Comparing All Tanks in FFXIV Dawntrail - Job Picking Guide

[@Jolsn]

Note: You can weave Passage of Arms by instantly cancelling it with excellent timing as the effect persists for a few seconds on allies even without losing damage

[@shaunperron7080]

It lasts 5 seconds, I'd argue you only need mediocre timing and not excellent. Lol

[@Jolsn]

@@shaunperron7080 To weave it between remember that you still need to weave it between GCDs and animation locks to use, so a good chunk of those 5 seconds is potentially lost. Timing a raidwide mit where everyone needs to be stacked and that falls off within a few seconds is trickier than it sounds, especially because the damage doesn't always happen exactly on the boss castbar

[@shaunperron7080]

@@Jolsn Maybe I have a tinted opinion about it because I never raid on pf, but I've never had an issue getting a group to stack for things like that. The same could be said about cure 3 or curing waltz. Even in dungeons, there's enough stack shares to get at least one use of it on most bosses.

[@solidsnake434]

Literally came to the comments to add this as soon as I saw that section lol. There are other actions in the game that do this, AST done comes to mind.

[@astrealove1]

GNB for Explosions WAR for consistency PLD for sustainability DRK if you want to feel pain and be sad that you're no longer as good as you were back in Stormblood.

[@Castersvarog]

* As you were in Heavensward

[@JenovaGirzz]

As a consistent WAR main, we WAR's consistently make mistakes and not be punished because WAR's just don't die.

[@GoldGojen]

@@CastersvarogThey were still good in SB. Had great dungeon sustain and still a somewhat fun rotation. It was Shadowbringers that really drained their kit down to being bare bones.

[@michaelbowman6684]

GNB for Complexity in it's rotation, kind of like a DPS Lite, makes it easier to learn when coming in from a Melee DPS perspective, punishes you for making mistakes, the "hard" tank. WAR for Simplicity, you push buttons and shit happens, neat, and the sustain will help you stave off any mistakes you make, very forgiving, the "easy" tank. PLD for Party Utility, for the gimmicks, the healing of other party members, etc. It's the "weird" tank, that people like and play it because weird tends to be fun. DRK for Resource Management, I guess...? Used to, you could ignore the awful job design because it did the "Most Damage" but that's not even true anymore so I guess this job has no niche or identity of it's own. I guess you could say it has a little bit of everything, but you could also say that the others does their niches better, so it's "the other Tanks, but worse." So really, DRK for Suffering, fitting of the job's themes, but not good for having fun in a video game.

[@simj202]

​@@JenovaGirzzconsistently cry when other tanks get fun and better tools too

[@retzerbil867]

9:17 its also very worth mentioning that intervention and sheltron do not share a cooldown like bloodwhetting and nascent flash does. This makes it so that paladin can sheltron themselves and intervention someone else at the same time.

[@ashfield4313]

I've never paid attention to that detail and I've played almost exclusively PLD since HW. When I say "almost exclusively" I mean that 95% of my time I'm PLD and the other 5% is PvP/leveling just to say I have a DPS leveled. Good tip. PLD is a deceptively intricate class and has kept me entertained for years.

[@retzerbil867]

@@ashfield4313 yep. I main tank and it took me until farming ex2 on expac drop to realize I could mit myself and cotank at the same time for the line mechanic

[@raarasunai4896]

Despite Gunbreaker admittedly being punishing for mucking up the rotation, it’s actually the first job for which I was able to become competent with a rotation and burst. Maybe that makes me a bit weird, but I’ve always thought weird is good.

[@Jolsn]

It's always easier to learn something you enjoy

[@ZenBearV13]

I see it as DPS lite, a great gateway to Melee DPS if you’re intimidated by their rotations.

[@fiasse-est]

​@@ZenBearV13considering how easy to manage rotation for dps in DT(at least some of them), if you're capable maintaining GNB rotatation definitely makes you qualified to play most dps jobs

[@apdj94]

I’m sort of the same way. I can push the GNB rotation to its limits but don’t ask me how DRK works I have no clue

[@jacobtridef48]

@@fiasse-est true asf. legit GNB isnt even "easier" rotationally than most dps jobs now. its pretty much on par + its strict and has tank responsibility. i dont find most melee dps jobs harder. dragoon is the only one i find a fair bit harder

[@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama]

Been a fan of Dark Knight throughout all of its appearances in the Final Fantasy series, including in FFXI, and when HW dropped I switched from Paladin to Dark Knight and it's been my main job since (along with Scholar). It feels very satisfying, and while the job has been overhauled to hell and back, it's still my favorite job overall. It may not have the sustainability of WAR or PLD but it will always be the most fun tank in my eyes. And Jesus Christ, you can't beat the storyline. The post ShB DRK quest is one of a handful of times this game has legit brought me to tears.

