Provoke vs Tanker Taunt

Tanking with a MM is... "problematic" without status protection. With enough defense, and picking up pool powers like acrobatics, you can make it serviceable. But the lack of full spectrum status protection will be an issue against many mob types if you're trying to tank. I think that's the main reason you don't see it happen often. If you pick your content carefully, you can make it a non issue I suppose, but I prefer being able to play a role across all content if possible. Blaster-tanks would have the same drawback as MM's. Controllers can attempt to perma-Indomitable Will, or just depend on overwhelming CC for all but EB/AV's. Or illusion control can perma phantom army and get them to tank. But this is getting away from any useful reason to take Provoke.


Aside from scrappers (some of whom can tank rather effectively), there's one AT where Provoke really shines: VEATs, especially Crab-Tanks.

A properly built Crab-Tank can be "extremely" viable as a tank, in all possible tanking situations. You can build to tank level durability, and you have full status protection with a -KB IO. The difference in aggro management, is mainly that you lack gauntlet and a taunt aura. You can somewhat make up for this with large area high aoe-dps, you'll have weaker 'pull' but across a larger area than most tanks/brutes can muster. Best to go in early, and get your team to hold off for a few seconds (built correctly, you're indestructible anyway). Or if there's decent control in your group, you can leave for the next spawn while your team finishes off the current spawn, giving you ample time to set up aggro or corner pull. But you really need provoke in your tool set to 'help' manage team aggro as a crab-tank, and to spam in order to keep aggro when you're being out-dps'd in longer fights (ex: AV fights).

Frankly, the lack of range-debuff in provoke (same in brute's taunt) is not a bad thing for a crab, as the crab's ST and AoE are both just as strong at range. Mobs can sit at any distance they want, or up close all around me, as long as they're halfway clustered together, and aggro'd on me.

But then, as far as tanking goes, incarnate leagues (unless they are familiar with your tanking ability) will usually go with a tank archetype for the arch villains, just based on preconceived notions that they're more durable than my crab (often not the case). And in 8-person groups, a fairly wide variety of character types can pull off tanking vs. all but AV's. I have two controllers who can "tank" 8-man purple spawns just fine, a couple scrappers who can do it with strong heal support, and one controller who can go up against an AV solo (but maybe not hold aggro vs an AV in a group). So crab-tank is sadly only a part-time build, pulled out whenever a group needs a punching bag, or to do some farming on par with any X/fire brute. The rest of the time i play it as a mage-tank-spider-mastermind

Put simply the best Tanker Minds are those with Force Fields or Traps as a secondary as they have powers that give you mez protection.

Even so, on my MMs I wouldn't bother with it. Solo I can just use my personal attacks to draw aggro. On teams I'll just make my pets charge forward, drawing aggro away from my teammates.

Just how I roll.