So You're New To Tanking in FFXIV...

[@roddlez]

PROTIP: If you end up trying multiple tank class/jobs, put your role actions in the same place on your hotbar across all your hotbar layouts. A consistent layout will help build the muscle memory to launch a stun or interrupt at the right time and pop Rampart as a tank buster is telegraphed. (You should extend this beyond just the role actions, and across as many classes/jobs as you play.)

[@continuallyblessed44]

One reason why I’m nervous to tank is that I don’t want to lead the party. My introvert nature bleeds into the game. I like ranged/casting roles lol.

[@andreadigney6247]

it me. Also I'm bad at navigating and like being able to follow the tank so I don't have to navigate.

[@ShepLFG]

Then don't lead. Just ask someone to show you the way

[@jannenieminen6815]

@@ShepLFG True, most DPS or healers will gladly show you the way, no questions asked.

[@SooshiRole]

@wowperson26 same lmao, it may sound kinda silly but honestly tanking is helping me be a little more confident

[@Rexcaldur]

Dont lead the party. Run away from them, towards the enemies.

[@coltbusick6644]

Biggest advice for new tanks, to iterate this video: don’t be afraid! Every “Perfect Legend” you see with a big glowing sword started as a sprout that couldn’t hold aggro. Have fun with it and always be willing to learn new stuff.

[@Zanbatoss]

Unless you met a prick healer who blames you for not using mitigation, when the real problem is the dps didn't use their aoe combo in a lv 80 dungeon roulette...until you have no mitigation left to use lol

[@1337penguinman]

I think a lot of new tanks in 14 think it's going to be like WoW where everyone expects you to know everything right from the jump. And will let you know in very profane and abusive ways when you are "falling short." I didn't tank at all in WoW for that exact reason. But in FF I love doing it.

[@x3AnimeFanXD]

Until you go into the duty roulettes, get a raid you only did once 2 weeks ago, and then you need to know how to do things on the go and then fuck up and you eventually cause 6 wipes and a duty leave vote. I'm sure it was a group effort, but I hate it that people are to lazy to give you tips when you tell them you need them.

[@officialchickenn]

💯

[@pachpaints5356]

"If it's blinking you can interrupt it" is as big of a discovery as "If there is a white bar above the status effect you can Esuna it" for me. Omg.

[@laurencebrown3822]

I've been playing for 8 months and this is the first I've heard of it. I'd taken my DPSs interrupt skill off of my hotbar because it just seemed random what I could and couldn't affect with it. Needless to say, it's going back on now that I know how to use it.

[@pachpaints5356]

@@laurencebrown3822 I kept hitting things as a tank hoping to find out! This'll take away so much guesswork!

[@rusampler1877]

They should have mentioned it in in-game tutorial or guide at least ONCE!11!!!!!!@123KWW0L12=`WQ0L1OED23PERI2KJTR29RJU2FD-02IGF31TGK90=OQ1,3PLGF

[@nicholasoutland2396]

Been playing up to 62 on WHM, and this is the first I've heard of this tip. Thank you!

[@pachpaints5356]

@@nicholasoutland2396 That's about where I was when I found out! Happy to pass on the wisdom!

[@AeriFyrein]

#1 advice for new tanks: Pay attention to your chat window. The number of times I've gone into dungeons and had to completely stop until the tank finally paid attention to the spam of "Turn your tank stance on," even after multiple wipes, is incredibly annoying. On the same vein, if you're new to tanking, do not be defensive about party members giving you advice. Most players are entirely willing to go slow and be extremely helpful if you say you're new. The moment you get defensive, or say something silly like "you don't pay my sub," you are going to have people leaving and blacklisting you. You might run into the occasional person that will leave if you go slow, but the vast, vast majority of players are okay with it. Single pulling trash packs and playing it safe, if either you or the healer aren't comfortable with larger pulls, will get you through the dungeon faster than if you wipe nearly every pull.

[@drunemeton]

I’m a sprout and usually say I’ll respond to chat between fights and at the end. Combat is so new to me it’s next to impossible for me to fight and read chat. Seems to work, plus I read up on the boss mechanics beforehand!

[@thewittyusername]

@@drunemeton in the settings you can add a notification sound to different chat channels, like when you get a sound when someone sends you a /tell. I added one to /party chat and /alliance chat and it allows me to focus on combat while also knowing when my party is trying to communicate something 😁

[@drunemeton]

@@thewittyusername Woo Hoo!!! Awesome suggestion. Thank you.

[@Tentacl]

While I agree, I really, REALLY wish the game didn't turn the damn thing off in every instance. It's not like tanks would actually do so in light party instances...

[@hippiechick73]

Thanks for the encouragement! I really want to try dark knight after going through shadowbringers as DNC/MCH. I am so nervous about getting lost in a dungeon!

[@btorres82]

Found this channel as I'm trying the trial version of FF14 and thinking of jumping off the WoW train. I'm definitely subbing because this video was engaging the whole way through and very informative.

[@TheTinyTimmyTimTim]

Tanking is much easier than it used to be. I used to only play DPS (got 5 of them to 80) before I ever touched a tank because I was worried I’d be ass at it with a controller. It was a dumb worry, tanking is super simple now (for better or for worse).

[@Astralaeyna]

To tack onto what BobandWeave said, tanking IS pretty simple since ShB reworked the role. It used to be much more complicated, like healing was once upon a time. But after they simplified and streamlined it, it became a LOT more fun. Definitely recommend.

[@dazzlemasseur]

You should watch all of his videos Go back years ago Watch the bestiary. Mrhappy1227 is very dedicated to what he does.

[@drunemeton]

JUMP! This game is amazing, plus 1 character can do all the jobs so it’s as flexible as you can get in trying out tanks.

[@btorres82]

@@drunemeton That's part of the appeal to me. In WoW, if you want more than two professions, or a different class, you gotta roll a new toon. I've been playing the FF free trial and am lvl 18 now. So far I like it. My only concern is I don't like nudity in games...is that a thing in this one?

[@sopranophantomista]

This is great. I'm just starting my first tanking journey with a DRK, and the tankxiety is real for me. I've only ever DPSd, so this is a good starting point. Thank you for this.