[@SnancyNegative]

All of the Dark Knight Job Quests were peak. Yes, even Stormblood. (They play YOUR THEME in the last Stormblood fight. They play the FUCKING MAKER'S RUIN.) - The ARR starter (that they had to get you up to speed with Heavensward) is peak Dark Knight. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't played (seriously the trial goes up to Stormblood, and is likely going to go into Shadowbringers at some point in the next two years), but the fact that they subvert the "teacher and student" dynamic and genuinely mess with your journal make it one of the best things to experience firsthand. - Heavensward DRK's job quests are still good, dwelling on the nature of a Dark Knight's real power and bringing out the best of your comrade of the questline when it's needed the most is so shounen that it makes me happy. - Stormblood hithers, thithers, and dithers, but one thing it doesn't do is disappoint. Again -- the fact they play THE MAKER'S RUIN at the end of the questline is more than enough. Plus, I actually liked the idea that everyone was worried that a bisected job stone meant you'd have half the power to work with. - Shadowbringer's wrap-up is the best out of all of them. It ties up literally as much as it can with the Dark Knight questline in a way that made me miss that voice in my head.

[@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama]

@@SnancyNegative Absolutely. The whole questline does not disappoint and speaks volumes of Ishikawa's talent as a writer, honestly. One thing I appreciated throughout, and something I think quite a few people overlook, is how the journal entries for those quests are written compared to literally any other quest entry in the game. That in itself is genius. I go back and read them from time to time, and it still amazes me.

[@MrSpensix]

Yes DRK storyline is really good, but calling it the most fun is just pushing it my dude.

[@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama]

@@MrSpensix That's how opinions work. I have mine, you have yours, the other 42k viewers have theirs. Stating "it's the most fun *in my eyes*" isn't "pushing" anything.

[@MrSpensix]

@@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama Sure dude, opinion🤣. Huh maybe because people like you they didn’t change DRK since 5.0 everything makes sense now.

[@incronaut]

This is legit one of the best tank comparison videos I've ever seen. You should have included the "what kind of person you would be to play that job" at the beginning of each tank section and not just Warrior and DK, that was my favorite part haha

[@maxducoudray]

As someone who has been a DPS main in MMOs for years, I will add that Gunbreaker is my favorite tank because the part about optimizing the rotation to keep damage maximized is a skill I already have. It feels familiar to play for a DPS player imo.

[@meteorwalkergg]

Endgame meta only cares about optimal DPS & homogenizing player skill as much as possible. You can play literally whatever you want so long as you're speedrunning & prioritizing efficiency over personal enjoyment of the Job/role itself. That's literally all the meta is. This video isn't about tanking, it's about optimizing damage as a tank. It's a hyperfixation for the smallest, most vocal minority in the game. Which is content creators.

[@maxducoudray]

@@meteorwalkergg I don’t understand how your reply relates to the point I was making. Also, damage isn’t only for the hyper-fixated. A lot of people choose to queue for savage raids or extreme trials and optimizing damage can make or break encounters like those.

[@siosilvar]

@@meteorwalkergg tanks are about 90% identical on the tank side and damage is what beats encounters so... what do you expect?

[@wtfdidijustwatch1017]

@@meteorwalkergg No

[@SunBro_Talos]

@@meteorwalkerggWho hurt you? Lmao

[@daykeyboard459]

TARGET YOURSELF WHEN USING HOLMGANG if the enemy you chain to dies, holmgang ends, and if you're in the middle of using it, you'll probably die

[@walwal6449]

I honestly did not know that so I'd always try to press the enemy with most health before I invuln (yes I've had instances where I had to invuln as a warrior lol(

[@talitintti]

you can also replace the regular holmgang with a macro that automatically targets yourself so you never have to worry about this

[@osurac14vlb]

I picked Gunbreaker as my main because I want to be squall, I just lucked out and found it super fun and engaging. getting Lion Heart was of course a huge surprise and I was exceedingly happy.

[@MCDLXXXVIII_]

based. i bought ffviii earlier.

[@oberonion]

Dark night has the best aesthetic ✨️ and I love the job quest storyline

[@rasrandir]

That's important, because it has nothing else anymore ✨

[@kargion]

If you are an edge lord, I like Dark Night but it just doesn't feel as good as the other tanks still.

[@BrorealeK]

@@kargion Dark KNIGHT feels fantastic. It's just not very good.

