Learning Mitigation

[Guulu]

I'm not a veteran tank but I can share something I've learned from tanking with you.

1. Don't use 3 or more CDs just for a single tank buster. You should be using invuln instead if really needed. (i.e. tank stance is not required to survive in most scenario.)

2. CDs are not just for tank busters. In some stages of the fight healers are under stress of healing, use your CDs/Tank stance to help them. For PLD you can even just invuln when tanking heavy hitting adds.

3. Make max value out of every CDs you pop. When you know boss does heavy AA before or after a tank buster, you should adjust your CDs timing to cover the window as best as possible. You should keep in mind that Rampart lasts 20 second with only 90 second cooldown, make use of that 20 second long mitigation.

4. Tank swapping is better than not to even if it is not needed. It is better to utilize both tanks CD's than just burning ones. Also this trivialize aggro problem (voke shirk can do the same).

5. Tank invuln is very strong that can cheese some mechanics like tank busters meant to shared by tanks or stack markers meant to shared party wide. By doing these you save healers' MP and tanks' CDs.

6. Reprisal can be used as a weak CD too IF you run out of CDs to use.

7. Do NOT use Bulwark/Anticipation as a CD for tank buster, It is RNG dependent.

8. Wisely choose between Awareness and Convalescence for the content. Awareness is much better for heavy hitting boss/adds because it makes you take no spike damage (random crit). But for those do light to moderate damage, Convalescence can be better because of regen.

[Claire_Pendragon]

6. Reprisal can be used as a weak CD too IF you run out of CDs to use.

Slightly funny story about this.
When I was playing my alt, and was undergeared (by undergeared, I mean I was using accessories to get within iLv to do content to get more gear, such as normal mode sigmascape)
I was on WAR, and while I almost always have an inner beast, sometimes the GCD wont come off quick enough before the attack lands, so one of my backup ideas, was to see if I could survive kefkas TB with a reprisal+Shake it off+Thrill, so I tested it at the start off the fight, when i was full HP, and theres no chaos, to make sure healers wouldnt have an issue with it.
Instantly died lol. (To be fair, rampart wasnt enough either. It was vengance, Holmgang, or I had to pair a -20% with more stuff)

Got some more i340 gear, so i wasnt in all i330 stuff, and now a reprisal on its own, or a thrill on its own is enough to survive it in normal mode.

(Back in 3.x I used reprisal + foresight as my filler mitigation for physical TBs on DRK. Unless I have Dark Dance up, then I'd also pop that as well, in hopes of a parry as well. And of course if this wasnt up, and nor my other good CDs, then Living Dead was my last resort CD. But reprisal+Foresight was usually enough to survive if I was full HP before the attack. Though if I encountered a physical TB that hit as hard as Punishing Heat from A12S, I doubt it would be enough to survive at full HP and shields.)