[@jet44444]

Samesies, I use my grand company to practice tanking dungeons. I’m lv 43 and haven’t tanked a dungeon yet lol.

[@razgrizdefias]

Have fun with DRK, it's my main tank and it's got hands down the best defence option with the blackest night. Riding the edge between blocking damage and getting it's proc is lots of fun

[@taylon5200]

Same boat homie! Hope you're enjoying your journey and good luck to you (:

[@RaionOwO]

Same boat, I started tanking just a few months ago with DRK but originally was only DPS! Can tell you I'm still a little tankxious now BUT I'm definitely getting some confidence and am happy to main tank sometimes (I usually wait cos often a more experienced player will MT haha). Good luck and remember to enjoy yourself!

[@Axadia25]

Same here!! I started playing ff14 as a Thaumaturge, but when i unlocked heavens ward i got into the Dark Knight and it was so different. I only started getting into tanking myself and i'm still scared to mess up 😅

[@Raoul9753]

Best tip I received: TURN! DOWN! ANIMATION-EFFECTS! Someone told me this when I started and I was like "Dude, my PC can take it!" and it could but i soon learned that that wasnt the point. Depending on your healer and DPS, if you didnt turn all animations to low or off, you aint seeing shit while tanking even a moderate group of enemies.

[@cockpitvideorecorder7677]

I've seen a lot of new tanks lately attempting to pull bosses from the side or pick up trash mobs individually. So two tips: 1.) You can safely pull bosses from the front and then turn them around, no need to come from the sides. It just tends to move them to awkward positions and essentially makes everyone's job harder for the duration, also it potentially gives you the added task of repositioning which is usually not fun/optimal for melee positional attacks. 2.) When picking up trash in dungeons, usually if you go for the big one in the middle or the really centralized mobs, the outer ones will run toward you in which you can simply execute your AoE combo and you will have full control of the room without having to do the mad dash attempting to touch every mob individually. Work smarter not harder. As an omni-tank raider who is currently finalizing my last couple of DPS lvl 80's, I've really been enjoying the flow of new people, especially healers & tanks. Having fun running my roulettes with ya'll. Welcome to XIV o/ o7

[@glltyt]

Arm's Length does WHAT I'M SO MAD and also extremely happy, this guide was great, thank you

[@jet44444]

Righttt?! Lol

[@vivaldi_is_dreaming]

RIGHT? I also had no idea how to tell which skills were interruptible, so I learned two things today.

[@milanugrinovic]

lol yup better late than never

[@noblewolf8232]

Wth. I didn't know that skill can do that.

[@Paradox66199]

I couldn't figure out why I could interrupt some skills and not others and I thought arm's length only slowed if you're hit with a knockback attack

[@willigrowde8266]

Controller has a shortcut for interacting with the Enemy List. Hold L1 + Up/Down on D-Pad to move through the list. Also, Hold L1 + Right/Left is the controller shortcut for moving through the Alliance List.

[@flowtographycg306]

Thank you so much for this info!!

[@jeast9648]

Awesome tip, thank you.

[@Dharengo]

I only found this out recently myself. After 5 years. ;_;

[@glltyt]

I've been using hold trigger > R1/L1 but this is such a useful addition to that method, thank you

[@anbulance89]

Came to say the first thing, learned about the second, thank you!

[@drbiohazmat]

THANK YOU for mentioning Arm's Length and communicating pull size for the healer. I've had so many dungeons, especially as SCH, where the tank was pulling bigger pulls than I could handle, ESPECIALLY because I was leveling and still learning

[@IsabelleAmponin]

i started out as a WHM but switched to RDM after some bad experiences with mean tanks in dungeons. as crazy as it might sound, i picked up a tank class to help me overcome healing anxiety + understand what i should be looking out for in duties. i'm still a bit nervous but i'm really encouraged by this video and the comments below. thanks for the tips and advice, everyone! ☺️

[@Soul-em1qh]

It makes perfect sense, I'm doing the exact same thing but in reverse lol I usually play healers in mmos and wanna try tanking for once. I'm leveling an Astrologian rn, I'll switch to Gunbreaker once I feel like I know the content. Btw, I'm sorry you had to deal with toxic tanks. I've been dealing with them for years and they're still annoying smh I think you could be a great healer though once you get the hang of it

[@akalaramorgan9242]

I’m doin something similar, switched to dark knight but having plenty of fun with the paladin

[@xersys]

Tier 1 recommendation: Bind your tank stance to a "hello" macro. Makes it much easier to remember to push the button

[@ChabdSSS]

How can i do that

[@vektor9productions]

@@ChabdSSS I just made one that looks like this: /micon "Grit" (or whichever stance you prefer) /merror off (prevents you from being spammed with errors from the other stances) /ac Defiance /ac "Iron Will" /ac Grit /ac "Royal Guard" /wait 1 (prevents you from spamming hello's in case you press multiple times) /party Hello /merror on You can also just cut out the /merror and irrelevant tank stances, that's just for my convenience.

[@shaunconway8700]

@@ChabdSSS You don't want a hello tank stance macro lol. If you forget to turn tank stance on you'll realise you don't have aggro a few seconds after you pull and turn it on. No dramas whatsoever! I could probably understand people whining about it if dungeons were actually difficult, but there not. I'd love it if they made like a mythic or timed difficulty like they did in wow to add more to dungeons other than just getting your daily tokens or exp from them.

[@vektor9productions]

@@shaunconway8700 Honestly, yeah. After a day with this macro i just deleted it. The only times I've ever forgotten a tank stance was after a death or DC anyway, and you don't say hello after that

[@althelor]

I feel like having that macro could be an issue when off tanking. Granted I'm new to tanking, but my understanding is that if you're off tanking and there are no adds/swap mechanic, then you want to have your tank stance turned off and turn it on when necessary. So binding it like that would make you end up spamming party chat wouldn't it?

[@VenganceAngel19]

tanking was initially scary when aggro scaled with dps and u would queue in as a new tank to level synced dps and they just grab it off of ya if u slow down the GCD at any point. now its simply, get aggro, stand still, swap if u have a dmg taken up debuff

[@wasabikemosabe1773]

God, I fucking hated playing tank back in the days of ARR especially PLD. Their AOE enmity generation skill Flash at the time did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to generate aggro so I was forced to make macros that told the party "hey attack this monster first, then this one next, etc" so I can at least managed aggro on me. It wasn't until Stormblood expansion that I started getting back into tanking.

