Do I bother checking anyone's powers in a group? No, not really, except when I'm curious about the theme.
E.g., if someone's named something like "Dark Shadow" (just an example, sorry if anyone actually has that name), I might be curious what combination of dark/* or */dark they took. And be thoroughly surprised if they're something like Empathy/Electric 
I'll notice in the fights if it actually works or not. I'll also tend to be _amused_ if they're a tank lacking both Taunt and an aura. It happens more often than you'd think, and not only in the teen levels. I remember grouping with people in the 40-50 range who had Granite and Rooted, but I never saw Mud Pots at their feet.
Will I feel safer if they _do_ have Taunt _and_ their aura? Yes, of course. If anything, it's some indication that they do intend to function as a party tank, rather than as a Scrapper with extra damage resistace. You know, being ready to chuck a Taunt at anyone adds aggroing the Blaster, and that kind of thing.
Still, as I've said, I'll see in an actual battle how that works. If noone dies, heck if I care what exact powers everyone took and how they're using them.
Did I take it on my inv/ tanker? Yep, being that it's a I4 character, I've had it proudly since level 4.
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Ok.. hands up who checks tanks build when they team with them.
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by the end of one mission its highly likely i have checked everyones build
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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Ok.. hands up who checks tanks build when they team with them.
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To be honest I generally don't trust tanks ( as a squishy ) until I've seen them fight a few spawns. That doesn't mean I won't help them, just that I won't expect them to save my butt. When they do it is a suprise. After a few spawns I might check their build, however playing a tank is more attitude than anything else. A good tank with a poor build can make a team work great with a debuff defender. A bad tank in the same team ( even with a 'perfect' build ) will mess everything up.
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
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A good tank with a poor build can make a team work great with a debuff defender. A bad tank in the same team ( even with a 'perfect' build ) will mess everything up.
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QFT 
Even without support, a 'poorly built' tanker with the 'right attitude' can make a team work.
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A good tank with a poor build can make a team work great with a debuff defender. A bad tank in the same team ( even with a 'perfect' build ) will mess everything up.
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QFT
Even without support, a 'poorly built' tanker with the 'right attitude' can make a team work.
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i was gonna do that but i didnt want to get done by bridger for bumping 
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
To answer the OP's question - of course a tank without Taunt is a tank. A tank without Taunt...
My Invul/SS tank got to L45 without Taunt, solo'd a lot, teamed with PUGs now and then, no problems for me or any teams I was on. Rarely if ever had and negative comments from team mates about it - in fact only a couple of 'knowitall' type Kheldians ever made any sarky comments (and were generally slapped down by the rest of the team, and in one case actually booted) I'm definitely of the opinion that a good tank is a lot more than just the sum of his stats and powers, and a poor tank with the 'best' theoretical build is stil... poor. I've teamed with quite a few excellent tauntless tanks, and seen tanks with Taunt cause teamwipes by taunting up too many mobs. My squishies will happily put their trust in ANY tank that has his act together, and get 100% behind the job of supporting them regardless of their powersets or specific powers. I've also seen far too many teamwipes caused by impetuous players not letting a capable tank do his thing - you know the ones, AoE's into random new spawns whilst the team is already heavily committed, Nova/Rain of Fire with no warning whilst half the team is resting, that sort of nonsense. Taunt or no Taunt, it's hard to cope with that kind of thing.
I finally succumbed and took Taunt as my most recent power pick, purely because I'd run out of any other powers I realy fancied. I can't say it's made much difference so far, either to the way I play, or the way teams view me. Never had any problems holding aggro prior to taunt with my Invincible aura and judicious use of well timed punchvokes. Not once. So often Taunt seems to me to be a 'save the idiot' power - not always, but very often. Not my job, I leave that to the empaths, if they're so inclined
But Warhed i thought you never team! 
You must have more posts about having to solo than anyone.
OMG and now you team? 
Dont just look at the post as in the taunt power from the secondary set what ever you do, is a tanker even without a taunt aura a tank to you?
