Is there even a way to tank in this game??

puppetmstrx · July 2015

I'm a DragonKnight and i want to actually start tanking but so far I realized it isn't possible... Where do I put my attributes at?? All in Stamina?? What skills do i use to do massive damage? How do I get all the enemies on me and still stay alive?? I would like to get some help here... I'm about to respec and I don't wanna waste 10k and not get a good build. Do i need healing abilities? Which attacks do I use?

I wanna be a Dual Wield/Bow Tank using Heavy Armor. I am a Dark Elf on Daggerfall Covenant. I hate games like this because it's so confusing trying to figure out what exactly i need to use to actually Tank. I been DPS this entire time and I feel like I just wasted getting this character to 50... I can't find no builds online at all for suggestions because I usually look at lots of builds before I end up creating my own. That one website that people use make builds and show them doesn't work cus every time i click a build link its nothing but blank...

OzJohnD · July 2015

It is not the same mechanic as WoW.

Some of the best tanking skills are weapon based ... esp sword and board pokes (stamina based) for aggro and damage mitigation spells (1H/shield blocking and some DK spells)

It will be useful for AoE damage to be dual wield, but if you want to seriously tank switch now to 1H/shield

You might find this useful ...

http://deltiasgaming.com/2014/11/06/eso-dragonknight-tank-build-t3-reborn/

Allyhoo811 · July 2015

puppetmstrx wrote: »

I'm a DragonKnight and i want to actually start tanking but so far I realized it isn't possible... Where do I put my attributes at?? All in Stamina?? What skills do i use to do massive damage? How do I get all the enemies on me and still stay alive?? I would like to get some help here... I'm about to respec and I don't wanna waste 10k and not get a good build. Do i need healing abilities? Which attacks do I use?

I don't usually tank (I typically play a healer), but just a couple of things that might help while you wait on more specific answers.

1) As a tank, typically most of your attribute points would be put into health. Your primary job as tank is to stay alive and take damage for other players; therefore, health is key.
2) As the tank, you shouldn't really be doing "massive damage". That's not your focus. You will want to use taunts to gain the mobs attention and be able to do enough damage to keep it, but your dps group members should be doing most of the damage.
3)Having a self-heal ability where possible is helpful for tanks, especially in situations where a lot of damage is occurring. ESO doesn't allow the healer to focus heals on the tank in the same way most MMOs do, so being able to save yourself in dire circumstances can prevent a wipe.

UrQuan · July 2015

Tanking in ESO is different from tanking in other games. You can't (and don't want to) get all enemies to focus on you. If they do all focus on you, you won't survive, and you'll be an absolute nightmare for your healer. You have to pick the biggest threats and get them to focus on you, while trying to throw out some crowd control to restrict the movements of the rest of them.

Also, you really can't tank with dual wield/bow. You need sword & board on one or both bars. There are only 2 taunts in the game, and one of them (the best of them) is the very first skill available in the sword & board skill line. You can't be a tank without a taunt. I mean, I guess in theory if you're really experienced and you've leveled your Undaunted skill line high enough you could get by using only the Undaunted taunt, but it would be incredibly inefficient, and impossible for a beginning tank in any case, because that skill wouldn't even be available..

Sandshark95 · July 2015

DK is arguably one of the best classes for tanking. Bow is a decent investment as a backup weapon; having a ranged option is nice, but tanking (especially DK tanking) usually requires a bit more of an up-close-and-personal approach. For survivability, I'd actually recommend 1h/shield. The first 1h/shield skill (Puncture) is an excellent stamina taunt and debuff. If you want more damage, look into 2h. Rally (Momentum 2h morph) is a self-heal, which is nice to have for a tank. Dual Wield is good for damage, but doesn't really have any "tanky" skills.

I'd recommend putting the majority of your attribute points into health and then magicka. Most DK abilities are magicka based, so you'll definitely want a decent sized pool of magicka. Stamina isn't really that important as a DK tank; you want just enough to do a few heavy attacks, cast a stamina taunt, or block a hit.

As for skills, here are a few suggestions on where to start. Play around with them to see what fits your style best.

Ardent Flame Skill Tree:

Fiery Grip (Morph to Extended Chains)

Great for isolating a single target, grouping

Searing Strike (Morph to Burning Embers)

Heals when effects ends

Fiery Breath (Morph to Engulfing Flames)

Enemy debuff, weaker to fire damage

Draconic Power Skill Tree:

Spiked Armor (Morph to Hardened Armor)

Good early on to soak up damage if you don't have a lot of HP

Dark Talons (Morph to Choking Talons)

Great Crowd Control, Choking morph debuffs enemy. Didn't really appreciate this skill at first, now very useful.

Dragon Blood (either morph)

Your self-heal. A literal lifesaver. Green Dragon Blood morph regens stamina, which is nice, but other morph is fine too.

Inhale (Morph to Draw Essence)

Magicka refund

Earthen Heart Skill Tree:

Obsidian Shield (Morph to Igneous Shield)

Well, it's a shield. Very tanky.

