Is there any reason to play any tank other than PLD?

[Danatoth]

As a newer player, I'm only 60 on my Paladin, and I'm 52 on my DRK, I'm wondering if there are any benefits to the other 2 tanks? It just seems like Paladin does everything they do, except better.

When I started the game I figured it would be like:

Paladin: Has the highest defense, and can heal themselves with white magic, but has very little offence.

Dark Knight: Has Medium defense, Does a good amount of damage with both physical and blm, and can heal decently through leaches.

Warrior: Has the lowest defense, but by far the highest offence. Doesn't have much in means of heals, but makes up for it by making clears faster with their superior dps.

What I got: Every tank feels basically the same, except paladin does it all better with an easier rotation.


Maybe I'm seeing things wrong and can be enlightened, but what do you guys think? Is there any reason to play any tank other than PLD?

[Kaedan]

All tanks have the same defense. PLD just has the benefit of a shield for extra RNG mitigation.

PLD is the "safe" tank, meaning if you're not a confident player it's easier to do difficult content with a PLD because it's more forgiving if you make a mistake.

DRK and WAR are much better than they were at the start of 4.0. Which tank to choose has very little to do with stats and almost everything to do with which aesthetic you like.

[BluexBird]

Warriors are the best tanks because they have the most HP.

OK seriously though, what you said used to be the case, except now Paladin does have it better than the other tanks. However, some people might not like the idea behind playing a Paladin. I personally prefer the sounds and effects of Warriors way more than Paladins.

Plus Paladins are "the best" right now, probably everyone's gonna be playing them. So I get to feel special. :3

[DWolfwood]

WAR has amazing defense. It's just, outside of damage and defense, they bring nothing to a group. DRK brings a ~5k HP shield it can give other tanks and has good magical damage defense, which is important in most of the new raiding content. It can be argued which is in a better place right now, with most choosing DRK just because of how much easier it is to play.

That being said, PLD >>>>>>>>>>>>> WAR/DRK, so if you want to be the best tank of the moment, PLD is your pick. The reason people don't all go PLD is because groups generally only take 1, so the other spot has to be filled with something.

[AeliaBlitz]

your question is a detriment to your enjoyment of the game... The sole reason to play anything is if you have fun playing it. The fact is that all content can be cleared with any combination of class. That META mindset of shaming whatever class is not meta is for underperforming players looking for a justification... ie: The 600 DPS Brd that said " Why would anyone play MNK, they are trash'' to me when I was doing my MNK anima during 3.0.

[vigioX-Sun]

the shield/sword theme dont go with me so i stick to my axe

[Mirch]

Warrior has axe. Warrior is stronk.

[Conando]

Warrior is good if you want to be doing a lot of the tanking. PLD has fantastic support so it can handle both roles, but Warrior brings nothing extra other than damage. Fun job though, especially since the 4.05 fixes.

[Kaedan]

WAR has amazing defense. It's just, outside of damage and defense, they bring nothing to a group. DRK brings a ~5k HP shield it can give other tanks and has good magical damage defense, which is important in most of the new raiding content. It can be argued which is in a better place right now, with most choosing DRK just because of how much easier it is to play.

That being said, PLD >>>>>>>>>>>>> WAR/DRK, so if you want to be the best tank of the moment, PLD is your pick. The reason people don't all go PLD is because groups generally only take 1, so the other spot has to be filled with something.

After the 4.05 updates, PLD isn't nearly as far ahead of the other two tanks as it started in 4.0.

Also, DRK's TBN can be incredibly powerful in high end content.

[Drkdays]

Drk was recently buffed, but has always been fun. They have a large, strong aoe attack that is available at a low lv and doesn't require targeting or facing, making low lv dungeons easier, and the class looks good and is easy and fun to play even for beginners at tanking. Plus, who doesn't love clobbering monsters with a huge sword.