A Tank's Job

HarmlessWolf - Lost City
HarmlessWolf - Lost City Posts: 17 Arc User
edited August 2010 in Barbarian
Just thought I'd vent about something, and in the process maybe help low barbs who are looking to be good tanks when they grow up...

I'm generally a modest, quiet person, but I'm a little annoyed lately at how many people whisper me asking me to tank for them. And no, it's not because I'm too lazy to tank. It's the reason that annoys me: "because our tank fails". And I don't mean 2x-5x tanks, I mean ones tanking BH51, 59, 69, and frost. No tank should fail at tanking your own BH, but unfortunately this happens way too often. So PLEASE, if you read this post, read the Barbarian Builds and Tips Guide, and go to the Tanking section.

I never knew it could be so hard to use Flesh Ream every few seconds, allowing a few hits in between for chi if necessary. That is pretty much all you have to do to be a successful tank. How do so many fail? If you're faced with 3-4 mobs, hit them all with Flesh Ream and alternate between them every now and then, or use Roar for instant aggro if you need some time first.

A 9x barb today was hesitant to tank Krimson, and told someone he will need a really high level cleric for it. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING!!! ARHGHGHGH! b:infuriated I've tanked Krimson with 7x clerics, and can probably do it even with a 6x! Any 9x barb should be able to, even builds that aren't pure tanks. Every barb should know at least HOW to tank. Hell, I tanked Krimson for my own quest at 5x with a 100 cleric... why should a 9x barb need that high level of a cleric?

BH69... I've been called up A LOT for this one, because sooooo many barbs are incapable of cancelling skills while tanking. Please get alacrity of the beast to level 8 (to allow room for lag) and learn to use it! When Pole or Nob is channeling their skill, cancel it. By the time it cools down, it should be about ready for the next one. There's enough time for 2 Flesh Reams before that, so use them. And after the 2nd one, press ESC so you're ready, and so Alacrity isn't delayed when using it.

The same thing goes for General Wurlord. I've had an HH 2-2 squad REFUSE to even do Wurlord over the fact that there was only one cleric. I said to them "It's fine, we only need one, I will cancel", but they were still not cooperating. I've tanked this with a 7x cleric also. You don't need a super high level. And I'm quite positive for 2-3 you can tank it with 1 cleric as well, just 8x+. If tanks can just learn to CANCEL while tanking, which isn't hard, you can save a lot of people some grief.

Now before you go and flame me for this rage post, I'm not trying to act like I'm better than anyone. I know there are some good tanks out there as well. But I would expect ALL tanks to be able to do these simple tasks, as it's not that hard! I just don't understand why people can't tank properly when it's not so demanding. Barbs should be tanking in their sleep. Hell, tanking is less demanding than DD'ing. If you think otherwise, you're among the 95% who are doing something wrong.

I'm not even gonna start with the stories I hear of 8x barbs in frost.

/rant b:bye
Post edited by HarmlessWolf - Lost City on
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Comments

  • Fuzzy_Wuzzy - Raging Tide
    Fuzzy_Wuzzy - Raging Tide Posts: 770 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    It might be a rant, but Fuzzy thinks it needed to be said.

    b:dirty
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Asmodiel - Heavens Tear
    Asmodiel - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,442 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Just wait until you hear stuff like "No I'm not going into tigerform to tank because in human form I do more damage" /FACEPALM
    "One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is ... the ability to direct one's whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task." - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Knownase - Heavens Tear
    Knownase - Heavens Tear Posts: 6,959 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Asmodiel - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Just wait until you hear stuff like "No I'm not going into tigerform to tank because in human form I do more damage" /FACEPALM

    Hey....I do that alot.....

    b:avoid
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    b:flowerHave a Techno Rave Flower!b:flower

    -Self-Proclaimed TW commentator of HT-
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  • XylolyX - Heavens Tear
    XylolyX - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,097 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    A 9X barb afraid to tank Krimson? Geez. One of my faction mates soloed Krimson on his 92 cleric.

