Current meta of tank class?

dehlert

When I first started this game I played a dk tank and loved it, but given the last couple patches dk seems to be meh and tanking even more so... I have come back to the game because a few friends are in a different alliance and now I want to make a new tank for it but unsure currently which class would work the best so thoughts would be appreciated. I understand everyone has their preference but I don't want to make things overly difficult to make one class work over the other (such as smallest mistake during a lag spike could ruin you due to needing to be on point all the time).

Also would you say imperial are still the go to for the main tank race? Thanks for any advice

Tryxus

Imperial, Nord or Argonian. They are still the best tanking races:

- Imperial due to extra resources and leeching passive
- Nord due to damage mitigation
- Argonian for healing received

The best class out there for tanking is still the almighty DK. Def not a "meh" class, especially when tanking is considered. 2nd best class for tanking would be Templar, but DK is still a bit better.

True, tanking took a bit of a hit due to Dodge Roll and Stam Block nerf. But it's still very much possible

dehlert

Would double sword and boards be ideal? I notice some using 2h as well

Tryxus

For pure tanking in PvE? I would go 2x 1h+Shield, but that's cuz I always wanted to make sure to have a shield and make use of the skill's tanking passives

Waffennacht

Tryxus wrote: »

For pure tanking in PvE? I would go 2x 1h+Shield, but that's cuz I always wanted to make sure to have a shield and make use of the skill's tanking passives

This plus whatever glyph you put on your shield, you need to have on your other shield (and why you need second shield) to have any real effect. Example would be if you have a max health glyph, when you switch to your shield, your health wont increase any, just your max health amount.

HebrewHatchet

I don't think that one hand and one shield on both bars is ideal. There are many fights where you want to do damage instead of tanking; for example the engine guardian, or the final boss in veteran f grotto, or that boss in crypt of hearts that stays in the center and does the double AoE thing on everybody.

I just got my tank to vet level and I went double sword and board and ran into these problems. I'm gathering skill points now to try sword and board on one bar and bow on the other since bow damage increases with stamina and its ranged damage.

Of course, it's best to have a million skill points and carry many sets of stuff, but when you're just hitting very rank and starting to tank veteran dungeons, I think this gives you the best compromise.

Icharaxx

I run sword and board + 2hander. 2 handed weapon is awesome for tanking for a few reasons. First is the skill Brawler. It lets you deal AoE damage + dot on enemies while giving you shield for each one hit. I find it highly useful to start a fight against multiple mobs with it. Second reason is the skill Rally. It boosts your damage output (even as a tank dealing a bit more dps is great for the group) and heals you constantly giving a bigger heal boost at the end (take off some pressure from the healer). Third is the passive Battle Rush which boosts your stamina recovery by 30% if you land a killing blow with the 2handed weapon/skill (this is usually more useful for solo environment, but it can still proc in group).

shugg

I have cleared all content on my nb tank and dk tank on ps4 , both bars s&b . Both have no issues nb is magic and dk stam however i find the nb more fun and more to do, the dk is extremely easy to tank with and more group forgiving.

On a side note i also have tanked vet wgt / prisonand a few raids as 2h tank on my nb, again no issius as nb resourse management is the best in the game . To answer your question its a dk but all classes can easily clear content as long as you can get that stam back for blocking

tangy.citrus

If you just like to sit there and hold block while taunting every now and then, DK tank.

If you like to be an active tank that can do decent damage, magicka nb tank.

If you like to switch between supportive roles, templar tank.

DK imo has the most versatility among the roles it can play as, though my opinion is biased since thats my main class. Any class can tank well. No class is better than the other in any regards to tanking. If you want to do all 3 roles well on the same character, Id say that magicka DK tank, or magicka nb tank are the way to go. Magicka templar is good, but its got the lowest single target dps atm of the 4 classes (lowest, but can still get to around 30k)

Savos_Saren

Just my two cents worth:

I really enjoy my Magicka NB Tank. It's an aggressive tank that also adds heals. (Think Funnel Health, Refreshing Path, Sap Essence)

I never wanted to tank- but I got tired of waiting on a tank with my group. I only became a tank because I knew I could be more than just a punching bag. This Punching Bag wants to hit back... and then put a band aide on the wound.

elium85

I was in the same boat as @jaburns...