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
I team rarely, not never, and when I do it's mainly with my tank or empath, which I don't consider my main alts. In fact, I made them precisely because I found it so hard to get teams with my AR/Dev blaster mains, as I reckoned they might be the kind of AT's/powersets that would probably get more team invites. At the time I made the empath, almost every PUG was like 'we NEED a healer!' so that worked out pretty well.
On the other hand my tank still ended up soloing most of the way to around L35 or so (pre-ED, so it was pretty quick and easy) This was one of the main reasons I never even considered taking Taunt till really late in the game - it's about as much use to a solo as a chocolate teapot!
The vast majority of my experience of teaming with other tanks has been with my empath. She almost always seems to get invited to teams that already have a tank, so I've seen a fair few in action, good and bad, Taunt and no Taunt.
I don't have any experience of playing any type of tank other than Invul, so obviously I can't really comment on any taunt aura other than Invincible (I'm not even sure what the alternatives are)
I do suspect it would be incredibly hard for me to hold aggro without Invincible, but as my tank didn't really team much before he had it, I've never really been in the position of having to try. Unlike Taunt, Invincible was such a good power even for a solo pre-ED that it was a no-brainer taking it as soon as it became available. It's still pretty good even post-ED, so I find it hard to imagine an Invul tank not taking it. Just a guess, but if the other tank types follow the same sort of general pattern, then I'd imagine that any tank lacking both Taunt AND a taunt aura would have a lot of difficulty holding aggro with gauntlet/punchvoke alone, possibly to the point of being a 'gimped' build.
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On the other hand my tank still ended up soloing most of the way to around L35 or so (pre-ED, so it was pretty quick and easy) This was one of the main reasons I never even considered taking Taunt till really late in the game - it's about as much use to a solo as a chocolate teapot!
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I find taunt is useful even solo, but than I like to corner pull and herd small groups. I always try to build tanks for AoE damage as they are always in the best place to deal it out. If you have moderate-good AoE damage then taunt is good even solo.
Admittedly my highest tank is an Inv/Fire so is very good at AoE damage and my 2nd highest tank is Ice/SS so has pretty good AoE damage too ( Rage + Icicles + Foot Stomp ).
I think we are discussig the wrong thing here anyway.
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
Is taunted needed for that though? I'm sure if you just ran in, run around all the mobs and then go and hide in your corner that will do the same thing.
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Is taunted needed for that though? I'm sure if you just ran in, run around all the mobs and then go and hide in your corner that will do the same thing.
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But that takes longer, soloing with tanks is slow enough anyway ( especially at low levels ).
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
Opinions and playstyles will obviously vary, but my personal opinion is that Taunt is only any use if you team. Bottom line for me is that as a solo I considered it a total waste to pick it at the expense of a power that either did damage or bolstered my defences.
As to herding for AoE's - other tank types may differ, but my Invul/SS has only one damaging AoE attack (Footstomp) and it's his top tier secondary so not available till L38 or thereabouts (IIRC?) ED came in and my pure soloing days effectively ended well before I ever got Footstomp.
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Is taunted needed for that though? I'm sure if you just ran in, run around all the mobs and then go and hide in your corner that will do the same thing.
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But that takes longer, soloing with tanks is slow enough anyway ( especially at low levels ).
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It makes me laugh when i see tanks with taunt "still run in to gather mobs and herd to a corner to cramp them. Its much better to just taunt and wait for the build up as you take less damage due to less exposure time, take less time because they come directly. In fact even my brute is really needing it as she is dark melee/dark armour with no stamina. For her own survivability i require to be almost killed before the mobs see some serious action.
imo a tanker is a tank with taunt and the taunt aura alone counts, you can tank without taunt but you are more limited in tanking skill imo even as far as in survivability without it.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Works fine in groups without itchy trigger fingers but you try doing that on a large team with suicide blasters. If you pull any more aggro they are completely untaunted and so if the blaster fires...Well lets just say your running in anyway and chaos cometh (which is always fun).
This game has been worrying me more and more as time goes by. The number of Tanks without Taunt and Empaths missing vital/useful team powers or that don't heal.
I think some of this has been brough on by CoV and the fact that Brutes generally don't take taunt but in CoH I get slightly worried when the tank doesn't have taunt as like some have said how do you agro the boss thats heading off towards your healer etc?