[@ShermTank7272]

Sometimes it seems almost _too_ simple... Part of me wishes that aggro management wasn’t as simple as "turn stance on, touch enemies", but I can appreciate that it makes tanking easy to pick up for people new to tanking

[@00yiggdrasill00]

Cool thanks! I used to tank years ago as a WAR but dropped off it in HW because I've always loved the DRG lord so that's what I've rolled outside a healer. This makes me feel like I might roll WAR again now that the dps scales better because that used to be HARD

[@cutecats532]

I grabbed aggro from a new tank as DPS in Prae 🙈

[@Mindlessfun100]

Me, who has every tank at max level and has tanked savage raids, still watching this video

[@magusware8721]

Me, mains tank, also watching video

[@overseerpjoe9477]

Me, also an OmniTank, also watching this video.

[@ryno4ever433]

Never know when you might learn some tiny thing you never knew.

[@JoeKnowsWorst]

what does turning your tank stance on mean exactly, and how do you do that? more importantly, why would you ever not want it on? these are questions beginners may not know 😆

[@ryno4ever433]

@@JoeKnowsWorst It let's you have aggro. You always want it on unless you're in an 8 or 24 man instance and you're not the main tank. Sorry I didn't know if you were quoting the video or asking an actual question.

[@zerothehero11]

This is the first guide for tanking ive seen that tells me exactly how the interject skill works and thank you so much for that, I was using it often enough at the start and it never did anything so i ended up just relegating it to a random back spot of my cross hotbar. Ill have to start learning where it'll work from now on.

[@aleclewis4894]

Just in case there are people who don't understand the terms used when talking about defensive cooldowns, "Stacking" refers to having multiple defensive cooldown effects up at the same time, while "Rotating" refers to using only one cooldown at a time, only using another cooldown once the first one's effect wears off or is about to wear off. Stacking buffs provides a greater amount of damage mitigation, at the cost of not having a cooldown available for when you really need one. Rotating cooldowns doesn't provide the same amount of immediate damage mitigation as stacking, but allows allows for more frequent use of defensive cooldowns, increasing the amount of time you have some form of damage mitigation up.

[@soli6026]

Let me add to that: Stacking your cooldowns is not additive so a 30% + 20% = 50% what actually happens is that when you use a cool down for example a 30% one, if you use a 20% one on top of the 30% you actually only reduce 44% of the damage instead of 50%. Arms length is equivalent to a 15% damage reduction cooldown and enemies only get afflicted with slow if they hit you with PHYSICAL DAMAGE NOT MAGICAL

[@ShermTank7272]

@@soli6026 Let me add to _that_ - double-check the tool tips for your mitigations. Some of them will only protect against damage of a certain type. For example, DRK's Dark Mind only reduces Magical damage, while WAR's Vengeance will only counter Physical damage (but still reduces all damage).

[@Xantrahx]

9:40 either you misspoke, or I might even be wrong. But you shouldnt Shirk before a Provoke. Do it after, so that you assure the new tank (former OT) to have 25% more aggro then you. If you do it the other way around, with the OT not being close to you in aggro, it'll simply put you on the same aggro, and if the former MT doesnt instantly switch off this tankstance (which could be annoying in scenario's where you just wanna give a TB to the OT and get the aggro right back), its a game of chance as to who crits. TL;DR: Provoke as soon as you see the castbar for a tankbuster (it locks in who its gonna hit the moment the cast starts) so the MT can Shirk you after. And preferably only Shirk after you've seen the OT voke.

[@erwark]

Extremely late response, but you're correct for anyone still watching. Shirking before Provoke is useless. Always Shirk after they Provoke.

[@Xantrahx]

@@erwark Damn straight my man 😎 hope I helped someone with this comment tbh. Proper tankswapping isnt that common in EU pf ;-;

[@erwark]

@@Xantrahx haha I wouldn't have bothered, except both this video and your comment are still relevant to new players.

[@EllaArkflow]

Small common thing that applies to non warriors: Pull bosses with your ranged attack! Don't gapclose in! It's super common to have the boss in the middle of the room (specific for trials/raids, but can apply in dungeons), facing north, so it's a good habit to get into. Using your gapcloser just has the boss stuck at the north end of the room with not a lot of room to work with otherwise

[@jaolen]

To add to this, some bosses like to re-center themselves for certain attacks. If the boss is NORTH of center when this happens, they'll do a 180 for a few seconds as they walk back to the center of the room, and then do another 180, making your monk sad (positionals). Ideally, you pull them back even a little bit farther so that they're slightly SOUTH of center, so if they walk to the center of the room, they just take a few steps forward and don't change directions.

[@vicc6790]

@@jaolen something tells me a monk missing 1 postional literally doesn't matter

[@katnerd-Glen]

@@vicc6790 It actually does but the MNK will use his ability that removes positional requirements for a few seconds to deal with it if he knows what he's doing.

[@HyouVizer]

Dont really get why this is a big deal, i do melee and have zero issues with tanks pulling bosses like this. I just do by melee gap closer too lol

[@RamenSharkGames]

Came back after a year and a half hiatus. Was a main healer, decided "eh, lets try tanking" and swapped. Took awhile to get the mindset to change since the priorities are vastly different, but definitely having a lot of fun with it now!

[@TheChewer]

I have been playing Dark Knight for the last Month or so and I was so anxious to dive into Dungeons because I felt like there is so much stuff I didn‘t know. Turns out that it wasn’t as hard as I imagined BUT there were a couple of things that I wish I had known. Things like space out your cool downs, keep the boss as steady as possible (so positional dependent jobs don’t hate you), etc. I also looked for advice online. And although there are a couple of great „how to tank“ videos out there, this is hands down the best one I have seen yet. It contains everything I wish I knew before diving into a dungeon for the first time. Thank you for this 🙏

[@Zilla5k5]

Great guide! I'm happy to see so many staple things covered in this guide that people don't yet understand or know about (Provoke's usefulness). One thing I would like to add is about stacking cooldowns. Usually it's better for large pulls to stack cooldowns that either effect your damage taken, or their damage done. For example stacking rampart with reprisal and your 30% (depending on class) with Arm's Length. That way you are getting the full effect of both without diminishing returns.