[@HolySenpaiii]

Yea! And the suffering we face while trying to main this shafted job is just so immersive!

[@rasrandir]

@@BrorealeK it doesn't feel fantastic to me gameplay wise

[@iveyyewitt1621]

I like to keep it simple when tanking, so the Pally is my favorite.

[@JP-en7cc]

I play gnb because I like pressing buttons like a melee DPS but I also like tanking.weaving defensive cooldowns in the middle of your double weaving burst window while also having to move the boss around or avoid mechanics is really fun tbh

[@riot_of_flowers725]

I started with PLD, but fell in love with DRK, which is what I currently main. Funny thing is before FFXIV I had severe tanxiety, but this game made me actually fall in love with tanking.

[@BeckyScottFairley]

Before DT released I levelled all tanks to 90 but after doing all of them I really started enjoying the feel of Paladin more than anything, there is something about sword and boarding which just hits my brain good. I have only once so far had to Solo Tank a dungeon boss because everyone died on it and using Clemency saved my life a lot during the slow times between hard hits.

[@filipvadas7602]

I swear, every time they seem to have DRK take an awesome leap forward, it takes a skull-shattering flip backwards. Its just sad at this point. It just honestly feels kind of terrible right now. Arguibly the worst its felt in years. It does everything decently, but excels at basically nothing. Meawhile, Gunbreaker and Warrior can basically do *everything* incredibly well and Paladin's only weakness is its low average damage output. If it had that, then DRK really would be the WORST Tank Job in the game in every way. Literally the only reason to play DRK over the other Tank Job right now is *aesthetic* and that's just plain SAD as a DRK main :

[@keiyangoshin3650]

I love the ‘if you’re this type of person this is the tank job for you’ intro sentences. 😂

[@323starlight]

Paladin is probably my favorite because of how i can help buff my allies with shields. Its the ultimate blend of tank and support

[@craigpridemore7566]

I liked that you tried to be as objective as possible and give both the strengths and weaknesses of each. Good video.

[@Itachiflameamaterasu]

I want them to completely rework DRK. Revamp the boring ass 123 spam, update their animations or add a stack of abyssal drain right after soul eater like PLD with holy spirit, bring back dark arts and power slash. So many things this job needs man...

[@dasnerft96]

fthose video are perfect for me who started 3 weeks ago. i got the basics, i am lvl 60 (with lvl 50 skills as of now) and this video helps really understand how a class feels

[@TheLunarLegend]

PLD's my favorite, it feels like it fits my idea of a tank the best. Able to help and defend the rest of the party easily.

[@slawbunnys]

Thank you for the video :3 Would you consider making a guide for what healer to pick?

[@Durbinator]

If you guys are scared of Gunbreakers burst window dont think i need to fit everything in at once the way i think of it as get gnashing fang,continuation combo and double down the rest is bonus damage if you start the combo using bloodfest do the lionheart combo then the double down then the gnashing fang ,continuation combo and the rest is bonus damage

[@ssjtruncks90]

I like to use pally for raids and warrior for when I want to do dungeon runs.

[@matthiasvancauteren3107]

Dark Knight will allways be my favourite tank, mostly cause the aesthetic of a spellblade is so appealing to me. I know it gets a lot of hate for being more punishing than the other tank jobs but in my opinion that's what more jobs needs. What you forgot to mention is that TDN can be placed on allies too, which is very satisfying in it's own regard. Being able to save an ally with too much vuln stacks from a one shot is so nice. TDN should receive some love though, my personal suggestion would be to make it explode for aoe damage when it breaks/expires.

[@sensationalrebel9459]

"in my opinion that's what more jobs needs" If you wanna make Tanks completely unplayable by all means. But hell no, take your reddit opinion and leave this space.

[@meteorwalkergg]

​@@sensationalrebel9459 wholesome & good vibes community that never ever gatekeeps btw

[@sensationalrebel9459]

@@meteorwalkergg That's irrelevant. If you've paid attention to the reactions of the this community for the past year and a half. They're come to completely disdain reddit for opinions like OPs.

[@cidlufaine9044]

@@sensationalrebel9459Idk, one of the hottest topics rn is that healers are so completely unnecessary because tanks (aside from DRK) are completely overtuned in the sustain department. Imo, tanks should not be solo-ing group content in an MMO.

[@cidlufaine9044]

@@shizachan8421 I thought I saw somewhere that the recent savage tier has DRK just barely squeaking ahead in damage than the rest of the tanks but even if that were true, that doesn’t make up for the severe lack of sustain

[@arililithh]

I leveled dark knight first because I thought it looked cool. Now leveling warrior and it's so fun

[@ObscenumLoL]

The only tank I've leveled to 90, prior to DT, is warrior... And man, it feels good to heal up with bloodwhetting. Like, extremely good.

