Idea for 4.0 Tank Class

[Thaeros]

Despite the need for heavy armor, I also think Tank is the best role for RDM. It's the only role in the current meta that can effectively combine dps, healing, and at least some tankiness. It's the same way they designed DRK in a lot of ways. But the best example is probably warrior. It is the only job able to do all 3 roles in a solo fight against TEX. The alternative is a support dps like Bard but only melee.

Anyway, I like the idea but I would like to know how it fits in to the current meta. Warrior is a tank with huge hp buffers and burst dps. Dark knight is our token magic tank also with burst dps. Paladin is our physical tank with a smattering of healing. How would Red Mage fit? Is it a magic tank with healing? Or do you imagine it some combination of the 3 (able to switch roles depending on stances, like AST for healers)?

Their parry mechanic with element could also be altered to lay down AoE buff zones to help out party members. Instead of Flaming Arrow or all the AoE damage persistant zones, how about a healing is buffed zone (could augment regen from white mages, or boost shield effects from scholars), or a damage buff zone (ensorc for ALL in that zone, aka your mages fire(s) now have a hint of lightning, or greater fire, or a blue hint/augmented symbols, or bard arrows are on fire <shown by leaving a small contrail>)

So basically a tank that augments the party around them as they tank away. Current tanks only apply a debuff, a dot (or three), boost defense, and heal some. Why not have a tank that uses their power to boost the party much like the original ff14 cinematic where a white mage? buffed an archers arrow with fire, just on a field/aoe scale

Minus the dual wielding, this is the basic way I assume they'll be doing RDM. The tank role, as codified, is the easiest way to cover all of the RDM's normal kit, which includes 1) melee, 2) white/defensive magic (which takes the form of defensive cooldowns with spell names like Phalanx, drawn from FFXI and healing cooldowns and/or spells, not unlike Clemency), and 3) black/offensive magic.

While DPS or healer could work in theory for RDM, DPS loses some of the "hybrid" feel, and healer would end up strange in melee. (While other games have had melee healers, FFXIV has a history of mechanics that only target healers, requiring them to separate from the rest of the group, so a melee healer would either mean that healer was undesirable for fights with those sorts of mechanics or they could no longer include such mechanics, which would limit raid design).

Edit: To expand and counterpoint myself a little, the only reason they might not go tank is more of an aesthetic one. While RDM has usually worn "light" melee armor, including chainmail, they usually haven't worn the really heavy stuff (like the Wolfram tank set or the Noct set, for example). Most tank gear in the game isn't all that heavy anymore and wouldn't be a huge thematic stretch for RDM, but if they ever move back to an art style with larger pieces of tank gear being common, that might steer them away from making RDM a tank class (unless they did something weird with their gearing, anyway).

the dual wielding would be graphical, not two actual weapons. and to parry more graphically two weapons could parry more giving a more satisfying realism to that mechanic. and while cheap a built in mechanic to reduce damage or buff the light plate would equal out the defend missing from said plate.

just a new and interesting role for a classic class (that and for over a decade Ive wanted to play a light plate dual wield parry/deflect/finesse tank and red mage is my new hope )

[Alahra]

the dual wielding would be graphical, not two actual weapons

It's graphical for NIN and MNK, too. RDM has traditionally been the fencer class, so they'll probably use fencing swords (like epees and rapiers). If we ever get a light-armored, dual-wielding tank, my best guess is either a brand new class, which they could pattern after Raubahn's fighting style pre-HW, or Blue Mage. Raubahn was the lead BLU in FFXI, and they commonly dual wielded there, so making them dual wield swords as he once did in FFXIV would be a subtle nod to the FFXI incarnation.

[Februs]

RDM has traditionally been the fencer class, so they'll probably use fencing swords (like epees and rapiers).

Duel wielding wouldn't actually be all that strange.

Historically, fencing often employed duel wielding. The high-handed posture assumed by fencers (in which their non-dominant hand is held behind them and above their head) came from holding either a lantern (for night fighting) or a dagger/buckler (for executing parry's). Things changed a lot when it became a sport.