Viability of Lancer as a Tank?

[Issachar]

I suppose LNC could work as an emergency tank if the main tank(s) die. It's a squishy job, despite a potentially high Physical Defense rating, but it can grab hate pretty quickly if you unload your arsenal of buffs/skills. You won't last too long, but you might save a mage's life at the cost of your own.

[Kluya]

Lancer can tank a little better than Archer....but LNC is not a tank job. Its A good melee DD and support job. We are squishy and die easily when fighting NMs. I've cranked up VIT, use extra defensive/evasion buffs, and wear defense + VIT gear when fighting NMs just to stay alive. All of the rank 50 LNC in my LS are the first to die from NM AoE attacks. If multiple mages aren't spamming heals on great buffalo or goblin NM you are toast.

There is a 50 LNC on my server who tanks Uraeus sometimes. Not sure what abilities he uses to stay alive.

[Ganoosh]

This guy Zarvlad keeps saying hes so sure lancers can tank... your highest calss is 37 please lsiten to the more experienced players.... Lancers have no shot in beeing a main tank ... no matter what skills..... or armor... they are a pure damge class. and will never stand a chance beeing a main tank in a seriouse PT or NM fight

[Honz]

I really don't want to be so negative but lancers from my LS can't even take the aoe from Buffalo let alone tank him.

Lancers do great dmg though just stick to that

[Winry_Rockbell]

I have never battled a NM but in behests and party raids, i usually hit the monster first and end up being fine. This could possibly be because the Mages are healing me but i can tank pretty well.

[Vanguard319]

IMHO, lnc is not a tank, an archer has a better chance of surviving as one, and only because it can zerg a mob with an 11~15 hit spam. You could use heavy thrust to bind the target, and back away, but the bind would cancel out as soon as someone hit it. Then there's the question of Enmity, Lnc gets few native skills suitable for building hate, whereas Gla, Mrd, and Pgl all have skills that help increase hate without losing it. From what I've seen so far, Lnc is a DD with support skills, much like Dancer in FFXI, but with increased dmg and less survivability.

[DavidLocksley]

Sorry dude but every time I have tried to be the damage taker with my LNC class I got pretty messed up. If set up your lancer with just the right gear, just the right abilities, and just the right support from other players then you could of course do it but I don't think it would be as easy as a gladiator or pugilist.

[MiNuN]

I honestly have no troubles tanking, especially if you use diversion @ the right time

[God]

Dude that's like saying archer has no trouble tanking cause they have Decoy.

[MiNuN]

i unno bout archer i only know bout my lnc