Which Tank?

[Gisallo]

<p>Okay silly question but have to ask but first the back ground.  I have been playing nothing but dps since I came to EQ2 BUT have a lot of tanking experience from other MMO's.  My Guild needs a new MT and well, most of my Guildies just don't like MTing for groups consistently so I have been elected to roll up one and get power leveled.  I have been reading both the Zerker and the Guardian forums.  Both on paper seem to me to be more than adequete tanks but it appears Zerker's have an issue with there class, many considering betraying etc. in Kunark.  Is the Zerk really that much worse as an MT or is it more of a question of them feeling that Guardians have just made out better in the latest Expansion in terms of gear etc?  Just so you know (and I know its more complicated than what I'll say next) but my prior tanking style has always been a MASSIVELY "squishie" protective taunt bot, for lack of a better term.</p><p>Thanks for any input. </p>

[LygerT]

<p>gotta ask by MT you mean group instanced or a raid MT?</p><p>if it's for single group instance tanking a well played zerker can be one of the best instance tanks, guardians do well also but at a slightly slower pace. pretty much any tank class can tank instances though, guards have better survivability and zerks have better DPS and the short term temporary tools for those short instanced encounters to do almost as well as a guard in tough situations. some even go as far as using brigands to tank due to their stuns and ability to dodge damage by keeping a mob unable to fight back, leather tanks also shouldn't be ruled out as they have self heals and temporary skills to parry incoming damage all while bringing decent DPS as well. </p><p>if it is in regards to main tanking for raids it really has become a no choice situation where guardians prevail over any other plate class in almost any area. zerks and guards share most all of the same gear so it's not an issue of gear but an issue of aggro control, survivability and on a much lesser scale now DPS concerns is why zerkers have taken a dive in tanking. many raid forces have adapted to using tanks other than guardians and all have the ability to tank but none have the abilities that guards have to do it on an easier scale factor. </p><p>a skilled player can overcome some of the boundaries within their class with their knowledge and ability but there is some classes that are just easier to play, guardian is one of the easier tanks to play and is preferred by many for both raid tanking and instance tanking. </p>

[Wilin]

<p>What Lyger said.</p>

[Melodar]

I recently betrayed my zerker to a guard at 51 because I was sick of sitting with no power on the zerker. I could do dps and even watching my power I ran out really fast. Since swapping to the guardian I am much happier considering I am doing this for tanking and not dps. You state you have dps toons so no need for another. The extra abilities guardians get are quite helpful tanking and I am finding it much easier. Could i tank well as a zerker? Sure. Do I tank better as a guardian? Most definitely.

[LygerT]

<cite>Urganabee@Crushbone wrote:</cite><blockquote>I recently betrayed my zerker to a guard at 51 because I was sick of sitting with no power on the zerker. I could do dps and even watching my power I ran out really fast. Since swapping to the guardian I am much happier considering I am doing this for tanking and not dps. You state you have dps toons so no need for another. The extra abilities guardians get are quite helpful tanking and I am finding it much easier. Could i tank well as a zerker? Sure. Do I tank better as a guardian? Most definitely.</blockquote>"better" is subject to point of view, many people choose me over many well played guardians. when it comes to taking some nasty hits with a clear line in quality of healers i generally will tell a group they need a guard for MT or group tank though. i can almost always call it in raid or in group when i know a setup won't support what abilities i have on any given fight and i rarely am wrong, sometimes you have to step aside to give the better class for that situation the spot.

[Raahl]

<cite>Urganabee@Crushbone wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am doing this for tanking and not dps. </blockquote>DPS = Hate and one of the main jobs of the MT is to keep aggro on himself.    So I recommend you spec for DPS. 

[BoneSmasher]

<p>Unless you are going to be raiding RoK, the class of plate tank you choose makes no difference.  All of the tank classes can tank any instance just fine.</p><p>If you plan to be a raid MT, then Guardian or Zerker is the better choice, with guardians having a slight edge at the moment.  The pendulum swings back and forth based on the current game update or expansion.</p><p>I keep hearing people say,"I am doing this to tank, not DPS."  A good guardian can DPS with anyone(meaning other tanks, and many DPS classes), if they know how.  A zerker will out DPS a guardian consistantly on multi-mobs encounters, but on single mob encounters, the tank that hits the higher dps number will be the better geared and played tank, period.</p><p>And no, you are not giving up survivability for DPS if you know what you are doing.  At the raid level, group make up impacts DPS more than anything anyway.  However, if you cannot DPS in groups or solo, then you will not put out the DPS on raids even with support classes.</p><p>As I have said many times:  Player skill > all.  Yes, you need good gear, CA upgrades etc.  However, a skilled player will do that as the first order of business.</p><p>Crappy tanks come in all flavors.  Sometimes I think that there are more substandard tanks among guardians and zerkers because people think the classes automatically make them good tanks.  The class "enables" the player to be a good tank.  Exceptional tanks study the class, test things out, carefully pick AA lines, run groups for the best gear, etc.  They work on CA order with a parser until they "know" when to swing based on the weapon they have, and what order to fire CAs to achieve maximum power effectiveness and  DPS output.</p><p>Switching stances, swapping in shields, using temporary mitigation buffs, are all skills that should become second nature to a good tank.</p><p>Fast targeting, body pulling, turning mobs, knowing how to pull using other classes in your group, i.e. stealth pulling, sever hate pulling, pet pulling, etc. are all skills a good tank must master.  </p><p>So if you just want to tank some instances, the class you pick is no big deal.</p><p>If you want to be a well known and highly desired tank, then whatever class you choose, learn to play it to the maximum of the class' potential.</p>