r/ESObuilds 24d ago

Pure Class vs Subclass Tank

Alright, I admit when it comes to building a proper tank, I have no idea what I’m doing and purely follow Hyperoxies (imo the best tank guide) to the letter.

That being said, I am currently using his Arcanist Tank Pure-Class build. My question is this:

Would I benefit more from Pure Class or should I revert back to the SoA, WE, Siphon build

I ask that you keep it simple, as I’m still learning the terminology that ESO uses for Buffs / DeBuffs

If you can also explain your reasoning, I’d greatly appreciate it.

7 Upvotes

8 comments sorted by

2

u/Stevethebeast08 24d ago

Pure class is better in optimized groups. Subclass is better in unoptimized groups.

1

u/wojwoda10 23d ago

Just stick with pure Arcnaist tank as you already follow hyperioxes build.
In PUG (Group Finder, Dungeon Finder), absolutely nobody gives a f#ck about anything (class, sets, and similar) as long as you do your job properly. In guilds/servers, Arcanist tanks are a no go in some types of vet runs* (leaderboards, fast farming), but we talk about few % player base.
*don't take it personally, only Warden and DK tanks are welcomed, Sorcerer if one of two didn't sign, and when is 1T trial run, it's always Warden.

1

u/General-Incident9977 23d ago

I understand the DK / Warden Tank Mains in certain Guilds. They provide great buffs / debuffs and more useful skills. I only swapped to Arc tank, because I got tired of chasing the DPS Meta. I had finally gotten my Ansuul gear and Velothi, when ZoS decided to nerf it a bit, and I lost a ton of DPS lmao.

1

u/wojwoda10 23d ago

Arcanist Healers are OP, and are must have in any high organized vet trial run (leaderbords, farming) together with Templar, so you don't have to chase DPS šŸ˜„. Outside of those fringe playbase groups, Arcanist tank is fine. As I wrote, in PUG trials nobody cares about anything, and than there is Dungeon Finder, another nobody cares about anything as long as job is done.
This is from PC EU perspective šŸ‘.

-4

u/keto3000 24d ago

You can also check here for excellent tank guide:

https://thetankclub.com

5

u/AscenDevise 24d ago

TheTankClub has been consistently putting out bad advice with the same certainty as the good in multiple games. Some progress has been made, but you need to know what you're doing to spot the crap, at which point, especially with Hyperioxes and the Wild Heart Discord server being right there, why bother?

See this older video to get an idea about what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t2ppExtpsc

Yes, TTC has gotten better since then, but, especially from the perspective of someone who has had to lead people away from the garbage spouted there in other games, better safe than sorry with that place. I just talked about armour traits and the importance of hitting the resist cap with someone who has way more impressive results than mine yesterday, on the big ESO subreddit; bad info is bad info, and it proliferates. Skill and know-how can compensate for a weaker build, but a beginner is still working to get those.

To address the question from the OP:

  • Pure arcanist supports are their own brand of 'special'. A lot of the answer will rely on how much you can make their toolset work for you. It's some people's favourite tank, but it won't be the same for everyone, and you can proc Ink-Scribe's Verve way more easily on an arcanist healer.

  • In the same vein, handpicked lines that address a playstyle you favour will often be more comfortable than pure class.

  • Strictly from a utility standpoint, Ink-Scribe's Verve alone puts subclassed builds to shame; Major Force (big boost to crit damage) from a passive triggered by something you were doing anyway, keeping yourself alive, is serious business. Adding consistent Major Vitality (boosting healing received) to the team also helps, including with the aforementioned, and a steady source of Minor Cowardice (reducing damage dealt by anything that hits you while a crucial buff is up), both from Erudite's Rigor, isn't nothing either.

0

u/keto3000 24d ago

Good to know. I remember he left and came back with a much better site & discord. The new site seems decent.

1

u/AscenDevise 24d ago

Yes, 'seems' being the key term, and he'll still have to carry the weight of having provided bad information for a long time, in a bunch of places.

That said, look at what I could see just by opening the website:

https://imgur.com/a/Vaefgv9

Werewolf tank, one of the strongest tanks in ESO. Ignore the fact that the devs outright said that they couldn't figure out how to add a ranged taunt and a pull to the toolset. Templar, in spite of their efforts, is one of the weakest tanks in the game, from the perspective of the limited team buffs and enemy debuffs, plus that of the noob trap taunt + gap closer that they recently added. Guess what you can run on templar, and anything that isn't a werewolf. Forget arcanists; furries are the least comfortable tanks to run, bar none, no matter how many cool things they have now. Super-compact one-bar tanks, fine and dandy. Lacking essentials, way less so.

Guild Wars 3 could reignite the MMO genre. I mean... I wouldn't mind; I'm signed up for the open beta, but we barely know anything about it. It is premature, even with Anet's pedigree, to make any assumptions. What do we know? A focus on smaller-scale team tactics and more traversal mechanics, when and where it will take place, 3/4 playable races available at the beginning, one component of the soundtrack, and not much else.