Ash Cloud (Morph to Cinder Storm)

AoE CC. Snares.

Other skills:

Inner Fire (Morph to Inner Rage)

Undaunted skill line. Ranged magicka taunt.

So, in short, yes, there is a way to tank in this game (a lot of ways actually)

Hope that helps

puppetmstrx · July 2015

Seems more complicated then what I'm used too... I guess i'll be better as a DPS. I prefer a staff to begin with and i like staying at a range, i figured i would try to tank cus i felt like i was using DK in a wrong way but the way I use a DK with a Staff seems to actually work for me. Now I am using Destro/Resto to see if i can keep myself a live a lot longer but i never had a problem with with dying when i didnt use a restro staff.

Is it really all about finding what you yourself wanna play as? basically all about your own play style? I just felt a little bummed when i was told in game that I am a tank class and i should be using it as such. But forget them. Im good as a DPS and I think i'll stay this way.

Thanks for ALL the Information though. I'll keep it all in mind for my next character for sure. I eventually do wanna tank but it does seem too complicated for me at this time.

UrQuan · July 2015

Yeah, tanking in ESO isn't simple, and it's not intended to be. Personally I consider it the most challenging role to do well (that's part of the reason why I've been trying to focus on it lately), but others may have different opinions.

puppetmstrx wrote: »

Is it really all about finding what you yourself wanna play as? basically all about your own play style? I just felt a little bummed when i was told in game that I am a tank class and i should be using it as such. But forget them. Im good as a DPS and I think i'll stay this way.

Whoever told you that doesn't know what they're talking about. In ESO you can do any role with any class - you just have to build it right. Each class is naturally going to have an easier time with some roles than others, but that doesn't mean that just because you're that class you should be that role.

For what it's worth, DKs happen to be very good at 2 of the 3 roles (and can do the 3rd, but with more difficulty): tanking and DPS. Depending on how you build it, a DK DPS can be very effective. If that's what you want to play as, not only is it viable, but it's highly viable, and you shouldn't be discouraged by people who don't understand the game and tell you that you should be tanking.

Dagoth_Rac · July 2015

puppetmstrx wrote: »

Is it really all about finding what you yourself wanna play as? basically all about your own play style? I just felt a little bummed when i was told in game that I am a tank class and i should be using it as such. But forget them. Im good as a DPS and I think i'll stay this way.

Classes do not define roles in ESO. Weapons do. A DK with a destro staff is a magicka DPS. A DK with a 2H sword/Dual Wield/Bow is a stamina DPS. A DK with a Resto Staff is a healer. A DK with 1H + Shield is a tank.

Same goes for all classes. Any class can perform any role in ESO with the right gear/weapons/build. If you want to DPS, go ahead and DPS. Dragonknight can be fantastic DPS.

puppetmstrx · July 2015

i respec back into the magicka build i used but I was doing good when I had at least 10 attributes into health. Does it really matter if I spread out my attributes into magicka and health??

SugaComa · July 2015

My advice is put one point into magic then one health and keep this routine till about level 30 (15 points in each)

Then start to add more points into magic and pop one into health when you think you need it.

Top up your health by stacking bread in your quick slot and eating every 30 minutes
Other foods can give health boosts too so play around with them.

I did this on my dual wield only with health and stamina, seemed to work for me

Until level 50 you are merely a build in training so do what you can to stay alive and don't be afriad to respec if something isn't working.

Good luck and have fun.

Rosveen · July 2015

puppetmstrx wrote: »

i respec back into the magicka build i used but I was doing good when I had at least 10 attributes into health. Does it really matter if I spread out my attributes into magicka and health??

You don't have to put everything in one resource, find a build that works for you. You want about 15-20k health (depending on level) to avoid getting one-shot in dungeons in any case. Remember to use food.

failkiwib16_ESO · July 2015

All classes can be all roles, but people don't trust nightblade healers and tanks, DK healers, templar magicka based dps and sorcerer stamina based dps << because a lot of them play their roles very bad, so they give a bad impression and other players get scared of it.

Some roles are easier for specific classes, for instance templars have a whole skill line for healing, which makes it easier for them, so they don't depend much on weapon skill line for healing. Same goes for DK's and tanking.... however that only helps a bad player play better, but it doesn't save the player from being a bad member in your group.

Also, if you wish to play a dps role, learn to weave. It is hard to give more than 10k dps as a v14 without weaving.

Dw is good for magicka dps. If you wear 2 x daggers or swords and have class skills slotted on that hand, your spell power will increase a lot.... destro staff and destro staff skills on the other bar.
-I don't know why dw increases spell power, it is a stamina based weapon but this is how it functions.

You can slot slot Structured Entrophy (morph from Entrophy, a mage guild skill). It gives you 5% - 8% more in health, so you get to spend less attribute points in health and more in magicka.

Make sure your mundus stone is either Atronach (magicka regen), or The Mage (max magicka).

Ask around and find out wether or not your faction have a buff campaign in Cyrodiil, if you have one then set it as your home campaign. You don't have to pvp, it just provides good buffs to you passively.