Strength Tanks

[Ashkendor]

Unfortunately, it may not die. Even if 3.2 does solve the STR vs. VIT debate, all it will do is shift where the argument is. Instead of a conflict between STR Tanks and VIT Tanks, it will instead shift to "DPS Stance Tanks" vs "Tank Stance Tanks". "Anybody who spends more than a few GCDs in their Tank Stance is a bad player" is an opinion that is already starting to spread through Reddit. It's only a matter of time before it reaches the Official Forums in full force, and 3.2 is the perfect potential catalyst to shift things violently in that direction.

Eh, honestly I kind of have zero #*$&s given in that regard. If someone wants to tell me I'm bad for using my tank stance, they're perfectly welcome to step the hell out of my party. Example: I tank Thordan in Shield Oath unless I'm not getting hit (first Zephirin and meteor phase, mostly). Maybe I'm a little gunshy because I've pugged that fight a lot and I've run into a lot of subpar healers that let me die to stupid things, so I mitigate everything I can. The thing is, I've also been complimented by several good healers on being exceptionally easy to heal in that fight. That makes me very happy because that's exactly what I aim to be. The less they have to heal me, the more they can pay attention to the rest of the party. Alexander Savage is a different beast altogether. I'll have to continue to push my limits (or perhaps swap to warrior :/) as we continue to progress in A3S.

[Donjo]

Eh, honestly I kind of have zero #*$&s given in that regard. If someone wants to tell me I'm bad for using my tank stance, they're perfectly welcome to step the hell out of my party. Example: I tank Thordan in Shield Oath unless I'm not getting hit (first Zephirin and meteor phase, mostly). Maybe I'm a little gunshy because I've pugged that fight a lot and I've run into a lot of subpar healers that let me die to stupid things, so I mitigate everything I can. The thing is, I've also been complimented by several good healers on being exceptionally easy to heal in that fight. That makes me very happy because that's exactly what I aim to be. The less they have to heal me, the more they can pay attention to the rest of the party. Alexander Savage is a different beast altogether. I'll have to continue to push my limits (or perhaps swap to warrior :/) as we continue to progress in A3S.

We need more people like you in this community. Keep doing what you do.

[Syzygian]

I wonder if SE knows that this thread has gotten 66% of the views in 5 days as their forum sticky has gotten in over 2 years. If that's not a symptom of a pressing, urgent, divisive issue that they had better thoroughly and adeptly address ASAP, I dunno what is.

[AlexiIvaniskavich]

.... I've run into a lot of subpar healers that let me die to stupid things, so I mitigate everything I can. The thing is, I've also been complimented by several good healers on being exceptionally easy to heal in that fight. That makes me very happy because that's exactly what I aim to be. The less they have to heal me, the more they can pay attention to the rest of the party. Alexander Savage is a different beast altogether. I'll have to continue to push my limits (or perhaps swap to warrior :/) as we continue to progress in A3S.

You can talk all you want about tank DPS numbers, optimum ways to perform in certain fights, etc. At the end of the day, it is your responsibility as a tank to recognize what your group can and cannot do. If your healer cannot handle you being out of tank stance. DON"T DROP IT! On the other hand, if your party can handle it, I encourage you to push your play (and your party's) to the edge of your skill. You only get better by striving to be better.

[Kaeoni]

As a Sch, If you're not in Str accessories I... don't necessarily have a problem with you. But I would obviously prefer increasing your str over vit. I just assume they either have trust issues or don't know any better. The entire problem is that there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. It goes for all stats and everything in life. However because of how the game is designed RIGHT NOW, too much vit can be a bad thing. Reason being is, like people have probably said, It doesn't do anything for you after a certain point. It just becomes a pain in the butt to heal.

I find anywhere between 13-15k HP is more than enough to heal a tank and gives you lots of time to DPS as a healer. I see lots of 20k HP tanks and I just feel like it's wasted stat potential. The tanks have some great ways to cure themselves (bar pld... *sadface*) which is augmented by their Str stat. More time spent DPSing from both the healer and Tank roles really saves a lot of time in the grand scheme of things.

[Leonus]

From where I stand, it seems like some people want to take less damage and just focus on holding hate. Others want to be able to do more damage as a tank to shorten encounters.

Both sides are offended at each other... Why can't we have both?

A tank that just sits there, holding hate and taking little to no damage and hitting like a wet noodle is boring.
A tank that takes too much damage, dies all the time focusing purely on doing damage is a bad thing.

Where is the middle ground?

[AlexiIvaniskavich]

....Where is the middle ground?

*you hear whispers of tanks long since past*
<Defensive cool downs>

[Syzygian]

From where I stand, it seems like some people want to take less damage and just focus on holding hate. Others want to be able to do more damage as a tank to shorten encounters.

Both sides are offended at each other... Why can't we have both?

A tank that just sits there, holding hate and taking little to no damage and hitting like a wet noodle is boring.
A tank that takes too much damage, dies all the time focusing purely on doing damage is a bad thing.

Where is the middle ground?

There is no middle ground anymore. Somewhere down the line, a mentality emerged that tank DPS is based strictly on gear, and that if a tank is wearing full or mostly VIT gear, then it follows that they also do not know their proper DPS rotation, etc.

Although I've NEVER encountered it except in other tanks, the reverse is that if a tank is wearing full or mostly STR, then it follows that they do not know how to use defense cooldowns.

The first scenario is far more prolific. I tell people all the time but the idea refuses to catch on: A tank that chooses to wear VIT can still know how to hit their DPS ceiling in the scope of that gear, through good cooldown use and the proper DPS rotation. I.E. a VIT tank can still be a skilled player.

[fm_fenrir]

The tanks have some great ways to cure themselves (bar pld... *sadface*) which is augmented by their Str stat.

I've been pulling myself out of some real bad situations with Clemency the last couple of days. Sure, there's a DPS opportunity cost in using it, but it's the strongest reusable self-heal a tank can use and it scales with STR. Even with a couple of Clemency casts during a fight, I'm still doing 720-770 with my left side gear.
Souleater comes close, but to get 5k HP worth of heals out of it requires at least two DASEs, which costs way more MP than Clemency does, and 6 GCDs.

[Aniond]

I only go full Strength and Take off Grit when Im in a static group I trust - Other wise, I am putting my faith in a healer that I have no experience with. With so many bad players out there whether either DPS or healing. There is no other real choice.