Heraclea

In that case, Inv/SS is the classic, high concept combination, and works quite well as a lead tank for a team. Invulnerability can be built to be close to Stone in toughness, without any of its aesthetic or playstyle annoyances, nor dependence on certain otherwise highly overrated powersets in your teammates. It has no problems holding aggro at all.

If you want a punching set that makes you even tougher, Inv/Dark Melee is the way to go. Having a fast if small self-heal in your attack set is going to make you quite hard to defeat.

For all around functionality, Shield/Electric is flavor of the month with good reason. This won't make you as tough as Invulnerability, but Shield is quite adequately tough, and has more layering than the other defense based set (Ice). And fewer aesthetic annoyances, since concept seems to be important to you. Where this shines is on teams that want to steamroll or that are being led by controller pets. You get two big, targeted AoEs to help take charge of multiple spawn aggro. And your aura is quite adequate as well. You will solo well, do more damage than most tankers, and be an asset to your team as well with this combo.

Those are my three current favorites for team utility tanking. I am also a big fan of Willpower, which is also very concept friendly, and a lot more fun to level. But it is somewhat harder to play well, and requires a lot more pro-activity; its usefulness is contingent on not only your own play style but your teammates' as well. The chief difficulty is that its taunt aura does not last very long, so you need to be very busy with taunt, and it favors AoE based sets. If every time you play your tanker you will have the backup of a full team, you'll find Invulnerability gives you an easier time.

Never gotten a Kheldian of either type to level 20.

Never gotten the Master of Statesman Task Force badge for any character.

Never played all the way through the old Hollows arcs, though I've surely seen all of the missions.

Never gotten one of the Ouroborus debuff badges.

Never gotten the master craftsman accolade.

Never gotten a PvP recipe drop.

Never owned a Warburg nuke.

Never gotten a respec recipe drop.

This is the build I am planning on for a second, more carefully planned build for my main, the Inv/SS I rolled back in 2004. Her old build is quite adequate; this should be even better.

This will be fairly expensive, at least if bought at the market. So you keepa you cotton pickin' hands offa my recipes!

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Heraclea build 2: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(9), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), RctvArm-ResDam:40(13), RctvArm-EndRdx:40(15)
Level 1: Jab -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg:35(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx:35(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(7), KntkC'bat-Knock%:35(37), Acc-I:50(43)
Level 2: Dull Pain -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(3), RechRdx-I:50(34), Heal-I:50(34), Heal-I:50(34), Heal-I:50(36)
Level 4: Haymaker -- Mako-Acc/Dmg:35(A), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:35(5), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(5), P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg:25(13), P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(36), P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(43)
Level 6: Air Superiority -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(7), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(36), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(37), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(43), P'ngS'Fest-Stun%:30(48)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(9), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), RctvArm-ResDam:40(15), RctvArm-EndRdx:40(33)
Level 10: Swift -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 12: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt:50(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:50(37), Mocking-Taunt/Rng:50(46), Mocking-Rchg:50(46)
Level 14: Fly -- Zephyr-Travel:50(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:50(48)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I:50(A), Heal-I:50(17), Heal-I:50(17), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:50(40)
Level 18: Invincibility -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg:40(19), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(19), GftotA-Def:40(45), Taunt-I:50(45), GSFC-Build%:50(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(21), P'Shift-EndMod:50(21), P'Shift-End%:50(45)
Level 22: Knockout Blow -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg:35(23), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(25), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg:30(25), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx:30(33)
Level 24: Boxing -- Acc-I:50(A)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- DefBuff-I:50(A), DefBuff-I:50(27), DefBuff-I:50(27)
Level 28: Rage -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(29), RechRdx-I:50(29), Rec'dRet-Pcptn:20(46)
Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), RctvArm-ResDam:40(31), RctvArm-EndRdx:40(33)
Level 32: Resist Physical Damage -- ImpArm-ResDam:40(A), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(50)
Level 35: Resist Energies -- ImpArm-ResDam:40(A), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(50)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:50(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(39), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg:50(39), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(39), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(40), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(40)
Level 41: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx:40(A), GftotA-EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), GftotA-Def:40(42)
Level 44: Resist Elements -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(A)
Level 47: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(48)
Level 49: Physical Perfection -- P'Shift-End%:50(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 17.7% Defense(Smashing)
• 17.7% Defense(Lethal)
• 5.81% Defense(Fire)
• 5.81% Defense(Cold)
• 9.56% Defense(Energy)
• 9.56% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 11.8% Defense(Melee)
• 8.63% Defense(Ranged)
• 8.63% Defense(AoE)
• 5.4% Max End
• 5% FlySpeed
• 98.4 HP (5.25%) HitPoints
• 5% JumpHeight
• 5% JumpSpeed
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 13.8%
• MezResist(Sleep) 3.85%
• MezResist(Stun) 1.65%
• 20% Perception
• 9% (0.15 End/sec) Recovery
• 16% (1.25 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 5.95% Resistance(Fire)
• 0.95% Resistance(Cold)
• 6% Resistance(Psionic)
• 5% RunSpeed

The main things about DB that I've noticed are that

• It is a relatively low endurance cost secondary; but
• The combo system is quite demanding in powers you need to take.

