After an instructive lesson on 'the uses of taunt' from Shannon I have finally respecced my fire/fire tanker. She now has taunt and (although still learning) after a couple of AV missions the same night I kept the AV taunted until his untimely demise and nobody died whilst fighting him - I was so happy! Granted the lack of deaths was probably mroe due to the great healing going on and the other tankers wading in - but it made me happy!!! 
Golden-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Fire/Fire Tank
Oodja Nikabolokov - Lvl 50 SS/WP Brute
Baby-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Peacebringer
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris?
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I have a repeatable attack chain with only 3 damage attacks from my secondary there's no need for more than that because i would have them queuing, now if i had taken all of the available attacks and no taunt....well it wouldn't make me a better tank would it.
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how about that AOE!!
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Ah, but now with multibuilds we can create a taunting tanker with a scranker alternate build for when we are soloing (or on an all-tanker team)!
I really should do something about this signature.
Yeh multi build is such a great idea. Totally love it.
Build 1.-Team tanker, Heavy on defenses and aggro management tools, maybe less single target dam output
Build 2.-Scranker, Damage output focus with defenses tailored for smaller teams or soloing.
Also this could really open up having multiple tankers on a team. One tanker has a scrank build while the other plays the classic team tanker role.
I know with all my tankers I build with the idea of tanking for a big team. Attacks dont get much attention till 32+ while survivability and aggro management are primary. Makes soloing pretty hard or impossible. Or the one exception was my fire tanker which had a great damage output but till later could only adequately tank teams of 6 or less.
Roll on multi builds
Yep with 2 builds it can be like having a defensive stance for 8 man teams and a offensive stance for solo. My Shannon always had the offensive stance, no AT is needed and so there is nothing wrong with that but a second build would offer me more flexibility.
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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Yep with 2 builds it can be like having a defensive stance for 8 man teams and a offensive stance for solo. My Shannon always had the offensive stance, no AT is needed and so there is nothing wrong with that but a second build would offer me more flexibility.
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Yeh will be interesting to build a tanker without going for maximum survivability for a change. Take all those attacks I just couldnt find room for
I was a big believer in surviving something because it's
a) Dead. Through offense you've lowered fight duration.
b) Hard controlled. You've lowered fight duration against self within a fight duration.
c) Soft controlled. Lowering enemy dps to sustainable levels.
d) Given less time and opportunity through perception and LoS.
Then there is knowing what the enemy can do, a Tanker should be aware of the enemies perception range, types of attacks, recharge times, ranges, etc, etc. Depending on the type of tanker you are as well, this can be inclusive of what an enemies level of defense is like, as picking the lowest defense target, will help to more likely get the gauntlet/combo with the effect relied upon.
I always believed that in order to know how to Tank, you must be able to talk about Defenders. They're there to help make the whole team look good and like it or not they make the whole team look good if you play to their strengths. If a Stonetank could do with SB "at times" then what other tankers can do with "at times" shouldn't lead to too much of an argument.
Add me more shields and I won't need to think as much but some enemies will be more fun in some teams rather than a worry. What good it will do however is offer me the flexibility required to better survive in teams that, although through dynamics they can all offer each other more team survivability than they know how to, do the opposite. I find myself telling people things about their characters just like people used to teach me things about mine anyways.
All in all, the game doesn't have to be a case of easily running in, taking damage easily and tauntbotting easily (as I do with my Stone). Risk sobers me up some.
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.
Having raised my 3rd tanker to 50, one stone/stone one fire/invul and the other fire/fire i think i can safely say the fire/fire does not need taunt, because the sheer aoe damage with gauntlet, and proper slotting means i have no agro holding issues.
However this being said, fire/invul still benefits greatly from it if you get the occasional 'bum rush' straight to a blaster just because of the range, its difficult to keep agro, and run out of a mob you have agroed to get one runner.
The Stone/stone i wouldnt even dream of speccing out taunt, i would get laughed at so hard because theres no point playing without it.
So my theory is:
Its not 100% nessessary IF your a fire/fire, but if thats the way you want to play you may as well just be a scrapper.
Otherwise to be any good in pve, you do need it.
Ahh the age of the scranker, worst points of a tanker, cant hold agro, worst point of a scrapper, cant deal damage. Why even bother? Just play one or the other
on a side note:
taunt is pretty handy if you slot it with perfect zinger:chance for psi damage. It might only be a minor damage but it hits fairly often.
Fire/Fire has no auto hits without taunt. Reading the combat attributes, how low can your last chance tohit go?
All the way to the floor.
So at times Inv/Fire should be better. Invincible is autohit where as Blazing Aura isn't. Invincible ticks faster and has a longer duration taunt although Blazing Aura helps to lower fight duration better. One tick of my Invincible is 30 secs worth of taunt right there 
; since the fix its been good! It'll hit when BA doesn't, more often and for longer, so its fairer to say slotting versus enemy is a factor, who I am teaming with is a factor when comparing Inv/Fire to Fire/Fire.
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.
Yeah, autohit is a big thing. Nemesis army get off a few Vengances and Blazing Aura can't hit any of them.
I really should do something about this signature.
The only time I'll look for a Tank with taunt is if I'm doing a Task Force. Naturally a Tank with taunt would appeal to me far more than a Tank without taunt, unless they were a friend or something.