[@dragonsofthemind5161]

That's not how that works. It's all multiplicatively or it would be too strong an wouldn't really make sense. It's still stacking mitigation so say you're taking 100 points of damage and pop rampart - you're not taking 80 points. You pop reprisal. That 80 points is reduced by 10% making it 72 points you're now taking. It's not a lot in small numbers like this, but that is still an extra bit of dmg you're taking. It's beneficial in big mob pulls when you may not need that mitigation later, but it does still diminish it from what it would be if it were used by itself (cuz in the above example, reprisal is now doing 8% technically instead of 10% because damage is already being mitigated by rampart.

[@Ktjnn]

You might also see people refer to Provoke as "Taunt". I think that comes from WoW (?) so it could be good to know at the moment.

[@TrueNirvana69]

This a good point. Another term I've heard that I believe is also from wow is "battle rez." It just means a resurrection skill but in that game apparently some rez skills are not usable in combat.

[@Psoewish]

Tank is great because after the initial learning and overcoming the anxiety, it’s the perfect chill role. I’ve come to a point where I can run just about any normal/hard duties on autopilot. I do main PLD though, I know GNB is a like more involved because you have like a real rotation to keep track of, but all in all it’s still not too hard.

[@thewittyusername]

Ran through the whole msq as a first timer on tank, and other than staying current on gear (and checking out guides on each dungeon), the best thing I did was add a notification chime to /party and /alliance chat. It allowed me to focus on combat and learning how to play but not ignore when my party was trying to tell me something when I've got tunnel vision.

[@lazareth7598]

How do I do this? I just mate a separate chat channel that only has party/alliance chat

[@twostepghouls]

The blinking enemy cast box indicating you can interrupt is invaluable information. Thank you!

[@VlVlsectVI]

These videos are so helpful. I've been a SUUUUUUPER casual player since 1.0 and after your 1-50 video I've been leveling all my jobs up at the same time and I've been scared to tank in a dungeon with other players. I may use my Gladiator in the leveling dungeon today.

[@SocialFutility]

To add to your video, one thing that for some reason almost no one does, every tank has single target buffs that can only be applied to other or can be applied to self or others, when you are offtanking, you want to use these on the the main tank, on cooldown, or saving them in case of big tank bustes. In case of PLD and DRK, intervention stacked with sentinel and rapmart for PLD, and TBN for DRK are powerful enough to save a healer in a pinch, this is a bit difficult to pull and requires some skill, but saved a few runs for me.

[@roddlez]

Speaking from my personal experience playing healing roles with players new to tanking (e.g. lower level roulettes), the most critical new tank mistake is not using tank role actions at all. This makes the healer have to work harder to keep the tank going, while also taking away time that the healer could be contributing to DPS or keeping other members alive. If a healer is helping with DPS, the encounter will finish faster, meaning less healing to be performed, and thus increasing efficiency (less time in the dungeon).

[@ErwanFrosterFox]

I thing I didn't see mentioned, is the numbers in the party list. The one on the bottom left of job icons that go from A to 8 (and the little bars that fill up underneath), they're the aggro order for this creature ! It's important for tank swaps (and double-hitting bosses) to know how far/close you are to the other party members in terms of aggro, and this UI bit gives just that info. The closer you are to the A, the closer you are to taking aggro.

[@TsuchiGamer06]

I main heals, but I have all tanks at 80 and have been playing since 2013 but this can help with tanxiety: 1. Update your gear. PLEASE. Don't slack on it. Healers have a right to call you out and no one wants that really 2. If it's your 2nd job, do the dungeon before hand to get an idea of the layout. Or go in with a friend. It'll help your tanxiety 3. Practice makes perfect. Do the dungeon more than once or do it with squadrons/trusts a couple of times if you have bad tanxiety 4. It's ok to say "im new to tanking" or "ive never tanked this". It aids expectations and prepares healers who mightve kept you at 30% or may adjust their play slightly 5. Not every dungeon is gonna go smoothly, and that's ok. It's a game, remember to breathe and ask questions if you don't understand something

[@LexysHereAfter]

Good tips! I'm slowly getting into tanking (GNB) and I flipped back to DPS recently (SMN) and found myself having more trouble as DPS than Tank. Still not confident enough to run Dungeons, been sticking to Trials, Alliance Raids and MSQ but getting there. The idea of large pulls is what is putting me off of dungeons

[@moonlitxangel5771]

Like he mentions in the video, just communicate that :) The vast majority of ppl are going to be understanding. And if you feel like trying a bigger pull let the healer know so they're mentally prepared (sometimes if I'm with a new tank as a healer I just kinda subconsciously go on auto-pilot and it can be hectic when right at the end they decide to pull bigger lolz)

[@tblack4534]

When you are nervous for tanking, it helps when you concentrate on the positive thinks which come with the role ( fast dungeon invites or the ability to live longer than any other class).

[@Terrence9516]

Can you maybe do healing for newbies next?

[@veppy4952]

pretty sure he was planning on that lol

[@revenous167]

White mage is a good newbie friendly class to start with.

[@thewittyusername]

Healing for noobs: DPS please.

[@00yiggdrasill00]

@@thewittyusername that's probably the biggest hurdle for new healers. Learning both that they need to help with dps, and how much they can get away with before focusing on healing.

[@Cassapphic]

One thing I would say for tank busters, most in arr dungeons are instant cast but dont hit too hard, later on they usually have a cast bar and will have a name that sounds line a heavy hit. Its vague advice but if a boss is using something like “stone crush” “heavy swing” “vine probe” “steel slash” or something with that sort of feel, there’s a good chance its a tank buster, for most non hard content theses still wont kill you (usually) but they do often hurt a lot so should be mitigated if possible. At level 80 they started introducing a red arrow marker that usually indicates tank busters, but this isn’t always used, just something else to watch out for.

