Getting started tanking?

[JonBigwood]

Having another class leveled up is a great help, since you will already know the dungeons, and know what mistakes the tanks you have met along the way commit. A healer sees everything and everybody's mistakes usually.

The main thing to remember is that in group play, getting and keeping enmity is your main job, not killing mobs quickly (as it might seem for the solo quests you do while leveling.) You also need to know at least a bit the place (look guides etc.) since you might find the other members expect you to. Many times other member knows the way and helps, no problem.

A healer usually is all the time looking at the party list and the HP of everybody. The tank usually is looking at the enemy list and checking all enemies are in red and have enough enmity, and quickly take measures if they start to get orange, more it they are green or yellow. Sometimes there are enemies that, even if you flashed, are not on your enemy list and may be attacking somebody, you need to keep your eyes open and be aware of everything that happens.

As a PLD I have noticed that now, when I do roulettes, I use flash much more intensely than when I was new and did the dungeons for the first times. Many tanks I meet when I do low level roulette as a WHM or BLM don't flash enough and lose hate easily. Flash is not wasted, enmity accumulates, and the tank main job is not killing the mobs. Flash a lot and you can recover mp with riot blade combo later. It is easier to grab hate from the start than having to recover lost hate.

My MRD is only level 26. I liked Overpower a lot while leveling up. But I have been doing other things and not leveled it more, I leveled the WHM and BLM to have different points of view. I suppose eventually I'll level the WAR. It takes mental flexibility to change from one job to another, and I suppose from one tank with a play style to another with a different one.

Until you obtain Rage of Halone, Flash and Savage Blade Combo are the ones to gain enmity, Riot Blade Combo to recover mp, when you already have enmity, but not to gain enmity. This is a common avoidable mistake, since it gives more damage and recovers mp, you may be tempted to use Riot Blade combo a lot. You may have enmity problems then. Only when enmity is well established, recover mp. If there are several enemies, rotate the attacks so all keep enmity towards you.

There are guides on the forum for tanks too. You learn a lot reading the forums. Having a weapon as good as you can is also very important for a tank, it affects a lot the enmity you create.