Considering Tanking

[Jojociita]

Just looking for a general consensus;
I've always run DPS...like forever always, but I'm interested in learning both other roles.
Wanted to start with tanking.

Thing is, the pressure that seemingly comes with it is slightly terrifying. So;

Best Class for Beginner Tank,
and
Best way to learn to tank properly without pissing anyone off?

Thank you

[Eye_Gore]

Best way to learn to tank properly without pissing anyone off?

Don't worry about this one, seasoned tanks still piss people off, it should be a cross class ability of tanks. Even if no one says anything, they are mumbling, there is always something someone doesn't like.

PLD is the easiest to learn, simple rotation and some good defensive abilities.

[FridgePanic]

This is a terrible haiku. The format is way off.

[Jojociita]

What side jobs are best to master with PLD? Rather, which skills should I be aiming to unlock to be most effective? = u=

[Eye_Gore]

Have to level conjurer anyways to unlock PLD, so you'll get some of those abilities., the only other cross class is marauder. Me personally never bothered leveling marauder, haven't needed any of those cross class skills, not to say you don't need them, I just never had them. Though I don't do any of the end game heavy hitting stuff.

[Rocond]

Just do it. There is no pressure that comes with tanking. That is a myth. It's one of the easiest things you can do in this game.

[Whiteroom]

Its good to get both of them high enough for the cross class at least. PLD is nice and safe, aggro is a bit of work until you get shield oath at 40. Flash is your best friend starting out.

WAR is more fun than PLD though. I like it a lot. DRK is a lot of fun too, mp managment takes some getting used to.

Be kind to your healers, remember your cooldowns. Don't use the DOW armor, get the tank gear. Do conservative pulls until you get used to your class.

[Seku]

MRD is the easiest tank to learn on, get GLA high enough first for flash to make your pulls a bit easier. Than spam Over power a few times. Let your tp build back up. Rinse repeate. Don't do it on bosses however and use your normal

Good skills before your job crystal
Invgorate - DRG's tp restore, good for OP stam
Raging Strikes - ARC damage buff.
Blood for blood - Use this only when you understand tanking and the limits of your healers or pairing CD's to mitigate some of it's effects.

Other than that level the sub jobs for the particular job up to max so that you'll have them when you have to use your soul crystal.

Oh and....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPAJtvy1uL0

[FridgePanic]

Invgorate
Raging Strikes
Blood for blood

None of the tanks are able to cross-class any of those skills.

Edit: Oh, before job crystal. Nvm.

[Claire_Pendragon]

Each tank is "easiest" in its own way imo.

PLD teaches you threat better than the rest, because you ride that line far more, where as u can goof around on WAR or DRK, and hold hate, and not know what is the absolute best way to get threat back, in case of emergency.

PLD has more straight forward tools for mitigation.

BUT... you can go into a dungeon, as a WAR, and have an easier time with threat, but have a harder time with cooldowns/mitigation. (Most ppl sacrifice mitigation anyways, and just go for damage.)

And then there is DRK... you can pretty much do everything the other two tanks do at lower levels. Run up, spam AoE, replenish MP on the last mob.
You have straight forward mitigation, and straight forward threat, and produce a lot of it... but you have less cooldowns for a logn while, and eventually DRK becomes more complex, as u watch a lot of off the GCD attacks, plan which to use on what enemies in what scenario, all while riding your MP nearly dry...

BUT... if you simply want to learn, and dont plan to master any tank... Maybe DRK. (Technically all of them work for different reasons)
If you just leave ur tank stance (Grit) on, but do NOT use your DPS stance (Dark Side) you can pretty much play like a PLD, and just hold threat a HECK of a lot better. (Honestly is the easiest way to tank of the 3, but of course you are purposely limiting yourself, and the groups maximum potential)

WAR will need to eventually learn to conserve TP and not spam AoEs (unless you have a BRD/NIN friend) while deciding if its better to do more dmg, or mitigate dmg. (most healers complain about WARs being hard to heal, since most WARs choose to use abilities for their offense, rather than their defense)

PLD just AoEs, and Regens MP.
Or Rage of Halone Combo on single target. (or spread once u spamed Flash a long while. Though this isnt "technically optimal, just about every group will think you're an amazing PLD, despite not playing at your best.)

None of the tanks are able to cross-class any of those skills.

I did that as GLA, simply due to having any cross class ability i wanted, and knew my threat was bad at lower levels.