TANKS not using combat mechanics, I'll try and help.

Never found much need for the icons so I shut em off in the options menu. I would guess alot of other players have done the same just to keep the clutter off the screen.
Ive been fire tanking for a long while so it hurts my eyes watching some new tanks in raids. Biggest problem Ive encountered is that most of them get straight up mad and start talking like im the idiot for trying to give em tips.
because of that im at the point of just not helping anyone anymore.

While I see where you are coming from that "brief" tutorial really isn't forgiving. Either you understand what buttons to push and get past it or you dont . There is no bsing through the counter mechanic tutorial so I'm not really buying that excuse.

This thread happens when you ignore Brainiac Ship instructions.

I'm in the exact opposite camp, I'm DYING for an option where I can keep the icons up, but then remove the FX from all the powers. Sometimes it's just too much on the screen and I'll miss symbols or feints and things because there's 8 people all blasting a guy with powers...

Let me take all that stuff off my screen so I can focus!

I hear ya. I turn off as much as i can. I used to love the crit bubbles but now they block too much of the screen so i shut em off. To ur point of FX being shut off I think thats a good idea as long as it doesnt hurt the rest of the group like "wheres the healing circle dammit?" moments.

Yeah you get past it but do you really retain and continue to apply the information learned? Like I said there is virtually no reason to counter anything in the game for most people once they get past that tutorial. Meaning content can be completed without countering, I'm NOT talking about efficiency here.

Sadly, the evidence of many players not utilizing counter mechanics or recognizing there value is obvious. That is why I said we should encourage these types of threads along with a general atmosphere of being friendly/helpful even if the information presented seems painfully obvious.

Yes it does, but you do realize I made the thread due to heavily observing other tanks in t6 content doing the exact opposite. I would not of made the thread if i didn't see it necessary. Yes, any decent tank should know this, but from observing other tanks (especially in pugs) it's as if they forgot or don't know. Another thing to remember, some of us haven't been on that ship for 2 plus years, and it was basically a minute tutorial, while your starting a new game, your basically asking ppl to remember 0.002% of that part in the game. some will, most won't. especially if you avoided pvp, and these mechanics where not reinforced.

Counter mechanics were always present, just not emphasized on until T5+. I have seen my fair share of tanks who say "Oh, I died because I got block broken, nothing I could do about it.

This should also help those who were struggling in the solos.

They don't teach you about feints.

Immunities. I see so many tanks in t6 content that have no idea what an immunity is or how/when to use them. I should be clear that i mean your cleanses. Like shatter restraints. Perfect example of this is in LOL at the spike room boss. When that boss gets skull above his head the tank needs to use an immunity and it will stop the group from being pushed back into the spikes.

The new happiness home raid also has a spot during the zoom fight where he pulls the group. Tank should use immunity there and stop the pull. These are simple mechanics yet like i said so many tanks dont use them.

I agree the game is easy mode, for some players. But there are players at end game that say some content is impossible. They think that because they refuse to learn game mechanics. So what do they do? They come here and ask for nerfs. Or they jump in raid groups and end up being kicked then come here and claim kick abuse.

Throne elite too. Popping a group immunity before Ares throws his arms in the air for the knockback does wonders for the burn.

There are spots where counters are near impossible (Throne adds, I'm looking at you)... and some times that the icons disappear in the particle party (3+ quantum dps's I'm looking at you).. but you learn to live with it. Oh, and I've also noticed the spike room boss in LoLs and his broken feint moves. Been meaning to bugreport it for weeks.. just never got to it.

The main problem with the Brainiac ship, as I may have said before, is it is too forgiving so much of what new players learn there does not carry much weight thereafter. Important things should feel important otherwise you tend to forget them. I member after starting out thinking the only time you could use counter moves was when those colored bubbles appear around enemies (like in the tutorial) so I went through content looking for those "signs." I thought the game mechanic was broken so didn't think to look deeper until T5 content.

Don't forget one other thing. NPC's can light melee all they want(tap, tap, tap, tap, tap) and not be vulnerable to counter. However the player is, so they cannot simply tap melee and go to town on a blocking NPC as that 3rd light melee strike counts as a heavy. (which is one thing i never understood about the mechanic rules)

This is spot on though I think counters aren't only a Tank's job. I lost count of the number of times I fought some raid/alert boss that was interruptable (for example Necro bosses on the way to absorb an artifact) and didn't get stopped because everyone was too busy spamming range rotations... or blocking. Lunges can be clipped so even with power spam AMs like Quantum it is no problem to squeeze in a quick interrupt without jumping at the boss or breaking the rotation.

Actually I did find that meleeing Hydra with Rage in AoD is way easier if I stay right in Hydra's face (cause the flames will go over my head). Doesn't really work with a Tank in the group though. I think this is the exception that proves the rule

Good job OP! I've seen too many Tanks try and hide behind blocks while the boss counters them endlessly. Should be part of a Tanking 101 required read.

Maybe that USPC version of a once well known EUPC league will see this and know what I was talking about when I tried pugging a TOTD with them, because they thought it was our job alone to do this and not the tanks.

When I Ice tank any raid I use this method and sneer at those that just think a tanks job is just to hit powers and block, you can do so much more by countering the bosses and preventing them into doing moves that could lead into skull attacks and wiping the group.

Tanks need to know that countering bosses are part of their job too and makes the raid go 10 times better when a good tank does this, this is why both hero and villain-side, my tanks are usually sought out because groups know I tank correctly and we get the raid done.

Hades is the worst PvP player in the game (staff does have high flagging tells) his stomp and reflect are less likely to pop up if a good tank counters him and not give him blue flashes all the time, hopefully tanks that want to be a better tank read this and keep that chump landed on his butt.

I remember when I was trying to explain to a new Tank in my old league that how works the mechanics of Tanking....

Well at least someone had patience and write here.

Both Earth and fire tanks this is extremely important because especially with most groups running 5-1-1-1 even blocking they are going to take massive damage and rely on the split second of a successful counter to pop aftershocks or heals. However these types of tanks shouldn't focus on damage nearly as much as survival and their mechanics

I do combat mechanics with my fire tanks, but i can only do so much when i get about 6 mobs on me and they do more damage then the boss (throne scenario). They either need to buff our dominance when we pop a power as well. From reading out my powers they all do push back, knock down, and during that time i could get a breather and heal and focus on the ones still standing. I also noticed consumables are awesome but they will not last long over the long run (quantum encasement).