Unless, of course, the Tank has taunt, but is missing something like Unyielding because it has a minor penalty. Don't laugh, it's happened before. XD
If I'm in a PuG, then I'll adjust my tactics accordingly to the rest of the team like everyone should do. Not everyone always has a special teamup issue with Superman. :3 Sometimes you have to team up with the Incredible Hulk, and then it's every man for himself.
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On the other hand, Fire/fire is a damage monster with both build upp and fiery embrace, unleash the AoE´s and the scrappers/blasters wont have much work left to do. And if you have the luxury off teaming with a kin defender or troller at higher lvl´s, just wait for the fulcrum and let the barbeque begin :P
Since firetanks rely on resistance and healing flames for survival (wich makes them a bit more squishy IMO, but still prob the most fun and challanging tank to play ).
I love fire/fire tanking - I have tried rolling other powersets but none of them had the feeling of pure joy of destruction fire gives
Golden-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Fire/Fire Tank
Oodja Nikabolokov - Lvl 50 SS/WP Brute
Baby-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Peacebringer
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris?
Look Shannon is right about taunt , its the most selfless power to take , and it isn't even a bad power to take even for solo or pvp .
The problem more is cause of tight fit slotting and power choices people drop it , cause its situational
Same way i dont even take a taunt aura till i can afford the endurance in solo play .
Now what people want to do with there build is there problem , but if you are promoting team play and without proper tools, thats a different story .
Thats the point shannon makes here , taunt is a team play tool in the right hands it outshines everything cause its cost 0 endurance , instant group snap aggro , properly slotted (something few people) its the bomb .
Now the issue with tauntless tanks is more the slotting .
Its no good to be a tank without your attacks properly slotted either way , damage still a huge chunk of threat .
Look some of us can tank without a taunt or taunt aura, or heck tank as any AT , in small groups of till 4 . but does that make life easier on the group or yourself ? no it doesn't
Now the thing is more once you hit the 8 man purple spawn /av +3 for all , thats where beside skill your powerchoices and slotting makes a difference , where your 2 def/res or 3 def/res really shines or makes you buckle over.
Thats where you say taunt is a beter choice since autohit is more reliable then punchvoke or anything else low mag.
I would love to know what people feel the need to pick instead of taunt, 95% of the time there is something they can easily drop to get taunt.
My ice tank even has taunt, I use it when solo too. Saves a lot of running around after mobs, its probably on of the most time saving and efficient powers you can get, the psi damage proc is just an awesome sauce bonus ontop of a cake made of pure awesome
Same points getting raised again and again. The choice is entirely dependant on play style and Powers/Primary set decisions. From there it'll involve you're knowledge of the game mechanics.
I have a Dark Melee/Ice Armor tank near level 35 without taunt, holds agro just fine, probably won't get taunt for a while on that one. Invuln tank I've planned to take taunt, but not till much later and most likely after a respec, I can hold agro fine, as long as you talk to your team and explain what you are doing and what they need to do, to help you do it there shouldn't be any problem.
-75% range.
Case closed.
I really should do something about this signature.
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-75% range.
Case closed.
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I can see that dumbing the game down some in PvE. I am not too worried about it in PvP.
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.
LoL I just said something about this to Shannon. So how many classes out there have a power that just isn't useful?
Just tanks...
/wrists
Edit:
Though I am being unfair to the power, it still has one use and thats keeping an AV agro'd while kiting.
It's not like its useful in PvP, after the tohit check, its got what, a whole 6 seconds duration on that target after the range nerf. Though I will say if the taunt acted more like a stun status effect it would be a hell of alot more useful(at least from pvp p.o.v.) .
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how many classes out there have a power that just isn't useful?
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Scrappers/Night Widows: Confront.
I really should do something about this signature.
Now that I understand the will reduce your foe's range, I'll say it sounds alot more useful. Initially thought the power was getting nerfed from the i13 thread.
Apologies for the threadomancy once again but I wasn't about to reply to Lionsbane.
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So without Taunt, the casual Tanker can't operate in a manner as befits the AT. Whereas, an experienced oplayer who understands literally HOW the set or rather aggro management works, can do just as well, if not better, without it.
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Never in a zillion years quite frankly.
Atm. With or without it everyone is subject to other people in the team but I think that without it, you really are down to fewer options on how to keep other players from being hit.
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So as I stated. Yes a Tanker needs it. No a Tanker doesnt.
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A Tanker doesn't need taunt to be a Tanker, or an acceptable one to many people but what it does it add flexibility to reach out better to those that'll rather you with than without. There are many ways of going about things in this game and Taunt allows for some of it. I find all Tankers balanced around certain things especially taunt.
I like to use it to mitigate damage to team "when needed" by limiting what attacks can be used. The enemy is compelled to hit me and can only hit me with attacks that can actually hit me. This may be attacks that can only effect me when it does hit. The limiting of attacks an AV can use can be the difference of getting something done and not getting something done. I know what some people are like; they'll cherry pick power sets to team with or cherry pick power sets for themselves to play as its simpler. You don't really have to have to do that unless and I admit to this, its pace you want.
I find defenders stack to my build quite nicely, but some of them don't take certain powers. This can create limitations. Not taking taunt creates limitations but we are free to chose our own limits. If I have a staminaless, tough-less tank, I chose mine and so what aye
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.