An unplanned adventure in tanking.

Covyn

So looking for some insight here as to when this is going to become an issue, I would assume at the VR levels, so tanks....chime in.

I built an AoE DK, my take on a battle-mage.

Destruction Staff is the only weapon, the two bars are a swap from AoE to Single target all fire based to create the synergy. Statistic splits at 6:4 Magicka:Health every 10 levels....Stamina is dumped (kept mildly alive through gear bonuses and crafted Blue/Epic food. *I am aware there are only 49 points...just a rough estimate on the 6:4 split*

So the routine on Dungeons.....Run in, pop Fiery Talons, Dragons Breath, drop a couple unstable walls of flames, and finish them off with an impulse, or Inhale, and most importantly, survive long enough to take the beating from 5-10 trash mobs at a time.

Now....I have never expected a Sword and Board tank to hold aggro on trash and I feel it the groups job to burn them down, and I do it very effectively without the healer having to pay too much attention to me....but.....I am now being considered a "Tank" of types. I tried a few test runs, and holding single target Aggro (the bosses) was an issue for me, so I picked up the Inner Beast on the undaunted line and ...snap....I have single target threat easily held.

Here is the issue: I use evasion tactics, and can possibly block 1-2 big hits that I cant avoid due to the stamina dump. I see my weakness here. I've picked up some of the heavy armor perks just to fulfill my "Battle-Mage" role and increase survivability, but....I am mostly "tanking" in Light Armor 5:2 Light:Heavy, so those heavy passives are not doing much more than 4% on anything. Still, I am finding it to get the job done.

As I said before, this was not my intention. My intention was to make an AoE "Clean-up" Build, and then let the REAL tank step up and take on the bosses...yet I still find tanks dropping on the bosses due to lack of skills or poor builds and I am stepping up yet again, to ....Tank. It almost begins to seem logical to just grab a third DPS, and roll out. However, I do believe this is going to be short lived with the Stamina dump and is going to inevitably end.

I have had no issues in any dungeon up to final 3 before VR levels. Alas....I am built DPS first/Survive second. Every Skill I took from the DK lines is morphed to cause more Damage over increased Survivability, but I am far from a Glass Cannon.

What I would like to see is input from VR tanks, when will this adventure in tanking come to an end? With the Stamina Dump like this, surely there will come a time when something is going to eat me if I stand in front of it without being able to block/evade numerous hits. Regardless, it has proven to be a very fun build and completely does exactly what I envisioned from it...its just a curiosity though....how far can I go as a "Tank"?

Thanks in advance for the input!

Armitas

Don't you hate that?

As far as blocking the only thing I can think of that will help you is the Iron skin passive in Draconic Power and Igneous Shield. Unless things have changes since beta Igneous Shield only a portion of the shield gets dropped per hit. So it's not like if you get hit for 100 damage you take no damage, instead it absorbs a portion until it runs out of points.

AOE tanking in ESO is really just holding the mobs long enough for them to be nuked in a pile. So you aren't really AOE tanking you are are actually fulfilling your role as a dps. They need to understand that your ability to handle the mob waves is due to you dpsing, not being a tank. Maybe then they will realize that they need to get a tank. A tank in ESO is one that can taunt, CC mob waves for the nuke, and mitigate damage through blocking. Heavy armor is helpful, but the real part that makes it tanky is the damage absorption from blocking.

If you later find yourself wanting to take on that tank role you can always throw in a hotswap into a sword and board for those fights that require blocking.