BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

[eva00r]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

BLU/WAR tanking is now viable from lv 30 range to 70 due to recent update with Wild Carrot.

Due to recent PLD's Sentinel/Rampart/Shield Mastery changes, PLD and BLU/WAR tanking gap is now bigger.

Tanking Rating in 'EXP' party
NIN/WAR = A+ (Rich - Utsusemi and others)
PLD/NIN = A+ (Rich - A lot of +enmity gears)
PLD/WAR = A
NIN/WAR = B+ (Poor - Utsusemi Only)
BLU/WAR = B
WAR/NIN = C+
WAR/MNK = D+

*I graded them from my personal experience, having PLD, NIN, BLU, BRD at 75.

[Karinya]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

Those ratings should say in *merit* party. PLD/NIN is crap before 74 no matter how much enmity they have (rich doesn't have much to do with it though, most of the best enmity gear is ex except for some cheap pieces like Mac+1, Warwolf and HBM), and WAR/NIN is even worse. WAR/MNK, on the other hand, can be damn good at levels where Utsu:Ni isn't a factor (but only if they know what they're doing and are properly equipped).

I would also rate poor and/or unskilled ninjas quite a bit lower than you do; inviting ninjas is a crapshoot in my opinion. Some are good and can hold hate well even without a THF while avoiding lots of damage, and others lose hate frequently and force DDs to hold back a LOT.

Unfortunately, inviting WARs to tank is an even worse crapshoot; while the job has great tanking potential, a lot of WARs these days just don't have the gear or experience to tank well. A skilled and well equipped WAR/MNK can outperform a NIN in hate holding while taking only a bit more damage; an unskilled one will take a lot more damage and lose hate often without a THF.

In any case, THF is recommended for any tank except PLD/WAR and WAR/MNK. WAR/MNK will often benefit from having two healers in party (although the second one doesn't have to be a dedicated healer, a backup like RDM or BLU casting a couple heals per fight is fine). They make up for this by outputting more damage than any other tank and not relying on MP like PLD and BLU.

I tanked BLU most of the way to 37 without Wild Carrot; although it would be nice to have, it certainly isn't necessary. Bludgeon, Head Butt and Provoke are quite enough to hold hate at those levels.

[Celeal]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

I would say a skillful and well formed party can make WAR/MNK tank very effective; WAR/MNK's skill and gear alone is not enough. As for NIN tank, I have partied with those who have all those expensive gear, but still sux at tanking (before level 75).

As for BLU/WAR tank, I think its true potential is still not unknown yet. I kinda wish blue magic like Blood Drain or Diggest is more effective. If BLU can drain a lot of HP from mob frequently with small mp cost, then BLU tank can be very efficient.

[Kholdstare]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

Personally, those drain spells would have to be a lot faster cast for me to consider them. As it is, a lot of BLU magical spells just take too long to cast, especially damaging ones. I mean, in the 4 seconds one takes to cast Blood Drain, Digest, or Blood Saber (if it's safe too) you can cast a couple damage spells that will, quite simply, do a lot more. I mean, if they cut the timers down to 2 seconds from 4, that'd make it usable.

Of course, your gear build also probably has an effect on that. a BLU tank has a lot of necessary stats on his plate without trying for INT or MAB. AGI, Eva, VIT, and Def are most definitely needed, but they also need STR and Acc for their spells so they can hold hate. Then there's the matter of having room for it in spells. they're most definitely gonna want Auto Refresh and other set abilities to help them out.

[Karinya]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

Well, I have only taken BLU to 37 so far, but I concur with Kholdstare that the drains are just too slow to use effectively in a tanking role, despite their MP efficiency. It's not so much that you could do more damage in that time (you could, but it would often cost more MP and not also heal you, so that by itself doesn't stop them from being potentially useful) as that you will often be interrupted and end up not doing anything at all. I used drains more often in a DD role to recover HP lost to AoE or the monster turning on me; you don't have to worry as much about interruption when you're not tanking.

Even if they were less interruptible, though, the long recast timers would still keep them from being a major factor in tanking. You're just not going to drain back a significant fraction of the damage you take from even a DC mob, let alone a VT or IT.


I don't think BLU tanks need to worry about AGI or evasion, though. They're nice perks if you can get them in a gear slot where nothing really valuable is to be had, but with C+ evasion they're not going to be evading much in exp. That's only 5 points better than WAR or PLD at 75 (and not at all better up to 60). It's *worse* than MNK and SAM and how many hits do they evade from exp mobs (aside from Third Eye and Counter)?

BLU can blink and flash, but AGI/Eva gear doesn't contribute much if anything to the success of those spells. BLU's ability to survive damage comes mostly from medium armor, Cocoon and defense food.

[Kholdstare]

Re: BLU Tanking @ Lv.60+

Well, I have only taken BLU to 37 so far, but I concur with Kholdstare that the drains are just too slow to use effectively in a tanking role, despite their MP efficiency. It's not so much that you could do more damage in that time (you could, but it would often cost more MP and not also heal you, so that by itself doesn't stop them from being potentially useful) as that you will often be interrupted and end up not doing anything at all. I used drains more often in a DD role to recover HP lost to AoE or the monster turning on me; you don't have to worry as much about interruption when you're not tanking.

Even if they were less interruptible, though, the long recast timers would still keep them from being a major factor in tanking. You're just not going to drain back a significant fraction of the damage you take from even a DC mob, let alone a VT or IT.


I don't think BLU tanks need to worry about AGI or evasion, though. They're nice perks if you can get them in a gear slot where nothing really valuable is to be had, but with C+ evasion they're not going to be evading much in exp. That's only 5 points better than WAR or PLD at 75 (and not at all better up to 60). It's *worse* than MNK and SAM and how many hits do they evade from exp mobs (aside from Third Eye and Counter)?

BLU can blink and flash, but AGI/Eva gear doesn't contribute much if anything to the success of those spells. BLU's ability to survive damage comes mostly from medium armor, Cocoon and defense food.

But also keep in mind that AF feet have +10 to evasion SKILL (not regular old evasion, but an actual skill modification) and they have access to evasion bonus later on. It's no NIN Evasion, but it can get pretty good, and useful. Besides, you practically need evasion to make shadows last.