New to Tanking

[Punintentional]

Hello all, I have been playing for less than 3 weeks as dps and want to change it up a bit so im going to start a tank. Thing is I dont know much about tanking, so first PLD vs WAR? I know there is the blah blah blah which is better.... but I just want to know the differences so that I can choose. Next any basics I should know or tips? feel free to help in anyway (even if it seems obvious). Thanks in advance.

[mosaicex]

For ease of learning, go with GLA/PLD. Make sure you read and learn what each skill do. etc, etc..

[Zaft]

Hello all, I have been playing for less than 3 weeks as dps and want to change it up a bit so im going to start a tank. Thing is I dont know much about tanking, so first PLD vs WAR? I know there is the blah blah blah which is better.... but I just want to know the differences so that I can choose. Next any basics I should know or tips? feel free to help in anyway (even if it seems obvious). Thanks in advance.

PLD is easier to play because it has only one combo and is more passive. They bring utility in the form of Rage of Halone and Cover. They rely on passive mitigation through blocking to lower damage. They get a tanking stance that decreases the damage they take. Because of the combination of block and parry, and the fact that they are both passive, they take slightly less damage overall than WAR.

WAR deals moderately higher damage than PLD and as such generates more threat. They bring utility in the form of Storm's Eye and Storm's Path. They rely on active mitigation (Inner Beast, IB) compared to PLD's passive mitigation (blocking) to decrease damage. They get a tanking stance that increases their HP and effects of healing on them. The uptime and "cooldown" (how long it takes to gain 5 Wrath) of IB means that WAR takes slightly more damage overall compared to PLD.

Cooldowns aren't worth going into with one exception. Both PLD and WAR share many defensive cooldowns, and both have light/heavy cooldowns and DPS/threat cooldowns. The big exception is their "invincibility" buttons. PLD has Hallowed Ground, which makes them take no damage for 10 seconds and has a 7 minute cooldown. WAR has Holmgang, which makes them unable to die (but they can still go down to 1 HP) for 6 seconds and has a 3 minute cooldown. These are very different, and should be used in different situations.

[MrsFluffyButt]

When it comes to which Tank is easy, the debate is kinda up in the air. WAR has it easy the first 30 lvls but gets much more complex later game, PLD is the other way round.

Though both are Tanks, WAR and PLD are totally different playstyles. WAR is more of a 'soak' tank; high hp, alot of health restore skills and rather high STR by default. PLD is the more cliche, 1 2 3, focus on pure damage reduction tank. Due to this you'll often get PLD mt's and WAR ot's. Though a good WAR can mt better than a PLD.

When it comes to endgame content, a respectable static will want both WAR and PLD as the two work very well together.

[MrsFluffyButt]

When it comes to which Tank is easy, the debate is kinda up in the air. WAR has it easy the first 30 lvls but gets much more complex later game, PLD is the other way round.

Though both are Tanks, WAR and PLD are totally different playstyles. WAR is more of a 'soak' tank; high hp, alot of health restore skills and rather high STR by default. PLD is the more cliche, 1 2 3, focus on pure damage reduction tank. Due to this you'll often get PLD mt's and WAR ot's. Though a good WAR can mt better than a PLD.

When it comes to endgame content, a respectable static will want both WAR and PLD as the two work very well together.

[Punintentional]

Thanks for the help and clarifications My current plan is to lvl both to 15 to see what I enjoy more and continue from there but I appreciate a civil discussion on both sides

[Zaft]

Thanks for the help and clarifications My current plan is to lvl both to 15 to see what I enjoy more and continue from there but I appreciate a civil discussion on both sides

Also something to note is that PLD generally MTs in most groups while WAR OTs. Might influence your choice.

[Punintentional]

What is MTvsOT I get main tank off tank but what is it? My understanding is MT takes hate first and if they need help OT will take hate off of them is this right?

[Korbash]

I'm a newbie tank myself, I'm leveling a Warrior right now, but I wanted to level up gladiator first for the cross-skills (Flash and Provoke are good, especially Provoke) and you need gladiator LV 15 for warrior job anyway. Leveling gladiator was slow and painful, they use mana for their aggro kills (like Flash) and their mana is quite limited and regen slowly. In the dungeons, they had to sleep the mobs because I could only hold aggro on one mob at once. In other words, Paladin can only handle one mob at once, which is why you become later the main tank, the main tank is the one handling the boss, one boss = one mob, which is all you can handle.

When I got to gladiator LV 22, finally, I switched to marauder, which is entirely different, and way more fun. Warrior uses TP for their aggro skills and you have plenty of TP, so that means in a dungeon that when your group has 3-4 mobs ahead (or more), handling them is easy and doable, and no one needs to sleep mobs for you. I use Flash when my TP is low. I find Warrior more fun and flexible since you can handle one mob, many mobs, a boss, etc. without much issues. So that means that in the endgame, as the off-tank, you're the one taking care of the adds because the Paladin cannot, but you can be the main tank too.

This is what I get so far about both. My Warrior is LV 42.

[Dualblade]

Note that regardless of which one you end up liking more you WILL be wanting to get Gladiator up enough for Provoke. Even if you end up only leveling WAR and leaving GLD before it hits PLD that is a skill you really will want.

Outside of that, PLD is the more reliable choice for newbies, but both are fun and thats the important bit! Well WAR a little more fun.