[@drathrasir]

Love the way this video was presented. Would love to see a video for healers and the melee/ranged phys dps and magic dps.

[@Chittysushi]

I love warrior because of that self healing but now that I’ve gotten to level 100 I’m now a Dark Knight fan again!

[@ZGaMeR2k3]

"without giving your healer a heart attack" 😂 That line gave me flashbacks to that long Endwalker pull on the bridge in tower of zot :)

[@creaseconquer3364]

Ngl im really tired of people going "but the damage loss" "thats not optimal since you lose damage" gotta be the only irritating thing in the ff14 community to me. Like dude we have 90 minutes in this dungeon, i think we will be okay if people arent metasweats pushing for every last miniscule fraction of dps uptime....

[@ewhitlock83]

Hm I was going to go with Paladin, but now I think I'll do dark knight, thanks for the descriptions!

[@susanharrison7497]

Thank you. I like the really good explanations you give on the pros and cons of each. I capped all my DPS but now want to go to Tank or Healer, so I appreciate this as a way to see where or which tank to go for.

[@mearogaming8202]

I didn't hear it mentioned (though it is in the tooltip you posted) but Holy Sheltron has an addition effect i've seen a lot of people gloss over and miss. For the first 4 seconds after you use it, you get Knight's Resolve which is an additional 15% damage reduction! So, timing your use of it can be really good!

[@coldyintiger]

I find it funny that without realizing how it would be, I went "GUN SWORD" and made that my goal before tanking as any other tank. Fun as hell because it feels like you are playing with the doom soundtrack blasting.

[@reloadpsi]

Paladin is my secondary (with bard as my main because I have a big circlestrafing problem) and I absolutely love it. I've scared a few healers by popping Hallowed Ground and not stepping away from a boss' strongest AOE though. Gotta help maintain those DPS positionals!

[@Legendi-chan]

Paladin

[@Ramladon]

So having all 4 at 100. Warrior is by far the easiest to play if you mostly do solo random queues. this is also probably the best tank to play. Most of the time if you use your CD's well you do not require a healer. If your geared or over geared for content you will rarely use mitigation because, your healing cd's are your primary CD's Mid is saved for tank busters, or possible mistakes to get you to the next round of healing CD's. Paladin's have the best mitigation and the best group mitigation and healing but, do the least damage. While that has been improved in burst overall they are still the weakest when it comes to damage output. Gunblade's are a good all all rounder. Lots of buttons with lots to do most of your CD's can be thrown on party members. DK tanks while they do the most damage are the biggest pain in the but, to heal until they master the job IE using shield buff to proc free damage while properly rotating tank CD's. With out that especially while fighting groups of mobs you might as well be trying to keep up a Dragoon tank.

[@autastic1]

It’s the job you play if you want square to baby you. Obnoxiously favored before every other tank pretty much every single patch

[@kaelibw34]

Gunbreaker was actually my first tank. Like ever, in any game. I’ve always done DPS but I just enjoyed the look so much went in and made damn sure I figured it out fast. I only ever touched the other tanks once I finished endgame content.

[@jacobtridef48]

Warrior easiest to play well, and has the most self sustain in terms of healing, def the most OP for dungeon soloing as well. Paladin is the second easiest to play well, and has some phenomenal utility for a tank, also after its buff its doing great damage for a tank. Dark Knight is the 2nd hardest tank, it has the lowest self sustain in terms of healing, but the best magic based mits + the craziest button bloated burst phase of the 4, but very fun. Gunbreaker is the hardest tank to play perfectly (because its the "strict" tank + has the most gauge managing for bursts). has pretty decent self sustain with mits/heals, and is the only tank that almost constantly attacking/weaving (thanks to stuff like Gnashing fang + its bursts) also the worst tank to play for moving bosses around consistently.

[@chrism6880]

I'm maining dark knight right now simply because I have the fewest high end duties on DRK. Gotta get all those achievements.

[@Mori-Jin]

What armor is that pld and dark knight armor in the beginning?

[@daemonikkateylarii9731]

Since this video has come out, Superbolide has had a change made so that it no longer drops HP to 1 when used. It only drops HP by 50%.

[@TheKingDango]

Will you be doing these for the other job types as well?

