Do Shields Count as Healing, Damage Taken, or Neither?

Having recently been kicked out of a raid after being accused of not tanking since I also happen to put out high dps numbers, I've been paying attention to the player stats at the end of a match and noticing that I rarely take a lot of damage. I use shields on most of my builds, HLS on Earth or Density on Atomic specifically, more on other classes.

I've noticed that oddly, in an instance where I'm the tank, using pulls, doing good dps #'s (enough to pull aggro with tank class bonus), standing right in front of enemies and bosses, my damage taken numbers are near the bottom ranks. I use blocks, shield up on cooldown, try to keep foes cc'd, etc. I listen for the different sounds when you're taking health damage vs. damage to shield and try to minimize the actual damage taken period. I'd guess that has an impact on the stat?

The number just seems way, way off. In an 8 player raid as tank role, while #2 or #3 in dps, I'll be in one of the bottom spots for damage taken. Is that because Shields and Block mitigate damage so it isn't counted, meaning only direct damage to health is tabulated? It would seem like most damage done during an instance happens during the boss fights. Is it possible bosses target players they have a better chance to kill, like how enemies will sometimes target a pet when they're about to die? Should I always be using the designated tank class 'pull' ability or lasso to have as much aggro as possible?

The numbers are mostly meaningless, not really concerned with them. I mean, for my part I only really use them to identify ppl who are afk. Besides Fire, do tanks typically tend to have most damage taken?

When you're tanking no one cares how much damage your doing, that's not your task. Your task is to stay ahead of the group, pull enemies off the group and counter bosses before they can attack the group.

Each enemy has their own hate table with the healer or the DPS doing the most hits at the top, tanks are automatically put on the bottom of the hate table. When a tank uses a superpower within range of an enemy they move up to the top of the hate table. Some enemies are scripted to ignore the tank completely so the tank needs to use counter moves to prevent that enemy from attacking. Doing "good dps #'s" does not affect your aggro in anyway.

Blocking increases your defense which minimizes damage taken. Most shields prevent all damage which affects the damage taken.

If everyone is getting smacked around while you're sitting at the #2 or #3 spot for best damage, I would have voted to kick you too. It sounds to me like you're trying to battle tank and failing the group.

On my ice toon, if I’m actually paying attention, I’ll always be at the bottom of damage taken. I’ve come out of alerts with like under 1000 damage taken. Especially if I’m paired with a water healer. So to answer your question, shields just count as nothing. It’s the same with my water healer, I run her as a shielding build. Her healing out is usually terrible but the groups damage in is nearly nothing.

tanks should always have the most damage taken (thats the job)

shields mitigate damage so that prevents the damage taken from showing on BS scorecard and as a tank you shouldn't care about it

healer numbers also don't matter as again shields block damage so nothing to heal so a healer that keeps the group shielded will have lower heals because they are preventing it in the first place.

all tank moves move you to the top of the threat table. pulls just do exactly that pull stuff to you.

as TheLorax stated bosses are scripted they will do what they are gonna do when they get the idea to smack someone.
you can counter them if you know their animations and stop the attack other wise just keep control of the adds until you can get the boss back to you

Not sure how to word this so here it goes. The OP mentioned Earth. Assuming he or she is using Brick for tanking, does that come into play in the scoreboard of taking the least damage? I have an earth tank but never paid attention to the scoreboard.

Brick is mitigating damage so I would assume those numbers wouldn't show but not sure have never thought to test it

I bet it does though as its not blocking completely any damage that gets through should be counted but wouldnt be accurate in total damage in across the run

Tanks are not meant to do damage. If you are busy worrying about being #2 while your group dies, then you are scoreboard chasing, which makes you detrimental to the group overall, correctl justifying your kick, ergo, you deserved to be kicked.

As a tank, you are supposed to keep aggro on you. You CAN attack the boss with supowers, as they all have taunts, which put you on top of the hate table, but you need to mind the regular fight mechanics to properly counter the enemy. Basically, your job is to tell the enemy "Why don't you pick on someone your size, eh? You are fighting ME". Wether you do this by pulling their shirts or throwing a rock on their heads, this is on you. However, when said enemy runs towards a friend, you are the one responsible to put your foot in front of them and make them trip and fall.

I strongly recommend having a pull to counter the enemy as well, like I recommend you having a shield and a self heal too. A well-built tank will be able to survive properly without exerting the healer and will do good damage, being almost on par with the DPS of the group. Try your best for the first, don't sweat it for the second.