    Good rant Harmless.

    If I might add something... Being a tank, for the most part, isn't about doing damage. It isn't about how big one's e-peen is or isn't. Being a tank is about keeping the squad and the cleric alive to complete the task at hand.

    Anybody can do damage. Anybody can aggro mobs. Anybody can die. But only us tanks can get hit in the head repeatedly and keep coming back for more. That's our job and some of us are damned proud to do it, and damn proud of it.

    So learn the tiger skills, swipe at the bosses, bite them, make them bleed and keep your squads alive.

    /rant.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Lvl10XBarb
    Lvl10XArcher
    lvl10XAssassin
  • Cybetron - Raging Tide
    Cybetron - Raging Tide Posts: 47 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    I can understand your rage Harmless.. and it's justified. Just as there are only a few good DDs who know what they are doing, there are fewer barbs who know what a tank can/should do.. I lol'ed at the Krimson tanking part. I remember doing at 70s with one cleric.

    I always wonder why people give more preference to humanoid skills over tiger ones when they aren't going to PvP till 90+; which is why I love the line added by Wolfgore when he posted his vid and was asked for a build guide:
    When i was making this build i knew from start that i could STILL tank everything, pull a cata and do whatever a barb is supposed to do on squads.

    Bottom line is, whatever you going to try, STILL be effective in your role in this game. If you are not, dont expect ppl to party with you!

    We are tanks first.. DDs next...
  • Asmodiel - Heavens Tear
    Asmodiel - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,442 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Knownase - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Hey....I do that alot.....

    b:avoid

    Hence why I keep saying you smell Known !!!b:chuckle
    "One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is ... the ability to direct one's whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task." - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Maragon - Dreamweaver
    Maragon - Dreamweaver Posts: 645 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    lol at the bh69 problem. I mean in my faction barbs tank their own fb69s. None of those things are that difficult. I tanked wurlord on my barb in 2-1 (i know not as hard as 2-2) at 73 (a level before you can open it) with a single 7x cleric with a 1* drop mob drop weapon and no charm.

    People just arent adventurous anymore and dont know how to think.....besides leveling faster then they can learn.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • HarmlessWolf - Lost City
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City Posts: 17 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Love all the comments haha wasn't expecting all positive reactions tbh.
    Maragon - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    besides leveling faster then they can learn.

    So true, well said. I think that's the downside to the game being pretty easy to level currently. People power through the levels and don't get enough practice in. At least I HOPE that's the reason lol
  • Maragon - Dreamweaver
    Maragon - Dreamweaver Posts: 645 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City wrote: »
    I think that's the downside to the game being pretty easy to level currently. People power through the levels and don't get enough practice in. At least I HOPE that's the reason lol

    I leveled a couple alts from 40-50 in 2 weeks by stacking bh and killin qingzi once per day. I mean really? its honestly way too much exp in levels when ur just starting to get some good skills
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Vorken - Archosaur
    Vorken - Archosaur Posts: 49 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City wrote: »
    ... There's enough time for 2 Flesh Reams before that, so use them. And after the 2nd one, press ESC so you're ready, and so Alacrity isn't delayed when using it.

    It never occurred to me to press ESC and wait for the spell to interrupt. I've just been switching to normal attacks and hoping that I can get the alacrity in in time. Thanks for the tip.
  • HarmlessWolf - Lost City
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City Posts: 17 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Vorken - Archosaur wrote: »
    It never occurred to me to press ESC and wait for the spell to interrupt. I've just been switching to normal attacks and hoping that I can get the alacrity in in time. Thanks for the tip.


    Np :D I usually press ESC twice (because sometimes once doesn't work for some reason), but it's important to make sure the boss is still targeted after escaping or alacrity's not gonna hit anything lol.