[@Laviathan50]

I've played DRK, WAR, & GNB so far and while WAR has the best survivability, i enjoyed it the least while I enjoy DRK the most because I prefer a more complex play style. Even though DRK was my first ever tank, I would say WAR is probably the best job to pick if you've never tanked before or you intend to focus on solo content. It has few buttons to push allowing you to focus on learning proper enemy positioning, fight mechanics, damage mitigation, etc... Also if you play DRK and you know the fights mechanics, don't let anyone tell you that you can't MT

[@BeeBeBees]

TLDR, GNB for damage and business, Warrior for survivablity, PLD for super defence and DRK to know what its like to be a squishy DPS.

[@RedneckSith]

I tried leveling warrior, gave up in the 50's because the damage was terrible. You just wait too long for that stupid gauge to fill. Went PLD and never looked back. You have tons of mitigation, and an easy rotation which does good consistent damage and is easy to get back on track when you mess up. Great for solo content too.

[@draygonsol7863]

Warrior was what I started playing but later on I got addicted to Gunbreaker and switched and is my main tank. Not nearly as tough as people think it is, I will say these new Dawntrail dungeons have been showing how lax I have gotten.

[@ShallieDragon]

Warrior has been my main for a bit, but I've been dabbling with Gunbreaker in preparation for beginning shadowbringers (I'm taking my time). GNB is fun, but it's... Definitely quite busy. I don't know if it's my thing.

[@chcc12]

If you can play Warrior you can definitely play Gunbreaker, it’s got like 1/5th the busywork needed compared to warrior

[@b0namEEEk]

unrelated to this video, but do you have a hotbar layout for pictomancer and viper? I recently found your video from 2022 about hotbar layouts and find them very useful/intuitive.

[@m.a.dmatt6689]

Me: "Warrior" Jolsn: "But...I haven't-" Me: "DID I STUTTER?!?!"

[@RaiZe-]

Wait there are other tanks besides warrior?

[@ArsisKytori]

​@@RaiZe- I heard they were only myths in folklore!

[@craigyoung2261]

But is tank... War already do that. No need for other

[@doge4320]

Average unga bunga fans

[@dalgona4819]

Unironically WAR is the only Tank class I've yet to unlock in my main. IDK why but I've seen how cool it is on others and apparently the questline is also fun, but it just never clicked with me. I love tanking as the other three tank classes though, especially Paladin in DT recently.

[@r1zmy]

of all the tanks, GBN is my favorite because it felt very balanced between being strong and fun to play. Also, landing the explody bits makes my brain go weeee.

[@SleepyNoodle140]

At 8:33 you mean Imperator right? Thats what gives you insta cast spells, not Fight or Flight

[@maxducoudray]

No, he means Fight or Flight. That's the damage buff. Proper rotation is to use your instant cast spells during this damage buff to maximize damage output, but it's the damage buff itself that determines when you go into this rotation.

[@SleepyNoodle140]

@@maxducoudray oh I see! I'm still pretty new to Paladin so thanks for clarifying that for me ^.^

[@kacperstolorz6233]

Hello can anybody tell me the name of the costume for gunbreaker and where to get it?. Thank You so much.

[@zsoltlang2144]

I was clowning on gunbreaker till a certain guy made badass films/animations about em, now I'm lvling it

[@lovroxyz3119]

can someone point out what weapon hes using on drk? looks sick

[@BfDelano]

I've mostly been playing Bard throughout my entire time playing the game. I've also done All 3 Land jobs to 90, and have Goldsmith to 90. I've considered taking up a tank, and not sure if I want to go Warrior or Paladin.

[@vicariousxiv2436]

Don't forget that the DRK despite having the most niche defensive cooldowns, making it the worst in most situations and just bringing it up to par in others, it is also the lowest damage tank with the shortest burst window and slowest gameplay inbetween bursts.... still. So it sucks in low end content cause it's defensives just aren't up to snuff and it's the worst in high end content cause it underperforms more often then not even with a good pilot. I seriously don't understand why anyone is ok with the DRK in it's current state..... the reasons I've seen don't add up unless they're ignoring the actual performance of the job.