The OP didn’t say anything wrong for you to say you’ll kick them just because they’re sitting at the second or third in damage. Have you even thought that maybe the other DPS are bad and jealous? As soon as a tank in the forum mentions damage they immediately get hate. No wonder people say Atomic is the least tank power used because you have to actively be hitting your atomic combos as it was meant to be but nooooo tanks aren’t meant to do damage. They are punching bags, with no will to fight back other than activating multiple shields. The point of the thread was to discuss shields in regards to healing or damage taken.

I never seen an NPC attack a player who is close to dying. That skill is mostly for humans. NPCs are programmed to attack players but won’t go for the weakest one. You’re going to want to have a pull ability either your tank power or Lasso (if you’re using the art). Yes tanks are supposed to take the most damage from the group but as others have said, scripted attacks will attack someone else other than the tank. If you happen to be in an instance where there’s a lot of that then that could be a factor. Also, the number one factor for you being kicked is that the DPS are jealous and bad, they immediately hate on the tank and to compensate for their insecurities they kick you.

Welp that gives me something to do lol

played a healer lately? everything goes for you if tank isn't around
we are not loved by NPC's

Just popping back in to say don’t use lasso unless you are aware of how it works. With or without the art. Without the artifact, great single target pull. With the artifact, it’s a great single target pull. I’m specifically using the single target wording because most players don’t realize that any other targets that may get pulled by lasso have 0 aggro towards you if you don’t follow it up with something to get aggro. It’s fun to pull adds down the hallway. Just keep pulling. Because the second you stop, everything except your primary target is going to walk away from you and murder the group. I’m not sure what power set you are, but if you’re ice specifically do not bother with lasso artifact

Let me explain something to you and everyone else that subscribes to this type of foolishness. When one group member isn't participating in the role they were assigned, the rest of the group has to suffer and pick up the slack. That type of behavior (be it selfishness or ignorance) will lead to a vote to kick. Full stop.

Specifically when it is the tank that is not paying attention to what they are supposed to be doing and there's adds in the back picking everyone off: the DPS have to stop performing their assigned role to shake enemies off, the healer has to kite around the room while healing unnecessary amounts to mitigate damage everyone else in taking. One bad player will turn a simple fight into absolute chaos.

Literally this is the most selfish and inane response. There is a role specifically for damage and that role is not tank. If the DPS have to stop attacking to move/block or get knocked out because a bad tank is concerned with a scorecard, that's a vote to kick.

Because damage is not the tank's responsibility. That's why there are so many bad players in the game because they are so critically misinformed.

The OP never gave you an indication that he or she isn’t doing their job did they? But the moment they mention damage that’s where they are immediately seen as not doing their job. In these three quotes you specifically responded to you ignored the main point of the thread and that’s the discussion of shields and whether or not healing or damage taken is taken into account. No where in their post did they say it’s their fault for being kicked except for the fact that he was doing better damage than the other players (said this is possible because there are a lot of bad dps players). What I said is true about dps being jealous and or suck. It’s common to see that more than any support role. So please tell me how you have this knowledge that the OP isn’t doing their job?

Where did you get the knowledge that the dps had to stop dpsing? We are talking about the OP no where in their post mentions anything other than the what the title is being discussed about. If the dps had to stop attacking because a scripted attack is happening that is not the tanks fault. The OP mentions pulling adds, CCed, standing next to the boss and adds, juggling, having shields, yet as soon they mention damage all hell breaks loose lol sigh…

I have but never went out of my way because you can’t heal stupidity. When I said what you quoted me I was thinking more along the lines of pvp where the lowest health immediately gets targeted by the enemies because it’s the smartest thing to do.

The OP never gave me an indication that he or she was doing their job. Since there's two sides to every story and we only have the one side I have to go with whatever context clues that were given. Those clues led me to believe that they are either new to the game or new to tanking and most likely misinformed on certain subjects such as scorecards and how the hate table works.

I didn't ignore it, I answered it:

Please tell me how you have this knowledge that these "bad and jealous DPS" initiated the kick? Maybe it was the healer? Maybe it was the controller? Since it was a vote that passed it means at least four people agreed that his tanking was subpar.

Because that's an all too common scenario when you're a DPS in a group with a bad tank. This isn't some random thought I just pulled out of my ***. When the tank doesn't pull or doesn't hold aggro, the enemies can attack anyone other than the tank. If a DPS, healer or controller is getting swatted that player isn't going to just stand there and take it, they're going to either block, dodge or move out of the way. This isn't rocket science. Blocking = not attacking. Dodging = not attacking. Moving = not attacking. Standing still = knocked out. Knocked out = not attacking.

