Tanks, please use strength gear.. :(

[Delily]

So, I've been gearing up my DRK with Law gear (I'm slow), and I've followed the guidelines of Striking accessories with Fending armor. It seems in the EX roulette, however, I am very squishy. What's the recommendation for someone looking to do EX Bismarck, Ravana, and normal Alex?

[Frigidchick]

I thought tanks aren't expected to do major damage. Aren't they are supposed to take damage? What are you doing with your tank's points. Is there a balance or str/vit points that needs to be considered? Is there some brand new way to build tanks... and does it really work? If so, show us how this works.

Seriously, it's just a game. What are you in a hurry for?

If fights are taking too long, then isn't that on DPS-- not the tank? That's why there are more DPS in parties, raids, and dungeons.

Even if the DPS is lame, so long as they are still alive-- along with the healer-type... then the tank is doing just fine. Again, that's a DPS user error. Tanks' job is to keep things hitting on him/her--- not everyone else.

Complain about the dumbasses that wear level 15 armor in level 30+ dungeons. Now THAT'S a legit argument.

[Nadirah]

And this is exactly the reason why I chose the PLD. As a PLD, I'm trying to be this giant titanium impenetrable shield that can shrug off tank busters like it ain't no thing. That's why I play a full VIT tank. Thing is, despite being i188 (I was i186 on my last A1S encounter), I was still the first to die every time. And we couldn't beat it. Now imagine if I had STR accessories, I'd be even more toasted!

I'm in mostly STR, 184 when I last stepped in Savage, and I was the last to die(we wiped to enrage).

It sounds like your healers were bad.

[Nadirah]

oh well that is a group dps issue there so not uncommon you'd die first. You need to participate if grabbing adds but not much at all... at this point gear makes that check pretty easy if the party setup is right. Faust needs to be dotted alot too, I've seen him drop as he was casting that pressure increase enrage and party members were dropping , from dots.

MT grabbed first four, I grabbed all the rest. DPS needs to kill him before they kill the tank.

DPS issue.

[Nadirah]

Thats the issue. They are going a full way instead of a part way.

I am always in Tank Stance unless i'm just not getting hit or the boss is casting something and not attacking me. So most of the time i'm in Tanking Stance. I have full strength for that extra 27% damage and I always keep my damage buffs up. I do fine DPS.

However, when I go on my healer to heal strength tanks. They are NOT in Tank Stance a lot, and switch out often when they are going to get spiked, which is BAAAAD! (VERY BAD!)

I don't mind going to DPS stance to use a Fell Cleave twice. However get back to tank stance quick!

I tank most experts in Sword Oath and Alex normal mostly in Sword Oath(outside busters), Savage A1 I swapped to Shield Oath right when Prey hit so its up for buster...

If the healer's good I don't need to be in Shield Oath. I can tell if they're having issues and switch accordingly.

[JackFross]

Just for the record - I raided A3 savage the other day on my Paladin. i189 or 188 with the accs I dropped to. Ran 15k health. (2 fending accs with 190-200 for my slaying, 170 and 160 fending, 170 head, 180 body, 200 hands/sword/shield, 190 rest) Parsed 530+ through end of hand phase. Never once had survival issues once I worked out a CD rotation. Also never swapped to Sword Oath because I'm a sissy. Nor did I ever have aggro issues. Just took a bit to figure out how many RoH is too few. I kept STR debuff up most of the time, though put it on OT's hand and not my own just before EC because healers were having a hard time healing him through his triple fell cleave.

My first combo was even Goring Blade. No hate issues with 1700-1800 burst dps. (The strength accessories help with that. I ran as DRG with full fending 19k hp PLD later on yesterday and he kept losing hate to the whm)