    To be more specific: ESC a few seconds before alacrity cooldown finishes to make sure the boss hits you again before you need to cancel. That way the boss will be targeted for your alacrity, so no need to take the time to click/tab him if he's not targeted.

    Also, the barb guide says to get level 7 alacrity so the cooldown is perfectly timed for canceling, but I strongly recommend level 8, since skills don't always work right away when used, and since lag exists. The extra bit of cooldown time you save is perfect if you're a little laggy, but you need to make sure you don't hit alacrity too early if you're lag-free. All down to personal preference I guess, but level 8 is safer IMO.
  • Taleon - Heavens Tear
    Taleon - Heavens Tear Posts: 392 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    It has already been said in this post, but lets all be honest and say it again. Leveling too fast where as you have no clue how to play your class.
    First BH's allowed for this, then Oricals made it even worse yet. Before Bh's you had to grind, you had to search out FB's and being a barb, you had lots more time to learn to tank at lower levels then you do now. I find more people standing spamming the phrase "so and so LFS BHxx" then ever learning how to play their class.
    This goes for all classes, not just barbs, but with barbs being the primary tank, it is seen more often. Tho I think a close second to overleveled with less skill classes being a cleric. Tanked a BH69 the other night ( on my barb ) and I had to convince the cleric ( level 89 sage mind you ) that the iron heart will indeed stack three deep on me. They wanted to insist it does not stack at all. /FACEPALM ANYONE ????
    [SIGPIC]http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac249/drkpl2/TaleonSigaxesFac4.jpg[/SIGPIC]
  • HarmlessWolf - Lost City
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City Posts: 17 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Taleon - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Tanked a BH69 the other night ( on my barb ) and I had to convince the cleric ( level 89 sage mind you ) that the iron heart will indeed stack three deep on me. They wanted to insist it does not stack at all. /FACEPALM ANYONE ????


    Hahaha, I've had similar experiences. I'm not sure the names of the cleric healing skills (sadly), but she was healing me at a boss with the pink, weak, aoe-heal-lookalike one, and I said "use ironheart plz... the blue one..." and she said "no, this one is better" b:cry

    Going off-topic, but thought I'd share a laugh too lol
  • Maragon - Dreamweaver
    Maragon - Dreamweaver Posts: 645 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    HarmlessWolf - Lost City wrote: »
    Hahaha, I've had similar experiences. I'm not sure the names of the cleric healing skills (sadly), but she was healing me at a boss with the pink, weak, aoe-heal-lookalike one, and I said "use ironheart plz... the blue one..." and she said "no, this one is better" b:cry

    Going off-topic, but thought I'd share a laugh too lol

    that would be blessing of the purehearted itis much much better than IH..............for spamming before you start an instance for chi
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Vorgen - Sanctuary
    Vorgen - Sanctuary Posts: 276 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    I hear ya guys it sucks. Just the other day i was Tanking for a TT2-3 and i was getting hi praises from the archer. To her i was almost a god in that run i was shocked at her. I think that just shows the level of skill these new barbs have in this gameb:shocked i am officially scared for the future of tankers everywhere. I didn't do nothing special in that run...just my job and still got that kinda praise(makes me proud). But yeah Harm i agree with you wholeheartedly on this sistuation......we need to hold a seminar on how to properly tank X3


    @Vorken lmao man one letter is all that seperates us X3b:victory
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Vorken - Archosaur
    Vorken - Archosaur Posts: 49 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Vorgen - Sanctuary wrote: »
    @Vorken lmao man one letter is all that seperates us X3b:victory
    One letter... and 56 levels.b:laugh
  • MedAlert - Raging Tide
    MedAlert - Raging Tide Posts: 106 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Taleon - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    It has already been said in this post, but lets all be honest and say it again. Leveling too fast where as you have no clue how to play your class.
    First BH's allowed for this, then Oricals made it even worse yet. Before Bh's you had to grind, you had to search out FB's and being a barb, you had lots more time to learn to tank at lower levels then you do now. I find more people standing spamming the phrase "so and so LFS BHxx" then ever learning how to play their class.
    This goes for all classes, not just barbs, but with barbs being the primary tank, it is seen more often. Tho I think a close second to overleveled with less skill classes being a cleric. Tanked a BH69 the other night ( on my barb ) and I had to convince the cleric ( level 89 sage mind you ) that the iron heart will indeed stack three deep on me. They wanted to insist it does not stack at all. /FACEPALM ANYONE ????

