Easy tank to learn?

[Renathras]

Probably WAR.

WAR has the fewest hotbar slots of all the tanks, and you can fit all your "often pressed single target" buttons on one bar, "often pressed AOE" on half of a second, and your utility abilities/CDs on the other half of the AOE bar (with the short duration ones on your main single target bar for boss fights - when you need to weave a ton of mitigation is usually on wall to wall AOE pulls, so having it on your AOE bar makes sense anyway). Having two bars I can swap between with a single tap of Right Bumper (none of that "press and hold" shenanigans stuff) makes it super easy to fit everything on controller and have all your buttons where you need them. All of the other tanks go over 32 when you add up their abilities, role abilities, sprint, LB (which you do need in some rare 8 mans and when you need it [SoS, EW final] you don't have time to hunt in your menus for it), and potion (in raids/I swap this slot for mount in field)

As for the rotation, you get to learn it fairly early while leveling, as you have the complete "core" rotation by level 50. WAR uses a 1-2-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3...refresh 4 system. Storm's Eye gives you a 30 sec damage boosting buff, but it can be stacked up to 60 sec. This makes it VERY forgiving if you accidentally refresh it early (like 5-15 seconds left will increase the buff to 30-45 as opposed to just 30 and the extra being wasted) and is super flexible. The 1-2-3 is static and easy to employ, and the third hit (Storm's Path) heals you, giving WAR consistent self-healing from level 26 while some other Tanks don't get theirs until much later. This can be useful when running dungeons at low levels or trying to solo older content that force syncs you, like Palace of the Dead, where some other tanks don't have their self-healing yet.

WAR's AOE is a straightforward 1-2 combo, with the 2 also giving you the Storm's Eye buff making it easy to keep uptime in AOE. Both single and AOE targets give you a 50 Beast Gauge spender (just use one for single target and the other for AOE, simple!), that also get boosted when you use Infuriate, WAR's "free 50 gauge" button, which is ALSO super flexible and morphs said spenders into more powerful attacks at high levels. You have one oGCD attack for single target and one AOE that share a CD, so you just use the one for the situation you're in. And WAR is pretty mobile, having 3 charges on its main gap closer, a second big attack gap closer when you use your big CD (Inner Release) at level 90, and has some amazing self-healing with Raw Intuition (level 56) and its upgrade, as well as Nascent Flash (which is the same thing for a party member but ALSO heals you. Raw Intuition heals you based on targets hit, meaning if you pop it in an AOE pack and start using your AOE combo, you basically can't be killed because you're healing for your entire health bar every time you use either of your AOE attacks.

And WAR's invuln is the most utility worthy of the bunch, since it has the shortest CD. It isn't a true invuln like PLD or GNB (where it prevents taking damage), but it prevents anything killing you (prevents falling below 1 HP), and the short CD means it's the only one that can be used up to 3 times in hard content (the other tanks only get 2 uses out of theirs). It also doesn't have the nasty drawback of DEATH like DRK's does if you don't heal up...and WAR can super fast heal up anyway between Equilibrium, Raw Intuition, and Storm's Path.

.

Does that sound like a lot? Well, every other Tank I could write 3x that much. WAR has a simple, straightforward, and flexible single target rotation, even easier AOE rotation, the most massive self-healing/sustain in the game, some party healing utility, and equal or better slate of defensive CDs to all the other tanks.

Hands down, I think it's objectively the easiest tank to learn. It may not be flashy (okay, Fell Cleave spam and Inner Release/Primal Rend ARE pretty flashy...), but it has all the tools you need, the tools are easy and make sense, and it gets the job done.

