[TLP] Can Rangers tank group content?

The only way I can see that to be true is if the ranger is higher level, or if his idea of gear is... well, not the same as most tank's, shall we say.

Depending on the era I can see it being right or wrong technically - something like OoW era where you're talking about camps that are trash/trash/trash/trash/trash/relatively painful named that lasts 20 sec or so in an XP group rangers CAN outtank knights simply because they have weaponshield up for basically every time its needed for a named since weaponshield > standard mitigation as long as the fight is quick enough.

Remember that knights don't get "defensive" equivalents until DoN.

It doesn't matter if you guys agree or disagree with me. All I'm saying is doing draco, ire lord, rtal, chardok king, queen, etc. My cleric uses up more mana when I'm using my SK compared to my ranger. There are a few instances when I had to evac because I ran out of mana. Both level 60 both with bis gear besides VP raid loot.

Here's the deal (speaking as an old ranger),

Ranger's can tank, and in many instances are a preferred tank to a Knight. This is especially true with the changes to the skill caps which happened years ago.

• Ranger mitigation is fine and on par with the other melee classes.
• Mitigation does require proper itemization in the later expansions.
• Ranger agro control is second to none.

For the following eras, this is what you need to do to be an effective ranger tank:

• Classic: Nothing. The skill cap changes effectively correct ranger's ability to tank during this period. The difference in AC between plate and chain is minimal as is the HP gap.
• Kunark: Simple tank set or standard planar gear. Kunark mobs hit a bit harder, but nothing substantive. To tank (outside of MT raids) you will want either standard planar gear which gets your AC/HP to a level that is more than sufficient to tank any zone in Kunark, or a simple tank set which features a few high AC pieces and some extra HP pieces. The Tolan's set, while stat-less, has the AC and can be augmented with items like Imbued granite spaulders to get your AC up. The HP part is easy to get with jewelry.
• Velious: Nothing. Velious actually has correct itemization of the different ranger sets. If you are coming out of Kunark in fairly standard gear, you will have no problem switching to velious. Every piece you get will basically boost your HP and AC just due to how they did the gear for the era. Dwarf armor is fine and most can get this quickly. It's a minor upgrade to planar. Armor from the Giants is heavier on the HP/AC and most will end up using this if they are raiding in NToV. Dragon armor is the most balanced (HP/AC/Resists/Stats).
• Luclin: Assuming you are coming out of the Velious Era with the normal assortment of quest armor (meaning some dorf pieces, dragon pieces or giant pieces), you'll find that you are just fine to tank all the way up till you enter Ssra. There are some specific AA's you'll want to pickup at this point which help you tank better and help your HP totals. In Ssra you will have problems tanking certain levels. Rangers make fine off tanks, but the snakes do hit hard enough and can punch through your AC (meaning the plate/chain gap is just big enough and these guys have high enough ATKs that it actually matters). The big thing you get gear wise in Luclin are weapon upgrades (i.e. you'll replace your epics here if you didn't happen to get one of the 2 or 3 weapons from NToV to drop) but there isn't a lot of actual armor upgrades outside of pieces in Vex Thal.
• PoP: If you raided Ssra and VT, then you'll start PoP able to tank any of the open planes (and able to solo half of them). The PoP armor sets are properly itemized and you will start replacing your Velious pieces for real at this point. Once you do, you'll be fine to tank any of the PoP group content and with a few augments will be able to (and expected to) take off tank duty in a number of the PoP raid encounters.

Now the dirty secret is that if you follow "standard" itemization during these eras you will also end up being fully equipped to play the DPS role. Basically in the early expansions to max out your DPS means:

• Obtain epic haste (40/41%)
• Max out strength at 255 (happens during Kunark with standard gear)
• Max out dex at 255 (happens during Kunark with standard gear + shaman buffs)
• Do your Call of Flame quest
• Get a decent main hand weapon (Earthcaller during Kunark, replaced by NToV weapons if you get lucky, replaced by Ssra weapons, replaced by all sorts of options in PoP)

Then come Velious/Luclin/PoP you try to find items with +atk effects (i.e. 10th ring, vengeance items etc...)

The real dps boosts during Luclin/PoP come from your AA selections not your basic equipment and armor.

So the point is -- Rangers up through the end of PoP are fine tanks and fill both a Tank/DPS roll without any problems.

Started a ranger a month or so ago on phinny got to lvl 45 and have literally tanked all content up to this point just fine. Not greatly twinked by any means either. Better than SK/Pal/War, probably not but get the job done and do more dps than those classes but definitley take more damage. Ranger should probably be used as off tank and to DPS and leave the real tanking to the tanks but its do able

Then you are playing your SK wrong. Straight up

Use Call of Sky for the agro proc, with fast weapons and 2 DD stun augs (different levels), and hit your Call of Fire for the DD hate. Your agro will be better than most wizards and rogues. You are not a plate tank, but if you max your defense and get a lot of HP/AC u can most definitely do group content with a ranger tank.

More like best dps class once PoP hits, Headshot starts at level 60 now and kills level -1 humanoids. You know what expansion is loaded down with level 59 and lower humanoids in the better initial xp zones - and likely the only ones that most non raiders will see while it's current?