TANK / DPS: role significance for end-game PVE content

[Raiden_Ki]

I'm coming here with a quick question on role significance in end-game PVE because I'm deciding on investing my gear tokens on a tank or dps class.

Does having a geared to the max tank or dps, playing their role without flaw, have a more significant impact on clearing a boss?

(Excuse me if this is the wrong place to ask)

[Brannigan]

Does having a geared to the max tank or dps, playing their role without flaw, have a more significant impact on clearing a boss?

So it kinda works like this:
For day-to-day stuff (dungeons and other lower-difficulty content) a trash tank will ruin the run. A trash DPS will just slow down the run. A top tier tank will heavily impact the run and can carry poor damage dealers/healers to an extent. A top tier DPS will be limited by their party somewhat due to aggro, the speed of and size of pulls, and the tank/healer's ability to survive huge packs. In a sense, the party is a glass and a super powerful DPS might be too much water to fill it.

For raids, we can count trash players of all types out - any role can ruin a run. Compared to a mediocre tank, a top tier tank will make things somewhat easier on your healers and will put out higher DPS than normal. It's only somewhat easier on your healers because often times the most dangerous healing checks don't really involve the tank, and the tank is less impacted by group damage because of natural defense. A top tier DPS, by comparison, is an immense boon. Damage is the most powerful tool in the game - it lets you skip mechanics and end fights earlier, reducing the burden on everyone. If I was forming a raid group and someone was applying as either an amazing tank or an amazing DPS, I'd pick the DPS every single time.

In short, a strong DPS has a more significant impact on clearing a boss. The difference between an okay tank and a great tank is big, but comparatively getting a great DPS will make your life much easier.

[Umbeliel]

A tank, without a doubt.
Higher DPS will speed things along and faster clears mean fewer mechanics and fewer wipes, but even that completely hinges on the tanks ability to not stay dead (and then, by extension, the healers ability to keep the tank skid).

I think in order of sheer importance to a party in general, it works out to be something like healer > tank >>> dps

It's important to note that it's on an individual level though. The contribution of one good DPS vs one good tank is smaller, but good dps tends to snowball and has a larger effect on what's going on.

snip

We came to different conclusions but the logic here is solid. Ultimately it depends on your entire group and the content you have in mind... but at the end of the day healers Lord over us all anyway. A good post.

[Shinkyo]

It's difficult question and can be fight specific.
an under performing tank has a much higher chance to cause a wipe whereas an under performing DPS will put more burden on the party, potentially wipe the group either from enrage or mechanic.

If I'm to take a rather shameful personal experience, my group has had horrible V3S runs yesterday. Me and my co-tank did horrible silly mistakes and caused the group to wipe many times.
However, on our clear, we've totaled 7 deaths: 5 from DPS, 2 from healers (it really was a horrible unusual performance)...

What I'm saying is that a tank death pretty much always resulted in a wipe (from snowball effect) whereas even with 7 deaths from DPS/Healers, we still managed to recover and clear before enrage.

Mechanics are what wipes group more than enrages.
a tank failing mechanics is often a wipe, a dps failing mechanics can be recovered.

[DacienSanderon]

The OP is talking about gear. It is far more impactful to have a better geared dps than a better geared tank, for all content.

[Shinkyo]

The OP is talking about gear. It is far more impactful to have a better geared dps than a better geared tank, for all content.

No argument there.
Gearing dps is the priority

[Spartan926]

I would say this depends on how you intend to run the PvE content. If you're getting a static then figure out what role you enjoy more and gear that first, then use tokens/drops from the other role to backup in case someone can't make it. With statics each role is important and everyone has to know their job. If you have a bad tank or a bad tank or dps you'll end up wiping one way or another. If you're going mostly pugs I would say go tank because it will be much easier to find spots in the party finder, just make sure you know the mechanics (from a video) before you enter the fight because it will make even learning parties that much smoother.

[Umbeliel]

The OP is talking about gear. It is far more impactful to have a better geared dps than a better geared tank, for all content.

Oh are we talking about loot priority? Yeah absolutely. DPS > Tank by far.