I also really enjoy tanking on my Magicka NB. It's actually an active experience that does better DPS then many Stam DK tanks.

If you go for a Magicka NB tank, you'll prolly want to roll Dunmer!

dehlert

Thanks for insight!

SmalltalkJava

Isn't magic sorc tank powerful? double spell shield spam and taunt skill.

code65536

If you want to do a non-DK magicka tank, Breton's an awesome race with that bonus spell resistance. (For magicka DK tanks, I'd probably still go Dunmer.)

MrGigglypants

The sorc tank hater's are real Coneversion + shields with dk level cc definitely Warrent honorable mention and very underplayed as tanks. Templar is the worst imo

Laranoye

So templar is not really good at anything at the moment? Makes me sad..

I thought it would at least be good at tanking, I know they are fairly good healers but again not even more so than other classes..

Akinos

The current meta of tanks is as follows:

In PvP at least....:/

tangy.citrus

SmalltalkJava wrote: »

Isn't magic sorc tank powerful? double spell shield spam and taunt skill.

Magic sorc tanks can be very good, they require some level of skill to play well though. But i guess the same can be said of all the other classes. Im honestly not sure why people say DK is the best tank. It has a lot of passives for tanking, but templar has just as many if not more. Sorc has the crazy shields and negate, and nb has the super powerful self/group heals and infinite sustain.

eliisra

Laranoye wrote: »

So templar is not really good at anything at the moment? Makes me sad..

I thought it would at least be good at tanking, I know they are fairly good healers but again not even more so than other classes..

Templars are good PvE tanks. They're extremely capable when it comes to staying alive. Really self-sufficient, as in doesn't need a healer to keep them up. Also the class with the best synergy with the Engine Guardian set. Weakness: They really dont have any dps that can be used while blocking. Everything is channelled. If you start sweeping or beaming, you have to cancel almost instantly or you take a fat heavy attack in the face and die. That's really why people dont like templar tanks, they slow down dungeon runs, unless you do 3 dps + 1 templar tankheal.

Magicka DK's are preferred tanks, looking at everything they do throughout the entire dungeon. Just superior when it comes to grouping up and AoE bombing down big packs of trash. They have roots, AoE interrupts and a pull for ranged adds. Bring more dps. Can block cast 99% of their skills. DK tanks makes dungeons go much faster(only thing that matters for a lot of people).

NB tanks are sort of a mix of the two. Some of the heal potential of a templar, some of the dps potential of a DK. Decent recourse management and very enjoyable to play.

I'd say sorcerers are the worse tanks. They really cant execute any "secondary" job that well while also being tanks. They cant take over healing, like a templar. But also lack cheap spammable dps or decent AoE, like NB or DK. So cant do much of that either.

Draxys

Akinos wrote: »

The current meta of tanks is as follows:

In PvP at least....:/

Not entirely true, you can still build to be super tanky but you won't be blasting any shells out of that cannon in the front like you used to =P

MrGigglypants

eliisra wrote: »

Laranoye wrote: »

So templar is not really good at anything at the moment? Makes me sad..

I thought it would at least be good at tanking, I know they are fairly good healers but again not even more so than other classes..

Templars are good PvE tanks. They're extremely capable when it comes to staying alive. Really self-sufficient, as in doesn't need a healer to keep them up. Also the class with the best synergy with the Engine Guardian set. Weakness: They really dont have any dps that can be used while blocking. Everything is channelled. If you start sweeping or beaming, you have to cancel almost instantly or you take a fat heavy attack in the face and die. That's really why people dont like templar tanks, they slow down dungeon runs, unless you do 3 dps + 1 templar tankheal.

Magicka DK's are preferred tanks, looking at everything they do throughout the entire dungeon. Just superior when it comes to grouping up and AoE bombing down big packs of trash. They have roots, AoE interrupts and a pull for ranged adds. Bring more dps. Can block cast 99% of their skills. DK tanks makes dungeons go much faster(only thing that matters for a lot of people).

NB tanks are sort of a mix of the two. Some of the heal potential of a templar, some of the dps potential of a DK. Decent recourse management and very enjoyable to play.