[@jacobmoore7090]

Absolutely didn't know Interuptable attacks blinked, so that's cool

[@FoxJayvids]

You guys remember Ultimatum? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

[@Slow_RollGaming]

I feel like you have specifically put this video out for me. Not really new to tanking but haven't tanked since the end of Heavensward and i'm like oh 8 years in and still learning new things. Now that i'm knocking out goals before 6.0 (everything to 80) this helps alot. Thank you Haps

[@galloviking4766]

Conjurer quests: Save lives, learn about nature, find a unicorn Marauder quests: smash rocks

[@TechnoWaffol]

This is a really amazing guide, I learned a few things despite having been tanking dungeons for a few months. Recently tanked a trial successfully. Feeling tanxiety about alliance raids, but once I implement what I've learned from your video, I'll be more confident. Thank you for sharing.

[@manbearpigsereal]

Understated how good Provoke is in dungeons now, it's the most efficient pulling tool you have, generates more aggro than your ranged attack, has a longer range and is off-GCD.

[@gdub1693]

The problem is it only puts you 1point higher than the highest person on the aggro chart. So if you can’t also follow up with an attack that fully establishes you at the top of the aggro chart you’ll quickly lose threat again. “Generates more aggro” is kinda a misnomer because it’s just “1 point higher than top person on the chart” which could be a whole lot of aggro or it could be only a smidgen of it.

[@manbearpigsereal]

@@gdub1693 That's wrong, Provoke does a significant amount of aggro now, changed in 5.0. Please don't spread misinformation.

[@gdub1693]

@@manbearpigsereal don't worry, i'm not ;) na.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobguide/warrior/ "Gesture threateningly, placing yourself at the top of a target's enmity list while gaining additional enmity." If I'm going from last place on the aggro chart to 1st, sure it's a significant amount, because from last place to 1st is a big jump. If everyone is at 0 because it's pre-pull it will put me at a slightly above the rest of the group, where it's still easy to lose threat.

[@manbearpigsereal]

@@gdub1693 Please go test it ingame with a friend, it is not top+1 any more. testing at 70 had it at 300k enmity, not 1.

[@CetteSara]

Playing tank helped me become a better healer. And it helped me understand mitigation as a dps with party utility. Thank you for sharing !

[@UnidentifiedRob]

I really recommend using provoke instead of your regular ranged attack to pull a pack of mobs. It has a lot longer range, and by pulling the monster furthest away from you, you end up with a cluster of enemies who are usually a lot closer together. Meaning they're easier to AoE down for the rest of your team.

[@MaisieSqueak]

Thanks Mr Happy. Even when it turns out you were kind of doing everything you should have been - watching vids like this from others can be reassuring. I've been leveling a brand new alt through every single job and Tanking has been my only worry so far.

[@charleshillrich1902]

Picked up this game a few weeks ago , been playing a summoner and wanted to try tanking , got the dark night and have not looked back , been years since my days of bear tanking wow . Thanks for this video .

[@Ancient_Path]

I am still a sprout who has been playing as a Bard, but I’ve really been wanting to play Gunbreaker, but tankxiety is real. Thank you for this guide!

[@moonlitxangel5771]

You'll get there! I promise most tanks felt that same exact way (I know I did when I started tanking and i still get anxiety about tanking/healing if I've been away from the game for a bit of time). If it helps, most people in the game are really understanding. Just make sure to communicate that (and remember to use your aoe skills on mobs - the number of times I've seen new tanks use single target only in mob pulls and cause dps to get a lot of aggro is more than it should be XD)

[@noni0r]

One more adivce. If you are about to die and health drops (large group or bad healer), then don't just stand there and die. Move arround kyte and delay the hits within healer range.

[@cobrajin4016]

Back in ARR and HW, tanking was at least twice as difficult. Tp existed and was drained by sprinting. Mp was harder to manage. Regens were extremely annoying. Lvl 22-30 Marauder was tough man.

[@ZoraKurosagi]

ive leveled all my sword tanks to 80 by using the squadron and Trust system (NPC Party) because i have heavy tank anxiety. i wont even do dailies with my tanks even tho i know it will be faster. but ive had to do plenty raids and dungeons with players as well so my advice to you new guys is either get your squadron or train with them so you can be a better tank, or nut up and learn how to fail because it will happen a lot, even for the most seasoned players. Tanking is very fun in PvE and especially in Bozja :)

[@SplitxHeart]

My advice as a tank player for alliance raids: Check your ego, communicate with your fellow tank(s). Pull Greed - helps nobody, if you do it without reasoning and at a bad time. Many alliance raids have designated duties for tanks of respective groups. (check which group you are at the beginning of the raid: A - for left side, B - for center/front/back, C - for right side) Designated duties for your teams can either be indicated by the layout of an arena. For example the room splits into 3 parts, there are 3 targets in a room, or at some times you will encounter bosses that require your team to perform a mechanic designated to it. What to do if there is only one boss then? At this point the greed can be particularly bad when it happens in more than one tank. Tanks who constantly need to "steal" aggro from another tank can cause irritation amongst ALL players. Healers who need to upkeep the MT (main tank = tank with boss aggro) usually have more healing work to do, which in return allows the healers of other groups to support with damage, allowing for a faster take-down. However, if your priorities are constantly switched around that again slows down your progress on killing the boss. Another issue is "boss spinning" which can occur when tanks on different positions start stealing aggro from each other. Melee Dps suffer from this the most since, as mentioned, they profit from positioning themselves at the sides/rear of the boss in order to increase their damage output, which in turn again slows down your progress on killing the target. As a tank you may be able to take a lot of hits - but remember your survival is as much dependant on the healing of your support as well as the fast death of your targets by the hands of your dps. Also - my go to "order" for Alliance raids in terms of deciding on who shall main-tank and who shall off-tank in case no specific designated targets are given (obviously split enemy groups etc.) B > A > C or whoever takes aggro first Additionally to that - there are bosses who hit all tanks simultaniously, thus even if you are "off tank" your positioning and attention DOES count! Just because some bosses don't look at you, doesn't mean you are not targeted by them > this especially goes for Tank-Busters!! If you slack as an Off-Tank you may loose the chance to pick up the boss or enemies during a phase change in a critical moment. Alliance raids have 3 tanks for a reason - there are many chances YOU may end up the only line of defense and thus survival is your TOP priority. (including taking less/no damage as off-tank) During normal raids "having tank stance on" is NOT a valid reason for being designated main tank. >>You should ALWAYS have your stance on!!

