Warrior Tank... 51 VK/15 Pal

[alturic]

So, I'm curious, as per the one thread on the Rift forum, surely (outside of buffs, taunts, cooldowns, etc) the top tank build can't literally be:

1.) Keep Aggressive Block up
2.) Don't let pacts fall off
3.) Spam Reckless Strike
4.) 3AP -> Devouring Blow

So realistically it's spam RS -> 3AP DB?

I have to be missing something?

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

Currently Warrior is pretty stat reliant for raiding, but pretty underwhelming for CM.
Since a lot of the tank role relies on leading the group and doing as much damage as possible, when you realize charge and Heroic Leap are both your best damage elements AND gap closers you immediately spot their weakness.
This is exacerbated by their lack of AOE damage and reliance on Mastery and Parry which are at lower than acceptable levels at 630.

[alturic]

Currently Warrior is pretty stat reliant for raiding, but pretty underwhelming for CM.
Since a lot of the tank role relies on leading the group and doing as much damage as possible, when you realize charge and Heroic Leap are both your best damage elements AND gap closers you immediately spot their weakness.
This is exacerbated by their lack of AOE damage and reliance on Mastery and Parry which are at lower than acceptable levels at 630.

I don't know if I'm confused or you're confused? Even if I was talking about WoW, what the heck did they turn warriors into in WoW to where charge and heroic leap are their best damage dealers?

[Fencers]

I have to be missing something?

Not really. It's mostly about cooldown management and situational use of abilities.

Which isn't really that far from how you tanked in other iterations of the game anyway. Yea, I had a crap-ton of skills on my bar as a Reaver tank last xpack but I mostly spammed two abilities and kept Aggressive Block active- using cooldown when ho.

In vanilla, as a 51 VK I mostly used 1-3 spam macro abilities, used aggressive block (it had a CD back then iirc) and used cooldowns as needed.

It's not really that demanding outside of deciding how to pull various packs or direct boss fights successfully.

[Lathais]

Not really. It's mostly about cooldown management and situational use of abilities.

Which isn't really that far from how you tanked in other iterations of the game anyway. Yea, I had a crap-ton of skills on my bar as a Reaver tank last xpack but I mostly spammed two abilities and kept Aggressive Block active- using cooldown when ho.

In vanilla, as a 51 VK I mostly used 1-3 spam macro abilities, used aggressive block (it had a CD back then iirc) and used cooldowns as needed.

It's not really that demanding outside of deciding how to pull various packs or direct boss fights successfully.

Isn't that nearly all tanks in all games? I have always found it silly how people make tank out to be some horribly difficult thing. The only difficult part about it, IMO, is that for some reason, everyone thinks the tank should also lead the group. That notion is extremely flawed IMO. I have known some excellent tanks that couldn't lead a group to dry land from the kiddie pool. I can lead just fine while healing or DPSing though. If anything, again IMO, it's easier to lead from the back lines, healing or ranged DPSing, as it is easier to see the whole picture without a boss right in my face. I can see the whole field, call things out better, see when someone is not standing in the right spot easier, notice that Raid Healer mage that is using Void Life to heal instead of Vile Spores.....so on and so forth. That's an entirely different conversation though.

[Fencers]

Isn't that nearly all tanks in all games?

I wouldn't say all games. But yes, all games.

I have always found it silly how people make tank out to be some horribly difficult thing.

Personally, I do not think most MMOs are difficult to play. So I do not see the tanking role in traditional role exclusive MMOs are particularly difficult.

The only difficult part about it, IMO, is that for some reason, everyone thinks the tank should also lead the group. That notion is extremely flawed IMO.

I do not think that the idea is flawed. The idea likely comes from the personality type drawn to the dynamics of a tanking role as defined in role exclusive game systems. Over time it is likely that the two observations intersected; 1. leaders are drawn to the role 2. the role attracts leaders; to create the common conception we have now.

I too have know competent tank players that were poor group leaders, as it were. Though overwhelmingly most tank players have been at least willing to lead. Whereas the majority of "back line" players in my experience have been unwilling to lead.

The psychology of being in the back line I think speaks for itself in the actual interaction of human beings working cooperatively.

[Lathais]

I wouldn't say all games. But yes, all games.

Personally, I do not think most MMOs are difficult to play. So I do not see the tanking role in traditional role exclusive MMOs are particularly difficult.

I do not think that the idea is flawed. The idea likely comes from the personality type drawn to the dynamics of a tanking role as defined in role exclusive game systems. Over time it is likely that the two observations intersected; 1. leaders are drawn to the role 2. the role attracts leaders; to create the common conception we have now.

I too have know competent tank players that were poor group leaders, as it were. Though overwhelmingly most tank players have been at least willing to lead. Whereas the majority of "back line" players in my experience have been unwilling to lead.

The psychology of being in the back line I think speaks for itself in the actual interaction of human beings working cooperatively.

That actually makes a lot of sense. To me, so does leading from the back though. Both have their merits, though movies and whatnot do tend to glorify the leader who fights on the front lines as opposed to one who commands from a tent in the back.