I'd say sorcerers are the worse tanks. They really cant execute any "secondary" job that well while also being tanks. They cant take over healing, like a templar. But also lack cheap spammable dps or decent AoE, like NB or DK. So cant do much of that either.

Sorcs have just as much if not more sustain in terms of hardened ward and blood passive. Prison etc they have the same cc as dk's they lack a 360 sure but they have better cc than nb on par with dk far ahead of templars. And they have access to everything the other classes use for dps except they can have an overload utility bar an aoe cleanse stun in negate and pets to aggro for them if they so choose. Bro do you even sorc?

code65536

eliisra wrote: »

NB tanks are sort of a mix of the two. Some of the heal potential of a templar, some of the dps potential of a DK. Decent recourse management and very enjoyable to play.

"Some of the dps potential"?

As someone who prefers offensive tanks and who has both a DK tank and a magicka NB tank, the magicka NB tank is far, far superior when it comes to DPS. If you want tank DPS that can make a dungeon to go fast, magicka NB tank has no match, period. Maybe you were thinking of a stamina NB tank?

Now, where the NB tank falls short of the DK is control--no chains, no AoE CC. I can kinda make up for it with Caltrops, though. But damage? A powerful block-castable 28-meter spammable single-target attack that also heals your teammates? Check. A block-castable player-based AoE that also heals your teammates? Check. A block-castable ranged execute? Check. I can do the portals on the Planar Inhibitor in vWGT without changing my gear or my bars (I do change into full DPS mode because it works out even better that way, but the first few times, I didn't bother to).

Now, for a full-time tanky tank, like what you need in a trial, I would probably not go NB. But for 4-man content like pledges, I prefer my NB over my DK.

WolfingHour

code65536 wrote: »

Now, where the NB tank falls short of the DK is control--no chains, no AoE CC. I can kinda make up for it with Caltrops, though.

Soul tether, volcanic rule, dawnbreaker of smiting, silver Leash and trap beast. Works like a charm in vICP AND vWGT.

The first three are even better than talons since they stun rather than root. With high enough deeps trash hardly had enough time to get up and hit anything.

Laranoye

Ok so maybe a stupid question...

But i would like to predominantly tank, But would like to heal and dps aswell when required.

Witch race and class would be better for this? Im thinking either NB or Templar?. I have access to the Imperial.

Im so mixed as to what to level up, hear so many bad things about templars and DK's now lol

Cheers

Joy_Division

For all the reputation DKs have as tanks, in my experience NBs have been generally all around superior performers...

...except the very last boss in Vet DSA

code65536

Joy_Division wrote: »

For all the reputation DKs have as tanks, in my experience NBs have been generally all around superior performers...

...except the very last boss in Vet DSA

I tanked VDSA a few times this week on my magicka NB. There were a couple of silly deaths--walking into a fire line during a split, getting CC'ed in the middle of crossing the lava river--but on the whole, I had no problems with that final round, though I'd imagine a magicka templar would have it easier with their big bursty heals.

code65536

Laranoye wrote: »

Ok so maybe a stupid question...

But i would like to predominantly tank, But would like to heal and dps aswell when required.

Witch race and class would be better for this? Im thinking either NB or Templar?. I have access to the Imperial.

Im so mixed as to what to level up, hear so many bad things about templars and DK's now lol

Cheers

My main is a Breton magicka nightblade. My primary roles are as tank and DPS, though I can and have been the main healer if needed. So that's my (biased and not that objective) answer.

The Altmer magicka recovery is better for sustain than Breton's pitiful cost reduction, and its elemental damage can help with destro-staff weaving as a DPS. The Breton spell resist is nice to have as a tank, though. I'd imagine Imperial would be a great choice here, since as a magicka NB tank, you need all three resources, and Imperial's lack of a magicka pool bonus is made up by its substantial bonuses to health and stamina. Really, any of these three races will be just fine.

The Nightblade would be a better tank than the Templar, and the Templar would be the better healer, but since you want to predominantly tank, you should go NB.

Of course, all this could drastically change the next time ZoS "balances" their game...

tangy.citrus

Laranoye wrote: »

Ok so maybe a stupid question...