[@armorparade]

its also draining watching people say "just buff its potencies and give it healing!" no!!! rework it entirely! i don't want to play endwalker dark knight again! we can't go back to stormblood but we can have something new that feels good to play again! it feels really funny comparing dark knight's trajectory to the main story. i would rather the job be sundered and become something unrecognizable than try to give this rotting piece of garbage more shelf life by sacrificing more of its tools for the sake of potency and consistency. when people are saying "give tbn an excog and remove its mp cost" you know the job is washed. we have to start over. we have two gauges that don't mean anything. dark knight has no buttons that ask you to think about when you want to press them- only that you need to have a pulse and decent ping. dark arts and darkside might as well be removed outright the way sqex has flattened them. i just don't get excited playing this job anymore. i've been playing this job for 7 years and it's never been worse than it is now. if 8.0 doesn't come with a full rework i'm probably never playing it again

[@vicariousxiv2436]

@@armorparade I've already shelved it, personally. Squeenix can't completely ignore it for EW and barely touch it in DT while letting it languish in it's current state then also give GNB a ton of QoL and buffs throughout EW then some of the coolest new skills that also count as even further QoL in DT all on top of the fact it's kit actually interacts within itself and expect me to actually stick with DRK just cause I like the edgy aesthetic and it's storyline.... Yeah I hate when people just say "more potencies/more oGCDs/uncouple AD and CnS!" Cause none of those will actually solve anything, just more bandaids for DRK as it bleeds out, or the people who unironically think bringing Dark Arts back in it's same old state would do anything but rebloat the job. Even worse are the people who STILL argue that it's fine, "look it got some savage clears, it's perfectly fine as is!" Fucking stupidity and ignorance. Yeah, it's gotta be completely redone, but half the time you mention it you'll get bombarded by people saying "but I like it!" Most likely also the same people who were against LD finally getting adjusted later into EW, or BW getting stacks like literally everything else did...... Basically I have no hope that Squeenix even knows how fucked it is cause of adamantly and stupidly so much of the community defends it, and they clearly don't playtest it themselves.

[@armorparade]

@@vicariousxiv2436 i think the conversation needs to start with removing edge/flood and reintroducing dark arts in a new way that better fits a new design philosophy. make me think about what to spend it on! also this is me asking for too much but... why not turn drk into a pet job? focus on summoning esteem as much as possible or keeping them available as much as possible while using abilities related to them like the new one we got. get rid of delirium, attach an extra effect to salt and darkness- bring back plunge but as a gcd, have it work like raiju where plunge&carve do the same thing but one is a gapcloser, and maybe you spend dark arts to doublecast so you can use it for uptime in mechanics where the boss moves a lot, and make people spend dark arts to keep esteem active while also spending as much as possible on your own personal abilities without letting esteem fall off. you could even have it so you need esteem active to use living dead, but instead of YOU dying if you mess up, esteem does. (personally i like ld as it exists now but a change like that would not upset the part of me that needs dark knight to exist as a job that plays with risk and reward) none of these have to be perfect ideas but it's more creativity than the team has had in five years lol

[@vicariousxiv2436]

@@armorparade If they ever bring Dark Arts back as an augmentation skill I don't think it'll ever properly work with offensive abilities cause there will almost always just be "the optimal usage" and it is no longer something to truly think about unless you mess up somehow. No, personally I think they should take TBN off of MP and remove it's "free" Edge, instead rework the blood gauge so it's just a TBN resource and builds more consistently (so kind of like how in past games DRK had to use health to make barriers), and when you use it you not only get the shield but it gives you "Dark Arts," which augments/enhances your next defensive skill. To me that's the best way of bringing it back in with some uniqueness that won't just become "use it at this point in the opener every time." Then yeah just make a list of new oGCDs that all cost MP and give actual legit methods of regening MP that isn't just "wait for a sec." If DRK is gonna have a build and spend playstyle it should be more like BLM instead of fucking WAR. Once again Black Magic is supposed to be a part of the DRK's aesthetic, believe it or not lol And I agree on your points about Esteem, it's just a glorified DoT atm, I'd like to see something like you suggest in a means to upkeep it as long as possible in some way, or even if it's still a 1-2min burst window ability it would be so much cooler if it responded to and buffed your GCDs instead of just doing his own thing on a timer. Idk, just sad that none of this is likely to ever happen....

[@mistamemewide]

As a Gunbreaker main, I didn’t want to just main gunbreaker to main tank, but I wanted to do it because seeing the big damage numbers makes my neurons go blblbllbbl.

[@falcontomto]

Pick WAR if you want fell cleave. Pick PLD if you want big wings for raid mitigation. Pick GNB if you want to play DPS on tank queue. Pick DRK if you have depression.

[@SnancyNegative]

Play Paladin if you want to mix sword and sorcery in a way that makes you consistent but still a threat. Play Warrior if you didn't need a healer the last four expansions and aren't about to start accepting handouts now. Play Dark Knight if you want to mix sword and sorcery in a way that worries the rest of the party as they start setting up an intervention. Play Gunbreaker if you want to play Dark Knight but aren't happy with the 2.5 buttons they have for sustainability (Gunbreaker has three, a more concise rotation, and pretty much everything Dark Knight has but better. Hell, they get a weave with every single cartridge WHY SQUEENIX WHY DID YOU INTRODUCE THIS JOB ON THE DARK KNIGHT EXPAC) ...Play Dark Knight. Please. As a Dark Knight Main, we get enough shit from the demandy younger brother that is the Gunbreaker.