Some of the others like PLD can start easy but get complex - especially when trying to optimize with that cursed opener - or really busy like GNB and DRK (in its opener/burst window). WAR, on the other hand, is pretty consistent. It gets flashier and stuff, but most of the time as you level, its abilities upgrade RATHER THAN have additional things/buttons/abilities tacked on making a more complex rotation. This allows it to remain pretty simple all the way to and including at level 90. It's easy to learn and pick up, and pretty easy to get good at, but there's still a little nuance if you want to push things to perfection and grow into it, and its utility and invuln power make it a great choice. It's not an "easy to learn, but no one wants it at level cap/Savage raiding" Job - it's easy to learn AND useful in high end content.

[Oizen]

do u want to be a dungeon hero? warrior all the way, inner release and bloodwhetting will make u feel like a god

stay well away from GBR unless u want carpal tunnel

pali is kind of meh all round but visually very pleasing

DRK for serious raid content, self sustain is frankly irrelevant, ur co tank (unless it is another DRK) can help out easily and healers have plenty of pretty buttons for u as well

If you fully utilize your entire defensive kit, DRK does fine in dungeons.

The issue stems from the fact that at high level, DRK is using every single thing in its kit, including things like Arms Length to get by

and WAR is using Bloodwhetting

[Infinity-Razgriz]

Quick resume on Tanks difficulty
WAR is the easiest to learn and easiest to master
PLD is easy to learn and hard to master
GNB and DRK are hard to learn and easy to master

[SilverSkyway]

Update I guess.
After my journey in that other game and tied tanking there, I got War to lvl 50 here (dungeon spam). While I felt better about playing a tank, I still had tankxiety. Getting to 50, I brought some tomb gear and went did some trials and ally raid.
Tanking not for me. To much going on and to stressful for my liking. While everyone I met were awesome and nice, I freak out at my own self. Among other stuff that not to my liking like to many buttons. I decide not to continue.
Back to rdps I go. I tried.

[Veranolth]

You consider those terrible but THIS

followed by 45 seconds of spamming your Soul Eater combo good?

Okay then.

They were talking rotations and you come here and link the DRK opener which is frankly not even that bad when you look at GNB's opener:

Update I guess.
After my journey in that other game and tied tanking there, I got War to lvl 50 here (dungeon spam). While I felt better about playing a tank, I still had tankxiety. Getting to 50, I brought some tomb gear and went did some trials and ally raid.
Tanking not for me. To much going on and to stressful for my liking. While everyone I met were awesome and nice, I freak out at my own self. Among other stuff that not to my liking. I decide not to continue.
Back to rdps I go. I tried.

Tank anxiety can take a good while to go away for someone that's not used to tanking and by 50 it's likely still going to be there, but if tanking isn't for you then that's fine. Not every roles are fun for everybody. Some people pick up on tanking easier than others.

[Sqwall]

Update I guess.
After my journey in that other game and tied tanking there, I got War to lvl 50 here (dungeon spam). While I felt better about playing a tank, I still had tankxiety. Getting to 50, I brought some tomb gear and went did some trials and ally raid.
Tanking not for me. To much going on and to stressful for my liking. While everyone I met were awesome and nice, I freak out at my own self. Among other stuff that not to my liking. I decide not to continue.
Back to rdps I go. I tried.

At least you tried. Tanking isn't for everyone, but if you stick with it you can learn it, just like anything. Patience is a virtue. And sometimes DPS or healers don't have ANY patience. I would go out on a limb and say you would probably hate the level 60+ style of tanking of wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, end. It gets REALLY old....REALLY fast. I don't tank in duty finder anymore for that reason....tanking in duty finder is just BORING. Which is why i'm SO excited for variant and criterion+savage dungeons. I'm hoping this promotes SMART dungeon crawling instead of bloodwhetting+inner release mode.

I would say keep at it with WAR...it get WAY better when you get to shadowbringers...everything just clicks. Which is why WAR is THE best tank...and I say tank. WAR is so incredibly stout, and my healers can always tell when I don't use bloodwhetting in savage.

Give it another shot, and don't let impatient people deter you. It pays off when people starting looking up to you as a Main Tank and can jump into any content. I got invited to a trap party...that was UCOB...never done an ultimate...but I learned in about a half hour as we made it almost through Nael.

