BM Tanking

White_Puma - Lost City

In every single MMO I play, I love tanking, and I want to know what build should I use as a bm to start tanking at lvl 80+

LloydAsplund - Sanctuary

You will NEVER tank as well as a barb. If you like tanking that much, roll a barb. A BM might have high amount of hp with the correct build BUT, they lack aggro skills and in a squad with a wizard/archer, they will lose aggro very easily. Therefore (most likely) causing a squad wipe out.

Im not saying it is impossible to tank as a BM but, it will be hard to hold aggro. You could try a vit BM build, such as TheDan's. He is one hell of a tank BM, was it 9k hp unbuffed? Im pretty sure the build is, str and dex = amount for highest level dual axes, then the rest goes in vitality.

Mothergoose - Sanctuary

BMs are melee damage dealers, they make poor tanks. Even the best bm with godly gear can only manage to match a noob barb in tanking. Since you're only level 33, make it easy on yourself and reroll a barb instead.

White_Puma - Lost City

I would do a barb, but I really like a few of the bm's skills that help alot with mobs, I don't care if bm's aren't as good as barbs for tanking, that wasnt my question, I want to know if I choose a good vit build, will I be able to tank as a bm.

Mavado - Harshlands

Well as the others said and implied: BMs can tank, just not as well as a barbarian because of many points such as hp, and agro skills. This isn't to say that a BM can't tank, just that A: in groups they're poor choices do to agro stealing DDs like archers and wizards and B: They will need a specialized build to gain the hp needed to tank, and in gaining it will lose much of their accuracy and damage :P

So my opinion is that a BM can tank, but you'll want to tank much fewer enemies and thus try to ensure that you can hold the agro. I believe you'd be fine as a tank BM though you'll be slightly gimped compared to Barb tanks. I would suggest you try and find a medium of builds that you'd be happy with where you're not giving up as much accuracy and yet you still have decent tanking abilities.

Darkhawkclaw - Heavens Tear

as a bm i can tell you you WONT keep aggro off an archer or a wiz. but you can tank lower lvl bosses with a cleric healing you, just be sure noones gonna hit hard enough to pull it off of you or you get a paaaaaaarty wipe! nothing beats a good barb!

_DarkSeph_ - Sanctuary

Barbs will be better tanks, mainly because of superior HP, tiger form and far better agro holding skills. That said if there's no high level wiz or archer stealing agro a BM can be an ideal fallback tank for a large number of bosses if there's no barb.

As for build... I'd recommend <6 str 3 vit 1 dex per 2 levels>. Compensate for lack of accuracy with high level amber shards and misty rings.

Schism - Harshlands

Darkhawkclaw - Heavens Tear wrote: »

as a bm i can tell you you WONT keep aggro off an archer or a wiz. but you can tank lower lvl bosses with a cleric healing you, just be sure noones gonna hit hard enough to pull it off of you or you get a paaaaaaarty wipe! nothing beats a good barb!

Lmao, believe it or not I was managing to hold aggro with a level 92 wizard going all out full DD on a TT run, I was spamming sage stream strike (dont ask me why I have it) and he could not take aggro off me, he was as amazed as I was.

Signako - Heavens Tear

Yes Barbs are better tanks than bms, but it does not mean Bms cannot tank. Bleed after 85+ actually stays all 15seconds, thus giving you a small aggro holder skill, stream strike does work, and thus another small aggro holder, and if done right can help hold bosses, Roar of the pride(is a stun) but will **** off a boss or mobs your fighting, so another aggro holder, Sparking when you can to add more damage, and if fast enough can help do more damage, wind shield helps, using a weapon that has provoke will help you hold even more aggro, alpha male, helps even more.

With just that I as a hybrid bm, with high str,dex,and vit can hold aggro from a level 90 Demon veno, level 94 Sage archer going all out without even the monster moving around. Bms can tank, its just needs skill, timing, and the right gear.

Kniraven - Lost City

Max the BM move "Stream Strike" and spam it as often as possible. It is our one Aggro stealing move. Also, ook into genie skills that maybe hold aggro?b:question

Also to Note: Feel free to join Knights faction.

Mythsoul - Heavens Tear

Stream Strike is ****, DW about it.

Yes we BMs can tank, I capped vit at 50.

To keep agro before attacking a boss do Advanced spark and attack for 12 seconds while DDs wait. then let the DDs let loose

DraukaGrissa - Sanctuary

Stream Strike increases your threat level, therefore holds aggro, especially if the veno has brambled you.

I've stolen aggro from a barb AND a herc in the same run when I accidently clicked that skill.

Ghost_eyes - Lost City

What's the obsession with tanking? As a BM ur doing melee damage which is more satisfying to that of a barb, and u get the freedom to move about or go afk during bosses.

Sevas - Heavens Tear

A BM is the next best thing when a barb is hard to find. Unless you can find a good herc veno.

Kniraven - Lost City

Mythsoul - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Stream Strike is ****, DW about it.

Yes we BMs can tank, I capped vit at 50.

To keep agro before attacking a boss do Advanced spark and attack for 12 seconds while DDs wait. then let the DDs let loose

Higher levels of stream strike do not generate more aggro with their effect than the level one version, however any skill you are going to actually use should be leveled. The extra damage DOES help in keeping aggro.

Here are a few more tanking tips. fists = loads of dps and have another aggro taking move. they can also cancel a bosses casting.

I agree that against a mostly phy boss u will never be able to out do a barb as a tank. Against mag bosses though, we can 1 up them with alter marrow.

Last but definitely not least:
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE GENIE SKILL ALPHA MALE

that is all b:victory

Ewings - Heavens Tear

HEre are my few cents for this:

BMs have massive HP and defense(using alter marrow they have more than barbs) I know BM with 15k+ HP.

1)Stream strike is known to glitch but works at times, using a fast DDing weapon allows you to hold aggro better and overall dmg counts (for eg- zerker fists b:shocked )

2)Try and find weapons with provoke on them very useful for holding aggro.

3)Get alpha male- again allows you to hold aggro.

4) Put on bramble from a veno friend. The reflect adds to your dmg and makes it harder to steal aggro.

Foxx - Heavens Tear

Its not dd's you need to worry about stealing agro in TT runs, but veno pets.
They dont have a 75% damage penalty like everyone else.

I regularly steal agro off barbs even with bash turned off.

If its an outdoor ? boss and Im using my phoenix I have to keep unsummoning at the beginning of the fight. Maybe after 3 unsummons the barb finally has enough agro lead to hold it till the end.

Doing it with a BM tank would be awful. (assuming you could tank a WB)

MagicHamsta - Lost City

Sevas - Heavens Tear wrote: »

A BM is the next best thing when a barb is hard to find. Unless you can find a good herc veno.

b:shocked ya Lost City seems to have a shortage of clerics and tanks. b:sad