Best class for tank role?

[NachtMystium]

If you HAD to choose one class that fits the role of Tank the best, what would you choose and why?

Class only, but race discussion is welcome also.

I voted Shadowknight for their superior hate acquiring abilities, but that's really my only reason since I'm not very experienced with tanks.

[Twilight-Sparkle]

Warrior. No contest. Highest mitigation possible.

The race is debateable, but my vote goes to Ogres, for Slam and immunity to frontal Stun (not to mention the insanely high Str/Sta), with Barbarians a close second.

[Alarti0001]

Warriors dont have hybrid xp penalties either!

[NachtMystium]

Excuse my ignorance, but never have played a tank and being someone who is interested in making one soon, I would assume wearing a shield over dual-wielding /Two- Handing would be the more efficient decision? Stricly for the purpose of Tanking?

[Twilight-Sparkle]

Originally Posted by NachtMystium [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Excuse my ignorance, but never have played a tank and being someone who is interested in making one soon, I would assume wearing a shield over dual-wielding /Two- Handing would be the more efficient decision? Stricly for the purpose of Tanking?

Depends on the class. Hybrids get an AC cap without shields, and mostly generate their threat through spells, with taunt as a backup (the Paladin epic also gets around the AC cap). Warriors have no such cap on their AC, shield or not. Warriors HAVE to rely on taunt and their weapons for aggro, and it's limited until their weapons start procing at the higher levels.

So, for Paladins and Shadowknights, 1h/shield works best, until the Pally gets their epic. Warriors should be dual wielding or 2hing at all times.

[Arrisard]

Originally Posted by Twilight-Sparkle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Depends on the class. Hybrids get an AC cap without shields, and mostly generate their threat through spells, with taunt as a backup (the Paladin epic also gets around the AC cap). Warriors have no such cap on their AC, shield or not. Warriors HAVE to rely on taunt and their weapons for aggro, and it's limited until their weapons start procing at the higher levels.

So, for Paladins and Shadowknights, 1h/shield works best, until the Pally gets their epic. Warriors should be dual wielding or 2hing at all times.

I am very interested to know where you came across the information in regards to softcap'd AC, as I have always been under the impression that it was based on armor archetype and that gains after that softcap were what are dependent on individual class tables. Plate wearers, including warriors, share the same AC softcap, as do leather, chain, and cloth with each other in their respective archetypes.

Taunt isn't a "back up" system for hybrids, it gets used appropriately alongside with spell-generated hate as they are simply not a replacement for each other.

[webrunner5]

A big fat ugly Ogre Warrior is a Cleric's dream with good gear. End of story. If you can keep them in Berzerker mode grab your ass damage wise. Hot damn.

[Splorf22]

Deleted my old post and trying again [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So obviously for a raid target the answer is warrior. For an xp group things are different.

What you have to understand is that the P1999 playerbase is insanely well geared compared to live. An untwinked melee at 55 is still going to have full planar, RBG at worst and probably a Cloak of Flames, epic if rogue or monk, sky gear, Kunark armor pieces etc. And half the melees are twinks and have even better gear than this.

Therefore generally mitigation isn't a problem. The primary issues are threat, dps, and xp penalty. Warriors clearly win at dps (although its not huge) and xp penalty, so the question is whether the (essentially perfect) aggro of a paladin or SK combined with their utility (snaring runners, extra CC, etc) compensates. And this basically depends on the warrior's gear. Because warriors got screwed epic-wise compared to rogues and monks. It's very hard for a warrior dual wielding 9/20+14/28 with 130 dex to keep aggro off a Rogue with 15/25+10/18 or a monk with 9/16+17/28. In that case I think Paladins or SKs are probably better. On the other hand, if the warrior has epic/vp weapons then I think warriors are probably better.

TL;DR: Warriors are the most gear dependent class in everquest.

[Splorf22]

Originally Posted by NachtMystium [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Excuse my ignorance, but never have played a tank and being someone who is interested in making one soon, I would assume wearing a shield over dual-wielding /Two- Handing would be the more efficient decision? Stricly for the purpose of Tanking?

If you do this you will not be tanking, the rogue or the shaman will.

[Twilight-Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Splorf22 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If you do this you will not be tanking, the rogue or the shaman will.

Paladins with Blind/Stun say hello.