The tank, or “sentinel” to those familiar with Final Fantasy XIII, specializes in high defense with a low-offense style. Think of yourself as the glorious and sturdy beacon amidst the battle chaos, drawing away enemy fire as a strategic distraction. The mindset here is not to take down enemies independently, but rather to take on the enemy’s focus while your DPS comrades do the hard-hitting.
The Core Principles of Tanking
Here’s a quick rundown on how you can be the hero your party needs:
- Keep the enemy’s attention: This is critical, you have to be the center of attention—at all times.
- Be mindful of your damage intake: Pop those cool-downs when the damage gets a bit dicey.
Boss Battles: Adds, Adds Everywhere
Boss battles can get a bit tricky. Depending on the battle, you may not need to hold the attention of the ads. These minions can often be handled by your DPS and healer buddies. However, there are always exceptions – watch out for ads that hit hard.
Tank Tips and Tricks: The Art of Marking
As a tank, it’s helpful to mark your targets in ascending order of attack, especially if your DPS pals aren’t heavily AoE-optimized classes. This helps avoid them from attacking an unmarked target and stealing the aggro.
- Remember to turn on your tank stance: Tank stance allows you to keep aggro on enemies and is crucial for maintaining control over the battlefield[^1^].
- Use your AoE combo: This will help you deal more damage to groups of enemies and maintain aggro on multiple targets[^1^].
- Mitigate damage with cooldowns: Use your defensive cooldowns not only on bosses but also on trash mobs to minimize the incoming damage.
- Lead the way in dungeons: As a tank, it’s your responsibility to initiate pulls and set the pacing for your party.
- Generate enmity: Employ enmity-generating abilities to keep enemies focused on you and avoid putting pressure on your party members.
- Practice positioning: Proper positioning includes facing enemies away from your party while also keeping them close to DPS and healers for optimal damage and healing.
- Learn tank swapping: Mastering tank swapping is essential for end-game content, where multiple tanks might need to switch aggro to handle specific boss mechanics.
End-game Tanking: Mastering the Tank-Swap
Every great tank needs to master tank-swapping—many end-game fights require it. The basics? Use Provoke on the target and follow it with an enmity-generating skill like Shield Lob or Tomahawk.
The Demand for Tanks and Leadership Roles
Out of all the party roles, tanks are the most desired in the game. But remember, greater power also comes with greater responsibility. As tanks often lead the party into battle and set the strategy, it’s crucial to be kind to your teammates. And hey, who doesn’t like a polite, funny, and helpful tank?
Gladiator/Paladin (GLD/PLD)
Key Attributes:
- Level 30 Gladiator, Level 15 Conjurer; Marauder as tertiary class
- High-defense, active-damage-reduction tanks
- Stat Allocation – Vitality-based with a dash of Strength
The Keys to GLD/PLD Tanking
The Gladiator and Paladin’s golden key is an ability known as Flash. Keep it handy on your hot bar, and don’t shy away from using it often.
The Gladiator & Paladin’s Rotation
The gameplay is different for single targets and multiple targets:
- Single targets: Shield Lob is the grand opening. Follow that with your Rage of Halone combo until their knees buckle.
- Multiple targets: Similar to single targets, but use Flash and your Rage of Halone combo interchangeably.
Marauder/Warrior (MRD/WAR)
Key Attributes:
- Level 30 Marauder, Level 15 Gladiator; Pugilist as tertiary class
- Offensive, active-damage-mitigation tanks
- Stat Allocation – Predominantly Vitality-infused with some Strength
The Keys to MRD/WAR Tanking
The prime ability for the Marauder is Overpower. However, don’t sleep on Flash—it’s critical for those times when you’re running low on TP.
The Marauder’s Rotation
The combat strategy differs based on whether you’re facing single or multiple targets:
- Single targets: Begin with Tomahawk, and let the ‘Rage combo’ roll (Heavy Swing -> Skull Sunder -> Butcher’s Block).
- Multiple targets: Open with Overpower or Flash, followed by the Rage combo.
Remember: Whether you’re a GLD/PLD or MRD/WAR tank, the role you play is really about both protective distraction and strategic leadership. Keep those cool-downs handy and pull enemies away from your DPS and healer teammates so they can do what they do best.
