what is your favorite tanker build? and why?
By
abnormal_joe,
Posted on: 2009-05-19 12:07 in Tankers
Inv/SS by a mile. It's iconic, it's in-game all around solid, and I can go from min/max to comic book with a build switch, yet be solid either way. I enjoy the way it lends itself to concepts. It's what comes to mind when I think Tanker.
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
Ice/SS
My first character ever. I loved it back when Ice was "gimp" and still do to this day.
"the reason there are so many sarcastic pvpers is we already had a better version of pvp taken away from us to appease bad players. Back then we chuckled at how bad players came here and whined. If we knew that was the actual voice devs would listen to instead of informed, educated players we probably would have been bigger dicks back then." -ConFlict
I have a SD/Axe tank I am having tons of fun with. I love the knockup axe gives you and the Viking vibe of the shield animations (Brawl is smash enemy in the mouth with shield! Taunt is smack axe on shield!).
Also on a more serious note, I love the powers in SD. Against all Odds and Shield Charge are great. This alt is sailing through levels faster than most of my other alts. 
Inv/WM is just about the only tank I play anymore. He was my first character and also runs the A.G.O.N.Y. SG on Victory.
I have an Ice/Fire/Pyre on Freedom that I dust off and play occasionally, he is just brutal offensively. I should play him more, he has alot of very expensive IOs in his build.
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
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Inv/SS by a mile. It's iconic, it's in-game all around solid, and I can go from min/max to comic book with a build switch, yet be solid either way. I enjoy the way it lends itself to concepts. It's what comes to mind when I think Tanker.
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I've had fun with about 6 or 7 different Tanker builds but Inv/SS is still #1 in my heart.
Fire/SS/Pyre
My baby since Beta and no matter what build I try it is never as much fun.
WP/SS and SHield/Axe are tied for second place. Shield Charge is such a fun power 
That's a hard question!
I just finished setting up invention sets on my Inv/SS tanker, so he's "hot" right now on my play list. He's well-rounded, very rugged with right the set bonuses, and looks great with the thundering SS animations. But he hasn't yet reached the level of my Fire/Fire! The Fire/Fire is even flashier, sweeping her flaming sword in great roaring circles, splashing sheets of flame through crowds of bad guys. I still plan to rebuild her with invention sets, so she's waiting impatiently for me to get around to it.
I have a high level Stone/Fire as well, who gets compliments on his concept. They're not kidding that Stone gives up mobility and offense for its stupendous ruggedness! I like the durability, but it requires a certain mindset to enjoy the character when you are thwarted by a curb.
I have a baby Shield/Axe that I like a lot -- can't wait to get to the higher-tier powers. I discovered I like knockdown on other characters, and made this one partly because it's one of the most knockdown-heavy combinations possible.
I guess right now Inv/SS holds my attention the most -- but don't count out Shield/Axe, that will be a strong contender for my gaming hours.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
I have not tried SS (heresy, I know)
But of the tanks I've played my Invul/ has been my favorite.
He is /EM, fwiw.
City of Heroes was my first MMO, & my favorite computer game.
R.I.P.
Chyll - Bydand - Violynce - Enyrgos - Rylle - Nephryte - Solyd - Fettyr - Hyposhock - Styrling - Beryllos - Rosyc
Horryd - Myriam - Dysquiet - Ghyr
Vanysh - Eldrytch
Inflyct - Mysron - Orphyn - Dysmay - Reapyr - - Wyldeman - Hydeous
My tanks:
50 Stone/axe, 50 Stone/DB, 50 Fire/fire, 50 Fire/ice, 50 Fire/dark, 50 Ice/fire, 50 Ice/stone, 50 Shield/mace, 38 ice/SS, 33 dark/axe, 32 ice/stone
Which ones do I recommend ?
Ice/stone I like so much I've done twice. Once you sort your endurance issues it's just tremendous fun to play. SM gives you a lot of mitigation with the knockdowns and a boss level hold. Ice armor allows you to refill your end bar frequently enough to power stone melee.
Ice/fire is an AoE monster with good aggro holding without taunt.
Stone/axe was my original tank from 5 years ago and for sheer indestructibility is great on teams.
Fire/dark is fun as a sort of heavy scrapper type, 2 heals, 2 consumes, just roll and don't stop.
Dark/* I would only recommend with a secondary that can stack stuns with oppressive gloom, energy works well as does stone melee.
My WP and invul tanks are just lowbies, although I've done both sets to death in other ATs. WP has the huge advantage of effectively having stamina at level 12.
It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba
Invulnerability/Super Strength - high concept, why I made a Tanker in the first place. Slow to mature, but when there worth sticking with.
Willpower/Dark Melee. Another punching combo, this can get almost as tough as Granite with none of the aesthetic or play style drawbacks.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Listing my lvl 50 tanks in order of them reaching 50:
Ice Armor/ Fire
Fire Armor/ SS
Ice Armor/ Axe
WP/ EM
Fire/ Fire
Invuln/ Stone
Shield/ SS
Now, I enjoyed playing all of them to 50, but the one that I have completely fallen in love with is the Shield/ SS. Poor Invuln/ Stone made 50 right before i13 came out. It was an older tank, just one I never played much. Both SS and Stone Melee give good mitigation and that "smash" feel, But the combination of FootStomp and Shield Charge put Shield/ SS over the top for me.
The Shield toon is approaching 3 mil SG prestige, and I cannot count the amount of merits he has earned. And I have his anti-thesis, a SS/ Shield brute who is only 25 right now.
