They call us tanks. It is a well meant, but imprecise appellation. We have accepted it as the label, and we enjoy using it as a noun and a verb, Incoming, a ;Target, and I am tanking it! Yeah, we have a tank already, need healer and dps. But really its wrong.
Because were not unstoppable juggernauts which project offensive force by the use of highly mobile maneuvers. Neither tactics nor strategies of tanks in warfare apply to the Guardian. DPS is literally the last thing a Guardian should be worrying about, either you do enough to help hold aggro or you dont, but how much you are doing is immaterial.
Back in the day, there was another descriptive label used, called the Brick. In my opinion, it was a better label, and more descriptive of what we do.
Bricks stand there and absorb the damage output of the enemy while everyone else kills it, or do other cool-looking things. A brick is built to mitigate damage, and keep the attention focused on the Brick. Being a Brick isnt glamorous, and people who arent Bricks understand that someone has to do it, but not really why anyone would want to.
A Brick needs to be able to hurt you if you arent paying attention to it, but only enough to get that attention. Taunt skills or Threat-generating skills are just another way of visualizing this. Its a *threat*, not an experience.
There was a chess tournament once, where smoking was not allowed at the table. One player took out a cigar and placed it next to the chess board. His opponent immediately called over the tournament director and objected formally. The first player said, Im not smoking it, its just there, whereupon the director turned to the second player who said, The threat is stronger than the execution. The director ruled for the second player, and the first player had to put away his cigar.
I often describe my job in a group as being the Monkey for our opponents, Hey! Look at the Monkey! See the Monkey? Im the Monkey, look here! No no, dont look at the other hand, the one that is killing you, look here at the Monkey!
It is my job to protect the people Im with. It is the job of the Guardian to stand there and take it, not to dish it out. It is the job of the Guardian to hold aggro, to keep the attention of the enemy focused off ones companions in such a way that they can do their jobs. You dont have to have all the aggro, you dont need it every moment, but you have to be the one responsible for what you can do.
And ultimately, if the situation requires, it is the job of the Guardian to stand there and die while others get away in order to be able to revive and rez and continue on with minimal loss of time, costs, and resources. When a good Guardian yells, Get OUT, you should, please, and Now. Its the least you owe him for his sacrifice. A good guardian can buy time for everyone else still up to shake free and regroup, sometimes more time than anyone else can imagine.
Im not a tank. Im a Guardian.
Because were not unstoppable juggernauts which project offensive force by the use of highly mobile maneuvers. Neither tactics nor strategies of tanks in warfare apply to the Guardian. DPS is literally the last thing a Guardian should be worrying about, either you do enough to help hold aggro or you dont, but how much you are doing is immaterial.
Back in the day, there was another descriptive label used, called the Brick. In my opinion, it was a better label, and more descriptive of what we do.
Bricks stand there and absorb the damage output of the enemy while everyone else kills it, or do other cool-looking things. A brick is built to mitigate damage, and keep the attention focused on the Brick. Being a Brick isnt glamorous, and people who arent Bricks understand that someone has to do it, but not really why anyone would want to.
A Brick needs to be able to hurt you if you arent paying attention to it, but only enough to get that attention. Taunt skills or Threat-generating skills are just another way of visualizing this. Its a *threat*, not an experience.
There was a chess tournament once, where smoking was not allowed at the table. One player took out a cigar and placed it next to the chess board. His opponent immediately called over the tournament director and objected formally. The first player said, Im not smoking it, its just there, whereupon the director turned to the second player who said, The threat is stronger than the execution. The director ruled for the second player, and the first player had to put away his cigar.
I often describe my job in a group as being the Monkey for our opponents, Hey! Look at the Monkey! See the Monkey? Im the Monkey, look here! No no, dont look at the other hand, the one that is killing you, look here at the Monkey!
It is my job to protect the people Im with. It is the job of the Guardian to stand there and take it, not to dish it out. It is the job of the Guardian to hold aggro, to keep the attention of the enemy focused off ones companions in such a way that they can do their jobs. You dont have to have all the aggro, you dont need it every moment, but you have to be the one responsible for what you can do.
And ultimately, if the situation requires, it is the job of the Guardian to stand there and die while others get away in order to be able to revive and rez and continue on with minimal loss of time, costs, and resources. When a good Guardian yells, Get OUT, you should, please, and Now. Its the least you owe him for his sacrifice. A good guardian can buy time for everyone else still up to shake free and regroup, sometimes more time than anyone else can imagine.
Im not a tank. Im a Guardian.