Can I tank without backpeddle?

[Nuclayer]

I only use my mouse to move. I haven't actually keyboard turned in 6 or 7 years. I would like to try tanking but I could never go back to using those keys. I actually keybound them to abilities.

I know you can't block or parry if the mob is behind you, but I would only not face the mob if I had to kite it. Will it be impossible to tank this way?

[Livilda]

I never backpeddle. Ever.

[M1A2]

Will be fine you may need a strafe left/right keys unless they are bound to extra mouse buttons. Back peddling is a good way to eat unneeded dmg.

[Casper]

Will it be possible to tank this way?

Without backpeddle ? Yeah, sure, backpeddle is so slow, there is no need for it except when you feel lazy about turning around and have only to move inches backward.

Without strafing ? I don't think so , you would be gimping you a lot i think. You didn't mention straf in your post, so i don't know if you kept those or not, but i would advise against removing these.

[Maelwys]

I only use my mouse to move. I haven't actually keyboard turned in 6 or 7 years. I would like to try tanking but I could never go back to using those keys. I actually keybound them to abilities.

I know you can't block or parry if the mob is behind you, but I would only not face the mob if I had to kite it. Will it be impossible to tank this way?

Backpedalling is one thing. I never backpedal either.

If you're coming from playing a Healer (particularly a Conjurer whose can't really cast whilst moving) you're going to need to be be a lot more mobile if you're planning on tanking.

Occasionally you'll need to make the mob(s) move by kiting them, but much more regularly you'll need to dodge or sidestep out of AoEs and Cones whilst spamming abilities. Picture a group of 3-4 mobs, all with Cone abilities. It can become a bit of a mad dance to get your character in and out of the red AoE areas but still stay in melee range of the mobs, and ideally still be facing them all to raise your Parry chance (all whilst naturally marking enemies, trying to get + hold aggro on all of them, timing cooldowns and stuns appropriately and carefully positioning the fight to allow your melee DD teammates to use their positional buffs + attacks)

Can you reliably dodge regular AoEs and Cones using just the mouse?
If the answer's yes, then you're good to go and I'd not worry too much about packpedalling

[Hachiko]

Change your camera mode from camera based to character based. It will make your backward button turn your character around and save a lot of time.

Otherwise turning the camera and strafing is effective, but often not fast enough to avoid faster aoes like Repelling Cannons reliably in my experience.

[CyanDvai]

I never backpeddle either. I have a Logitch G3 mouse and I have my strafe keys macroed to them so I can strafe and move with the mouse only.

[HeiZei]

I am so against backpeddling that I actually remove my "S" key while in game. Don't do it, ever.

[catfish01]

Sorry if this is a dumb question then, but how do you re-position without backpedal? Example; move forward to grab Titan, but want to get back to edge; if you turn your back, don't you risk taking extra damage?

[Semont]

Press esc.

Character configuration.

Press legacy movement.

Problem solved.