A Good Tank / Cat Puller Build?

Baalbak - Dreamweaver
Baalbak - Dreamweaver Posts: 1,624 Arc User
edited September 2009 in Barbarian
So I just started this Barb the other night and was hoping to get some opinions from some experienced barbs who have done a lot of TT Runs and TW's as to what would be a good way to stat my character for tanking. As of right now, I've been stating in a way I guess you could look at as sort of a weakish DD (though kinda strong for the current level). I've been putting in 6 str 3 vit 1 dex at each 2 levels after pumping 5 into vit straight off the bat. With the gear I'm wearing (mostly two star self crafted items) and a 2 star self crafted weapon - I can fight a single mob and feel like I'm one of those bosses we all gang up on. Even fighting two or three mobs I don't have to use a pot and my health regenerates pretty quick. At any rate, I may be looking at things wrong from a "tank" perspective - seeing as how a tanks job is just to get beat on and have high HP - no necessarily to kill at all. So I'm pondering as to whether I should stop basing my build on the "3x your level into str to keep up with the TT weapon" that is so commonly advised - and instead, stat my str only for the armor (which is really what makes the tank a tank) and stay behind a few levels on weapons, and thus start dumping more into vit. Would that be a smarter move for a tanker and catapult puller - or would the extra HP gained from making that move be negligible? I hear invoke cuts down 90 percent of damage received - but that effect is not long lasting enough (though helpful) when standing in the enemy base trying to take down their crystal.
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Retired..
Post edited by Baalbak - Dreamweaver on

Comments

  • Kagaro - Dreamweaver
    Kagaro - Dreamweaver Posts: 299 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    I don't know about TT and the like, but I do kno that the best tank build is +6 STR, +3 VIT, +1 DEX every 2 lvls. So just keep doing what your doing and you'll be a great tank.
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  • Balint - Dreamweaver
    Balint - Dreamweaver Posts: 36 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Kagaro - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    I don't know about TT and the like, but I do kno that the best tank build is +6 STR, +3 VIT, +1 DEX every 2 lvls. So just keep doing what your doing and you'll be a great tank.

    This, or what most people do is 3 str 1 vit and 1 dex every level until dex is capped out at either 49 or 60 dex (49 is the minimal requirement for endgame equipment so far, and 60 dex is just for that extra crit rate since every 20 dex points = 1 crit percent). I personally chose 60 dex. Then after that it's just 3 str and 2 vit every level.

    And to answer your question Baalbak, you need the str to wear axes/hammers (3 points every level/6 points every 2 levels) because if you can't use a weapon for your level, you lose something that's very important to a barb - the ability to hold aggro. Sure, you can do 5 str points every two levels and wear the heavy armor you need, but you'd be using a really weak weapon for you level, and will lose aggro against bosses, and nobody likes a tank that can't hold aggro.
    Though for TW, the 5 str thing every 10 points would work because you don't need to hold aggro against anything in TW. But leveling would be a pain in the **** because you would do very little damage.
  • Hazardus - Heavens Tear
    Hazardus - Heavens Tear Posts: 937 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Balint - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    Sure, you can do 5 str points every two levels and wear the heavy armor you need, but you'd be using a really weak weapon for you level, and will lose aggro against bosses, and nobody likes a tank that can't hold aggro.

    Thats not entirely true. You can tank and hold aggro without any weapon equipped at all. Trust me, I've done it a few times (unintentionally ofcourse, just forgot to re-equip my weapon after building chi in duels). Aggro in here is developed by spamming fleshream. It doesn't do much damage but is designed for grabbing and keeping aggro.

    But you want to add Min str & dex for dual axes and everything else into vit. Gives you the most possible HP with the latest weapons. You need the weapons not for tanking bosses (though some do give a nice HP bonuses) but for soloing.

    Some do stick to a lower level wep (lvl70 XS usually) and just enough str for armors. This gives a lot more HP but you cant afford to solo much.
    When the going gets tough; Get a tank!
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  • Balint - Dreamweaver
    Balint - Dreamweaver Posts: 36 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Hazardus - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Thats not entirely true. You can tank and hold aggro without any weapon equipped at all. Trust me, I've done it a few times (unintentionally ofcourse, just forgot to re-equip my weapon after building chi in duels). Aggro in here is developed by spamming fleshream. It doesn't do much damage but is designed for grabbing and keeping aggro.

    But you want to add Min str & dex for dual axes and everything else into vit. Gives you the most possible HP with the latest weapons. You need the weapons not for tanking bosses (though some do give a nice HP bonuses) but for soloing.

    Some do stick to a lower level wep (lvl70 XS usually) and just enough str for armors. This gives a lot more HP but you cant afford to solo much.

    I've done the same thing unintentionally, and when I went back into humanoid form to rebuff and put my axes back on, I noticed it was easier to hold aggro (I kept losing it for a second on some mobs, which isn't normal and I was wondering why). Flesh ream does cause a great deal of aggro, but the damage and bleed effect also helps it. Having the right weapon for your level is usually the best way to go...

    I also know of a barb on my server who is in the 80s -90s range, and he uses level 70 axes for more vit... someone told me he's a squad wipe in TT because he can't hold aggro well enough. Still a good cata-puller build though. He has massive HP.

    When you think about it, tanking and cata pulling are different things... one is about holding aggro (which is why BMs don't normally tank, even though they can take damage as well), and the other is about being an annoying, unkillable white tiger.
  • Unconquered - Lost City
    Unconquered - Lost City Posts: 24 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    for best cata tank
    230 STR
    rest into VIT
    wear calamity axes of blood until lv100

    also, dont worry about attack power when holding aggro
    I held agrro doing 100 damage per hit on a lv 103 boss that was physical immune. The only reason I did 100 dmg was the wood buff still worked. Held aggro the entire time, not losing it for a second, even with a mage sparking.

    this is a screenshot of me critting for 200 damage on said boss.
    it was the worst hour of my life.

    http://i27.tinypic.com/23raep.jpg
  • Balint - Dreamweaver
    Balint - Dreamweaver Posts: 36 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Hmm... well either way, I can't imagine not using a weapon for my level... I don't do nearly as much damage compared to my other classes, I would lose my mind while questing/grinding if I didn't have a weapon for my level.

    But yup, the point is, the best cata puller build is having the minimum str and dex for your armor (instead of axes since they require more str) and the rest into vit

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