    Ironheart stacks to 5 actually and yes I don't do FC or TT cuz many tanks I do not trust. I have seen clerics not use purify when needed. There is a lot of ppl that just oracle up to be "high level" and they know nothing. I actually recruited from PW MY cuz I played there first...before genies were lure. I came here and saw veno unable to lure and my trust here was gone. So it is not limited to any 1 class...it is all classes. We also didn't have BH...we did grind. BH is great and all...but seriously...DO YOUR QUESTS!! They teach you stuff.
  • Blood_Panda - Raging Tide
    Blood_Panda - Raging Tide Posts: 161 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    I have been praise for being a good tank, but I have yet to reach boss yet that needs to Cancel their debuff yet which i believe might not be easy for me.


    The number one issue for me is Lag...

    imagine you see the spell casting, you esc and press Beast, by the time your attack animaion comes up.. poison attack already on you.. for outside mob.

    The 2nd issue for me when it comes to tanking

    Server Error... :p, I charge up to boss.. then find that my flesh ream dont work.. lol

    3rd issue
    E-peon DDs, you know them you hate them... They blast like no tomorrow with no farking concern of the task @ hand.
    usually blacklist those..

    And to be fair..
    I have heard of cleric complaining Barb not going to Tiger form because flesh ream is not leveled.. do more damage in humanoid form.. No Tiger form..
    goodnes.. they hate it so much?
    Build Aiming for : pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=99d12b053ed06fe9
    Retired : pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=a798089d5502e95b
    17k hp since level 92.. now @ 13k Hp on 100
  • Voski - Lost City
    Voski - Lost City Posts: 67 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Blood_Panda - Raging Tide wrote: »
    I have been praise for being a good tank, but I have yet to reach boss yet that needs to Cancel their debuff yet which i believe might not be easy for me.

    You can start practicing your timing with FB/BH 59 bosses.

    Anyways +1 to this thread.
  • FirstPk - Archosaur
    FirstPk - Archosaur Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    on my cleric (36ish) i was help some random with farng the lvl 5x barb said "i dont want to tank, hes to hard" b:cry so he made the lvl 3x psy tank it
  • Blood_Panda - Raging Tide
    Blood_Panda - Raging Tide Posts: 161 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    FirstPk - Archosaur wrote: »
    on my cleric (36ish) i was help some random with farng the lvl 5x barb said "i dont want to tank, hes to hard" b:cry so he made the lvl 3x psy tank it

    if it is krixxix I can understand.. but Farng was like walk over :p

    I tank without a cleric @ 50 i think
    Build Aiming for : pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=99d12b053ed06fe9
    Retired : pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=a798089d5502e95b
    17k hp since level 92.. now @ 13k Hp on 100
  • Cybetron - Raging Tide
    Cybetron - Raging Tide Posts: 47 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Lol Farng is really weak.. Tanked it at 37 with a life powder and some food and pots..
  • Vorgen - Sanctuary
    Vorgen - Sanctuary Posts: 276 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Makes me wanna cry...>.>

    Ugh...I guess because i have rolled two barbs in the 2 years I have been playing I kinda worked out all the kinks in my tanking strategy. But when i see posts like these....

    I know this will sound conceited...But i am a damn good barb...and my squad i run with makes me even better. There isn't a boss i won't take on(within reason not like i can run Nirvana just yet x3). So when i hear Farnng is too hard for a lvl 50 barb....that angers me.