[@blubunny2217]

After years of being too much of a wuss to do tank I finally for some reason...have decided to do it. But I have been avoiding most party things because of how inexperienced I was in the role. ( I mostly if not always main Melee DPS ) I am having fun as a tank but am always a bit too nervous especially when it comes to dungeons do it with other players. (Although apparently this is a VERY common feeling lol thank goodness I am not alone) But this video has made me feel a bit better about an actual run now. A year old and still being extremely helpful and comforting for new tanks.

[@qamarqammar7629]

Thanks for this. All the detail is great, but coming from wow tanking the biggest difference is not kiting trash around in dungeons as in M+. In 14 it is best to keep the trash in one place. The video has some good examples. Also, stop and start pulling is bad in 14. Dps will blow all their CDs when they think you are done pulling trash, and if you decide to run off and pull more the dps will suffer. Sometimes it is tempting, but I try to remember it is better to make a mistake (pull too little) but at least be clear and predictable for the group.

[@1rjbender]

Have a lvl 80 dark knight. Working on a lvl 74 summoner. I absolutely feel more pressure playing the summoner.

[@Elidan1012]

I'm interested why, if you know.

[@1rjbender]

@@Elidan1012 Sure. With Summoner, you have very tight windows, fitting in many skills, making sure to keep up your dots while spacing out your OGCDs. I get focused on maximizing aoe damage so the tank doesn't run out of CDs while the mobs are still alive, causing them to get overwhelmed, leading to a wipe. I can get too focused on maximizing GCDs in each of the 3 phases when in a boss fight. When I get focused in this way I forget to look at chat or other party members health bars. This has lead to me missing swiftcast resurrections on the healer. Stressful.

[@Elidan1012]

@@1rjbender Thanks. It's just rare I hear this take. Most of the time it's tank and healer stress.

[@gdub1693]

Right there with ya RJ! I mained tanking for the entire game and only recently switched to playing a DPS and it feels soooooo much more stressful. For me i think it’s because with tanking (or healing) it’s pretty obvious if you’re doing poorly - not holding aggro or poor positioning of boss/mobs, etc - so there’s a certain level of performance anxiety and “I’ve gotta do all the things correct or everyone will know I’m terrible!” Taking that mindset to DPS’ing, there’s a lot of responsibility to perform a good rotation and keep dots up and always be casting and hit your positionals and don’t lose uptime ever and… While in reality, really it’s almost impossible to know if you’re doing terrible at your job (unless using ACT and you can’t say anything or get the ban) outside of “man this is taking a while to kill everything” or “why are there no dots on the enemy?”

[@1Shayz1]

To scroll through your enmity list on controller you can use L1+ up and down on the D-pad.

[@latelotus]

This is the vid I needed. 80 dragoon to 1 glad. I was having a hard time with aggro in early dungeons with the random stragglers attacking healers. Was doing what I THOUGHT I saw from other tanks, but this clarifies a lot.

[@roddlez]

One thing that can happen here is that a healer has cast a regenerative buff on you prior to your pull; when you do your initial attack, the healer will instantly move up to the top of the enmity list of all the extra enemies in the pull. In this case, you will need to try to time an AOE attack as they run past or when they've stopped at the healer. An experienced healer will know not to apply regen on the tank until they've established aggro. When you're in a situation where the healer hasn't picked up on this, just work around it and know it's not your fault. The alternatives are waiting for the regen expire before attacking (which causes unnecessary downtime) or talk to your healer (which might put you in an extended and difficult conversation)... It's usually just better to deal with it and let them figure it out some day on their own. Until then, they'll cause you a little extra work while they will be taking that extra damage that they may have to top off. You could just look at the situation as the healer helping you tank a few early hits in every pull. LOL

[@seffylocks]

As an alternative to waiting for the Regen to fall off, you can also right-click on the buff to make it end right away. This works for most beneficial status effects.

[@hamzahussain7794]

@@roddlez Omg so this is why I was getting pounded on when I was healing. I started playing astro and kept wondering I am buffing whole party with regen buff and tank has started pull but they still move to me. I still have to try tanking

[@DioDinero]

“So you’re new to healing” when?

[@dazzlemasseur]

Next week

[@thewittyusername]

Healing noob guide: dps please. There you go, all done.

[@IamProvocateur]

I’m really new. When I opened up shirk I was like why would I ever do such a thing?! Idk why but I applied it to DPS in my mind. So glad I saw that 2 seconds dude. Thank you.

[@Anukii]

God, I've been a Warrior for like a month now but I just practice on a dummy and keep studying my actions as a warrior, but god, I'm so afraid to actually go into a fight with a party and tank since I don't want to possibly cause wipes! 😭 It's one thing knowing your tools but another to learn how to actually use them. I've always been DPS so the tankxiety is REAL! Thank you so much, MrHappy! This has been an excellent explanation and truly vital! 💖

[@wavypavy4059]

I had only played jobs with spells before giving tanking a go, and it took me a until I'd run a fair few dungeons wondering why it was taking me so much longer to do my pulls than other tanks I'd played with before I realised I could use skills while moving without cancelling them :')

[@rd-um4sp]

intermediate: When you start getting into boss specifics I think the devs try to subvert gameplay and change where you should tank the boss. rule of thumb would be north side but some bosses north side seems like the worst place (thinking Her Inflorence at 3rd fase. North side seems like the worst place to tank her but I don't know if you can move her out of there)

[@LittleAngryOwl]

I tried to move her once, it didn't work, she just stood there laughing at me:(

[@rd-um4sp]

crap! so it is intended as an "all melee must die phase" like puppet's corridor

[@cyberiancheesehead]

99% of the time u just want the boss in the middle

[@bophadesknutz7798]

Please dont tank northside.

[@scoobiusmaximus9508]

Most of the time the middle works fine. There are fights that have reasons for you not to tank in the middle, but if you're going in blind it's the safest bet.

