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  • Member
    May 4, 2018

    Thank you for the incredibly thorough reply, Patriarch, that's very helpful! :) I'll go through each point.

    Patriarch said: 

    As you might be aware, I have two tanks and have tanked veteran dungeons (some DLC). I think I can offer some advice. First, are you planning on being tanky or actually filling in the tank role in a group dungeon? The answer to that will change things slightly. Generally speaking, tanks are hybrids in and of themselves. However, the problem with being a "tank" in a dungeon, as opposed to being tanky, is that you should be focusing on survivability and group utility. The more you focus on damage-dealing, the more you have to sacrifice survivability and group utility. Second, as for group dungeons, what are you planning on doing? Vet difficulty or normal? DLC dungeons? If you only plan on normal difficulty, non-DLC dungeons, then you will not have much of a problem trying to be a tank/off damage dealer. You will run into issues with vet dungeons, especially DLC dungeons (even on normal), and especially your lower CPs.

    For the moment, it's just about fulfilling a tank role in casual, normal dungeons at the drop of a hat. Because I do more solo questing as I work through the AD faction and MQ, doing those things as a full tank would be a real slog. I did it before and it took ages :D Once I hit what I consider to be the end of this character's journey, I'll probably repec and put more points into health and run Sword and Shield on both bars for a dedicated, hardcore tank. For now I just want a bit of versatility so that I can swap roles with another and try a bit of Two-Handed dps in normal dungeons.

    Just to point out, you don't have a taunt on any of your bars. Heroic slash, while great for debuff/ult generation, is not a taunt. At a minimum, you should put Pierce Armor or Ransack (morph of puncture). If you don't maintain a taunt, you will constantly lose aggro of the boss/mobs by the DPS who does more damage than you (which will be both of them). Also, bear in mind that you do not have a ranged taunt, such as chains or Inner Fire (undaunted skill). Some bosses run around, plus it's helpful for those pesky archers.

    Because you should be using Heroic Slash AND Pierce Armor, I suggest dropping Noxious Breath/Igneous Weapons. Given how magDKs are being buffed next patch, it is very likely that someone in your group will be a magDK and run it. 

    I've run dungeons with tanks who used a 2H back bar. As long as they know the fight, when to block, and are cognizant of when thier taunt wears off, there is usually no issue.

    I treat Pierce Armour as a flex spot, only putting it on my bar when called to do a dungeon where I actually need to hold taunt. However, I don't normally run both that and Heroic Slash, so it's interesting to hear it's considered more useful than Igneous Weapons. What is it with bosses running around? Like, there's the Daedric Titan in VoM who will randomly pick a target for an attack before returning to the one who maintains taunt. Anyway, I'll try that. Pierce Armour will give me the same debuff that Noxious Breath provides, so if I swap out that skill and have Heroic Slash and Pierce Armour, I'll lose a bit of DPS when soloing but still keep the debuff. Cool!

    You mentioned struggling with stamina. The Helping Hands passive in the Earthen Heart tree is a tank's best friend. Every time you cast Igneous Shield, you will restore some stamina. The problem is that it costs magicka. I find that a pure tank will struggle more for magicka than with stamina in this regard. But, if you are spamming Wrecking Blow, you'll run dry of stamina quite often. Don't spam it. I'd run Reverse Slice over Executioner. That juicy spash damage will help with mobs.

    One skill that you might want to consider is Balance (morph of Equilibrium, Mage's Guild skill). It takes some book grinding but I really like this one. It provides Spell & Physical Resistance and trades health for magic (like a blood magic ability). You have to watch your health before doing it, but my high health tank has virtually limitless resources because of this skill. Stamina low? Not enough magic to cast Igneous Shields to restore stamina? Health good? Pop a couple hits of Balance, I get resistance and enough magic to replenish my stamina. The Igneous Shield, plus the resistances provided by the skill, gives me plenty of survivability as well as time for the healer to do his/her thing.

    Agree with Helping Hands. It's a tactic I employ frequently, probably too frequently. I'll use Igneous Shield even when I don't need that buff just to ghive me back a bit of stamina. But then I need to be really careful with my magicka pool incase I need a burst heal or to hold a hold a trash mob with claws. Do you advise using Fiery Grip on a dedicated tank?

    Lol at Wrecking Blow spam :D I honestly don't spam it, I save that for pvp :p I'm actually more likely to spam Reverse Slice too early than use Wrecking Blow, as I do like the splash damage you mention - Choking Talons + Brawler + Reverse Slice to carve through mob packs. 

    I'm intrigued by Equalibrium. Grinding isn't an issue because I enjoy collecting lore bopoks, and have a skill of 7 in that line anyway. Ha! My turtle cat is a great mage despite barely ever casting a spell :D But what would I switch to accomodate it? 