But i would like to predominantly tank, But would like to heal and dps aswell when required.

Witch race and class would be better for this? Im thinking either NB or Templar?. I have access to the Imperial.

Im so mixed as to what to level up, hear so many bad things about templars and DK's now lol

Cheers

Thats just the casuals crying. Magicka DK is the highest damager in pve right now for magicka based, Stam DK is #2 for dps for stam builds behind stamplar, but they will take the lead once cp cap rises. Though, stam dk has the most sustain among the stam builds, so its better for trials like SO where it takes a minute to kill manti and 2/3 to kill serpent.

With the way they have the game right now, you cant ONLY tank or ONLY heal. You have to be able to dps too, vwgt and vma are the prime examples of why. You should go with a class that you think will give you the versatility you want for all the things you want to do. You can do any role on any of the classes, and all 3 at once on one. The best healer I know is a sorc, so keep that in mind too. The meta isnt always whats actually best in game.

Laranoye

tangy.citrus wrote: »

Laranoye wrote: »

Ok so maybe a stupid question...

But i would like to predominantly tank, But would like to heal and dps aswell when required.

Witch race and class would be better for this? Im thinking either NB or Templar?. I have access to the Imperial.

Im so mixed as to what to level up, hear so many bad things about templars and DK's now lol

Cheers

Thats just the casuals crying. Magicka DK is the highest damager in pve right now for magicka based, Stam DK is #2 for dps for stam builds behind stamplar, but they will take the lead once cp cap rises. Though, stam dk has the most sustain among the stam builds, so its better for trials like SO where it takes a minute to kill manti and 2/3 to kill serpent.

With the way they have the game right now, you cant ONLY tank or ONLY heal. You have to be able to dps too, vwgt and vma are the prime examples of why. You should go with a class that you think will give you the versatility you want for all the things you want to do. You can do any role on any of the classes, and all 3 at once on one. The best healer I know is a sorc, so keep that in mind too. The meta isnt always whats actually best in game.

Whats the one you can do all 3 on one?

So would a stam DK be good for tanking and dps'in then? :0

Thanks

Stannum

Different tasks require different tank styles

So DK = the best CC for they are the only class which can pull range mobs into friendly AoE
Templars = the best support and the worst CC (with NB tanks)
NB = best DPS tanks + good heal support also may be the best resource management and like templars awfull CC
Sorcs = the most avarage tanks can do everything well but are not the best

tangy.citrus

Laranoye wrote: »

tangy.citrus wrote: »

Laranoye wrote: »

Ok so maybe a stupid question...

But i would like to predominantly tank, But would like to heal and dps aswell when required.

Witch race and class would be better for this? Im thinking either NB or Templar?. I have access to the Imperial.

Im so mixed as to what to level up, hear so many bad things about templars and DK's now lol

Cheers

Thats just the casuals crying. Magicka DK is the highest damager in pve right now for magicka based, Stam DK is #2 for dps for stam builds behind stamplar, but they will take the lead once cp cap rises. Though, stam dk has the most sustain among the stam builds, so its better for trials like SO where it takes a minute to kill manti and 2/3 to kill serpent.

With the way they have the game right now, you cant ONLY tank or ONLY heal. You have to be able to dps too, vwgt and vma are the prime examples of why. You should go with a class that you think will give you the versatility you want for all the things you want to do. You can do any role on any of the classes, and all 3 at once on one. The best healer I know is a sorc, so keep that in mind too. The meta isnt always whats actually best in game.

Whats the one you can do all 3 on one?

So would a stam DK be good for tanking and dps'in then? :0

Thanks

All of them can do all 3 to be honest. Requires a lot of skill points, but completely able to be good at all 3 for at least vicp level of dungeons. In trials, you can always be the off healer as a non-templar class, or tank it on any of the classes (templar is probably best tank in there)

From my experiences, magicka tanks have always been superior to stamina based. More dmg, more self heals, able to range taunt more than 3 things at a time if needed, more aoe's, and able to perform more than 1 role. Though, i know most in the game prefer stamina for whatever reason.

Basically, find out which class you are most interested in, and then go tank with them.