Choosing a Tank Class Article by: @Dendrius Starn#3544 from The Tank Club Discord.
Starting out in FINAL FANTASY XIV with the mindset of becoming a Tank leaves you with two initial jobs to choose from, with two additional jobs unlocking further ahead in the game.
Players have the option choosing a Tank Class and becoming Warrior, Paladin, Dark Knight or Gunbreaker, with each role fulfilling a different set of advantages that might put them in a better position than the others depending on the content. However, like with many games, there is no determined best Tanking job, as the flexibility to play whatever you want is quite prevalent in this specific MMO.
At the beginning of the game you can only choose Marauder and Gladiator, which each turn into Warrior and Paladin respectively at level 30.
Dark Knight can be unlocked once you enter the first expansion, Heavensward, and starts at level 30.
Gunbreaker can be unlocked in the base game whenever one of your jobs reaches level 60, and starts off at level 60.
Warrior
The master of self-sustain.
Warriors utilize a large two-handed axe to cleave their way through victory, depending on mostly themselves to grit their teeth and regain the health they lose in encounters by being aggressive themselves. Unparalleled in their flexibility when it comes to surviving, Warriors can both reflect some damage and heal from their own attacks by applying their toolkit to any encounter. Sporting a healthy amount of mitigations, self-heals, and their iconic “Fell Cleave”, a Warrior can stand their ground against large mobs and bosses and relieve some pressure off the Healer by healing themselves, allowing the rest of the party to stay more focused on damage. Although their group utility isn’t the best around, their sheer self-sustainability is a trademark of the role itself. Warriors have access to a “Beast Gauge” that fills as they perform combos, allowing them to perform their highest-damaging abilities afterwards.
Paladin
Support on demand.
A Tanking role that revolves around providing extra mitigations to themselves and others, with the ability to cast powerful heals and damage at the cost of charge times and their resource bar called “Oath Gauge” that fills as you auto-attack. Generally considered the best support or off-Tank, a Paladin will have the most means to aid others in their group than the other roles, at the cost of being slightly less offensive. A real authentic Tank with the iconic sword and shield, this role excels at bolstering their own and the team’s defense, With the best emergency ability in the game the Paladin becomes invincible to most sources of damage, allowing them to withstand anything and even take the hits for someone else with their unique ability called “Cover”, effectively allowing them to shield someone else if both abilities are used together.
