Yea, I understand it being a case by case basis. It's just that in a 100% random setting in every queue, it's quite difficult to gauge and to simply open with 1 combo then drop grit is a leap of faith that I can't bring myself to do. Yet, more often that not, I find myself in such a huge aggro lead while taking almost no damage that I'm handicapping myself and my team on taking a damage penalty. For starters, I always look out for such situations and drop grit immediately. It's those in-between areas that's a pain to deal with.

I'm just asking around for other tanks like me living the PUG life if, maybe, there's a good way to consistently tank without Grit. To be clear, I'm not insisting on dropping grit. I've no problems staying in tank stance forever. My path is to simply optimize my own tanking to be the best I can be in a random setting.

So, let me just ask a few direct question that can help me out after reading all you guys' suggestion.

Assuming that no one in the party made use of their enmity manipulation, staying in tank stance is the most optimal?

What are the signs of party members using their enmity reduction from a tank perspective? Do you just have to know the skill effect and see it on the fly?

Which boss is the easiest to tank without grit? 4 man and 8 man.

Do you take into account your team composite if you can drop grit sooner or later? Not talking about skill here since skill is pretty much universal.

Another point I've just realized myself is that since I've never drop tank stance until I'm confident the DPS can't catch up, the DPS themselves don't have a reason to use their enmity reduction. So good players or not, I guess I have to live the edge(pun intended) and let them catch up?