I have a fire/ice tank and partially due to it being a PvP build but also very useful in teams I have 2 taunts (the tankers taunt and the multi target taunt from presence) and I also have the 2 fear powers from presence.
It was commented how in 1 mission a squishy was hovering right beside me in a tight CoT mission surrounded by a big croud of Bohemouths and they never once whent for the squishy.
Seeing as tanks generally don't do alot of damage unlike Brutes but can take a hell of alot of agro/damage in my opinion IF they want to team to 50 then really they should get taunt. It's ok saying i have an aura and I can punch but the blaster/defender stood at the back of the team that has a boss heading in his direction might be thankfull of that ranged taunt to grab agro away again. Also unless you like button bashing taunt grabs agro easy than changing targets every few seconds to punchvoke.
For those wanting to solo to 50 or who have SG/friends that don't mind then sure skip taunt but for other teams it might be nice if we can fully fulfill our role.
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Works fine in groups without itchy trigger fingers but you try doing that on a large team with suicide blasters. If you pull any more aggro they are completely untaunted and so if the blaster fires...Well lets just say your running in anyway and chaos cometh (which is always fun).
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Which is why i have taunt, which is why i have greater range of tanking skill than those that dont. On smaller well played teams especially of certain make ups a tanker without taunt can using aura and good team play can do what is deemed to be tanking by keeping whats there aggroed. On large teams especially with some lack of control taunt is very useful.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Joined a couple of PUG's over the weekend with my Ice tank and the first thing that was said both times was 'Great a tank with taunt, so rare these days'
As I said else where, taunt is there for me to consolidate the aggro and grab the strays
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I think some of this has been brough on by CoV and the fact that Brutes generally don't take taunt but in CoH I get slightly worried when the tank doesn't have taunt as like some have said how do you agro the boss thats heading off towards your healer etc?
[/ QUOTE ]You catch up with him, you have travel powers after all. Seriously, for the millionth time, taunt is in no way necessary to tank.
I second that.Its just like saying a blaster needs snipe to pull mobs from a distant
-Icy^^
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You catch up with him, you have travel powers after all. Seriously, for the millionth time, taunt is in no way necessary to tank.
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What? And abandon the rest of the spawn you've carefully herded around yourself? I don't think so.
No one's really saying you can't be a tank without taunt, but you can never ne the best tank you can possibly be without it.
(\_/)
(O.O) Bunny: Our time is coming
(> <)
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No one's really saying you can't be a tank without taunt, but you can never ne the best tank you can possibly be without it.
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Hammer.... Nail.... Head....
No matter how good a tank you are, you will be better with taunt.
I have found that if I am in a good team with no kamikaze players. I don't tend to use taunt at all. Once the enemies are in my mudpots they don't tend to go very far. As a stonetanker the biggest nightmare is when you are relying on your aura taunt and the storm defender runs towards you 
As for the whole does taunt make you a tanker. No. It doesn't make you a tanker anymore than nova makes you a blaster. You can do the job of tanking without taunt. It just makes it easier. The same as you can flatten enemies without nova, it just makes it easier.
With my ice/ tank I must admit I have not taken taunt yet..But then he is only lvl 13. Even so I can see it being put off till the 20s, unless I start finding that I am losing the aggro.
'Till then I am much more concerned at being able to protect a team from the enemy AND remain standing, and offer a valuable damage output.
Before I took the third lvl cold aura(the slow power) I was wishing I had taunt, but once I got that I turned into the centre of attention :P
I have 2 tanks 1 with and 1 without taunt and i never used taunt that much. But then when im in a team I allways go straight 4 the bosses and lieutenants to take the heat off of the other team mates(have had no complantes yet)
Basically it all down to how you tank. Some tank beter with taunt some tank beter without.
tbh my tank didn't get taunt till later than 20 the first time round back when i first started but i was able to hold aggro by running in and spamming whirling hands but since i got taunt i never respec'd it out it makes for better aggro and to pull things off your teamates in unexpected situations such as a team member pulling another mob because he/she wasn't paying attention to the mob you were doing in the first place
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