Been tanking a little bit on my Assassin. He's only lvl22, so lets get that out of the way. I played a Jugg tank from head start all the way till about a month after the Hutt Cartel release and I'm just coming back after being gone a long long time. I wanted to try either a Assassin tank or PT/VG this time around.

 

Okay, so again, my Assn is only 22, I know there is a lot of growth left in the class. But it just feels so static. The Jugg felt a little more on the edge maybe because of Retaliation? I don't' know.... I don't' have much time to play, after 5 days, my Assassin is only 22, so that should show I dont' have as much time as I would like. I just hate to invest in a character that I'm not sure I'll like.

 

I guess I write all this to ask just a short comparison in play style between Assassins, Power Techs and Juggs. I already know Jugg tanking for the most part, but how "busy" do the other two feel compared to the Jugg? I just hate feeling like I"m not doing much, or a play style that is going to put me to sleep, if you know what I mean.

 

Thanks, I know I rambled a bit, but hard to communicate these things sometimes.

Edited June 13, 2014 by ElevenBfour

PT

Easy cruise control. Smooth damage profile since you don't spike that hard. Heavy armour. 2 defensive CDs (3 with adrenal) - Kolto Overload and Shield. You need to watch some procs. Relatively easy to do high DPS / keep aggro. Very easy to pick up aggro on adds from range. Very easy to play.

 

Juggermaut

Middle of the pack. Not as smooth damage profile, as a juggernaut relies on defensive CDs to mitigate spikes. Heavy armour. 4 defensive CDs (6 with adrenal and extra heath). More difficult to do high DPS. You need good knowledge of the class to do good DPS / keeping aggro. Requires decent knowledge of rotation and defensive CDs to perform well.

 

Assassins

Master OP tanking class that can cheese a lot of the mechanics - hello hybrid and solo tanking Brontes NiM! High DPS, easier to keep and maintain aggro. Light armour. Can spike pretty hard if you miss a defensive CD. The tanking class that is most reliant on defensive CDs. Several procs / CDs to keep track of (ie Dark Ward, Harnessed Darkness etc), this combined with NiM mechanics on boss fights makes it a class that is very difficult to master. But once you do - you are pretty much invincible.

 

 

My opinion

I have done NiM content with a juggernaut and a PT tank. Done DF / DP HM with my assassin tank. My opinion is that the assassin tank is hardest to play well on especially in higher tier of content. In addition to executing mechanics, you need to keep good track of procs, defensive CDs and Dark Ward / Harnessed Darkness etc. With a PT you can pretty much sit back and take a beating, but on an assassin (as an example) if you don't refresh Dark Ward at the correct time of or don't use the appropiate CD at the corret time you will pretty much spike and get nuked. Overall you need to keep track on a lot more stuff with an assassin in order to do well. Trust me, you won't fall asleep playing an assassin. As mentioned, if you master it - you are the Master Race of all tanks.

Edited June 13, 2014 by HBCentaurion

PT

Easy cruise control. Smooth damage profile since you don't spike that hard. Heavy armour. 2 defensive CDs (3 with adrenal) - Kolto Overload and Shield. You need to watch some procs. Relatively easy to do high DPS / keep aggro. Very easy to pick up aggro on adds from range. Very easy to play.

 

Juggermaut

Middle of the pack. Not as smooth damage profile, as a juggernaut relies on defensive CDs to mitigate spikes. Heavy armour. 4 defensive CDs (6 with adrenal and extra heath). More difficult to do high DPS. You need good knowledge of the class to do good DPS / keeping aggro. Requires decent knowledge of rotation and defensive CDs to perform well.

 

Assassins

Master OP tanking class that can cheese a lot of the mechanics - hello hybrid and solo tanking Brontes NiM! High DPS, easier to keep and maintain aggro. Light armour. Can spike pretty hard if you miss a defensive CD. The tanking class that is most reliant on defensive CDs. Several procs / CDs to keep track of (ie Dark Ward, Harnessed Darkness etc), this combined with NiM mechanics on boss fights makes it a class that is very difficult to master. But once you do - you are pretty much invincible.

 

 

My opinion

I have done NiM content with a juggernaut and a PT tank. Done DF / DP HM with my assassin tank. My opinion is that the assassin tank is hardest to play well on especially in higher tier of content. In addition to executing mechanics, you need to keep good track of procs, defensive CDs and Dark Ward / Harnessed Darkness etc. With a PT you can pretty much sit back and take a beating, but on an assassin (as an example) if you don't refresh Dark Ward at the correct time of or don't use the appropiate CD at the corret time you will pretty much spike and get nuked. Overall you need to keep track on a lot more stuff with an assassin in order to do well. Trust me, you won't fall asleep playing an assassin. As mentioned, if you master it - you are the Master Race of all tanks.