    To the ppl out ther using Oracles and bhin your brains out using hypers to blow through lvls....keep doing that.....but take the time to learn you %$#^& charcter! This doesn't just go for barb this goes for all classes out there. I bet you there wouldn't be half the problems in squads if ppl had first stopped to learn their toons....Thats all i have to say sorry if i sound harsh but this mess is getting ridiclous....b:angry
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Fuzzy_Wuzzy - Raging Tide
    Fuzzy_Wuzzy - Raging Tide Posts: 770 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Vorgen - Sanctuary wrote: »
    M.But i am a damn good barb...and my squad i run with makes me even better.


    wow.... just wow.

    That statement is pure win to Fuzzy.

    How good anyone is can be instantly be multiplied by a factor of 100 if they run with a good squad and everyone works to do their part. Fuzzy encounters far too many that are just in it for their own glory these days and wouldn't understand this concept if it hit them in the face.

    b:surrender
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Vorgen - Sanctuary
    Vorgen - Sanctuary Posts: 276 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Thanks Fuzz sorry for my little outburst but i fear for the future of Tanks....
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Jellytoast - Sanctuary
    Jellytoast - Sanctuary Posts: 1,295 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Vorgen - Sanctuary wrote: »
    Thanks Fuzz sorry for my little outburst but i fear for the future of Tanks....


    And so do I. >.<
    Vorgen is my ingame and irl hubby, but he's almost the only barb besides faction mates I trust to tank things for me. Which is kind of sad.

    Barbs are supposed to make sure bosses or mobs stay on them and no one else so the cleric and DD's can do their jobs to annihilate everything in their path, lol.
    I really hate getting in a squad where a barb can't take a few hits from mobs in fcc or be able to snatch aggro back as soon as someone takes it to avoid squad wipes.

    b:surrender
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    jellytoast - Demon Cleric
    Wizzypop - Demon Wizard

    "We cannot solve our problems with the same
    thinking we used when we created them." -Albert Einstein
  • XylolyX - Heavens Tear
    XylolyX - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,097 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Fuzzy_Wuzzy - Raging Tide wrote: »
    wow.... just wow.

    That statement is pure win to Fuzzy.

    How good anyone is can be instantly be multiplied by a factor of 100 if they run with a good squad and everyone works to do their part. Fuzzy encounters far too many that are just in it for their own glory these days and wouldn't understand this concept if it hit them in the face.

    b:surrender

    That's it in a nutshell. Vorgen and Fuzzy nailed it. The whole purpose of the game. The reason how the guys/girls were able to get their FBs done before there were high levels. Teamwork, cooperation and knowing one's limits, and constantly testing those limits.

    +100


    @Vorgen: Don't apologize man, your rant was/is well justified and well spoken.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Lvl10XBarb
    Lvl10XArcher
    lvl10XAssassin
  • Hevlett - Sanctuary
    Hevlett - Sanctuary Posts: 22 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    instead of pressing ESC i just press movement key when my last attack hits and my barb stops attacking. Then i use alacrity. Works everytime.

    The problem is that alacrity's timing depends on lag. Sometimes you just do everything right but lag kicks in and casts alacrity after debuff..b:cry
  • Baalbak - Dreamweaver
    Baalbak - Dreamweaver Posts: 1,624 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    XylolyX - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    A 9X barb afraid to tank Krimson? Geez. One of my faction mates soloed Krimson on his 92 cleric.

    ive tanked him uncharmed with NO cleric b:angry
    i ended up with like 30 HP left but still.. I lived through it with no cleric.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Retired..
  • MrSyko - Raging Tide
    MrSyko - Raging Tide Posts: 515 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    I just want to say it's people like you all and threads like this one that keep me reading the forums. I learn a lot from these forums. Just want to say thank you to you high level barbs that have given me the tips and tricks that make this job easier. (Too many to list or I would)

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