The best AA build for tanking.

[Dooy]

Hello,

I have been going through the threads looking for the hands down winner for an AA build just for tanking.

I want to be able to take the max amount of damage, hold aggro and get through the fight.  DPS is not even a consideration.

I get the feeling this may be the buckler build, but it would be nice to have a more detailed list, not just for the warrior, but the guardian AA's as well.

Any and all help is appreciated.

[Deayne]

Anyone have suggestions for this? I'm a little at a loss now with the TSO AA's.

Thanks!

[Emperors]

Well, with TSO the buckler build no longer exists due to the STA line being changed to no longer require a buckler.  Also, until the fighter revamp part 2 goes live DPS is going to be the best way to hold aggro.

[Mentalep]

Yes, to maximize your threat you're going to have to maximize your dps.  Taunts help you cement aggro, but the majority of your threat will come from damage.

I'm not going to tell you I have the best build out there, but I like it.  Before TSO I was buckler specced, but after that went away, I changed my spec and I actually like the new one a lot better.  Right now I have int/agi to the endline abilities, with the rest in strength.  The crit and attack speed bonuses are good dps boosters, the extra aoe in agility really helps in holding aggro against multiple mobs, and Dragoon Reflexes has pulled me out of a lot of rough spots.

However, I do miss the stamina endline ability, which helps you save power and regenerate health.  I run out of power a bit faster than I used to, but it's not a big deal for what I do.  I'm level 80 wearing mostly quested legendaries with a few instance items, so obviously my spec is geared towards heroics and soloing.  If you're looking for a raid spec, mine might not be the best.

For the guardian tree, I went for slaughtering and stalwarting.  Block is a nice ability, and improved tower of stone is also nice.  You can't go wrong with more damage, either.  The crippling line doesn't seem very useful to me, but I haven't tried it.

I normally tank heroics in offensive stance with two weapons (mastercrafted swords at the moment) and dps gear.  You put out a lot more threat that way - your healers can handle it.  For tougher pulls and bosses, you can always go more defensive to reduce the damage you take.  I have macros for different gear setups, so I can easily switch between them any time.

[dirtymeat80]

Unfortuately, there's so many differences in gear & playstyles, one spec for someone will work perfectly, while someone else could do the same exact setup, and lose aggro every 10 seconds.  Keep all the taunts upgraded, and put a few points into the STR line for some hate gain.  Start with maybe 3 points in this, and if you're still losing, put a few more, if you're still losing - maybe try all 8 points here.

If you have enough AA, there's also a TSO ability that gives you more hate per block, and even another rescue type ability, plus one that keeps the mob targeted on you for 8 seconds.

Would be nice if we had like a month of free respecs or something, cause I'd like to try out a ton of different setups, but alas - can't afford it

[RafaelSmith]

dirtymeat80 wrote:

, and even another rescue type ability, plus one that keeps the mob targeted on you for 8 seconds.

Too bad its resist rate is crazy high.

[dirtymeat80]

Gaylon@Mistmoore wrote:

dirtymeat80 wrote:

, and even another rescue type ability, plus one that keeps the mob targeted on you for 8 seconds.

Too bad its resist rate is crazy high.

Which one?  The rescue or the targetting one?  Havn't tried the 8 second deal yet, though it sounds nifty........but if it's resisted a lot, then not so nifty lol

[thial]

Gaylon@Mistmoore wrote:

dirtymeat80 wrote:

, and even another rescue type ability, plus one that keeps the mob targeted on you for 8 seconds.

Too bad its resist rate is crazy high.

I have to agree it gets resisted way to often to use as a "rescue" type ability, it is nice for when a boss is at 15% you can nail that and if it lands tell dps to go buck wild...I respected out of this ability though and have not missed it since. Once i'm at 200 AA ill put a point in there but untill than there are better places to put points in the shadows line...

[Undorett]

Not only is it resisted a lot, but it hardly ever forces target (and when it does, it may only be because the 2 positions of hate were good enough to pin it to me).  Then again I have only used it on raid mobs.

[RafaelSmith]

Undorett wrote:

Not only is it resisted a lot, but it hardly ever forces target (and when it does, it may only be because the 2 positions of hate were good enough to pin it to me). Then again I have only used it on raid mobs.

Ive noticed that also...hardly ever locks for the 8seconds...more like 2-3 at best.

[Undorett]

I died on switchmaster the other day due to some massive spike while the defiler was curing the yellow screen off himself, got a rez, poped 2 buffs and tower of stone and used the warrior "peel" (oddly enough it wasnt even resisted!) and watched the mob continue to hit who it was hitting...I didn't even get 2-3 seconds =/

[RafaelSmith]

Undorett wrote:

I died on switchmaster the other day due to some massive spike while the defiler was curing the yellow screen off himself, got a rez, poped 2 buffs and tower of stone and used the warrior "peel" (oddly enough it wasnt even resisted!) and watched the mob continue to hit who it was hitting...I didn't even get 2-3 seconds =/

My record so far is 5 resists in a row for so called Warrior "peel"....then it  "hit" but dit not "peel" =P

[Emperors]

Undorett wrote:

I died on switchmaster the other day due to some massive spike while the defiler was curing the yellow screen off himself, got a rez, poped 2 buffs and tower of stone and used the warrior "peel" (oddly enough it wasnt even resisted!) and watched the mob continue to hit who it was hitting...I didn't even get 2-3 seconds =/

It's because certain mobs, like Switchmaster, are immune to effects like focus target.  Switchmaster is immune to the Coercer snap thought ability as well as mem wipe so I'm guess that for the Guardian ability that the threat increase worked, but the focus target part didn't because of his immunity.

[Undorett]

fair enough, but are some mobs psudo-immune as it only works for 2-3 seconds?  I have never understood giving abilities to players then making fights where those abilities would come in handy but you are unable to use them...

[RafaelSmith]

Then I guess I never knew just how many mobs (solo to epicx4) there were scattered across Norrath that are immune to target lock.... And then the countless that seem to be partially immune and only lock for 2seconds instead of 8.

[Emperors]

We were having a guild discussion about this last night.  Seems pointless to give a class a skill, give them aa skills to enhance that skill and a gear bonus to enhance that skill and then go and make that skill unusable on mobs that it would be handy to use on.

[Vlahkmaak]

Here is my single target AA set up.

WARRIOR

STR 4-4-4-8

STA 4-4-7-8-2

INT 4-4-6-8-2

For encounter dungeons I switch STA with AGI on my mirror for the extra AOE agility.

GUARDIAN TREE (I dont have my game open so will describe these best I can for you).

Far right AA tree for defensive abilities with the end ability block.

Double attack tree following the left branch of the double attack tree to get the 5 aa in tuant then 3 into rescue and 1 into reinforcement (do not add into moderate or sustain - just branch over from the tuant aa to rescue and reinforcementr - do nt max these aa out more than suggested cuase w/gear oyu will waste additional AA).  end up with the extra DA ability.  ON your AGI spec you can put 5 into kick on your STA spec put 5 into Lay Waste single target damage.

The debuff line on the guard tree 5 into the first 3 to maximize your debuffs.  These 3 debuffs are very important IMO.

TSO:

STA + Health

Warrior: Damage reductions and aggro maintenece were my prioritiies - anything that reduced damage I take or has a chance to proc aggro or avoid hits were my priority.