Quote Originally Posted by VicariousXIV View Post
Sure, I won't deny you that, but removing it's MP cost doesn't have to and even should not change that functionality of it.

Plus the other tanks also get options to use on friends as well, that actually tend to do a lot more then just give a shield.
The MP cost makes it so that it's desirable to think about when you're using it rather than to press it on cooldown, as it actually feels bad for the shield to not break. This then means it feels more rewarding when it does break.

The other tanks have less tension for whether or not they used their ally mitigation correctly, so they're less satisfying.

It's like the difference between breaking a scholar's shield from a sage's shield. Sage's take slightly longer to perform and have a method to make back your lost damage; Scholar's exist and do not have a pass/fail indicator.