Just getting started tanking: Most efficient xclass order?

[Kydi]

As others have said, priority should be to get GLA/PLD to 22 for provoke before really starting to tank. It's beyond me why such an essential tanking skill is given to only one tank class (it would be like raise only being given to one healer, but having the others cross class it), but that's the current situation. If you want to go all the way to 34 that's good, but awareness is by no means vital until endgame or you get Raw Intuition at WAR level 56.


From there, it really is down to personal preference in style. I have all three at 60, was PLD main through 2.x (when I was playing as I took several breaks) then did DRK through the Heavensward storyline, before taking PLD to 60, then switching to WAR for raid group synergy. PLD is very easy to get to grips with, has straightforward cooldowns which are a) always available unless used; and b) don't require resource to reach full potential. The animations look cool and it definitely has a good feel to it (in my opinion), but it is generally a little lackluster and falls behind the others in damage (especially AOE) and enmity generation. However, if you don't plan on doing bleeding edge progression, it's fine.

DRK is a fun class to play, with plenty of action, but to me it felt a bit too much like a micromanagement dps class with PLD cooldowns thrown at it. Of all the tanks, I actually found this to be the most difficult having to juggle both MP and TP along with planning ahead with MP to ensure a CD can be buffed by Dark Arts when needed. It's an interesting class, and I think I'd really enjoy it if given the chance to main, but it takes some getting used to.

WAR is my current main and I find it to be the most refined of the tank classes. All of the abilities sync well with one another, and it doesn't feel like there is much in the way of bloat there. I find with both DRK and PLD their abilities are just a bit bland or too clunky. Carve and Spit for instance - either some oGCD damage or some MP restore, but doesn't really feel as satisfying as hitting Fell Cleave, despite having nearly the same potency when buffed (if it actually did three attacks at that potency, then I'd enjoy it!). Divine Veil should be a great boon to the party, but falls a bit flat when you have to jump through hoops to get it setup and ultimately isn't all that much more effective than just hitting Storm's Path before a raidwide AOE. Chances are the healers will overheal everyone anyway, so you might as well get 10% less damage overall for 20s than a short HP shield.

My suggestion would be to get GLA to 22, possibly unlock PLD and get to 34 (although PLD pre 40 is a bit painful as you have no tank stance so lower enmity generation than the other tanks, despite the DPS classes getting some nice DPS moves in the mid-late 30s). From there I'd probably try and have all tanks somewhere around the 30 mark (you'll want Mercy Stroke from 26 MRD in any case) after which you'll have an idea of which you enjoy.

[Priwia]

Also, for WAR, remember to take Internal Release from MNK.
You will use it if you decide to main the WAR.

For WAR, i use these cross-class: Provoke, Convalescence, internal Release. These 3 always.
The last 2 usually are Flash and Awarness, but sometimes I switch them with Second Wind and Featherfoot (dont panic! You just need to get the MNK to lvl 12 ^^).


However, if you like tanking, you will level all the 3 class someday

[KaitlanKela]

This is great! Totally bookmarking this thread for reference.

I honestly don't think I'll be doing cutting edge content, I generally only play like maybe 10-12 hours over the course of a week, so I don't know if I'll ever get there. I'd like to get to the point where I could PvP and not be a burden, that's kinda my long term goal. I haven't given any thought to what class I would play in it, though. That said, it seems like PLD has less raiding utility (right now), but that really shouldn't have any bearing at my level of gameplay.

If I decide to go WAR, I'll make a note to take PGL to 12 for Internal Release.

[Freyyy]

Also, for WAR, remember to take Internal Release from MNK.

Oh yes, this one too ! Can't believe I forgot it lol.

[Priwia]

This is great! Totally bookmarking this thread for reference.

I honestly don't think I'll be doing cutting edge content, I generally only play like maybe 10-12 hours over the course of a week, so I don't know if I'll ever get there. I'd like to get to the point where I could PvP and not be a burden, that's kinda my long term goal. I haven't given any thought to what class I would play in it, though. That said, it seems like PLD has less raiding utility (right now), but that really shouldn't have any bearing at my level of gameplay.