 

 

 

*That made me giggle*

PT

Easy cruise control. Smooth damage profile since you don't spike that hard. Heavy armour. 2 defensive CDs (3 with adrenal) - Kolto Overload and Shield. You need to watch some procs. Relatively easy to do high DPS / keep aggro. Very easy to pick up aggro on adds from range. Very easy to play.

 

Juggermaut

Middle of the pack. Not as smooth damage profile, as a juggernaut relies on defensive CDs to mitigate spikes. Heavy armour. 4 defensive CDs (6 with adrenal and extra heath). More difficult to do high DPS. You need good knowledge of the class to do good DPS / keeping aggro. Requires decent knowledge of rotation and defensive CDs to perform well.

 

Assassins

Master OP tanking class that can cheese a lot of the mechanics - hello hybrid and solo tanking Brontes NiM! High DPS, easier to keep and maintain aggro. Light armour. Can spike pretty hard if you miss a defensive CD. The tanking class that is most reliant on defensive CDs. Several procs / CDs to keep track of (ie Dark Ward, Harnessed Darkness etc), this combined with NiM mechanics on boss fights makes it a class that is very difficult to master. But once you do - you are pretty much invincible.

 

 

My opinion

I have done NiM content with a juggernaut and a PT tank. Done DF / DP HM with my assassin tank. My opinion is that the assassin tank is hardest to play well on especially in higher tier of content. In addition to executing mechanics, you need to keep good track of procs, defensive CDs and Dark Ward / Harnessed Darkness etc. With a PT you can pretty much sit back and take a beating, but on an assassin (as an example) if you don't refresh Dark Ward at the correct time of or don't use the appropiate CD at the corret time you will pretty much spike and get nuked. Overall you need to keep track on a lot more stuff with an assassin in order to do well. Trust me, you won't fall asleep playing an assassin. As mentioned, if you master it - you are the Master Race of all tanks.

 

Awesome, thanks for that. I will keep pushing on the Assn. It sounds like the class I should've been playing all along since I like playing classes that are hard to play.

PT

Easy cruise control. Smooth damage profile since you don't spike that hard. Heavy armour. 2 defensive CDs (3 with adrenal) - Kolto Overload and Shield. You need to watch some procs. Relatively easy to do high DPS / keep aggro. Very easy to pick up aggro on adds from range. Very easy to play.

 

Uh, riot gas?

what i like of sin tanking is that you are really working on your rotation to remain a tank, it's interesting to see during transition/mechanics the difference between having buffs up or down

What is everyone's opinion on sin vs pt for PvP tanking?

What is everyone's opinion on sin vs pt for PvP tanking?

 

I would actually be interested in hearing this too. One thing I've never been able to grasp (maybe because i'm old lol) is tanking in pvp. Of course the only pvp I've ever really done is in wow and of course there you don't really have use for tanks in pvp like you do in this game. I wouldn't mind learning tanking in pvp as well.

In a pure tanking sense, I would say that juggernauts are better than the other tanks in PVP. You got multiple CDs, and intercede (damage reduction + self healing) and stuns etc. I think they bring much more utility in PVP than an assassin or PT.

In a pure tanking sense, I would say that juggernauts are better than the other tanks in PVP. You got multiple CDs, and intercede (damage reduction + self healing) and stuns etc. I think they bring much more utility in PVP than an assassin or PT.

 

On the other hand, the best performing tank in PvP (that has enough points to be considered a tank) in terms of win rates is the PT tank, because of its brute force passive survivability

 

EDIT - this was 2.6 to 2.7, the buffs to focused/enraged defense might have pushed it to guardians/juggs as the best

Edited June 15, 2014 by TACeMossie

In a pure tanking sense, I would say that juggernauts are better than the other tanks in PVP. You got multiple CDs, and intercede (damage reduction + self healing) and stuns etc. I think they bring much more utility in PVP than an assassin or PT.

 

Id just like to point out that the heal on Intercede is a two piece DPS set bonus, so to get it as a tank you're going to have to buy two extra pieces of PvP gear. No big deal, but something to note.

Edited June 24, 2014 by DogEyedBoy

No tank use their 4p set bonus in PvP... The 2p DPS/2p tank is far better.