Barbarian Tank

[kerjim]

Hello, could anyone help me with building a barbarian tank?

[Bjond]

Hello, could anyone help me with building a barbarian tank?

Tanks are more about giving things up in return for survive + aggro. One of the first things to go is class choice. So, before people could maybe offer suggestions, exactly what content do you want to tank and what from Barbarian do you want in the class (and why)?

If you want a tank that rages, Bear Druid is how to achieve it. Including Barbarian in that build will reduce it's tankiness compared to other potentials.

[janave]

Barbarian tanks are quite difficult, Occult Slayer poses as the tanky tree, but managing the weapon bonds means that, you need to hit fast and often, that does not really mesh well with shield blocking special attacks . That said with some support from others, maxing out heal amp, you should be able to tank Hard Raids, granted you can hit the Intimidate points ( which is mostly gearing really). Dragonborn has some low handing threat multis and also a few pts into intimidate. (Also cheaper charisma to begin with).

[Carpone]

If you want a tank that rages, Bear Druid is how to achieve it

Barbarian tanks are quite difficult [...] you should be able to tank Hard Raids
Feel free to ignore the above advice -- it comes from people that have limited experience. Barbarians make superb tanks and were essential for our R10 KT completion.

[LightBear]

Feel free to ignore the above advice -- it comes from people that have limited experience. Barbarians make superb tanks and were essential for our R10 KT completion.

Please do enlighten us with the build behind these words of wisdom.
I'm guessing it has to do with dodge and uncanny dodge.

[janave]

Feel free to ignore the above advice -- it comes from people that have limited experience. Barbarians make superb tanks and were essential for our R10 KT completion.

Ahhhw okay, so instead of spitting us in the face, why not post the build? Is is a pure build, a multiclass? I only based it on what the game gives out to the class itself (aka the platform to build on), vs whatever grinds we can stack on top, that generally makes most builds rail to r6 when completed :P.

Obviously if you stack up the PRR and use Rad. field, 2.7k temp hps and what not, you will be able to tank on a d4 class, but is that the [class] doing it?

[janave]

Please do enlighten us with the build behind these words of wisdom.
I'm guessing it has to do with dodge and uncanny dodge.

Let me guess: The Wisdom will be grinds can tank on r10.

[kerjim]

Feel free to ignore the above advice -- it comes from people that have limited experience. Barbarians make superb tanks and were essential for our R10 KT completion.

I have some problems with enhancements split. Could you help me with it?

[Carpone]

I have some problems with enhancements split. Could you help me with it?
Assuming you have enough HP to not be one-shot in the difficulty you are running, and you are generating enough aggro so DPS isn't pulling the boss off of you, the most important quality of a tank is healing amp. In higher difficulties, healers need to be able to heal you to full with one spell.

Your enhancement split depends how many racial AP you have to work with, and if you have any specific requirements. If you're looking for an all-around build:

16 Aasimar for 5% sacred HP.
41 Occult Slayer for T5 10% racial HP, and the capstone.
Rest into Ravager primarily for the HP and HAMP from cores.

There's plenty of flexibility to adjust enhancements as needed. For KT, our barb tanks went T5 OS for 10% HP and Ravager capstone to assist with adds that one-shot everyone but the tanks. Visage works much better than most people think it does. It's also really fun.

[kerjim]

Assuming you have enough HP to not be one-shot in the difficulty you are running, and you are generating enough aggro so DPS isn't pulling the boss off of you, the most important quality of a tank is healing amp. In higher difficulties, healers need to be able to heal you to full with one spell.

Your enhancement split depends how many racial AP you have to work with, and if you have any specific requirements. If you're looking for an all-around build:

16 Aasimar for 5% sacred HP.
41 Occult Slayer for T5 10% racial HP, and the capstone.
Rest into Ravager primarily for the HP and HAMP from cores.

There's plenty of flexibility to adjust enhancements as needed. For KT, our barb tanks went T5 OS for 10% HP and Ravager capstone to assist with adds that one-shot everyone but the tanks. Visage works much better than most people think it does. It's also really fun.

