New (kinda) tank

[BattlePanda]

Hey! I'm just getting back into the game after not playing since 2014 and have the most basic of questions.

For tanking, are any classes particularly complicated or have glaring weaknesses?
How are the tank classes performing nowadays?
Since I'm essentially starting over as far as my knowledge of my rotation (used to play and thoroughly enjoy my warrior) how do the rotations compare to one another?

[winsock]

I gotta go with the "play what you want" answer. None of the rotation are so crazy that you won't be able to perform it. DRK is trailing/project to trail a tad behind atm. Still viable, still good, just not optimal. Not nearly as bad as the forum edge lords make it out to be.

If you do constantly want to play the meta tank, you're going to need to level them all anyway as balance is subject to change, so you might as well start with whatever you find to be the most fun for you.

PLD has great utility, but WAR has better damage. DRK isn't quite either.

[Silver_Blade]

Paladin is the king of utility and defense with low AoE DPS.
Warrior has the highest sustained and burst DPS.
DRK has the lowest defense, DPS and utility.
All three are roughly equal in terms of difficulty since 4.2.
PLD and WAR have 3 combo's
DRK has 2
They are simple to understand and easy to use now.
DRK is probably the hardest of the 3 simply because you have to weave in lots of skills between combo's.
WAR + PLD is the norm as either has immense use for a group.
I can't honestly recommend DRK until they get fixed but you can do any content with them. It's just a little harder.

[whiskeybravo]

If you liked playing Warrior before the base rotation is nearly exactly the same as it was in 2014. You'll get up to speed rather quickly once you hit 70 and add Inner Release to the equation. And it doesn't hurt it's arguably the best tank right now so win-win

[Graiggy]

I main a WAR and they are pretty fun. awesome when you get your stance dancing down (im still learning) and you and your healer are the ones that beat the dung because the dps went off and died. my next is im going to get DRK to 70 since its already 65 and then im doing pally. so i have all them and can hopefully learn on them and be good with them

[NephthysVasudan]

Don't listen to the foolish tanks who dis dark.

Dark is fun..easiest to learn...and quite capable IF you know what your doing.
Go with your gut..pick what suits you best.

(Dark Knight and proud)

[Seku]

Same thing I've always said.

Play what you want, all tanks can clear the content and that's what matters.
As for major / glaring weaknesses, DRK doesn't excel at anything and is a bit harder to keep yourself alive on.

[Delily]

I can't honestly recommend DRK until they get fixed but you can do any content with them. It's just a little harder.

That's just stupid and \overreaction, in the vast majority of content, all 3 tanks work just fine. It's in Savage and Ultimate raids the discrepancies start to show. Occasionally the meta does leak into regular content, but otherwise, most people are just happy to have a tank that knows how to run the encounter. That being said, all the tanks can clear all content (just harder with DRK).

In terms of rotations, not much has changes, all 3 jobs have an emnity rotation and an "other" rotation. DRK is unique in that the job's "other" rotation doesn't have 2 finishers to choose from.

[Aana]

That's just stupid and \overreaction, in the vast majority of content, all 3 tanks work just fine. It's in Savage and Ultimate raids the discrepancies start to show. Occasionally the meta does leak into regular content, but otherwise, most people are just happy to have a tank that knows how to run the encounter. That being said, all the tanks can clear all content (just harder with DRK).

In terms of rotations, not much has changes, all 3 jobs have an emnity rotation and an "other" rotation. DRK is unique in that the job's "other" rotation doesn't have 2 finishers to choose from.

This so much.

All tanks function perfectly fine for 95% of all content in the game. The last 5% is raids and even then, the differences are a game of inches, not miles. Its a game. The purpose is to have fun. If you think Drk would be fun then play it.

Don't let the 5% less damage or whatever it happens to be at this very moment sway you. Not long ago pld was the 'worst' tank. There was a time war was the 'worst' tank. The meta will shift. Patches, buffs, nerfs come and go. Play what you enjoy instead of chasing the flavor of the month. It's much more enjoyable than bundling your fun with chasing the meta around in circles. Everythings viable in this game. Most MMOs cant make that claim. Take advantage of that to play what you actually enjoy.