[SilverSkyway]

Tank anxiety can take a good while to go away for someone that's not used to tanking and by 50 it's likely still going to be there, but if tanking isn't for you then that's fine. Not every roles are fun for everybody. Some people pick up on tanking easier than others.

I played dps pretty much all my life. My mind set to hit stuff really hard. Last few years i've been hook into Range dps in mmo (Hunter, Bard Mch, Ranger, ect. I have dab a little in tanking but the idea of it I never stay long to learn.
Trial were runs okay and easy. The ally raid. While it was CT/World of darkness so I knew it and it was again easy, the MT dead and I had step in (the eye boss).
Bit a quick panic as I and other tank didn't notice until boss moved away from mid. lol

At least you tried. Tanking isn't for everyone, but if you stick with it you can learn it, just like anything. Patience is a virtue. And sometimes DPS or healers don't have ANY patience. I would go out on a limb and say you would probably hate the level 60+ style of tanking of wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, wall to wall, wall to wall, boss, end. It gets REALLY old....REALLY fast. I don't tank in duty finder anymore for that reason....tanking in duty finder is just BORING. Which is why i'm SO excited for variant and criterion+savage dungeons. I'm hoping this promotes SMART dungeon crawling instead of bloodwhetting+inner release mode.

I would say keep at it with WAR...it get WAY better when you get to shadowbringers...everything just clicks. Which is why WAR is THE best tank...and I say tank. WAR is so incredibly stout, and my healers can always tell when I don't use bloodwhetting in savage.

Give it another shot, and don't let impatient people deter you. It pays off when people starting looking up to you as a Main Tank and can jump into any content. I got invited to a trap party...that was UCOB...never done an ultimate...but I learned in about a half hour as we made it almost through Nael.

I'll keep trying. I said that in WoW too but got to max level with that war though I came back to FF14 before I did any other content. I'll see where it leads.
What deter me a little was looking at my upcoming abilities and figuring wher to comfy put them on my controller.

I only use leveling dungeon duty to level alts but at max I rare ever go there. A lot Trials and Ally raids with guildheist mix in.
I'm trying to do the wall to wall, though AAR dungeons would say otherwise. What i've been finding Sprint makes me miss my aoe to aggo. As well as learning to use my CDs on trash. I use one then panic to use another.

I went War for that basic rage monster.. No. I mostly went as people said it was easy to stay alive which I would need >.>

Thank you.

[Sqwall]

I'll keep trying. I said that in WoW too but got to max level with that war though I came back to FF14 before I did any other content. I'll see where it leads.
What deter me a little was looking at my upcoming abilities and figuring wher to comfy put them on my controller.

With the ARR and I would even add in Heavensward dungeons, use those as practice to learn your job/role as a tank, and don't worry so much about the other players waiting on you...you're the tank...they HAVE to wait on you.
And you mentioned you play on controller, I do as well.

Here are some tips for controller:

#1 Set attack combos on your hotbar so you can move with the left stick. Put your "main" combo on the 4 buttons so your left hand is free to move the left stick while attacking. Next place your high cooldown buttons on the D-pad buttons which you won't be hitting a lot over the course of an encounter or dungeon.

Pro Tip: Set attack abilities to the D pad isn't bad, but you may have to immediately switch to "claw" playstyle (which I have done at times during HEAVY movement raids). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82PykfLwtbE
This is by no means to scare you, but this has helped me in the past with keeping my GCD rolling while moving

In the end it ALL comes down to feel. For me I like to play the game as if i'm playing tekken or street fighter. Muscle memory takes over and you're literally a wizard at the controller over time.

#2 Expanded Cross hot bar is slick way to trigger your brain in thinking...my "Oh Shit stuff is right trigger + left trigger".
Put your pinch abilities there as you will literally ONLY use them...in a pinch. Holmgang, Most long cooldown mitigations, role actions (arm's length, interrupt, reprisal).
Again for me this just let's me know where I need to go to get that clutch mitigation without having to take my hand off the left stick. I can pull both triggers, hit the 4 face buttons, and move at the same time. Staying out of AOE and using my abilities.

