Defensive ability, WAR VS DRK

[Ceodore]

All 3 abilities are available to each tank so it's sort of a moot point.

Anyhow. Lets take a raid boss with a ~30s physical tank buster (which, as you've so kindly pointed out, the majority of tank busters are physical thus far).

PLD will have rage of halone up all the time, reducing the strength of all his attacks, including all the tank busters.
WAR will have storm's path up all the time, reducing the strength of all his attacks, including all the tank busters.
DRK might have reprise up, reducing some of his attacks, it ... might be on the boss for a tank buster?

Tank buster 1 > Shadowskin
Tank buster 2 > Shadowwall
Tank buster 3 > you've got your dick in your hand and odin's about to chop it off ... whaddaya gonna do? pop everything else and hope for the best?

Convalescence well before hand to increase potency of shield cast on you by healer (As the healer is suppose to do) Foresight to reduce physical damage, Awareness to ensure the hit is not critical. You assume to think that you're using all these skills right when the hit is coming. Again, a sign of a sub par tank. Utilize each one to their fullest by predicting what your party is going to do. Every healer should know to shield for a tank crunch, if your mitigation alone is all you are relying on, then I suggest you find a better healer. What use is Convalescence for mitigating damage after the fact of the damage? None. Utilize it before the damage to boost the preparing skills a healer is suppose to use and suddenly a healing skill becomes a damage mitigating skill.