I use an ice staff on my Warden tank and I can do HM DLC dungeons. It's a little tricky, but there's always an opportunity to get some magicka back/free taunt. Also it's just thematically appropriate.

Its only viable as a tank backbar.

Yes, its possible. My build that I have used for all Vet content
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=20452

My NB tank tanked all vet dungeons, vMoL, vDSA, vBRP with icestaff backbar. Warden tanking being much easier, I would definitely say it is possible.

Psyonico wrote: »

erlewine wrote: »

Yes, but you won't want to put points in the destro passive that causes blocking to consume magicka instead of stamina.

That's tri-focus, which is also what causes you to taunt on heavy attacks. Why wouldn't you want that?

It depends on your style. There are two.
One - is to manage your resources by swapping what you block with. You take Tri-Focus and when you are low on Stamina you block on the Ice Staff, and when you are low on Magicka, block on the S&B. I have seen it done for vHoF, but it is not my style

Two - Don't take Tri-Focus.
- Taunt is too slow to be useful at End Game at all. So you will never use it to taunt or to get the Damage Shield.
- Blocking on Magicka. Wardens are much more magicka based tank than a DK. You have no burst return of Stamina, so you need to control the drain. For me (pre Arctic Blast nerf) the only stamina skill I ran was Pierce Armor. I already had Minor Maim covered and Major Heroism instead of just Minor.
- Resource Management, this just makes it simple. You will never be caught on one bar while needing a skill from the other bar, but without the ability to switch because you dont have the resources to block on the other bar.

Honestly Meditate made a lot of this less important, but I, at least, have zero interest in anything that Tri-Focus has to offer.