time healing (plus, STR tanks benefit more from an Expanded Balance/Arrow than a VIT one). On SCH I tend to prefer at least a blend of the two (or a good STR tank), since there's more potential for personal DPS there.

On my own tanks, I'm admittedly an average tank and I stick to full VIT for now. I'll get pentamelds when the 180 accessories are readily available (though whether they will be is going to be questionable with how borked crafting progression/material scarcity is right now).