With the Random Dungeon Event coming up in 5 days Nov 30th -Dec 6th, this is a handy reminder of which taunts are available in the game. I main a tank and often see players using taunts when they didn't mean to or didn't know it was a taunt. So do us all a favor and review the taunts available in game. Note: All actual taunts in game are single-target.
Taunts:
Puncture, One Handed and Shield skill line.
Melee Taunt
Cost: Stamina
Thrust your weapon with disciplined precision to deal [x] Physical Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. Also afflicts enemy with Major Fracture, reducing Physical Resistance by [y] for 12 seconds.
Morphs: Pierce Armor (provides Major Fracture and Major Breach), Ransack (provides Major Fracture and Major Resolve)
Inner Fire, Undaunted skill line
Ranged Taunt
Cost: Magicka, can morph to Stamina
Ignite the fires of hate in an enemy's heart, dealing [x] Magic Damage and forcing them to attack you for 15 seconds. Grants a 15% chance that allies targeting this enemy can activate the Radiate synergy, dealing [y] Magic Damage to a target enemy over 2 seconds, and then causing the target to explode for [z] Magic Damage to all nearby enemies
Morphs: Inner Rage (magicka + increased synergy chance), Inner Beast (stamina, reduced cost, scales with max stamina and weapon damage)
Frost Staff Heavy Attack with Tri-Focus, Destruction Staff Passive
Ranged Taunt
Cost: None
Tri Focus I: Gain bonus effects based on your staff type: Fully-charged Flame Heavy Attacks deal 6% additional damage. Shock Heavy Attacks damage nearby enemies for 50% of the damage done. Fully-charged Frost Heavy Attacks taunt the enemy to attack you for 15 seconds and grant a damage shield that absorbs 350 damage. While a Frost Staff is equipped, blocking costs Magicka instead of Stamina.
Tri Focus II: Gain bonus effects based on your staff type: Fully-charged Flame Heavy Attacks deal 12% additional damage. Shock Heavy Attacks damage nearby enemies for 100% of the damage done. Fully-charged Frost Heavy Attacks taunt the enemy to attack you for 15 seconds and grant a damage shield that absorbs 699 damage. While a Frost Staff is equipped, blocking costs Magicka instead of Stamina.
Tormentor Set, dropped gear set from Banished Cells
Ranged/Melee Taunt
(5 items) When you deal damage with a Charge ability, you gain 3642 Physical and Spell Resistance and taunt the enemy to attack you for 15 seconds.
Issues: if the charge ability has an aoe effect, the taunt is only applied to the primary target.
http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Tormentor+Sethttps://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/239450/charge-abilities-tormentor-set
Honorable Mention
Clannfear, Sorcerer skill
I can’t find any information on whether or not this pet actually has a taunt for certain. According to semi-recent threads, it’s pretty reliable at picking up aggro when soloing, but shouldn’t be able to override or interfere with a tank who is taunting properly.
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/314397/clannfear-not-holding-aggro-anymoreSo why does this matter?
Tanks, you should be using a taunt. DPS & Healers, you should NOT be using a taunt.
Tanks, I hear you now. But I don’t wanna slot a taunt!!!
Buck up, buttercup! Slot a taunt. Your amazing DPS isn’t going to keep the boss focused on you. Your taunt is. Oh, and as long as you are the only one taunting the boss, you can’t overtaunt. So taunt away! If you have to imagine that your taunt is actually you screaming insults at the boss when you use the taunt, go for it. My go-to tanking phrase is yelling at the boss “Pay attention to ME!”
DPS & Healers, I hear you now. But I wanna puncture/inner fire/frost staff heavy attack/tormentor charge attack!!!
Don’t. Please don’t. Why? See, if more than one person taunts the boss, the boss gets a period of taunt immunity. So while your tank would very much like to re-taunt the boss to keep him from smashing you into paste, your tank can’t, because you taunted the boss. You taunt it, you tank it. So don’t use a taunt.
Tanks, know your taunts and use them appropriately.
DPS & Healers, know the taunts and don’t use them.
Remember, if you taunt it, you tank it. Taunt like you mean it.