The General Tank Guide - A Very Compact Guide on Tanking

Disconinued

 

You can now put comments on the doc file itself if you have any suggestions or discussions on some of the information!

UPDATE CHANGELOG HERE:

Spoiler: SEPTEMBER 2018

-Initial release of the thread
-Publication of the Tank Guide

Spoiler: OCTOBER 2018

-October 1, 2018
1. Updated the Bowgun Tank Info
2. Updated the One-Handed Tank Info
3. Changed some of the texts based on the suggestions

-October 8, 2018
1. Added minimal info on "VII. Skill Allocations."
2. Added one "Skill trees every tank should learn" Section.
3. Shield Skill Tree And Knight Skill Tree Recommendations added.

Spoiler: MARCH 2019

-March 4, 2019
1. Updated a various amount of info thanks to Kruose Knight!
2. Updated the Knuckle Tank Info.
3. In Skill Allocations section, Added One-handed sword skill tree.
4. Added Credits Section

Spoiler: MAY 2019

No updates in the future.

 

As I said, I'll only be discussing pure tanks. Those who can use a shield and take a big beating. The shield is the important part and I think 2h is more of a semi-tank build as opposed to a pure tank.

Also you don't need to output damage to be a good tank.

 

That could be a good one however believe it or not, Barehanded tank is almost quite the same as knuckle tank since they'll mostly use the same skill tree. However, there is bigger benefits in using knuckles anyways so there really isn't any point on being a barehanded tank except for mercenaries.

 

Does anyone have a template on 2h tank?
Its surely a really specialized tank that also depends on the party lineup. Also, is it even necessary? You won't be able to party up with other close range members since you don't have guardian, you won't get as much as damage migation since you don't equip shield, and you cant use p.def for deadly attack. You won't have sufficient mp to use the attack combos. Rampage makes your 2h tank even more paper-thin. To put it simply, all you got is the ability to hold the aggro, less damage output if nothing at all, since you will be busy avoiding AOEs and possibly screwed the positioning. All I can say is that a specialized 2h "tank" isn't worth enough. Just use a conventional 2h that acts as aggro holder

Edit: did I just woosh myself?

 

While it is possible to have higher guard rate and guard power than a tank itself, you can pretty much apply it to a tank who wants to apply guard power as it's priority. But since Resistances are more viable than guard itself, it doesn't really matter.

Also that would most likely be called a semi-tank. It deals a fair enough enough of damage while also being able to tank hits. pretty standard stuff. But it could be a problem on higher difficulty bosses, especially on gem runs. Sure you can evade a fractional using meteor breaker but so do tanks with shield and quite more easily too since PDEF is only 1 mp, fast animation, and easy to time as opposed to Meteor breaker and it's nerf with the Invincibility frames, has to rely on combos unless you use it as a combo opener or itself only, and 600 MP. Both of them generate 600 AP. Go figure.

I can see your build is based on sustaining HP though, which is actually very viable with buster blade and bloody bite. I agree, only those who are capable of handling that build can become good.

but tbh, for those who are prioritizing on really tanking instead of damaging, what's the point if you have the conviniency for being a pure tank?

I appreciate y'all existed though because tanking, whether pure or semi, is still needed for most of the boss runs or mobbings.

 

I think that the lack of p.def is what makes it not so reliable and flexible as a tank. If you are really good at it and have the leeway to invest some money on an unconventional build then its all good, but I definitely won't make one before I made a shield tank for its overall utility. Plus your credibility as a tank is at stake. But as for the viability, I admit that it does work, (I forgot that you can still use sanctuary with 2h)

 

These nubs don't know about how effective is sloped armor

 

One of the reason why I'm having alot of fun with my bowgun/shield tank is because of it's infinite MP(via decoyshot, even against bosses who likes to move around alot) and also it's dps potential(diver's bowgun only has 100 crit and no critdamage penalty unlike toyhammer), I almost always ends every battle with a full 1800 mp, like it never got used at all lol, even when i was farming "scary when angry" quest against 3 bosses. I can even spam guardian by itself without in a combo and regain that 600 mp cost back in 5 seconds when both my decoy and me are autoattacking lol. I don't really like guard rate because I noticed that it sometimes delays my P.defense timing, i would prefer to have -100% guard rate lol, my goal now is to start adding some dex stats to make my pure tank also dps capable(and also be able to do those revitaless boss soloing just like what D.song is doing,THAT looks fun) and also to increase my cspd for faster animation of guardian and decoy

 

2h tank is kind of viable, but must rely on mb to avoid those dangerous attacks instead of pdef. Get NPC Singergatis or Intergridar, Brigandine/Mozt NPC/Lil empress garb, add with ampr or resistances, and spec with aggro, doesnt need that much aggro since lots of skills are high mp cost. Rampage, berserk, trigger and decoy for +50cr and nice ampr. Main problem is no reliable interrupts.

 

Thank you so much for the guide .

 

My tank will endure all even with 300mp

 

Author's note once again:
I'll be updating the doc file twice or thrice a week!

 

they can endure all with just minimal Max MP but they would find it hard to keep aggro or spam pdef with that max mp xD

 

There's so much more than tanking than pdef skills alone. Reason why many reset, redo, re think their build many times . Purely relying on pdef be goodluck

 

Aggro combo only need 1mp anyway, its more of optimization rather than necessity