Thank you. And what about some feats to take?

[SirValentine]

Feel free to ignore the above advice -- it comes from people that have limited experience. Barbarians make superb tanks and were essential for our R10 KT completion.

I'll defer to Carpone for R10 raids; I've only done LTS on R10.


Hello, could anyone help me with building a barbarian tank?

But even for PUG LH raids (and Reaper questing, for that matter), if you don't have (or even need) a dedicated tank build, a built-mainly-for-DPS Barb can often be an adequate substitute tank.

So it comes down to your goals. Are you planning to be a dedicated tank, or DPS who occasionally tanks if needed? Are you planning to run lots of raids on Reaper? R1 or pushing skulls?

[kanordog]

snip

[kerjim]

I'll defer to Carpone for R10 raids; I've only done LTS on R10.



But even for PUG LH raids (and Reaper questing, for that matter), if you don't have (or even need) a dedicated tank build, a built-mainly-for-DPS Barb can often be an adequate substitute tank.

So it comes down to your goals. Are you planning to be a dedicated tank, or DPS who occasionally tanks if needed? Are you planning to run lots of raids on Reaper? R1 or pushing skulls?

I am planning to be a deidicated tank

[LurkingVeteran]

Mathematically, having more PRR (and situationally: AC/Dodge/Displace/Incorp) + MRR is roughly equal to having more HP+Heal Amp, or vice versa. Exception being magic damage that isn't affected by MRR, in which case the latter is strictly better. Barbs are in the latter camp, although effect also depends on how much PRR/MRR/HP/HAmp you can get from other sources.

[archest]

maybe because they are free to play.

[kmoustakas]

Hello, could anyone help me with building a barbarian tank?

Warforged. Take blood from berserker, then all the way up in occult. Some points in ravager for the temporary hit points and shaken on intimidate then 16 on warforged for the sweet sweet goodies there like melee power, fortification, constitution, strikethrough etc.

This is my plan for next hardcore.

(Assuming you're not trying to build for R5+ that is)

[kerjim]

Warforged. Take blood from berserker, then all the way up in occult. Some points in ravager for the temporary hit points and shaken on intimidate then 16 on warforged for the sweet sweet goodies there like melee power, fortification, constitution, strikethrough etc.

This is my plan for next hardcore.

(Assuming you're not trying to build for R5+ that is)

Ty, ty. And what about some end-game gears? I really don't know what to trinket.

[Carpone]

Ty, ty. And what about some end-game gears? I really don't know what to trinket.
Highly dependent upon what gear you have, what xpacs and content you have access to, and whether or not your guild raids regularly or if you join pick-up raids regularly. You can build a tank set with non-raid items, but it's a very different setup if you have raid items (including Legendary Greensteel). For example, the Ravenloft tank set is actually very good to start with, but isn't part of the optimal tank gearset.

If you post what content packs you have, and whether or not you raid, I'm sure we can figure out a gear setup for you.

[droid327]

I misread the thread as "Barbarian Talk" lol

Hi, I'm Loth the Unrelenting, and welcome to Barbarian Talk. With me today, we have Donar the Merciless. Thanks for coming, Donar.

Thanks, its great to be here, Loth...

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!!

RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[Epicsoul]

Hello, could anyone help me with building a barbarian tank?

Hey Kerjim! A Barbarian tank has its pros and cons, but it is definitely doable. The build I would use does depend on a few factors, like the type of content/difficulty you run and if you have a dedicated group.

That said, Carpone listed the enhancements I used on my barb tank for R10 KT. As for gear, do you have access to all the packs and expansions?


Wow that looks exactly like what tronko did for lob before you failed with kt for months.

Would love to see that video, by the way. Tronko's tank for VOD also looked interesting. Can you share that video, too?

[kerjim]

Hey Kerjim! A Barbarian tank has its pros and cons, but it is definitely doable. The build I would use does depend on a few factors, like the type of content/difficulty you run and if you have a dedicated group.

