Thanks to Final Fantasy 14, fans of Square Enix's hit franchise can finally become a part of a Final Fantasy story. Moreover, their characters can explore the game as one of the franchise's hit Classes and Jobs. Interestingly enough, the game also emphasizes Roles in raids, making sure players know exactly if their Jobs can become Tanks, DPS, and Healers. Thankfully, soloists and stalwart defenders can rest knowing Tanking classes definitely have what it takes to gather aggro and protect the party.
Unfortunately, the straightforward nature of the Tank can still confuse newbies. As such, this caveat can put tremendous pressure on Warriors, Paladins, and Dark Knights who want to Tank. For instance, just how exactly should a character Tank like a pro? What exactly should they keep in mind?
10 A Right Tank For The Job
Technicalities-wise, all Tanks generally have a homogenous skill set. After all, they're always meant to take on Enmity, build aggro, and mitigate damage. In essence, all Tanks should remember that they have Tanking "essentials" that ensure the team's survival.
Aside from Role Actions, Tanks also share a large-cooldown skill that gives large mitigation benefits. These often come in the form of skills that last at least 10 seconds with 120-second cooldowns that grant 30-percent damage reduction.
Moreover, Tanks like the Dark Knight also have attacks that either serves as rush attacks or ranged pulls. In the case of the former, these gap closers often come in the form of powerful two-charge attacks with 30-second cooldowns. Meanwhile, the latter comes in the form of ranged attacks that generate high Enmity to take on aggro.
9 Get Everyone To Their Positions
Party position remains a key component when mitigating damage and Enmity across any raid. As such, Tanks need to remember how to maximize the party's skill set when positioning themselves. This remains integral to DPS members of the party who rely on attacking from the flanks or the rear - such as the Dragoon and Monk. Thankfully, Tanks can remedy this problem with the right spinning strategy.
Remember, Tanks who randomly spin mobs and bosses can generate aggro for the rest of the party. Moreover, the wrong spin can ruin DPS rotations. As such, Tanks should maintain Enmity or aggro while spinning mobs or bosses. On the onset of battle, using ranged aggro or a gap closer and then spinning the mobs to get the team to an advantageous position should work most of the time.
8 Always Maintain Aggro
Tanks know their primary role in battle is to serve as damage soakers and take in aggro. However, a huge part of their success has to do with knowing how to manage Enmity in the first place. Ideally, Tanks should pay attention to other party members who are getting high Enmity due to DPS or even specific healing spells.
As soon as they get max Enmity, Tanks should trigger Provoke and regain aggro with a swift follow-up. Likewise, Tanks should always become accessible to other party members. That way, they can rush to the Tank to pull back aggro once they accidentally get max Enmity.
7 Pay Attention To Role Weaknesses
As the primary protector of the team, Tanks need to know the latent disadvantages of their fellow Job Roles. Pros know there's more to their Melee DPS, Ranged DPS, and Healer counterparts than just lower defense and lower HP reserves. As such, Tanks who inherently understand the weaknesses of their party members can help protect everyone much more easily.
For instance, Tanks should take advantage of their self-heals and defensive buffs to manage their health and enable Healers to focus on defending the rest of the party. Likewise, if they see position-dependent DPS such as the Dragoon, the Monk, or even the Black Mage, they should be in close proximity and prepared to reclaim the aggro if they get too much attention.
6 Use Cooldowns Wisely
Bosses remain the highlights of any raid, but Tanks should remember that their role requires them to protect the party as early as they enter the dungeon. As such, Tanks should know when to use their particular cooldowns and how to manage them properly. After all, Tanks should always have their damage mitigation primed as soon as they enter the boss area.
To achieve this factor, Tanks should practice understanding the nature of dungeons in general. For instance, first pulls in dungeons usually take on the role of squishy but non-threatening opponents that require light cooldowns. Meanwhile, secondary pulls usually have interrupts, so Tanks can use Interject sparingly.
5 Exploit Telegraphs
Thankfully, most of FF 14's monsters tend to give away whenever they're launching in for the attack. This process, called Telegraphing, gives players a few seconds of adjustment time before enemy attacks. However, aside from dodging, there's an ideal way of maximizing these Telegraphs.
As such, the Tank should lead others out of the attack zone when the enemy releases a Telegraph. Afterward, the party should wait for the enemy's cast bar to fill. Once full, the party should head back to the Telegraph zone. If they do this right, the monster will be stuck in an attack animation that misses the party. Moreover, this opportunity also enables the team to regroup.
4 Proactive Tanks Do Better
Unlike other MMOs where Tanks just stand and soak in damage, FF 14 demand more actions on the part of the Tank player. Aside from knowing their rotation, Tanks should pay attention to how their defenses affect the rest of the party. For instance, Tanks should remain self-sufficient, managing their HP with defensive spells and self-healing so the Healer has to pay less attention to them. Additionally, Tanks should never run out of cooldowns.
Moreover, Tanks should conserve cooldowns by carefully choosing their cooldowns. For instance, Tanks usually rely on single-target skills against one to two enemies, and dish out AOE against more opponents. They should also use both their defensive and offensive buffs whenever appropriate to capitalize on their damage reduction and damage increase.
3 Use Tank Swaps
Aside from having a single Tank, parties should have a secondary Off-Tank that can sub for the Main Tank in special situations. Having an Off-Tank allows the Main Tank to heal and recuperate or reposition themselves more efficiently. However, these two Tanks should remain mindful of how they swap in order to avoid getting other party members in the crossfire, especially glass cannon spellcasters and their powerful spells.
If an Off-Tank wants to switch places with the Main Tank, the Off-Tank should move to the Main Tank's spot first. Afterward, they should cast Provoke with a Fast or Heavy Attack follow-up to "steal" the boss aggro. If successful, the Main Tank transitions into the Off-Tank role.
2 Understand The Boss, Randomness
Thankfully, most bosses in FF 14 rely on a staple rotation in order to dish out attacks. Moreover, they rely on the same animation for certain movements, which means eagle-eyed parties should know what attack is which before bosses even cast them. Ideally, Tanks should research ahead how certain bosses operate in order for them to plan their ideal cooldowns. Moreover, if possible, they should tailor their cooldowns based on their party composition.
However, Tanks should remember that while bosses rely on certain attacks, parties also react differently, generating "unpredictable" randomness. Regardless if they're working with a new or experienced party, Tanks should anticipate things such as members stealing aggro or going out of position and know how to adjust.
1 Communication Matters
Aside from Healers, Tanks remain one of the most in-demand Job roles a party needs to have. As such, Tanks shouldn't hesitate to communicate with the party before and during raids as to their Tanking style and strategy. For instance, Tanks should only pull in mobs they're comfortable in dealing with, and the party needs to learn about such a limitation.
However, Tanks should also have an active role in paying attention to what's happening as they communicate. For instance, if they have a Healer who's confident in bigger pulls, then Tanks should try pushing themselves. It's knowing exactly what the Tank can offer to the party that can synergize their strategy properly.