Can monks get by as viable tanks in current content? Or is it only if your raid geared and or under earthforce that you can tank and otherwise your as squishy as everyone else and have you dps held in check for earthforce.
If you are botting maybe (so the other dps classes never use burn abilities and stuff)? However well you are geared, monks don't have the agro abilities to hold agro vs other dps.
Yeah aggro can be a problem in a real group but then I would just be dps not tanking. My question was will a fully group geared monk decked out in ac augs be able to actually tank in sathirs or howling stones? I just don't want to waste the time on a monk if they only time he can tank trash is when earthforce is on. And then just be lower dps for that ability the other 95% of the time.
T2 - with a grp geared monk, that's doubtful. I have a raid geared monk friend who says they can only dps there, not tank. Also, a poorly geared monk friend got ate in T1 - OT. You might have some luck in T1 if you have good faction from farming sarnaks in EoK and decent gear. I'm sure the ac augs will help, but if you're wanting to tank grp content go with heroic agility and maybe some heroic sta to help with ae's.
(From a raid-geared monk) A group geared monk would have a difficult time tanking in RoS. Earthforce is essential for a monk - group-geared and raid-geared alike. For tanking, it will keep you alive against most content - I've used it against current-content raid bosses and survived, and I use it all the time in group-content. It adds a bit of DPS, so it acts as a good filler for when you're waiting on other discs to repop. I use it to off-tank, or on a multi-mob pull so my CC or tank can deal with the adds. Shaded Step is another good one to use. If you're in a tank-type role, I'd be more inclined to keep this line available than not. That means not using Eye of the Storm or any of the Reflexes lines to keep your cooldown free. This ability is a huge help against named, especially on pulls. It'll keep you alive long enough for the tank to get control, your healer to get some HOTs going, and your slower to get the mob slowed. Aggro, as mentioned above, is a weak spot for us when we're trying to tank. Five Point Palm is basically the only thing we have to pull aggro, but it's only available once every 5 minutes. Not ideal. If you're in a group where you're the tank, people need to focus more on their aggro control than they would with a real tank that can actively grab aggro. This means your group is going to be doing less DPS than normal, which means you're tanking for longer. Scorpion's Agony, the aggro poison, helps with keeping the mob on you, but it's unreliable. Mend is an absolute must. Know when you're going to get a heal, and know when you're going to get another round in from a mob, then time a mend if needed. If I know I'm going to be tanking and know it's a mob that usually needs earthforce, I'll have my HP drop to 50%, get a heal from merc, drop to 50% again, mend, drop to 50%, pop earthforce. Raid-geared monks can tank in current content. I've moloed in every zone in RoS, and done most partisan / mercenary content with just my merc, or in groups where I'm the tank. I've tanked named in every zone, but that is typically in high-DPS groups with either a real healer or multiple healer mercs. Shaded step + earthforce were necessary, and when they run out you'd better hope the mob is dead or on its last legs. This combo also helps greatly when dealing with adds or multi-pulls. Notably, I've taken on triples in HS and survived because of this combo.
Question cause I really really want to play my monk... If I outfit the monk in full group TS conflsgrant or phlogiston or whatever it is, and box a bard... can the monk do all of ROS partisans? Monk does have EOK raid 2hb, and will have TS group everywhere else...
I don't know how the TS gear stacks up against EoK raid (which is mostly what I had when I did the partisans). Some of the tasks were quite difficult to do molo. The pseudo-named scorpions in Overthere come to mind. However, with a bard you're going to have additional DPS, ADPS, and healing. That means faster kills, and ideally more heals. You also have some CC to help out. And when I was doing mine, I found some random people who also needed what I was working on and would come to help. I'm sure you'll find the same. Ideally you'll find a tank (they were quite elusive for me).
I duo a lot with a monk in RoS and he tanks just fine with two healer mercs. He would have some more security if he wore a vital conflagrant belt though. He's got a Crush and has no issues with aggro really. Earthforce definitely helps for burning named, when that wears off I have to finish tanking it (ranger). It would really depend on what you plan on doing. While not an ideal tank, if you had a real slower or a little overhealing you could get by.
Thanks for all the feedback. Would boxing another toon for support change all that much? Like say an enchanter or shaman? Or is it as simple as the days of a monk tanking much of anything are gone and you either have a tank tank or you don't do it as a grouper. What about with procs from belts like tendon slice and crippling guard? Or weapon choices like instead of say 2h dual wielding 2 lifetap or healing proc weapons?
Yes, adding another toon would prolong the life of your monk tank. Especially an enchanter or shaman - both can slow, both can buff (haste for both, better buffs on shaman), both can CC (chanter is better), both can DPS. I think it's more common to see a shaman box than an enchanter box. Higher DPS = less time monk is tanking. Lower DPS from mob = less damage monk tank is taking. Both are good. One could make the case that if you're able to box, and have a box available, you could make a tank box. But maybe a tank isn't your style - it certainly isn't mine. Procs - slow, damage, lifetap - shouldn't be relied upon. If these are the difference between life and death on a regular basis, you're in over your head. Treat these as perks, not crutches.
I do the sham with monk, I like the pair. I can still clear large camps and tank some in t1 Ros without dying. Anything in t2 is pretty dicey; I am mostly eok raid geared. With some unlucky RNG even with sham slow, I can go down very fast without earthforce up.
Not even Close. in FULL raid gear I think would even be a stretch. You could still tank a single but not more than that Without dics. The problem with using earthforce or shaded step is when they run out with 2 mobs on you, you would go splat instantly
I’ve had pretty good luck boxing monk mage actually. The pet can handle the tanking with EF down and the monk can pull singles/cc in a pinch. Toons have a few raid rots but mostly group geared, and been able to duo (with mercs) a lot of EoK/RoS.