[@legion9173]

My advice for tanks as someone who is a veteran of the role itself in rpgs and have all 4 maxed out in ff14 is to be aware of the whole field, keep note on everyone's positions including the boss', this way you will be able to position yourself and the boss in a way that benefits the party or have more time to respond to a mechanic happening on timmy from downtown.

[@CheesyCat]

I've personally been running into newer tanks lately that think that a big group of enemies "die faster" if they use their single target attacks, even in Lv80 dungeons. Really frustrating especially when some don't read the chat log, ignore you or they choose reject your help.

[@h0tsei]

great video, all my beginner tanking knowledge comes from dungeons and raids. indicating the intermediate and advanced tanking really helps. i love tanking so far

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

This is certainly helpful with some serious Tanxiety…though I always feel like an idiot in dungeons…

[@red11rus85]

i'm so glad that you did this guide, because there's definitely a need for it. Yesterday i got a leveling roulette with squad of Srpouts, guys literally bought the game few days ago. And While heal and 2nd DPS were doing great, poor lad on PLD didn't know about AOE's, double pulls and stuff. I wish i could tell him, but the guy was slient for a whole run, so i'm afraid telling him was not an option.

[@budlikycz2445]

What I love about FFXIV since I get scared of dissappointing someone is that you can run dungeons solo with npc so you can see what each boss do, where the mobs are etc. So far, I did the first 3 story dungeons and all them have the choice to go npc style. So I went in see whats what and then did the duty roulette for challenge logs. Dont know if this will be available with the Ifrit and other dungeons too but I have to say NPC Dungeons are being so helpfull for tanking and I hope more dungeons have that.

[@edgarlarios4718]

After all my tanking, I'm still learning new things in beginner videos.

[@FallenCrow910]

My 1 and only tanking experience was back 8 or 9 years ago, when "Flash" was like the only enmity skill for awhile i think...it was my first time ever playing a tank role in an mmo (which i was crazy scared of) and tbh i thought i was doing pretty good but apparently the party i was with thought very differently, it was met with over the top insults and with 0 understanding that i was fresh out the box with tanking (which i did notify them of), it put me off even more than i already was and havent tried it since...which really bugs me because Pladiator is one of my favourite classes but i can never efficiently level without having to do dungeons. dont know if i can shake the fear of tanking even if it is 10x easier now

[@siri7005]

Provoke is being greatly undersold. It takes a lot to pull a provoked target off the tank even if nothing else is applied to it. There's no more efficient way to do a double pull where the first pack has three mobs (which is arguably a majority of pulls) in it than ranged attacking one, provoking the second, and ranged attacking the third, all while sprinting and never stopping. No one is pulling those off you, which will happen with just a regular aoe attack if anyone decides to even slightly unload (such as a black mage casting a foul because they'd just waste the charge if they don't do it before the pull is complete), and random players who pull off you probably won't conveniently run after you for the pull and bring the mobs to you.

[@cparle87]

7:20 Can agree. Doing a wall to wall pull THEN noticing both your dps are dragoons and have no aoe is not a fun time.

[@Majima_Nowhere]

I just did my first two dungeons as a newbie PLD after playing BLM for 70 levels. I was super nervous and asked whether I was pulling alright, which the others assured me I was. Never did Tam Tara feel so good lol. The commendations are nice, too.

[@VeshSneaks]

Just started playing GNB after playing BLM through ARR and Heavensward. I'm having a lot of fun with it, but the tankxiety is real. I'm loving all the little tips like using the enemy/party lists to target for spells. Losing threat hasn't been an issue so far, because I'm pretty liberal with using my AOE's as part of my rotation when there's a group of mobs, but I'm always worried I'm gonna let something go munch on the healer and screw the dungeon for everyone. Thanks for the video!

[@Hedronn]

As some one that's been maining a healer sense AAR big pulls have always been my bane, having to time my sprint cool downs to keep up the the tank as they run off and ready to fire off my full heal before they get killed when they finally stop moving and there invincible power wears off. It's gotten to the point were I look forward to the bosses cause then everything runs at a slower pace and I can stop stressing out for a few moments. Having said that most tanks are pretty cool about it if they and by extension the rest of the party die during those pulls. They'll just go "Oops, guess we'll pull fewer next time," and move on. But then you get those few that actually rage at the healer because "How dare you not keep me alive!" and will either quit the dungeon or just afk at the entrance and wait for the party to kick them because they don't want to take the penalty that comes for quitting. Any ways love the vids, I've used just about all of your guide videos to give my self a heads up on what ever dungeon/trail/raid I'm about to do, I've even gone back and watched some again to get a refresh on them when a friend asked me to help them with a few as well.

[@shybandit521]

I find it interesting how people use the frog head to signify new players despite it coming from the final area of Shadowbringers. Not to mention it comes from a FATE chain which new players wouldn't even know exist and on top of that it's such a grind that normal people probably will never get it.

[@Mrhappy1227]

Oh that has nothing to do with new players. I just need my Glenn mask

[@randomoarigatou4157]

would've liked to see a little bit more depth on swaps since sometimes i see tanks not understand when to provoke and also shirking before the other tank provokes which essentially nullifies shirk

[@catclaws1847]

I dont fear not being able to holding aggro.... I fear getting lost. In WoW I started as a tank because I thought it sounded cool I got lost and everyone flamed me and kicked me. Haven't played tank sense.

[@Whodascrahd]

It was 5 months ago that I learned Arms Length has a debuff.. and I MT a lot. Got a GNB wartiger to prove it.

[@DatDude01]

Thanks dude, I'm going to try tanking with my squadron first. I'm really loving the 1 Character all class system in FF14. First time I'm tanking in an MMO and I don't think it would have been possible if not for that system.

[@capezful]

Provoke definitely has its uses in pulling dungeon bosses if you have a combo rolling and don't want the boss to run wild until you get close enough.

[@venom2019]

wow did not know about that Blinking bit about cast bars. i could do with more info on Materia for tanks plz!

[@Jaspertenpenny]

Is it possible to push full hits off the hit table like it was in WoW? With block and stuff?

[@DamnUsernameTakenFU]

Saved, liked….thank you. Will refer to this video often. Comment section is a goldmine as well. You guys are champions.