#3 Have a Boss hotbar, and a trash hotbar.
I know this sounds weird, but I have 2 set's of hotbars. One for single target tanking. And one for AOE tanking.
Doing this allows me to remove ALL the AOE skills from my hot bar, and I can place provoke, shirk, potion, etc on my main bar. Believe it or not this seriously declutters your hotbar with things you will NEVER hit in a boss encounter.
Takes a while to setup but it can be worth it.

#4 The most important tip. Practice! Practice! Practice!
No body was ever born GOOD at something. It takes practice and learning your limits. And how you find ways around those limits.
Use those target dummies. Read your tooltips. Watch Videos. Talk to your FC. Find a mentor.
The more comfortable you are with executing your skills/abilities the better tank you will become. Then you will find out tanking is a breeze.

Good luck my friend.

[SilverSkyway]

Questions on Alt tanking. I was doing Daily Ally raid and some one mention I should wait until MT has boss then I turn my stance on in case they die I can pick boss up.
When the MT has boss/ect.
Do I shrik them? Does Shrik last forever/until tank dies? (doesn't say in tooltip)
Do I stance dance or?

And side question on defense CD. Early stuff (before ShB ish), Tank busters are not highlighted red. Do I Defense on the uninterruptible castable spells? (that are not random aoe)

Thank you for info too.

[Sqwall]

1. In the alliance raid there really isn't a main tank per say. Just leave your stance on. You have to remember sometimes you will have to take tank buster meant for the top 3 in agro (typically at much higher levels). If the top 3 on agro meter are not tanks...then it will fall to the next highest...typically a DPS going balls out on rotation or a WHM glare cannon. Good rule of thumb...."Whoever does the most damage...has the agro...unless a tank has their stance on"

So to answer your question...you can leave it on...or just delay it after engaged. You'll be fine.

2. You can shirk yes...it's not going to hurt anything as long as each tank has their stance on. I like to think of it as a bank account. When I shirk I subtract some of my agro to whoever I target and transfer it to them...now it's added to their amount they already have until they die or then shirk back to you. Your just passing the values back and forth. This is why provoke and shirk go so well together. Provoke gives you 1 more point then the top agro...then they shirk to you...now your the main tank by a mile. They provoke and you shirk to them....now they are the main tank. Easy.


3. Tank buster come in MANY varieties. Some are telegraphed...some aren't (ultima TB comes to mind as it just comes out randomly...perhaps percentage based?). Also Tank buster come in many variations.
-some are normal attack (P1S Heavy Hand)
-Some are shared
-some are point blank aoe
-some are line
-some are flare (large radius)
-some are dot's
-some give a debuff which requires swap
-some are either stack and/or solo (usually random so you have to be quick)
-some are frontal soak, but no stack (tank stands in front of party, but close enough to soak damage)
-some are bait (few)
-and some will be like ahk morn (multi hit tank busters that hit hard, usually targets both tanks)

Even though I don't advice this normally...but this is actually a helpful video. Just take everything xeno says with a grain of salt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlmCim9ynbw

4. Finally. As a tank you need to be using your mitigations intelligently. What I mean by that is. After you gather all the mobs, use a CD. As one CD is about to fall off, use another. The key is to have a mitigation always rolling, unless you have a gigachad for a healer. But if you mitigate that allows the healer to spam AOE or dot's...so keep that in mind. Also stacking mitigation IS possible, BUT....BUT...it caps out I think at like 45%? Normally called "Kitchen Sink" when we stack everything. (everything including the kitchen sink) Maybe some knows the exact amount as I don't at this point. You will rarely see a interruptible cast bar later in the game. Although they do exist. The last boss in Ktisis Hyperboreia for instance has a spell you can interrupt, but rarely are they tank busters.