The only thing that might be more fun for me would be Shield + Electric Melee. But with Going Rogue coming soon, I bet ElM doesnt get proliferated to hero-side. I would roll a Shield/ ElM brute but I already have a brute and stalker with ElM and don't have the initiative to start 1 yet.
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Dark/* I would only recommend with a secondary that can stack stuns with oppressive gloom, energy works well as does stone melee.
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Don't forget War Mace--IMO it has great synergy with DA.
I have two Mace tanks, Invul and Dark, and it's hard to choose between them; though I think if I HAD to choose my favorite it would be my Invul/Mace. My first tank, and very fun to play with the improvements to both Invul and WM.
My Characters
Knight Court--A CoH Story Complete 2/3/2012
As always, I agree with Finduilas 100%.
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
tanks are my favorite AT, my first 50 was a WP/EM, who is a ST god, got most of the standard combinations of primary and secondary in the 25+ level range, and i lve all of them.
but if pressed to put the "favorite" tag on one, i would say my FA/WM, i made him before the boost to WM damage, hoping that FA would make up for the anemic mace damage, now, with mace being the awesomsauce that it is, he has become an AoE monster, to rival my fire/fire tank. besides, his concept is cool 
Oh yeah, that was the time that girl got her whatchamacallit stuck in that guys dooblickitz and then what his name did that thing with the lizards and it cleared right up.
screw your joke, i want "FREEM"
Ice/Ice because I never get tired of being mistaken for a Jack Frost. I'M NOT A PET DAMMIT!
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As always, I agree with Finduilas 100%.
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Aww, thanks, Largo! 
My Characters
Knight Court--A CoH Story Complete 2/3/2012
Currently, it's my SD/SS. Survivability? Check. Aggro management? Just fine. Defeating more enemies than the Scrappers? Oh, so delicious!
That, and the only effects I've got on is a shield and Rage...though Rage pretty much makes up for just about any other effects....
I am currently quite fond of Invulnerability/Ice, but I would be lying if I said that I actually favor this particular powerset combination strongly -- I belong to the "variety is the spice of life" school of thought. I like to play different ATs and powersets, and do not just stick to one.
I've only got one 50 tanker, a Shield/Ice Melee, but I love him. He's soft-capped, so it's a little superfluous, but I enjoy the bring-your-own-mitigation theme of Ice Melee: it makes life easier for the rest of the group. Managed to successfully tank Lord Recluse on him the other day, which I'm fairly proud of even if it did take a few tries before I managed not to get wrecked by Arm Lash before the red tower was down.
Of the other tanker sets I've tried, on them or on Brutes, the one I'm expecting to have the most fun with is a dark/wm I have been messing around with off and on. I have a dark melee / invuln brute at 26; people keep wondering why I have no taunt aura. I suspect the combo would be more fun on a tanker.
A Stone tanker is best because it's the closest thing in the game that feels like a hack, you NEVER die!
I have a Stone/Axe and I lovvvvvvvvvvvve it!
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"A coward dies many times before their death, the valiant taste death but once." - William Shakespeare
Learn it... OWN IT!
INV/SS and then my Stoner (caveat: after IOs).
Juzam
Tanker aficionado
Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.
I've been playing my Inv/SS Tiny since day -3, and have never really stopped. He's pretty strapped with HO's and IO's though, so I might be a bit spoiled.
Recently though, I like my Ice/Ice Winter Comet almost as much .. there's so much more to do, it seems. Plus, with the damage spikes you get from a defensive set, you spend more time 'On the Edge', so to speak.
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
"The tip of a shoelace is called an aglet, its true purpose is sinister." The Question
I think my most fun combo right now.... Ice Armor/Dark melee it's not 50 yet but it's crazy on the survivability scale even rivalling my granite tank.
for tanks I have:
WP/SS - 50
SA/SM - 47
IA/DM - 34
SD/SS - 32
Inv/FM - 10ish
DA/DB - 10ish
Only tank primary I haven't tried is FA and i honestly have no reason to.
INV/SS: Blue Hammer was my first character and my first 50: lots of fond memories and lots of fun still playing him. Played much of the content solo, including the Praetorian archs (epic, epic fights, those - the stuff of comic books)
INV/EM: Action Lass is my other lvl 50 tank. She spent most of her latter levels duoing with a human form Peacebringer: hands down the most fun duo I have ever been a part of.
WP/SS: Aero Gal (lvl 40) feels like she has the potential to be the toughest tank in my stable. Loads and loads of fun solo and in groups.
Other combos I've tried, had fun with, but have only gotten modest levels with:
Fire/SS
WP/Dark
Ice/Ice
Ice/SS
Fire/Ice
You know, when you get right down to it, they're all great. They're all fun in the sewers, they all suck way too much endurance in their teens, but they all start to come into their own with Stamina and access to SOs, and they all get better with age.
@Greblaja, @Greblaja 2, @Greb, @Greb 2
Player of (lvl 50s) Blue Hammer, Action Lass, Autumn Gale, Crimson Hammer, Thundertoe, Blast Hammer, Crimson Clash, Greblaja, Wabu, Gray Hammer, Briar Pyre, Electro Gal, Rooftop Sentinel, and many, many more
what is your favorite tanker build? and why? i want to know from ppl whom have played tankers what their favorite build type for a tanker is. i want to know this to help me decide what kind of tanker i want to use.