    GEAR:

    Warrior Poet is an okayish tank set in general. Believe it or not, resistances are not quite as important for a tank as is stacking health. However, for your set-up, I think it's a good option. Another option can be stacking health with Plague Doctor or Green Pact. Defiler is an interesting choice. If you do 5 Warrior Poet (3 jewelry/2 Armor), you could then do 5 Hundings rage (front bar: 4 Armor and 1 weapon or shield; back bar: 4 armor and 1 2H). HR is a better option than Defiler for what you'd like to accomplish, plus it will give you some stamina. If you notice, though, you will have a dead spot on the front bar. You could add another monster set piece to give you extra damage or resources. After Summerset drops, 2H will count as two pieces, so you won't lose out on the 5 pieces of HR on the back bar (Greatsword will could as 2).

    If you want to get rid of Warrior Poet, you'll have to find a set that will give much more health than Shaklebreaker. I use Shacklebreaker on my damage dealers in PvP. It's a good set, but will not give you enough health as a tank.

    In answer to your last question about a set that would maximize DOTS: VALKYN SKORIA. On a DK - meteors for days. 

    Just a thought, you could carry pure tanking sets and damage sets and then switch out as needed.

    Hunding's is another six-trait set, so that is doable or soon will be. Cool, I've never run it before despite its popularity because I've never really taken my damage output too seriously before. It might take turtle cat a while to swing his sword, but i do want that swing to count :D What do you think of Livewire to replace Warrior Poet? Or maybe I should take the plunge and really farm Ebon Armory...

    My dead spot is my shield so far. It's just a random, Worm Cult shield that I thought looked cool :p But I have 7 traits researched for Woodworking, so I probably could craft. 

    Valkyn Scoria is City of Ash, right? not sure if I've ever run that one. If I have it wasn't memorable. 

    CPs:

    Green Trees:

    I'd drop Siphoner and Bashing (as much as I love inspiration boost) as they do nothing for a tank. Pump up Shadow Ward, Arcanist and/or Tenacity, and Warlord (you'll need to break free a lot as a tank). Another to think about is Tumbling as you'll need to roll dodge out of the red occasionally

    Red Trees:

    Pump up Bastion for survivability.

    Blue Trees (based on your deisre to do damage):

    If you can spare it, put points in to Blessed (it will increase the burst heal of GDB). Put something into Thaumaturge to ramp up your DOTS. Mighty and Precise Strikes might be better than Piercing, but I'm not sure.

    Awesome, thank you Patriarch :)

  • Member
    May 5, 2018
    I've been thinking, since you want to do some damage, a secondary set to consider is Leki's. It will help with stamina too. If you are in the role as tank, you could still wear Warrior Poet or for real survivability, Plague Doctor.
  • Member
    May 5, 2018
    By the way, the Golden is selling Mighty Chudan helms (amazing set for tanks), Mother's Sorrow (any magicka), and Burning Spellweave (for the master class, magicka Dragonknight).
  • Member
    May 6, 2018

    Patriarch said: I've been thinking, since you want to do some damage, a secondary set to consider is Leki's. It will help with stamina too. If you are in the role as tank, you could still wear Warrior Poet or for real survivability, Plague Doctor.

    It'd probably be a good idea to move away from Warrior Poet as the healer is normally a warden which provides a 10% health buff, and I don't think they stack. Plague Doctor is looking good! To Deshaan! :D

    Leki's Focus is probably out of my league. I'm not reallya pvp-er so accumulatung AP is slow for me. Which kinda sucks, may need to address that. 

    Patriarch said: By the way, the Golden is selling Mighty Chudan helms (amazing set for tanks), Mother's Sorrow (any magicka), and Burning Spellweave (for the master class, magicka Dragonknight).

    To Coldharbour! I have a Chudan pouldron, I'm pretty sure it was in an Undaunted chest. Be nice to get the hat to go with it. 

    I've been having a bit of fun soloing a few easier world bosses and testing Curse of Doylemish from Salecaller Peak. Five pieces require a bit more thought than I can normally spare, so I think Plague Doc is looking nice right now. So it could be Plague Doc x5, Hunding's x4, Chudan x2. If i can afford Gold Vendor prices...

  • Member
    May 6, 2018

    100k for Chudan?! Jesus. Had I to have known i would not have blown 50k during a nightly shopping spree :D

  • Member
    May 6, 2018

    I'm wondering if anyone can suggest some good Monster Helm sets for my nightblade tank. I had a look at Mighty Chudan after Pat mentioned it to Paws, but since I gain Major Ward and Resolve whenever I cast a Shadow ability (which is often) the set would be wasted on this character.

    I currently have her equiped with 5 pieces of Ebon Armory and 4-5 pieces of Akaviri Dragonguard which changes depending on if I'm using her Ice Staff or not (on a side note I'm looking forward to the staff counting as to pieces after update 18).

  • Member
    May 6, 2018
    If I had a NB tank, I'd use Swarm Mother. Crowd control - gives you chains without being a DK.
  • Member
    May 6, 2018
    Btw, Phil, Leki's can be bought and sold at a guild trader. It's not a super popular set but you might get lucky if you shop it around.
  • Member
    May 7, 2018

    Patriarch said: If I had a NB tank, I'd use Swarm Mother. Crowd control - gives you chains without being a DK.

    That does sound nice. What do you think about Tremorscale? Since I have 3 taunts would it be a useful set to have available to swap out if we could do with more damage?

  • June 22, 2018

    i just want to know if i can advertise my guild i this group