Tanking in Final Fantasy XIV is both thrilling and challenging, especially for newcomers. But fear not, for with dedication and practice, you can become a formidable tank in the world of Eorzea. In this guide, we will delve into the basics of tanking in dungeons, trials, and raids. We'll cover crucial tank role actions, aggro management, mitigation strategies, and communication with your party. By the end, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to take on the role of a tank and lead your party to victory. So, let's embark on this journey and unlock the secrets of successful tanking in Final Fantasy XIV!

 

• Tank Role Actions
• Dungeon Tanking
• Tanking in Trials and Raids
• 13 Tips Before Tanking

 

 

↖ Tank Role Actions

Before you embark on your tanking journey, familiarize yourself with these crucial tank role actions:

• Rampart: Reduces damage taken by 20% for 20 seconds. Use this during pulls or when facing tank busters.
• Low Blow: Stuns your target for 5 seconds. Handy for interrupting enemy abilities, especially if there's no White Mage to help.
• Provoke: Moves you to the top of the enmity list for your target. We'll discuss its uses later in the guide.
• Interject: Interrupts the target's action if their cast bar is pulsating and glowing red.
• Reprisal: Reduces damage dealt by nearby enemies by 10% for 10 seconds. Excellent for mitigating damage during pulls or raid-wide damage phases.
• Arm's Length: Prevents you from being drawn in or knocked back for 6 seconds. It has another use we'll explain later.
• Shirk: Transfers 25% of your enmity to a targeted party member, typically used on another tank.

 

↖ Dungeon Tanking

Now, let's delve into the specifics of tanking in dungeons, trials, and raids.

• Activate Your Tank Stance: As soon as you enter a dungeon, make sure your tank stance is on. This ensures you hold enmity on all enemies and bosses.
• Pulling Aggro: Use ranged skills or AoE skills to pull aggro on groups of enemies. Once they are close to you, utilize your AoE skills to damage them and maintain aggro. Keep an eye on the enemy list; if an enemy lacks a red square next to its name, use your ranged ability or Provoke to gain enmity.
• Pull Strategy: You only have to pull wall to wall if you are experienced and have a healer who can handle it. Balance your mitigation tools and avoid using them all at once.
• Mitigating Damage: Depending on the dungeon's level, you'll have different mitigation tools available. Consult your class's abilities to understand your mitigation options.
• Tank Cooldowns: The Arm's Length can be used for tank mitigation and to slow enemy attacks. Familiarize yourself with your job's mitigation abilities to optimize your tanking.
• Boss Tanking: When facing dungeon bosses, ensure the boss is pointed away from the party and use Reprisal to mitigate raid-wide AoEs. Save your tank cooldowns for tank busters.

 

↖ Tanking in Trials and Raids

In these scenarios, you'll have another tank with you—understanding your role is crucial:

• Main Tank vs. Off Tank: The main tank maintains the boss's enmity and takes most of the boss's auto attacks. They should also point the boss away from the party. The off-tank stands by ready-to-grab ads that spawn during the fight.
• Tank Busters: Be prepared to mitigate tank busters with your cooldowns, ensuring you don't get wiped. Some tank busters can be AoE attacks, so avoid pointing them at the party.
• Aggro Management: Both tanks should have their tank stances on at the start. You can decide who maintains or who activates their stance first. Keep an eye on the aggro bars in the party list.
• Shirk: Use Shirk to transfer enmity to the other tank when necessary, especially during tank swaps or when you're nearing the enmity ceiling.

 

↖ 13 Tips Before Tanking

Next, we'll explore the 13 key aspects of tanking, from maintaining aggro to using your abilities effectively, ensuring that you become a formidable tank in the world of Eorzea.

Strategy	Description
Activate Tank Stance	Always activate tank stance before pulling to increase enmity generation.
Use Sprint Effectively	Activate Sprint before engaging mobs to control dungeon pace and maximize its duration.
Efficient Mobs Pulling	Initiate pulls with ranged attacks or provoke, then use AOE cleave to establish aggro.
Monitor Aggro and Targeting	Periodically check aggro list and regain aggro on any mobs not targeted.
Communicate with Other Tanks	Coordinate with the other tank in Trials or Raids to decide the main tank.
Boss Positioning	Use ranged attacks or provoke to position boss facing north in the center of the arena.
Efficient Mob Placement	Group mobs closely together to allow for effective AOE damage by DPS.
Know Your Limits	Pull an appropriate number of mobs based on your abilities and your Healer's capabilities.
Use Effective Mitigations	Space out mitigation abilities and use invulnerability abilities wisely in dire situations.
Utilize Potions	Use potions for extra survivability, especially in lower-level dungeons.
Interrupt with Stuns	Use stuns to interrupt enemy casts, preventing damaging abilities or buffs.
Party-Wide Mitigations	Coordinate with your team to use party-wide mitigations effectively.
Use Offensive Cooldowns	Don't forget to use offensive cooldowns to boost group DPS, especially in extended fights.

 

Conclusion:

In total, Tanking in Final Fantasy XIV is a rewarding and challenging role that offers a unique perspective on the game's dynamics. With the knowledge and strategies covered in this guide, you're well-equipped to embark on your tanking journey. Remember, practice makes perfect, and don't be discouraged by initial setbacks. Communication with your party members, mastering your class abilities, and staying calm under pressure are the keys to becoming a proficient tank.