I like DB best on undemanding tanker primaries like Dark Armor, Fire, and Stone, that are full of optional powers. For primaries like Willpower or Ice, in which only one or two powers are skippable, it makes for a very tight build.

Mine is also Dark/Ice, and I have played the set to 45 --- though this tanker got no love over 2XP weekend, and I'll admit that she only exists because I am a completist on tanker primaries.

I took, and later respecced out of, the fear aura and the stun aura. I wouldn't recommend that everyone skip them, but I think that the usefulness of those two auras is strongly contingent on getting help from your secondary to make them work. Dark/Ice does not supply what's needed. I thought I might pick them up later in the build, but now that we have a second half-Health and Stamina available, I think the character will get more out of Conserve Power and Physical Perfection. If the character gets that far; I'm out of slots on Victory.

That was what I meant. If you can get close to above 30% defense without spending hundreds of millions chasing defense set bonuses, you probably do want CJ to make your life easier.

The knockdown in Air Superiority is in some sense the functional equivalent of defense; it makes sure that at least one mob won't hit you for a few seconds. Solo and on small teams, it's better than the small defense bonus from CJ. The more mobs you face routinely, the larger the advantage in CJ. But CJ does no damage; it just eats a little bit of your endurance. And DA does not need another toggle.

With Cloak of Darkness, CJ, and Weave reasonably slotted, you can get to around 20% defense natively on a DA tanker; but the rest is going to have to come from bonuses, and you'll need a great deal.

And, I dislike Cloak of Darkness, for the same reason I'm not a big fan of Stone, Ice, and Fire: it's concept unfriendly and aesthetically annoying. Not sure if the most recent patch has the promised update that lets you run it without turning your character into a dust bunny.

Ahhh... my least favorite primary and my least favorite secondary. (Not a fan of Stone or Ice, either, but at least they can keep you alive.) You can count on me to give you "objective" advice here.

I would say that, exactly because of the stuns, Dark Armor is probably the only tanker primary that has any synergy with Energy Melee currently. Energy Melee, despite its general poor performance, remains fairly good at its niche of taking down a single, high priority target fast. Since you get a fairly decent damage aura and a good but very costly self heal in Dark Armor, you can just stand around and wait for things to tick down while you wait for Build Up-Energy Transfer-Total Focus to recharge; the rest of your attacks will just drain you while you thrash around ineffectively with them.

The stackable stuns should be good enough to keep even bosses stunned fairly reliably. My main concern would be debuffs, especially slows; these are always a problem on a resistance based set, and worse on resistance based sets that rely on a self-heal.

Travel power? You're looking at major moolah to get a lot of defense on this character, so I'd just go with Flight and Air Superiority, which will be a better filler attack for you than what your secondary gives you.

This is what I do solo. I herd first, then hit the BU-LR-SC combo. That usually wipes almost all of the minions quite handily.

Teamed, I'm usually not as worried about my damage outpit, so I use them consecutively when I need to get two close by spawns under control.

Those stores will require you to run a mission for the contact before you can use them. In the Rikti War Zone, there is a store that sells and buys enhancements from 35 through 50 that is open to all, without prerequisite. Entrances to the War Zone are in the Vanguard compounds in Atlas Park, Founders Falls, and Peregrine Island.

There are similar stores in the Midnighter Club and Cimerora. To get access to these, you must first run a story arc that awards several badges, that you get from Montague Castellanetta (sp?) in the University in Steel Canyon. Doing his story opens the club, Cimerora, and the Imperious Task Force for your character, so this is even more worthwhile than running the origin store missions.

Electric Melee seems to be a fairly endurance light secondary. This may be a function of the endurance return; on my Shield/Electric, I slotted no attack for endurance modification, but over time it adds up. The multi target splash attacks would help Willpower a lot, though.

I think you want Hasten to improve the general feel of the set, which is rather slow, although it is possible to get a reasonably fluid attack chain up without pool power attacks.

Because for 10K inf, every character now has access to the jump pack vendors in the Shard at any level, Super Speed is no longer quite as hard to work in tight builds as it used to be.

Also, if you've never run the cape mission, you need to do that to unlock regular capes. Contact the City Representative in the Atlas Park city hall to begin that.

Mostly, it's the fact that tight builds require some secondary attack to be skipped. Given a choice between Havoc Punch and Jacobs Ladder, I'd still pick Jacob's Ladder despite the long animation. It is pure energy damage; and it occasionally can get a second or third mob in its cone, and given regular tanker play, those are worthwhile things to do.

Mine just hit 45. The character has been a joy to play and has levelled up quite satisfactorily. Since I put primary and secondary before pool powers, I don't have Weave yet, but I saved up for the right sets and have just under 44% melee defense; soft capping this out should not be a problem.

You will not want to skip Build Up on this.

T intersections in caves (like the familiar one in the first mission of the ITF) will pose no problem for you: you will know exactly what to do when you see them, and will not need to worry about where your teammates are.

They're "light breasts" because that's where the lasers are.