Ranged Tank

[Askio]

Which only leaves being an archer I suppose. Viable in this game? I've only stuck to Summoner and Gladiator so far when it comes to duking it out long term. But my favorite two things to play are tanks--mage tanks and range tanks in particular. So I'm bored and need ideas to make the range tank viable, until the dark knight comes out to satisfy the tanky mage in me.
Any suggestions?

[VanilleFang]

How would you even go about that? How could you possibly make one of the ranged classes a tank? Or is that not what you are asking? o3o

[DSaint]

How would you even go about that? How could you possibly make one of the ranged classes a tank? Or is that not what you are asking? o3o

I think he is not used to ffxiv roles.

Anyway...

Which only leaves being an archer I suppose. Viable in this game? I've only stuck to Summoner and Gladiator so far when it comes to duking it out long term. But my favorite two things to play are tanks--mage tanks and range tanks in particular. So I'm bored and need ideas to make the range tank viable, until the dark knight comes out to satisfy the tanky mage in me.
Any suggestions?

You cant be a ranged tank. If you want to tank, you can just be Gladiator or Marauder. Simple like that.
Archers, monks, dragoons, etc can't be Tanks.

[Ceodore]

This thread is cute, but to just appease my curious side, I'm gonna try to play along. I'm assuming this guy would use Bard if he wants to make a range tank. So, let's take a look at the gear available at the end of the game. To optimize vitality, I'd suggest using ilvl 130 Augmented Ironworks gear, and Iolite trinkets stacked with Vitality first, and Determination second. The reason I suggest Iolite is because of the other aspect of tanking, agro generation. Since as a Bard, you have no additional enmity generating skills, you're out of luck if you can't dish out some serious damage. So you will have to balance Dexterity with Vitality on the Trinkets. So... what do we end up with? A Bard with about 7, 7.5k hp, lower damage than any other dps who went all out damage, no enmity generating skills, no real good mitigation cooldowns, and pitiful armor rating... need I say more? Leave the tanking to the heavy armor classes that mitigate physical and magical damage in spades.

[Mirron]

I think trying to theorize how a ranged tank would work would be interesting, but it'd be difficult to make work out. Best I can think of would be some sort of barrier specialist or the like.

[mosaicex]

I think trying to theorize how a ranged tank would work would be interesting, but it'd be difficult to make work out. Best I can think of would be some sort of barrier specialist or the like.

That's right? How IS it going to work? Let's break down the keyword here, Range and Tank. Range means, well, range and not melee. Tank mean you soak up damage for other people. So how is it going to work? Not all enemy you encounter are range enemy, which mean they will have to close in to you anyway, rendering the range part pointless. Also kiting is not tanking by any means.

Mage Tank I can understand. Range tank, not so much.

[TheodoreMcIntyre]

Which only leaves being an archer I suppose. Viable in this game? I've only stuck to Summoner and Gladiator so far when it comes to duking it out long term. But my favorite two things to play are tanks--mage tanks and range tanks in particular. So I'm bored and need ideas to make the range tank viable, until the dark knight comes out to satisfy the tanky mage in me.
Any suggestions?

Well, let's define a "ranged" tank, first.
I assume you mean a tank who focuses on kiting, yes?
Keeping their distance and dodging hits while keeping aggro and moving it around the arena.
There's a couple of reasons why that would be very difficult to make work:
Even when running, you still get hit with unavoidable damage, which, for any non-GLA/PLD/MRD/WAR, can easily slaughter you. Even if you avoid all the AOEs, that large amount of damage can still hurt you a whole lot.
The melee DPS are the biggest reason this probably won't happen. Even if you designed a tank class that kites in this game, the melee would be very unhappy with you. Most melee DPS have some form of a directional requirement that makes them want to attack from the rear or the flank, which would be made near impossible with a tank that's moving everything around all the time.

A mage tank is definitely more viable, but in of itself wouldn't really make it a ranged tank. There's always the puppet tank, where it uses a summon of some sort to keep aggro and take damage, but with the current AI of companions in this game and the large delays in between keys and your pet casting their skill, I wouldn't really see it happening. I mean, I know we have summoner and Titan Egi, yes, but Titan Egi is a very poor tank and loses aggro very fast, with no way of taking aggro back if it dies. It also has a pretty big lack of enmity generation in general and isn't designed to really tank very well. A proper puppet tank would have to be an entirely different class, with a much bigger emphasis on their pet taking damage and generating hate, and likely a rework of the way you command your pets to use skills.

[Askio]

Yes, for those that wondered, I am familiar with the class system. This is purely theoretical. I like it, and the cross class skills they've made available. I admit, I'm still just pushing into end game on one character on my legacy account. But I thought it'd be interesting to pose the question.
I've considered the mage tanks in this game, and actually off tanked with Mini Titty on the side. But that isn't the mage tanking, so much as it is the pet. God forbid Titan doesn't aggro, and you get eaten alive.
No, the way I see it, since damage can easily aggro enemies and there are some cross class skills to draw attention, it is possible. Practical is another matter. Until you get a job, you have healing, protect, stoneskin for spells, and access to cross class skills to increase defense, parry, evasion, and healing with the marauder's bloodbath ability for physical damage.

[Askio]

I've played ranged tanks in other MMO's and there are some perks. I'll list them out. I'm also assuming I wouldn't go bard for this case. That limits too many cross class skills. It wouldn't be the first time I've gone end game without an "advanced class" and made it work.

Pros
Draw enemies in locally to you from a distance. Sometimes, someone will go rush in as a DPS and suddenly it's that much harder to aggro because I have to chase the damn things down. With range, you can aggro from afar, meaning less chasing and more meatshielding. This is probably my biggest pet peeve right now as a tank. Let me aggro first dammit, and stop rushing in.
Ranged dps over time. Usually the best way to go, so you can save MP or whatever system a game has for healing and abilities. It just means simpler management of the field.
Annoying people in pvp. Nothing amuses me more than to hit someone from afar, or to be a tank healer and not be squished.

[Askio]

Con
Right now, no access to heavy armor. This is probably the saddest thing for me for mages *tear. Imagine a Thuamaturge in heavy iron armor. *forlorn sigh* And the greatest limitation.
Jobs limit cross class skills.
So,I think ^^TheodoreMcIntyre^^ probably has the best point on why it wouldn't happen, setting aside current equipment limitations pointed out by ^^Ceodore^^(curiosity is good). My counter to Theodore would be that a good tank could compensate for this, regardless if it's melee or ranged. In fact, a ranged tank could lead enemies into better position by running away and exposing the flank. A good tanker is good, a bad one is bad. How far they hit enemies is irrelevant. Though since it was mentioned, there are few, true ranged enemies, now that I think on it. Even magic wielding enemies seem to charge at your face as if to say "kill me, please." Odd.