The monk tank stance?

[Fishcatch22]

Hey all, I'm just wondering what the best stance for a tanking Monk is. Since my paladin is scraping cap right now, I was thinking of TRing him into an AC threat tank Monk. While Earth stance seems like it's made for tanking, the DR doesn't help at endgame (unless my epic DR is bypassed), and the hurt to DEX doesn't help too much. It seems more oriented to HP-tanking, since the point of AC is *not* to get hit. Then there's Wind stance... the haste helps me build threat 15% faster and that doublestrike chance lets me get twice the threat 10% of the time. That, and the Dex helps with AC, but -2 con hurts tanking too. Plus I hear Wind monks can get Ki-starved at times. And then there's the water stance... + to Wis helps my tanking, extra tumble AC (which I assume works like Mobility AC, and sticks as long as I don't move), and a bonus to saves, but the -2 to STR hurts my DPS. So far, Water stance looks the best to me with Finessed fists, but I'm open to all opinions. Also, the previously stated Ki starvation might apply. I will probably make him WF for brute fighting, but not sure on that yet, as losing the icy Raiments might hurt too much.

[Deathlos]

I perfer wind stance, it gives you the extra 2ac, same as water stance, but wind allows you to hold hate better.
Getting Max AC it might be better to go Halfling or Helf(cleric dil) but the WF gets the brute fighting line so its all about what your aiming for and your equip.

[Jaid314]

perhaps it's just me, but if you need to generate ki and you use wind stance consistently... why wouldn't you go crane, use oremi's, and generate exactly as much ki as a fire monk with neither?

[JollySwagMan]

Have you considered the bracers that give +25% healing amp when in Fire stance? While not as useful to an AC build, if I were going to TR a Paladin into a Monk I'd be very curious in exploring a healing amp/HP/Stunning Blow oriented WF Monk.

[Fishcatch22]

Also, would going WF make me lose too much AC from Raiments loss?

[TPICKRELL]

My Godhand variant tank uses primarily Wind Stance and Fire Stance while tanking, but he switches back and forth depending on whether healing is the primary factor or DPS/THREAT to hold aggro is the primary factor.

KI generation is not usually a problem in a tank situation, so I use FIRE almost exclusively in combination with the Jidz-Tetka's to get the 25% healing amp.

I use WIND primarily for the increasted DPS from the extra strikes.

[jmonty]

Also, would going WF make me lose too much AC from Raiments loss?

i'm not sure what the ac difference is but being repairable is often useful. plus the higher hp seems more useful in epics than ac, as getting high enough ac on a monk is difficult, even with the rainments and CE.

[sirgog]

Fire stance for healing-intensive fights (with Jidz-Teka Bracers, epic or normal version); Wind stance for easier fights you just want to finish quickly.

[Tobril]

My Godhand variant tank uses primarily Wind Stance and Fire Stance while tanking, but he switches back and forth depending on whether healing is the primary factor or DPS/THREAT to hold aggro is the primary factor.

KI generation is not usually a problem in a tank situation, so I use FIRE almost exclusively in combination with the Jidz-Tetka's to get the 25% healing amp.

I use WIND primarily for the increasted DPS from the extra strikes.

Fire stance for healing-intensive fights (with Jidz-Teka Bracers, epic or normal version); Wind stance for easier fights you just want to finish quickly.

These.

Also make sure you are hitting. If you need a pinch more to-hit to connect on a 2 then switch to sun. (presuming STR based monk)

[TPICKRELL]

I will probably make him WF for brute fighting, but not sure on that yet, as losing the icy Raiments might hurt too much.

Icey Rainments are very good, but you can get close with DT if you grind out a set of AC RUNES for your DT. But, AC has to be pretty high on a tank for it to matter.

[Kinerd]

Icy Raiments has an irreplaceable 4 AC from +4 Dodge bonus, so you lose 4 by not having it. If you don't have a Chattering Ring, however, you will only lose 1 overall by having the +3 Dodge on dragontouched.

[Jaid314]

Icy Raiments has an irreplaceable 4 AC from +4 Dodge bonus, so you lose 4 by not having it. If you don't have a Chattering Ring, however, you will only lose 1 overall by having the +3 Dodge on dragontouched.

epic staff of nat gann has dodge +4.

obviously, there are other problems with that, but it isn't *completely* irreplaceable.

[Kinerd]

That is a good point that I had not considered.

[Fishcatch22]

Icey Rainments are very good, but you can get close with DT if you grind out a set of AC RUNES for your DT. But, AC has to be pretty high on a tank for it to matter.

My Paladin is currently an AC tank. I know how to AC tank and what I need to do so, and my monk will be getting a lot of good hand-me-downs. He will be DEX with Finesse for the AC, so He will certainly have high enough DEX to make Epic Nat Ganns' worthwhile. I don't know how well I'll be able to hold threat without my most powerful weapons, though...

[TPICKRELL]

My Paladin is currently an AC tank. I know how to AC tank and what I need to do so, and my monk will be getting a lot of good hand-me-downs. He will be DEX with Finesse for the AC, so He will certainly have high enough DEX to make Epic Nat Ganns' worthwhile. I don't know how well I'll be able to hold threat without my most powerful weapons, though...

OK... A lot of people don't know how high an AC is needed to AC tank, sounds like you are ok on that front. If you are a unarmed threat tank, you will want both ring slots dedicated to ToD burst rings and may need to have some threat on Dragontouched in order to hold aggro. That makes it a bit more difficult to be an AC/Threat tank.

[Taimasan]

pfffftt everyone knows monks can't tank!!

[Fishcatch22]

OK... A lot of people don't know how high an AC is needed to AC tank, sounds like you are ok on that front. If you are a unarmed threat tank, you will want both ring slots dedicated to ToD burst rings and may need to have some threat on Dragontouched in order to hold aggro. That makes it a bit more difficult to be an AC/Threat tank.

Would it be possible to hold threat with Nat Ganns if I specced for it? Or would the DPS be too low?

[TPICKRELL]

Would it be possible to hold threat with Nat Ganns if I specced for it? Or would the DPS be too low?

I think it would be a stretch, it may be possible if you get a LOT of INCITE, but you are doing a lot less damage with the staff than you would unarmed with ToD rings. Your attack rate is much slower, you don't get Holy Burst and Shocking burst on each hit from the rings... I think that would be a tough way to go for a threat tank.

[Fishcatch22]

I think it would be a stretch, it may be possible if you get a LOT of INCITE, but you are doing a lot less damage with the staff than you would unarmed with ToD rings. Your attack rate is much slower, you don't get Holy Burst and Shocking burst on each hit from the rings... I think that would be a tough way to go for a threat tank.

That's what I was thinking too. I don't want to completely nerf his damage for when he's not raiding; I guess I'll just have to take the hit to AC (he;s already taking a DPS hit going Dex-based). I should still pull over 70 even without (I haven't done calculations for him yet), which is fine enough. Now I just need to hammer out some starting stats for him; will probably have to end up eating an INT tome to fit everything in. having an 8 MDB cap helps in regards to my Dex ceiling.