If I decide to go WAR, I'll make a note to take PGL to 12 for Internal Release.

Um... for PVP the WAR is really fun to play. High burst damage, self healing + all the defensive ability.

Oh yes, this one too ! Can't believe I forgot it lol.

We use it so much that we think is a WAR ability and not a cross-class : P

[KaitlanKela]

Guys...I ran my first dungeon as a tank last night. Sastasha as a level 16 gladiator. I just wanted to say that I have found new appreciation for all the tanks out there and how hard you guys work to keep the monsters from eating me when I heal. I promise to never spam overheals again.

As hard as it was, it was really fun and I think it will only get better with practice. I leveled up, so only 5 more levels to provoke.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[Malicewolf]

Glad to hear things are going well! And yea, first time tanking really gives you an appreciation for the difficulty for tanks in early dungeons in general. As you go on and get more moves, it does become easier, but usually, that's also when you begin to do larger mob pulls (and then it becomes hard again lol).

From an opposite perspective though, I recently started to heal a bit. Dungeon's weren't too bad, but I finally hit a trial (Titan). My god. My MP management is horrible. My appreciation for healers have gone up so much (I ran out of MP at around half way into the Titan fight... needless to say, I was panicking).

[KaitlanKela]

Well, on Titan there is still one thing you can do if you run out of mana...



Seriously, though. Titan was (and still is really) scary. I found Ruda and the 2.xx HM trials less stressful.

Based on this I think it is an objectively good thing for tanks to heal and healers to tank, just to get an appreciation and understanding of how we can bast support the other role. Specifically I am learning a lot about what the CDs do so I know when tanks need more heals, or when they're less squishy. For example, convalescence. If I see that icon now I cast ALL the heals until it's over.

[Malicewolf]

Coalescence is both a healer and tanks best friend <3

And yea, trying at least 1 class in all each category definitely helps everyone gain a bit more perspective. Even as a DPS, I've learned some things I took for granted while being a tank. But it also makes you more aware of when other's are doing cringe worthy things...

And technically, Paladin forces you to do both healing and tanking :P But you could easily get to lvl 15 without ever really hitting the harder content with a healer ^^'

[Februs]

GLD -> 22 for Provoke. Use Cure, Protect & SS xclass to help soloing

Don't bother with cure. It scales for utter crap on Pld. You'll drain your entire MP bar before you see a decent return on that move, if the enemy is even nice enough to not hit you long enough to use it. The only time cure even does remotely well on Pld is if you scale your attributes with Mind, but that's contrary to pretty much every other asset of Tanking, so I wouldn't recommend that either.

Stoneskin, on the other hand, is amazing, but you are going to have to really work on your timing to use it effectively. It is one of the most potent xclass skills a Pld has, but also one of the most difficult to use. I recommend learning how to fit it in early, because Clemency works in much a similar way. You won't use it at all if you don't get the hang of the timing... and then you'd probably come back here to join the chorus of complaining Pld's who say that the cast time is too long to be useful... Which isn't true, really. It's just specifically tuned for Tankbusters and really precise timing.

MRD -> 26 for all xclass abilities. Make sure to use flash and provoke from GLD
GLD -> 34 for PLD and Awareness, cause it's needed later

Awareness is amazing for War later (coupled with Raw intuition), but don't underestimate its early use on Pld and Drk. By itself, Awareness is very situational, but on regular CD it works wonders with Bulwark (Pld) and Dark Dance (Drk). Nullifying Crits takes them out of the Crit>Block>Parry>Dodge equation (can't remember if that's the exact order). Removing Crits from the line up increases the efficiency of any move that increases one of the other stats. By using it with either of those moves, you're basically increasing the odds of successful blocks/parry's/dodges. War gets a similar effect at maximum Wrath stacks, but you'd have to stay Infuriated to get the effect. Pre-3.0, that's obviously not ideal. So, post lvl 50, it's better to just use it to Nullify the Crit penalty of Raw Intuition.