I've never played SR before, but kinda want to try it now. My main is PT tank, his gear rating is rather low (236), I went for high-endurance build (Fortitude augs, Discipline enhancements, Leththal B mods, Bastion left side, DPS relics) and usually use tank stim. So I would like to get some advice to help me get into SR tanking, like should I gear differently (or not bother until I have better gear), how does it compare to unranked arenas, and so on. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Edited August 15, 2019 by MixWeidner
Typo

Honestly, there is nothing in unranked that compares to SR or GR, as evident by every player's first SR match pretty much ending in them getting globalled. It'll take quite a bit to adjust to the different pace and higher skill base of SR.

 

In terms of being a tank and not to put any pressure on you, but you are the most important member of your team, even more so than the healer. Being able to execute guard swaps promptly and consistently will separate you from at least half the tanks in queue, no matter the server. A team that has a tank that swaps guard will almost always beat the team whose tank doesn't swap REGARDLESS OF THE SKILL LEVEL OF DPS AND HEALS. You cannot just stick a guard on your healer and call it a day. Great tanks anticipate swaps, placing guards on a target just before they take burst. From a damage perspective, every tanks main source of damage is cleave, taking that along with the fact that guard does not have infinite range, you'd want to ask your team to stay as close to you as possible so you can do as much damage as well as offer as much protection as possible. Controlling with CCs and taunts are also going to be important.

 

From a gearing perspective, pretty much every tank I know goes for a DPS build because tank-tunneling has (thank God) lost its popularity and they prefer to do as much damage as their class allows, so I would recommend going that route. But like I mentioned earlier, it's the swapping of the guard that you should be mastering first, not DPS.

 

Good luck!

Csjbo has offered some helpful advice, but he left out perhaps the most important part. If people see you queue in as a PT tank in 240ish gear, you will be tank tunneled by competent players, and you will die rather quickly, so guard swapping will be a moot point most of the time. I would try to get at least 248 gear and a lot of practice in regs before jumping into ranked.

my understanding of VG tanks in SR and SR tanking in general is to go for mostly dps builds. they can churn out a lot of dps while still being more effective guards than gimp guarding.

 

Ideally, I would have a dps set and a high endurance set. that way, if there are healers (trinity) I could go with my higher dps set (help out the dpsers), but without a dps, you'd be more susceptible to TT or just dying through guard, so more hp to sponge would be beneficial. also, as you learn who the players are, you'll recognize whether a teammate needs your extra hp or can manage focus on his own for longer periods, maybe allowing you to gear for more dmg. you can't change gear in combat, but between rounds is fine. I haven't done it this season though, so not sure how (or if) bolster is affected.

 

I can say for certainty that VG tank dps is fantastic if you can bottle-up your opponents (usually in a corner on orbital station), but you're at a bit of a disadvantage in every other map as far as dpsing goes.

 

your utilities aren't very well suited to arenas either, vis-a-vis juggs. your most important duty is guard swapping, which requires proximity to your teammates, but VGs are designed as more of a rangy tank. that teleport thing that allows you to swap places with an ally is useless and it's kind of your version of intercede (you also have to cast it, and it distances you from your guard target). you can pull and carb, which is nice for aoe. but if you leap, you're as likely to separate yourself from the ally you want to guard with no way of interceding back to them. the spec is viable, but it's more finesse than juggs, imo.