[@Leandra001]

Tanking isn't that hard. Its Extremes and so forth gets bit tricky

[@OokumSpookum]

I'd even argue that tanking higher content isn't very difficult either, though it is very much easy to screw up. You usually have less things to worry about than a DPS, but the things you have to worry about matter more. Once you figure out the 2-3 tank mechanics, it honestly becomes very easy.

[@TsuchiGamer06]

While correct, some people still get bad tanxiety

[@Th3hUnT3R1]

@@OokumSpookum exactly, tanking is not hard, probably the easiest role of the 3, its just more responsibility with the few things you do.

[@OokumSpookum]

@@TsuchiGamer06 this. I too suffer from it, even though I'm conscious of how easy it is. Once I do a few dungeons and run a few roulettes, I tend to get over it, especially when I mess up. You learn a lot more by dying as a tank than a DPS, and people care very little if you die and wipe the group as long as you don't make the same mistake over and over.

[@Leandra001]

Only problems tanks fail, if failed tank swap (glares at Titan Extreme)Failed tank positions on certain domino effect mechs that will end things in a wipe (lookin at you E5s) and check your gear. Bad gear is gonna put heavy pressure to the healer (oh and trust me. I had some dozies. Like wearing 230Ilv in Bardems mettle like how?!?)

[@syaorankun017]

Seeing that Aero 3 *chef's kiss*

[@MiuOnDrugs]

new tank here, only played for one half to two months, still on lv 25ish msq on ARR, and I can attest to veteran players saying "read your chat". That's how I learnt to pull aggro and I think that GREATLY helps, I can't be more grateful to veterans who takes time and lead with patience for new players. I also met some toxic players who instead insult and got angry over me on my FOURTH dungeon run because I wasn't able to pull multiple enemies yet -- THIS DOES NOT HELP. It ends up confusing and discouraging new players instead and I frankly DO NOT learn anything about tanking and only walk out emotionally hurt over some video game

[@rickderris5294]

Good video. I am a MMO veteran, as I played a tank in EQ (SK) and WoW (Warrior), as well as in a few other games. Compared to those games, tanking (so far) seems like a breeze. I have done the first two dungeons so far and had zero issues. That's good, but also kind of bad because it's like there isn't any danger. I haven't come close to dying in either instance. I'm sure that changes as I get into the harder content.

[@noxyoshi]

Can you/should you practice kiting?

[@mr.violationps5968]

Hey can someone help me out here? I recently transitioned from PS4 to PS5 but now I can't log into the game. I get the message "based on recent suspicious activity, we have identified that your account may potentially be at risk. We have temporarily suspended login access to this account". The instructions to lift this restriction is NOT CLEAR to me. I've subbed 2 tickets only to get the generic automated message without any help on how to proceed.

[@nightstrider15]

I think DPS is more stressful than tanking. Tanking is much slower paced and it’s easier to know when to use cooldowns. I find DPS way more fast paced and stressful to get as much damage squeezed out of every encounter not to mention positionals.

[@disliked1390]

im just uncomfortable with 2 tank dungeons cause i never know what i should be doing, if i aggro or not

[@MacTaipan]

Noob question: Are blue areas on the floor always a good thing to stand in?

[@md_dorion]

One minor detail for advanced tanking: PLD is the optimal OT as you can cover MT on the first hit on TB instead of actually swapping. Great in savage content where OT is not comfortable being MT.

[@ChameleonMS]

Cover+ Hallowed Ground = Ignore mechanics so often in this game

[@Mrhappy1227]

You can't actually combine those two things to cover another tank and take zero damage, a common misconception. Unless you just meant using them both in general

[@md_dorion]

@@Mrhappy1227 I just meant covering the first hit. I do it all the time. You take the first hit in TB tank swap then break the tether after the first hit but moving to max melee so you can still attack. Debuff never gets applied to MT. This does not work for all TBs though (eg. when each tank gets a different debuff).

[@Mrhappy1227]

Sorry was referring to the other comment of using Cover + hallowed

[@chadddada]

What effect does positioning have on tanks (I.E.: Does getting hit in the back hurt worse than the front in this game?). Are there certain stat numbers that are important to hit break points (I.E.: Uncritable, Uncrushable, can't be parried, hit ratings, etc?)

[@Zilla5k5]

There are no directional effects on tanking in FF, you can block, parry and dodge from any angle. The stat given to tanks and is on a lot of tanking gear is called Tenacity which decreases damage taken and increases damage done, however it does not scale very well and it is almost always better to go for more DPS than to increase survivability.

[@chadddada]

@@Zilla5k5 Thank you for the information! So the old, "Higher DPS is future damage you don't have to take" still works well here.

[@Cheshire_Addams]

I'm about to start playing dark knight. I know I have some levels before I start even learning these abilities but stuff like Living Dead and Oblation I have questions on. It's it best to use LD on tank busters or the map wide AOE? It's it worth using oblation on party members like I would TBN?

[@MassterChieff]

Can any class tank in this game or are there specific tank classes and traits?

[@lyconxero457]

Now I just need the healer and various DPS versions of these videos and we'll be pretty good! Healers and tanks are the obvious ones to hit first but way more players will be DPS in the game so I'm very interested to see what you say about melee vs ranged. Also, I would mention that new players should 100% go through the Hall of the Novice for their role! I can't tell you how many new FC members I've had to emphasis this to not even from a gameplay perspective but a gearing perspective because it gives you a really nice set of early level gear that'll last a LONG TIME and help make dungeons way more tolerable than that person still rocking lvl 5 gear in a lvl 20-something dungeon.

[@jaskim5723]

Are we sure this isn’t ChronoTrigger?

[@Mrhappy1227]

This is future Glenn from the unreleased Chrono Break

[@witwinters2441]

Nice video. Just want to point out using B-roll that has Y'shtola etc. in the party at lvl 78 will ruin the story experience of the player this sort of content is directed at. For example the ending of ARR will have much less impact

[@HappyHasib]

why does some tank pull the boss going from side ways instead of going in from middle of the floor? it kinda moves the boss side way that irritates me when they are not centered

[@solinvictus1052]

Some boss does a broad cleave attack as soon as tank pulls and it hits the rest of team. Like Ifrit for example, tank would want to pull from side so the breadth attack will not hit the rest of the team.