Templar Tank Tips

Jarl_Ironheart · September 2022

To give a bit if preface to this I have been a DK tank for years but I've just gotten really over how lazy DK tanking can feel sometimes plus while I love concept of a ancient military order of warriors of fire and earth and dragons...the execution of the class always feels weird to me. I've tried warden tanking and it just feels off, necros are fun but still too clunky and I don't like sorc as a tank or nightblade so I'm left with templar. I know they are considered bottom of barrel tanks but I love the feel of the paladin. I've been doing alot of vet hardmodes during this undaunted event getting practice but I'd like to ask if anyone has some key skills or tips for it? I have Nazaray with Turning Tide and powerful assault and I'm using a slightly modified version of "Alcasts powerful templar tank build". Will not be trying for score runs but I do enjoy Vet HM and would like to try a hard trial one day.

El_Borracho · September 2022

I've tried so hard to like the Templar tank but can't. It feels like a DK tank that is missing all the good parts of the DK tank.
Your pull is Silver Leash and your taunts are the same. Aura is great, Ritual is good, but it really feels like you are a healer with a taunt.

The main weakness I've had with the Templar tank is no reliable cc. Living Dark is close, but it requires the adds to attack you. Second weakness is I haven't found a Templar tank build that doesn't feel weak. Could be one out there I haven't tried, but Templar feels squishier than a tank should.

I get what you are saying about the DK, but its because its a great tank. I like the warden and necro too, as their cc's are some of the best, and Beckoning Armor is so effective. Templar just feels like it is missing something. If they could make a morph of shards that would be a reliable cc or an AOE that provided Major Maim or a debuff that helped the group, I think it would go a long way for the class

If you are going to run a Templar tank, Void Bash goes a long way to making it more fun

Jarl_Ironheart · September 2022

El_Borracho wrote: »

I've tried so hard to like the Templar tank but can't. It feels like a DK tank that is missing all the good parts of the DK tank.
Your pull is Silver Leash and your taunts are the same. Aura is great, Ritual is good, but it really feels like you are a healer with a taunt.

The main weakness I've had with the Templar tank is no reliable cc. Living Dark is close, but it requires the adds to attack you. Second weakness is I haven't found a Templar tank build that doesn't feel weak. Could be one out there I haven't tried, but Templar feels squishier than a tank should.

I get what you are saying about the DK, but its because its a great tank. I like the warden and necro too, as their cc's are some of the best, and Beckoning Armor is so effective. Templar just feels like it is missing something. If they could make a morph of shards that would be a reliable cc or an AOE that provided Major Maim or a debuff that helped the group, I think it would go a long way for the class

If you are going to run a Templar tank, Void Bash goes a long way to making it more fun

I've been looking at trying out volcanic rune as my cc. It's a big aoe mine rhat knocks enemies in the air and stuns them. Would be probably good. That or caltrops for the speed reduction

BXR_Lonestar · September 2022

I have both a Templar tank and a DK tank, and while both are really awesome, I always tend towards playing my Templar tank. I think in 4 man content, an templar tank can really outshine a DK tank if set up properly, especially when running 3 DPS rather than 2 DPS + Hlr. I find that my DK tank, when fully set up for group buffs and no selfish sets, is much more healer reliant than my Templar tank.

As for tips? I basically built my templar tank like a heavily armored healer. I've invested mainly in magika and health rather than stamina, and I rely on tri-food and tri-glyphs to give me enough stamina to block with. I have around 30K magika, depending on armor set up (sometimes as high as 32K), 20Kish stamina, and 37K hps. Right now I'm running Crimson Oath (to maximize group penetration), Magma Incarnate (my burst heal procs Minor Courage), and Ive been playing around with different sets that I can back-bar since they reduced the duration of SPC major courage buff, but I typically take a set that gives a good group bonus that I can back bar. My backbar is basically set up with a ton of HoTs and Orbs or shards, and I wield a resto staff.

Front bar is all about tanking. Sword/board (Puncturing Remedy is awesome for this build), timestop for tether, breath of life for my own burst heal, rune focus, and my flex slot, I mostly run the mag version of the undaunted range taunt, but I can also flex in silver leash when needed.

Sustain with this build is trickier than usual being a mag tank, but I've been able to work around that by ab(using) the argonian passive and tri-pot potions, as well as having an absorb stamina glyph front bar and mixing in heavy attacks with resto staff on back bar.

In total, I think a templar tank can be VERY strong and VERY effective, but you just have to have a different mindset when building it. It's not going to do everything the DK tank can do, but if you lean into what templars do well, and rely more on their healing tree which the DK's don't have, you can make a very strong, well rounded, and effective tank that is better suited to supporting a group without a healer.

DocFrost72 · September 2022

Templar has two fantastic strengths. Primarily, it gets %hp healing and shields, which are fantastic for survival. They also do a lot of healing, regardless of how high the value is it serves another interesting purpose. I find that properly built twmplar tanks are able to facilitate a group of 3 dps and one tank, making the majority of content a breeze.

How?

Spell power cure and ritual. Not only does it remove a load of negative effects, but on top of that it heals you and your group in a massive aoe. If your group isn't being attacked, spc will proc frequently from just ritual alone. I'd also like to reiterate that there are only three tanks that have a relatively low cost purge on demand, but unlike necro or warden yours can also purge the group. If timed well, it can even get rid of some mechanics entirely (Halls of Fabrication is one that comes to mind with its fire dot).

Now, add onto it templar has a (to my knowledge) unique role in resource management with aura. Spear shards is fantastic for keeping your dps topped off, as is energy orb. I'd recommend orb only because it's another source of healing so, higher spc uptime. Regardless of that pick, grab Aura and give your whole team a 15% recovery buff that the vast majority of builds don't get.

Okay, that sounds good so far right? What else? Templar get access to major maim. Most builds easily get minor (and ult gen) from low slash. You, however, can give both major and minor. If your allies need the protection, nova is fantastic. If you need a good CC for trash, have your allies pop the synergy and lay them all out.

Templar has a rough time with CC as mentioned above. My best recommendation for that is a back bar ice staff with wall for snare and root (which doesn't apply cc, so you can still leash them). This also gives you a way to pick which resource you get back.

I main a Templar tank and the place it's in now compared to a few years back is night and day. I've tanked trials and vet hm dungeons, which seems to be the area you're looking for. Hopefully some of this helped!