Tankers vs Brutes

Considering in this game a Blaster can grab the alpha for a group with enough buffs, the whole idea of "tanking" is pretty much moot.

When considering whether to make a brute or tanker, the only two considerations one needs to take into account are:

A: Do I like damage?

B: How much do I dislike dying?

If you answer yes to A, than you want a Brute. If you answer "a lot" to B, or something to that respect, than you want a Tank.

My two main toons are a soft-capped Invul/ss tank and a sped-up stone/stone brute. Both IOed out the wazoo with everything except purples.

While the tank can herd Giant Monsters, his level of survivability is just unneeded in 99% of this games content. Now the Brute isn't quite as tough, since his IO's focused on run speed and end recovery over soft capping his defenses, but he is a million times more fun to play, since he can actually lay into a Boss and take him down in a respectable amount of time. I'd say even his level of survivability is unneeded in about 95% of this games content.

To be honest, short of concept, I cannot see a single reason why anyone should make a tank. And with Going Rogue on the horizon, concept can be tossed out the window since one can just bring their Brute to the blue side. The level of survival tanks bring to the table is basically useless on any decent team, and their damage in average cases is pretty much relegated to pointlessness. But add a Brute instead, who can easily be buffed to the tankers level of defense, and with the added factor that a good one can basically be the main source of damage on the team, and you've got all the functionality of a tanker, but none of the negatives such as low damage.

In my experience, an SOed out SS/WP Brute with a decently balanced team of buffs, debuffs and damage, is all the "Tank" one needs in this game. Add IO's, switch up primaries and secondaries, whatever, in the end a Brute should always be the first choice for meat shieldy-goodness in this game.

ok heres what i have to say

i got a lvl 50 ice/ss tanker, on a AE farm helpinh my SG i can take (Or not in this case) a lot of hits but my damage isnt all that i want it to be even with double stacking rage

my lvl 50 Fire/fire Brute, i can take some damage but have to put heal on auto sometimes but my damage is insane

the difference to me is more defence/less damage or more damage/less defence

as for TANKING a brute can take damage but not as much as a tank can but if your Invul or Stone your a monster for taking damage

tankers control aggro, brutes control aggro

is there a difference?

you tell me but i can out tank anything heroes has to offer on my invul and stone brute
and to me standing in front of rommie taunting him to the crap while the weak little heroes go to hosp it is all i need to know

can brutes tank? it's all on the skill of the player behind the toon

True, difficult end-game content does not really require a Tank - just something that does the job of one, such as a very well built Brute or Scrapper. Probably also need some support, such as a Defender, but really a well-built Controller or Corruptor will do. And of course we'll want DPS, like one could get from a Blaster, but really a well-built Stalker or Dominator or Corruptor can fit the bill.

And when the dozen or so people who actually have such magnificent jewels are busy, the rest of us will go look for a Tank, a Defender, and a Blaster - who can do the same job with SOs.

(Yeah, I'm a little tired of the whole "specialists are weak/useless" noise.)

The brute that I do have is tough and only because she's a Granite. I don't roll any other secondary because I find it too squishy.

And I highly doubt your brutes can handle what my tanks can.

The one edge a Tank should have over a Brute is when it comes to tanking for the less favourable team make ups. Many Brutes have been known to succeed the LRSF with a team almost completely made up of Corrupters and a Dom, this has been what I can easily call a favourable team. A Tanker should run fairly solid with way, way less support. This doesn't prevent a problem that I find with people choosing what people can easily do from having certain dream powersets over chancing people with concepts and powersets that take more Knowledge/skill than buff em and runs.

Brutes play like brutes. You can tank if you want or dont tank if you want. Seen them be effective both ways. hell Ive seen blasters tank it just depends on if you want your build to do that or not. Come to think of it its odd to see a non /stone brute even tank. I play mine like a frog on crack hopping from one spawn to another keeping the fury bar as high as it will go, but as I made a DB/Wp brute i dont do the worlds best tanking. Think next brute Im gonna make will be DB less, dont get me wrong, its a fun set but with most of the game resisting its damage type and being addicted to Strike vitals and sweep It plays less like a SMASH! set than any others Ive played.

On a side note i have tanked for TFs and the like when there wasent a /stone or a tankermind about. Its remarkable just how many people expect a brute to be a tank build, actually I find this the case more than people assuming corruptors are healers.

Oddly the real jack of trades Villain side is the masterminds. They can get a skill set that makes them tankers or they can get a healing set and be healers. What other class can do that? 0_o

My brutes and scrappers can generally out aggro a tank and are as survivable if not moreso depending on the build. IOs are the great equalizer and have really changed the game's dynamics. My 2 favorite toons are my DB/SR scrapper and an Elec/SR brute that are capped on defense and has 280% regen thanks to the numinas and some strategic placement of LoTGs. They roll through 8 man spawns with no problems and can stand toe-to-toe with AVs. Both have the ability to tank, while having great movement and the optional 'auto-win' button.

Now my fully IO'd Wp and Invul tanks are true beasts but aren't anywhere near as fun as a good brute to play.

Just one more question for you guys. What kind of defense / resistance can a Stone Armor Brute get up to? Again, I don't have too much money for expensive IO's, which is why I was thinking about going tank to start. I know the Stone Armor tank can get pretty maxed out to all but Psi with just SO's, what would the brute with the same slots have?

Could a stone armor brute actually get more defense/resistances than some of the weaker tanker armors?

Thanks in advance.

Brutes are not Tanks (In the Tanker AT sense), but Brutes can tank (In the generic MMO-term of "aggro-holder/gatherer") if they are built right.