[@69XarikukatoX69]

Can you do this for all combat jobs too?

[@KarazolaX]

It honestly feels like Yoshi P is including the quality of the story in the balance. Like, because DRK has the best job storyline in the game, it has to be worse mechanically to compensate.

[@ussreliant1]

If you're someone who is going from a DPS main to tanking, Warrior and even Paladin can feel slow and boring. Part of the reason I prefer DRK. Not too busy but busy enough to where it doesnt feel like you're doing nothing, compared to what you're used to. Rotation is also a hell of a lot more forgiving to mess up than GNB.

[@darkdrem7971]

Does anyone know what the armor he’s wearing on PLD is

[@rougetitan6896]

im a gunbreaker main so i feel this to the core

[@OsakaLover]

Paladin: Holy magic, swords, and gives you wiiiiings! Gunbreaker: Wanna look cool as hell while giving your healers a heart attack as you drop your own HP to 1? Dark Knight: I am darkness, I am the knight, I AM still probably going to die super easy. Warrior: ANGY HEALS TEAM. ANGY HEALS ME. ANGY! MAKE! ERUPTIONS!

[@karenfunnell7951]

I find Gunbreaker one of the easiest tanks to play, it feels like to flows much better than the others and has way less requirements to remember (I appreciate that that is not actually the case). For me I just need to have awareness of the situation and have healer in the wings for those moments I mess it up (as is natural for all of us).

[@hathbeenslain]

DRK is still alright for the tier but it's a massive pain in dungeons, you have to both try hard and hope your healer is paying their fullest attention to you. Also, Dark Missionary not being available until lvl 76 is really dumb.

[@STEELZ2000]

Me, knowing full well I love playing GNB and DRK: hmm yes

[@1Mrstephen]

Dark Knight abilities need to be 2000 Mana instead of three. The blackest night needs to be its own individual cool down using no Mana and oblation needs to have a regen added and the delirium combo needs to go back to having five stacks of mana regen hits.

[@SchrosDinger]

I'm not hardcore enough of a FFXIV player to understand what people are talking about when they say DRK feels like shit. I like it because lots of buttons makes brain go *brrr*. I'd play GNB for that too, but I don't wanna step on Thancred's style.

[@xierotron]

1.10 common misconception is just press inner release and that's all your buff, if you hold inner choas and time is all right you can get 3 inner choas, 4 fell cleaves and you primal rend and now the 2 new ones all under buffs

[@Jolsn]

In theory, that's somewhat true, but in practice it's very hard to fit 22.5s of GCDs alone (9 of them without any filler due to perfect timing) under damage buffs outside of the second tincture window where you can use the 30s you get from pots.

[@xierotron]

@@Jolsn its hard at 2.5 gcd but easy on 2.4. bare in mind ive really been testing this for years and i got a 99 parse rank 27 on p12s so i know

[@tylerkarnes2947]

“Which tank is for you? They are effectively all the same. Just chose the aesthetic you like.”

[@pulpjedaii]

I honestly didnt like this game at first cuz of the weirdly slow GCD and the lack of cool tank classes (i started around HW). I started playing BLM and liked it alot more cuz the time kt takes to cast a spell was the same as the GCD so it felt faster (even though it wasn't). I mention this because I like to think that my character changes fighting styles as the story progresses and in my mind playing BLM as my main and doing WAR on the side, the natural mix of the two was DRK for me. I played through the DRK story and it's been my main class ever since. I've seen a few comments talk about how bad it feels to play in hugher end content and while I admit that something like WAR does feel alot better, I just can't shake that emotional connection to DRK like its grown with me as ive progressed through the game.

[@Some__Guy]

DRK's aesthetic is my favorite out of all the tanks, but it's also my least favorite tank. I mostly go with War or Pld the few times I actually use a tank. If I could use cover on War, it would be perfect for me.

[@oldblood6690]

Mind dropping the names of the chest pieces?

[@Jolsn]

Edenmete Coat of Fending, Rinascita Cuirass of Fending, Exarchic Coat of Fending, Allegiance Coat

[@jopet216]

I unga, therefore I must bunga!

[@coreywong6229]

I love my warrior tank lala. Fear the smol boy gods

[@raarasunai4896]

@@coreywong6229 Local Popoto too angry to die!