That said, Carpone listed the enhancements I used on my barb tank for R10 KT. As for gear, do you have access to all the packs and expansions?



Would love to see that video, by the way. Tronko's tank for VOD also looked interesting. Can you share that video, too?

Hello, only feywild and ravenloft missing for me.

[kmoustakas]

Ty, ty. And what about some end-game gears? I really don't know what to trinket.

Blood chrism is probably the best but is hard to get otherwise probably any of the trinkets in the gatewatcher's chain should be very easy to get. Highly farmable quests.

End-game gear is all about the sets so probably any full set from feywild, most likely the HP set? You could try to get adherent of the mists+sharn set to combine artifact+profane boosts.

Also, there is huge difference in what gear is good for say LH raids and R1 raids/R6+ quests

[Bjond]

PUG LH raids (and Reaper questing, for that matter), if you don't have (or even need) a dedicated tank build, a built-mainly-for-DPS Barb can often be an adequate substitute tank.

So it comes down to your goals. Are you planning to be a dedicated tank, or DPS who occasionally tanks if needed? Are you planning to run lots of raids on Reaper? R1 or pushing skulls?

This exactly. The details are crucial. What are you trying to do? What support do you have? How versatile do you need to be? Precisely what difficulty are you playing? What gear do you have? All of this boils down to "Why are you picking Barbarian?" And, the questions need to be answered in great detail.

If you aren't going past R1, there's very little a tanky DPS can't handle. My bard has tanked most raids up to LH, some up to R1, for instance (and it's just a pure JOAT build). A dedicated tank is MUCH easier to play as a tank and can deal with near-wipes and other hit-the-fan issues more readily, but tanks have other hurdles (such as not scaling -- two+ tanks is often worse to much worse than one) and being pointless sub-29.

STRONGLY recommend a build that plays as pure DPS from L1~28 before swapping to tank for L29~30. It's a doleful lonely trudge for a tank under L29.

[kerjim]

What am I trying to do?

I am trying to do good tank with lots of hp, quite good prr and mrr, great healing alp, who can tank r1+ raids and r10 quests.

[kerjim]

This exactly. The details are crucial. What are you trying to do? What support do you have? How versatile do you need to be? Precisely what difficulty are you playing? What gear do you have? All of this boils down to "Why are you picking Barbarian?" And, the questions need to be answered in great detail.

If you aren't going past R1, there's very little a tanky DPS can't handle. My bard has tanked most raids up to LH, some up to R1, for instance (and it's just a pure JOAT build). A dedicated tank is MUCH easier to play as a tank and can deal with near-wipes and other hit-the-fan issues more readily, but tanks have other hurdles (such as not scaling -- two+ tanks is often worse to much worse than one) and being pointless sub-29.

STRONGLY recommend a build that plays as pure DPS from L1~28 before swapping to tank for L29~30. It's a doleful lonely trudge for a tank under L29.

I like playing as barb because of lots of hp and great hamp.

[Bjond]

healing amp. In higher difficulties, healers need to be able to heal you to full with one spell

I'd second this; my AC tank has enough Hamp that bard sustain alone is pretty much all it needs in R6. My semi-tanky DPS that sometimes tank have high Hamp/Namp, too -- 250~300'ish.


tank r1+ raids and r10 quests.

AH! Your OP was a bit vague. I've been using an AC tank similar to the Steelmaiden build. A Barb tank might not have enough AC to make it worthwhile to chase that stat; the barb tanks that posted above could help you more there. IMHO, if you can't reach at least 400 AC, it's not really worth chasing at the expense of other things. Mine currently has about 430 AC . It works great for r1/r10 raid/quest, but it's most definitely not a Barbarian.

The gearset I'm using atm is cheap & easy (no LGS, no raid). The tanky bits are Watchcaptain + 4x Winter (ring, boot, glove, bracer). From there, you can fiddle with it to suit your style. I'm in the process of trying to find a way to rig up a useful set based on Family+Winter+Suulomades for the extra hate via DPS and the lovely curse-ignore. It doesn't look hopeful, though.