Can you Tank without a Shield? (and other Console Noob questions)

JMadFour · June 2015

Say, like a Sorcerer with all his Shields, and a 2Hander?

is such a thing feasible?

Shunravi · June 2015

It's possible for lower level content. But for things like vet dungeons and trials, you should probably bring a shield. You can have a s&b on one bar and 2h on the other. That can work well.

Talcon · June 2015

Do your healer a favor, use a shield. It's not about what can and can't be done, its how much harder you're making it for everyone else.

JMadFour · June 2015

Talcon wrote: »

Do your healer a favor, use a shield. It's not about what can and can't be done, its how much harder you're making it for everyone else.

I plan on it. I was just curious.

I'm figured that you just simply can't block enough damage with a 2Hander like you can with a Shield.

Talcon · June 2015

I have healed non shield tanks before, so it can be done, but I'm working far harder than I need to be.

Shunravi · June 2015

JMadFour wrote: »

Talcon wrote: »

Do your healer a favor, use a shield. It's not about what can and can't be done, its how much harder you're making it for everyone else.

I plan on it. I was just curious.

I'm figured that you just simply can't block enough damage with a 2Hander like you can with a Shield.

That is correct. The only real reason I would even suggest a 2h offbar is because of rally and brawler. Go with a shield and save your healer some migraines

Talcon wrote: »

I have healed non shield tanks before, so it can be done, but I'm working far harder than I need to be.

I really just leads to to many unnecessary problems...

JMadFour · June 2015

so another question, where does a Sorcerer get his self-healing from, assuming my weapons are 1H/Shield and 2Hander(not Resto Staff)? Is the Pet the only way?(cause I don't like using the Pet)

Talcon · June 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuY-a5eHHVw

Sorc Tank

JMadFour · June 2015

Talcon wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuY-a5eHHVw

Sorc Tank

will watch.

moving on, Guild Stores. can Guilds just place them anywhere they want, or what? I've seen Guild Stores in some odd places.

Shunravi · June 2015

The guldstores are pre assigned locations. You bid to claim it, you can't move it.

UrQuan · June 2015

JMadFour wrote: »

Talcon wrote: »

Do your healer a favor, use a shield. It's not about what can and can't be done, its how much harder you're making it for everyone else.

I plan on it. I was just curious.

I'm figured that you just simply can't block enough damage with a 2Hander like you can with a Shield.

The real problem with a tank not using sword & shield isn't about not being able to block enough damage (although that's definitely a factor), it's that without it the only taunt you can possibly use is Inner Fire from the Undaunted skill line. There are a couple of problems with doing that:
1. Inner Fire is much more expensive than Puncture, and the effect it gives in addition to the taunt is not as good as the effect Puncture gives in addition to the taunt (really the only good thing about Inner Fire is that it's ranged, while Puncture isn't).
2. You only gain access to Inner Fire at Undaunted rank 3, which means that you have to do a bunch of dungeon activity before you can even get it. If you're a tank and you've been doing a bunch of dungeon runs without a taunt, then you're not actually a tank.

So yeah, it's possible to tank without using sword & board, but it's a bad idea because you're not using the most essential tanking skill in the game, and you're missing out on all the blocking goodness the skill line brings to the table.