[@coreywong6229]

@@raarasunai4896 thats what a man said, he found his god in the mojave, his name was Benny.

[@Gryphon13]

Watching a lalafell use Primal Rend from a distance has got to be hilarious lol

[@coreywong6229]

@@Gryphon13 that move is rediculous in general to watch, not lv 100 with huge axe yet, but that would be rediculous all the same. I also main mnk cause punching is way we martial artists communicate through are fists.

[@MrSpensix]

As far as I’m concerned there’s only 3 tank job and the other one is just good for AFKing in limsa.

[@UTheEpicPnwdZor]

Every tank class in this game is so fun to play, I only tank in the MMOs I play. Warriors are mad fun if you want the ability to feel immortal lol. GNB is for anyone that wants to feel like a badass. Dark Knight is for people who cant let go(DK main myself, play WAR now but I will never forget how fun this class used to be). PLD another class that lets you feel like nothing can harm you

[@ArsisKytori]

WAR is the choice if you like the casual/hard aspect of XIV not including savage. Example, the other day i ran Strayborough fircthe first time, party kept dying to all the bosses, and i had to solo them all from 50% plus hp left, with no threat of dying.

[@medfibezk8745]

just because you can, doesnt mean you should, beating an expert boss from 50% on a tank is mind numbingly boring for the rest of the group. do it from 20% or walk into the wall.

[@ArsisKytori]

@@medfibezk8745 Hey man they wiped to the same mechanics on each boss 3 times after wiping. So I took it upon myself to do the job when I figured out how to do the fights. 3 strikes I solo.

[@ZeroOmega-vg8nq]

started as a pally. will always be a pally with the pain i went through to get my excalibur glam. and the fact now i have more badass holy animations in the combo rotation? yes. please. i switch to DK when im feeling edgy. and gunbreaker just cuz i feel like trolli g my healer with "POPPING BOLLIDE" warrior? i hate axes. im never freaking touching thay class.

[@kargion]

Warrior/GB feel the best to me. I still think Paladin is the king OT still. I want to like Dark Night but it still doesn't feel as great as the others IMO.

[@disnagburnazog9552]

Well this is the first time i hear kind - or neutral - words about removing damage of gap closers

[@Jolsn]

I actually like the change. I'd rather get more interesting buttons to press, and I feel like they don't actually add much in terms of complexity.

[@bsmall1412]

Of course, I come back to the game after a year and half and wanted to play GNB and it is the hardest tank to play…..Damn it.

[@veldtpr]

Good video with great pacing! Ty for the guide

[@moreauclement9702]

Still hesitating between paladin and gunbreaker. I Think i'll play both

[@Halinspark]

I like spamming TBN even if it's a DPS loss, because it makes me really hard to kill. But that also made me aggressively walk i to attacks I would have avoided just to try and pop it, so I've switched to Warrior. May as well go full unga bunga at that point.

[@UrbanCohort]

Warrior moves are real meaty.

[@Ephidiel]

they better put Lionheart Combo into Continuation so you can weave instead of gcd the Lionheart Combo

[@ryrysunter7714]

For me DRK is the easiest tank but that’s because it was the first tank class I picked up and I’m so used to how to use it that for me it’s as easy as anything else.

[@blazesona12]

At lv100 clemency on one target (especially yourself) can heal up to 44k if i recall right But honestly i wish paladin had better mp regen or clemency's mp cost halved!!!

[@zarith87]

u need to do physical dmg rotation to recover mp..

[@blazesona12]

@@zarith87 let's see here.... riot blade gives 1k mp, the ogcd gives 400 (if i recall right), and the mp regen combo gives 1200 mp after it's all done.... overall 2,600 mp regen... not nearly enough to sustain through anything

[@1Mrstephen]

I love dark Knight and it aesthetic, but it is absolute trash compared to the other three tanks right now. It absolutely needs some major work and a massive DPS boost. The DPS boost should be so much higher than the other tanks like Poer and summoner different is what I’m talking about.the other tanks do their jobs so much better

[@wigginender]

I scrolled down for a bit to see if anyone else mentioned it, but...what about Dragoon? 😢

[@Jolsn]

Take Dragoon into Savage as a Tank and tell me how it goes!

[@geoffreyprior8931]

All you need is Fell Cleave...

[@definitelynotryanhardt]

Me pick warrior Me have big axe Me no die Me do big swing Me happy

[@rcketbnny]

I play all tank because I love armor and I’m brain dead 😂

[@EdSoba-v9m]

are you a bunny boy now? I like it