The best tank...?

[Lisail]

<p>What class is best for tanking?  I'm used to there being just plain old warriors, like in the first EQ.  Now theres two different kinds, and also different kinds of other classes.  What would be the best tank?  </p><p>Also, what classes can duel wield and tanks fairly well also?</p>

[Mirander_1]

Unless you're raiding, any of the Fighter classes make viable tanks, but i believe most would point at the Guardian as being the best at pure tanking. As for dual wielding, to my knowledge, all the Fighters except the Paladin and Shadowknight can do it. Hopefully someone more knowledgable of the tank classes will pop in here with there two cents, but hopefully this helps you a bit <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Didi]

Hi there! "Best" is a very subjective word, so everybody will have a different answer for you!  The first thing you should do is forget everything you knew about the classes in EQ1, because even if they have the same name in EQ2, they're totally different.  Don't assume anything about a class in EQ2 based on anything you knew about it in EQ1, they're very very different. The second thing you should do is read over the FAQ thread that's stickied at the top of this forum, this includes an overview of all the classes that should give you a better idea of what each does, and how they're different from the others. To directly answer your questions ... 1.  All 6 of the fighter classes are designed to be able to tank perfectly well for a group, and they are all good tanks either in a full group or in a smaller trio or duo.  They can also all solo (all classes in EQ2 can solo) though some do it more slowly than others, damage output is not a key role of tanks -- they're designed for keeping agro primarily.  It's really only in high end raiding situations that you would sometimes pick one class of tank over another for very specific reasons.  In general, guardian is probably the most chosen as a raid tank, followed by berserker.  But with that said, I have seen or heard of raids tanked by every fighter class out there, and in many cases the character's equipment and the skill of the player will make more difference than which fighter they are.  (My guild typically uses a paladin tank and a bruiser as MA/offtank, for example.)  And there are certain raids where you might specifically want one or the other class.  So no, there is no one "right" choice here - all tanks can tank!  So pick a class you will enjoy, because that means you'll play it well, and that will make more difference overall than anything else. 2.  Dual wielding classes are:  all the scouts, guardian, berserker, monk, and bruiser.