Tips for tanking with a controller?

[JMadFour]

Hey all. Leveling a new Gladiator on a new Server, on PS4. After having leveled an Arcanist on PC.

More than a little nervous about jumping into even a Guildhest at this point, as a tank, using the controller. I did try Conjurer for a bit, and the Up/Down DPad targetting for party members made it pretty straightforward. But that isnt a luxury I will have while tanking. If I determine that I just can't do it, then I will go back to healing.

To be clear though, I have tanked in other MMOs, i am just concerned about tab-targetting and having to rapidly switch targets to hold aggro, with the controller.

Any tips to make this smoother and less intimidating for me, before I go trying to put a group on my back, as tanks tend to have to do?

[BatHead]

I would like to hear some tips, too. I have a hard time with targeting and holding agro myself with the PS3 controller. Any advice for a Marauder type tank would be appreciated.

[Scotchio]

Best controller tips i can give are:

Left/Right on the d-pad will soft target nearby mobs. So can target another mob and use an ability and instantly skip back to your targeted mob.
Hold L2 and tap R1 to hard target nearby mobs and the newly selected mob will be your main target.
Hold L1 and tap up/down on d-pad to soft target mobs on your enemy list (press x to hard target selected mob).

Also, change R3 to Assist in controller configuration.
Then can target a mob, click R3 and target the player it is targeting.
Also can select a party member, click R3 and it will target the mob that player is targeting.
(These are also useful for healers/DPS).

[JMadFour]

Best controller tips i can give are:

Also, change R3 to Assist in controller configuration.
Then can target a mob, click R3 and target the player it is targeting.
Also can select a party member, click R3 and it will target the mob that player is targeting.
(These are also useful for healers/DPS).

How do I do this?

I cant seem to change anything in the controller keybinds..

Edit: nevermind i was in the wrong menu.

[JMadFour]

So which of the two tanks is easier to use a controller with?

And why do Gladiators have to wait till level 50 to get an AOE attack, when Marauders get one at 12? Also, why can Marauders Flash, but Gladiators can't Overpower?

[Garotte14]

PlayStation tab target is super easy. While holding R2 or L2 for your abilities, pressing R1 and L1 cycles through mobs you can attack and switch targets without ever letting go of R2/L2

[Garotte14]

Also I would assume Gladiators can't "Overpower" because of the two-handed axe animation. But this is just speculation

[aerolol]

My tip is to use the target filter on character settings (or was it system settings?) and turn off party member and pets targeting when your weapon is drawn.
That way when you press left or right you will "tab" through available mobs, without targeting party members nearby or pets, making your cycling through mobs much more efficient since less button presses are needed.
This should be more than enough when you have only a few (3~4 or less) mobs.
Even if you switch to a healer it doesnt matter much cuz you can (and should) use up and down for party members.

That way left/right will only target mobs and objects, and up/down will only target party members.
You will never target pets at all, since you dont need to target them as tank anyway.


Another tip is... if for example a new mob is spawning and you must get aggro on it fast (won't happen much till much later in the game), press Circle to cancel your current target.
Face the new mob and press X to lock the target on it and then just Tomahawk/Shield Lob the enemy, and after that use left/right as needed.
You can also do that when no new mobs are spawning.



Another tip is to use Legacy Camera. The standard one sucks.



Hope that helps.