Dex based Paladin Tanks?

[Malicewolf]

I'd thought about something like that, as well. Alternate tanking methods are fun, but it's a bit of a shame how much they restrict stat customizability right now (to where it seems tanks are either Slaying or Fending). I almost thought about trying to make a Healadin (with Cure and Clemency), but the thought didn't pan out when I investigated it more, due to the inability to get substantial amounts of Mind on a DoW class.



Protip: if you edit your post, there is no limit.

Thanks :P This post was my 1st one, so I didn't know how to bypass the 1000 char limit yet. I've learned

And I tried the whole healadin thing... I was very sad with the results
But I did do about 400 ish heals around lvl 44ish. Be interesting to see the results if I really focused some armor stats... might try it again anyways, but yes, i doubt it'll be very effective. Still fun to be different though ^^

People already have a conniption when tanks sacrifice piddly stats like det for parry, i can only imagine the next-level rage upon witnessing a sacrifice of infinitely more impactful primary stats like str and vit for dex of all things.

Yea, when I was looking up info, apparently I was reading all outdated stuff to top it off But if the dex boost rate was high enough, it could of been a fun experiment. Not saying I'd be running into raids with it.

[Sapphidia]

This thread is a good example of some of the issues with the current meta though, not wishing to hijack it.

Yes, the suggestion Malicewolf made was completely impractical, but it's clear he was coming from a background from other MMOs where tanks are expected to... well, be tanky, and stack some kind of tank stats. Parry and Block are IN the game, they're a mechanic, there are stats that (tooltips say) increase them, there are abilities that proc -after- a parry/block. Makes sense.

I don't think you can blame a new player for being a little shocked that not only is Dex a bad choice (even before the nerf to it affecting avoidance) but that pretty much ANY tank stat in general (Parry/Vit) are to be ignored in the most part in favor of purely things that affect DPS.

The problem isnt purely that this is what the meta is - that's how it is, and we adapt and gear accordingly. The issue is that until you reach close to endgame there's literally nothing in the game itself other than just talking to other players that shows that the DPS>>> tank stats thing actually exists. If the game is going to stay as it is balancewise, it needs to more clearly nudge tanks into the direction that explains and highlights just how important dps stats are.

[AniCelestine]

One more problem that would accrue with the bock-paladin is that there is basically only one shield per highest ilvl, or 2 shields with same bock stats. This game lacks in the disparity of gear per ilvl, along with the twisted meta, as mentioned on a post before me, to be able to do anything outside of the defined norm.

[Malicewolf]

This thread is a good example of some of the issues with the current meta though, not wishing to hijack it.

Yes, the suggestion Malicewolf made was completely impractical, but it's clear he was coming from a background from other MMOs where tanks are expected to... well, be tanky, and stack some kind of tank stats. Parry and Block are IN the game, they're a mechanic, there are stats that (tooltips say) increase them, there are abilities that proc -after- a parry/block. Makes sense.

I don't think you can blame a new player for being a little shocked that not only is Dex a bad choice (even before the nerf to it affecting avoidance) but that pretty much ANY tank stat in general (Parry/Vit) are to be ignored in the most part in favor of purely things that affect DPS.

The problem isnt purely that this is what the meta is - that's how it is, and we adapt and gear accordingly. The issue is that until you reach close to endgame there's literally nothing in the game itself other than just talking to other players that shows that the DPS>>> tank stats thing actually exists. If the game is going to stay as it is balancewise, it needs to more clearly nudge tanks into the direction that explains and highlights just how important dps stats are.

Not a problem, I loved your post on the tank meta that you put out. I was still a new player trying to figure out how and where I could improve my game (as well as be a bit different than norm). I originally came from guild wars, so tanks were... well, tanks. But I quit playing that nearly a year ago and never picked up another MMO in the meantime (then FFXIV happened... help me ._.)

But it is true. There is nothing that really leads new tanks in the direction of what they should build. That may have been done on purpose so that players aren't "told" what they should do to play and could do whatever they wanted. But the issue is that the other stats have pretty much become null. Vit and Str are pretty much the only 2 to choose from that have any real affect (and we all know the argument between those 2 stats).

[Ralvenom]

The problem isnt purely that this is what the meta is - that's how it is, and we adapt and gear accordingly. [...] If the game is going to stay as it is balancewise, it needs to more clearly nudge tanks into the direction that explains and highlights just how important dps stats are.

Personally, I think they need to change up the meta. I never tanked in the base game (I was playing WoW at the time), but I hear there was a better balance in terms of "tankiness vs. dps". Sometimes, WAR would drop tank stance to push phases, but PLD were the tanky MT and such. The way I hear it, there was basically a 65%/35% ration for PLD/WAR actively tanking. (My research shows around 2.2 or so.) I think we need a better balance like that, where the MT has to be all SHIELDWALL.

Sure, big numbers are great (and I love going nuts with FC on my WAR), but there should be fights where I can just there and feel tanky. I do kind of miss that a bit. Hell, the way it is now, no tank worth their salt even bothers with Fending right side. We all know why, so let's not rehash it.

In the future (think 3.2)...I think a good balance of "dps check" (where tanks can go nuts and blast the numbers), "turtle tank" (where we hunker down and focus on def; think a fight where patience is more important than pushing phases), and "weird but interesting mechanics" (think something like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iUsfw6RzZ4). Right now, as we all know, most of the fights are basically the 1st option.