Like I said there's two sides to every story.

Yes there’s two sides of the story and assuming with little information but the problem is that you’re agreeing to vote to kick simply because that tank is sitting at second or third in the scoreboard. It’s not selfish to admit those players just aren’t good and it’s easy to blame especially to a tank. The OP mentions pulling enemies, generating aggro so the adds and bosses are with the tank and not the group (script attacks are out of their control), CCed, juggling taking the damage away from the group. Yet you believe this player is a noob? I wonder how you would have responded if they didn’t mention damage. You can’t pull enemies if they are immune and you can’t stop a scripted attack.

My bad I got my question mixed up LMFAO well since that player is tanking and mentions Earth and Atomic you can take from that a genuine curiously as to what is being taken into account. Using Brick to mitigate damage, would it show up in the scoreboard? They mention using HLS and could very well use Gemstone Shield. That’s a lot of abilities that can seem like he’s taking the least amount of damage. Atomic aura mitigates damage and when using in conjunction with Density or even Mass Density it too can seem like that. Lastly the OP mentions fire is more noticeable in taking more damage.

Like I said it’s all too common as well that there are bad DPS. You can be the best healer and still not be able to heal and keep a player from being stupid. It’s the same here. I just would have preferred you didn’t act so strongly whenever a tank mentions damage. I’m not against kicking players but some reasons are just childish and that’s what I don’t like. Either way if the OP cares to give more detail then we can have a better perspective but damage is not what I’m focusing on, it’s the title and my question regarding Brick.

Were you or were you not tanking? What raid?

What’s your build?

Don't listen to the prudes. If you can hold aggro and survive without much effort... dps is your job too. You might as well help with the speed of the instance. They're being silly.

I don’t care if you’re doing damage, but if a group felt strongly enough to kick you…you probably could’ve been doing a better job.

People don’t kick tanks who are tanking…he may have missed something, possibly unintended, that caused the group to “roll the dice.”

You can think what you want and that’s fine. But a ranks number 1 job is to keep enemies away from the group. If dps have to stop attacking to run away from an add than that’s the tanks fault. If a healer has to drain their power to heal a dps who is running away from a out of control add, that’s the tanks fault. If a troll has to continue to stun stray adds attacking the healer and dps than that too is the tanks fault. A tanks PRIMARY job is to pull enemies away from the group unless a mechanic asks for it. If the tank is busy doing damage to pull an add than they are a bad tank. It doesn’t matter if the tank used a dps ability to grab aggro. If the tank used an ability but not a pull that the tank is a bad tank. Enemies, including adds) can have an attack combo that will continue to attack even after taunted. This is why a tank has to use an actual pull.

A ranks second job is to survive. Even if you successfully pull all adds, if you are causing the healer to pump extra heals because you want to do damage than you aren’t a full tank. If you die because you didn’t want to use a shield in place of a damaging ability than you failed as a tank. If you were to busy trying to kill adds that you couldn’t bother to CC them than you are a bad tank.

Sorry to sound harsh but it’s how tanks work. Yes you can play a tank however you want. But if you are putting strain on you group because you want to battle tank than you are a bad tank. Simple as that.

It’s like someone has said before. Being the biological parent doesn’t make you a mom or dad. Caring for the child does. Being in tano role doesn’t make one a tank. Following your roles assignments does.

False. I said:

Right because good tanks (or healers or controllers) get kicked all the time.

1. "Do Shields Count as Healing, Damage Taken, or Neither?" -something someone new to tanking would ask.
2. thinks "good dps #s" + tank pulls = more aggro. -something someone new to tanking would think.
3. "Is it possible bosses target players they have a better chance to kill?" -something someone new to the game in general would ask.
4. "Should I always be using the designated tank class 'pull' ability or lasso to have as much aggro as possible?" -something someone new to tanking would ask.
5. Besides Fire, do tanks typically tend to have most damage taken? -something someone new to tanking would ask.

Now since he has enemies in front of him, you have to ask were there enemies behind him? Was he paying attention to the mini-map looking for red dots? Was he occasionally panning his camera around? Obviously he was doing something wrong if multiple people voted yes to kick, I wonder....

^^^This is absolute cringe.^^^


Yes there are bad DPS but bad DPS aren't going to just randomly vote to kick their only tank. DPS are easily replaceable, tanks are not. When there is an issue in the group the tank's first thought should be "am I protecting the group" and not "I'm putting out high DPS numbers".