Staff / Shield Tank Build Overview
Project Gorgon offers some of the most unique tanking playstyles in the MMORPG genre. One of the strongest endgame options is the Staff / Shield Tank, a reliable and accessible setup with strong mitigation and self-healing that makes it an excellent choice for learning dungeon tanking fundamentals.
This build is designed for group dungeons and late-game content where dedicated tanks are required. It covers the recommended abilities, equipment choices, and mod priorities needed to effectively set up and play a Staff / Shield tank.
If you’re new to tanking in Project Gorgon, this build works best when paired with an understanding of how armor, mitigation, and taunt scaling function in group content. If you haven’t already, I strongly recommend reading the Project Gorgon Tank Guide before continuing.
Who This Build Is For
This Staff / Shield Tank build is best suited for players who want a reliable, low-risk tank setup for Project Gorgon’s group dungeons and elite content. It excels at sustained aggro, layered mitigation, and self-healing, making it an ideal choice for newer players learning dungeon tanking fundamentals while still scaling well into late-game encounters.
Best For: Group Dungeons • Elite Enemies • Learning Tank Fundamentals • Late-Game PvE
Unlocking Staff & Shield for Tanking
Becoming a Staff / Shield Tank requires unlocking both skill lines and learning additional abilities from trainers as you level them up.
Staff
Staff focuses on self-healing, taunting, mitigation, and damage, making it a strong core skill for tank survivability and threat generation.
To unlock the Staff combat skill, you’ll need to travel to Hogan’s Keep in Eltibule and speak with the NPC Hogan. Completing the quest “Hogan’s Request” will reward you with access to the Staff skill.
Staff Trainers
- Roshun the Traitor (Serbule, north of Serbule Keep) unlocks levels 51–60 and 61–70, and teaches low-level and level 51+ Staff abilities.
- The Wombat (Sun Vale Druid’s Camp) teaches select Staff abilities.
- Pegast (Fae Realm – Fel-Dasculan Ruins) unlocks levels and abilities for 71–80.
- Emersil the Ever-Gloating (Povus – Nightmare Caves Dungeon) teaches levels 81–90.
Shield
Shield focuses on mitigation, taunting, armor management, and group survivability, making it a key support skill for tanking in group content.
Unlocking the Shield skill requires increasing your favor with Tyler Green at the Serbule Hills Tapestry Inn until it reaches Comfortable. Once achieved, you can learn the Shield combat skill.
Shield Trainers
- Nelson Ballard in Serbule (Serbule Keep) teaches Rapid Recovery 1-6 and Fire Shield 1-4.
- Gorvessa in Hogan’s Basement under Hogan’s Keep in Eltibule teaches Infuriating Bash 1-5, Elemental Ward 1-3, Fire Shield 1-5, Fight Me You Fools 1-7 and Shield Team 1-5.
- Sir Johnson will unlock Shield levels 51-60, 61-70, and teaches level 51+ abilities.
- Pegast in Fae Realm (Fel-Dasculan Ruins) unlocks levels and abilities for 71-80.
- Emersil the Ever-Gloating in Povus (Nightmare Caves Dungeon) teaches levels 81-90.
Why Staff / Shield Works as a Tank
With both combat styles being easier to unlock compared to other tank options, the Staff / Shield setup is more accessible than most. When combined with strong mitigation, reliable taunting, self-healing, and a valuable group mitigation buff, it becomes a solid all-round tank that performs extremely well in late-game dungeon content.
Recommended Staff / Shield Tank Abilities
This ability setup focuses on maintaining strong survivability, reliable taunting, and effective crowd control. Staff provides core mitigation and self-healing alongside high taunt potential, while Shield layers additional damage absorption, armor restoration, enemy knockbacks, and a valuable group survival buff.
Together, these abilities allow the Staff / Shield tank to maintain aggro consistently while layering multiple forms of mitigation throughout extended dungeon encounters.
Staff
- Blocking Stance– Core physical mitigation tool
- Deflective Spin – Damage reduction, healing, and evasion
- Heed The Stick – High taunt and mitigation scaling
- Lunge – AoE knockback, damage, and damage reduction
- Pin – Immobilisation, healing, and enemy debuff
- Suppress – Enemy damage reduction
Shield
- Bulwark Mode – Massive mitigation and sustain scaling
- Fight Me You Fools – AoE taunt, knockback, and damage
- Take The Lead – Engage tool with taunt multipliers
- Shield Team – Group armor, mitigation, and evasion
- Elemental Ward – Elemental mitigation
- Fire Shield – Retaliation damage for threat generation
Recommended Equipment for Staff / Shield Tank
Metal armor is recommended for Staff / Shield tanking due to its high base mitigation and strong synergy with Shield’s defensive tools. Wearing 3+ pieces of Metal also provides an additional bonus, including reduced direct damage scaling based on your Max Armor.
Dwarven Plate is a crafted armor set that can either be made yourself or purchased from other players. It’s particularly strong for Staff / Shield tanking because it provides Elite Mitigation, making it more reliable against dungeon and elite enemies where sustained damage intake is highest, alongside extra Max Health.
If you don’t have Dwarven Plate yet, prioritise any Metal armor pieces that improve survivability and help you maintain threat while you work toward the full set.
For weapon slots, an Ambrosia’s Staff of Rudeness (Elven Judgement) and the Valore’s Shield of Darkness are strong options that provide useful bonuses for tanking.
Best Mods for Staff / Shield Tank Build
Head
Blocking Stance increases your Max Health +78 for 30 seconds (and heals you for 78)
Blocking Stance mitigates +19 physical damage (Crushing, Slashing, Piercing) for 30 seconds. Against Elite enemies, mitigates +19 more
Heed The Stick deals +16% Damage and Taunts +1500
While Bulwark Mode is active all your attacks taunt +50% and restore 44 Armor to you
Fight Me You Fools deals +65% damage and taunts +950
Take the Lead boosts the taunt of all your attacks +250%
Chest
Pin heals you for 65 health
Blocking Stance increases your Max Health +78 for 30 seconds (and heals you for 78)
Heed The Stick deals +16% Damage and Taunts +1500
Elemental Ward mitigates +50 elemental damage (Fire, Cold, and Electricity) for 30 seconds. Against Elite attackers, mitigates +50 more
Shield Team grants all allies +24 mitigation of all physical attacks (Crushing, Slashing, or Piercing) for 20 seconds
While Bulwark Mode is enabled you recover 44 Armor every 3 seconds
Legs
Deflective Spin heals 405 Health over 15 seconds
Heed The Stick Damage +97%
Shield Team grants all allies 25% evasion of burst attacks for 10 seconds
While Bulwark Mode is active all your attacks taunt +50% and restore 26 Health to you
Fight Me You Fools deals +27% damage and restores 128 Health over 8 seconds
Chance to Miraculously Avoid Death +178%
Hands
Pin heals you for 65 health
Lunge hits all enemies within 7 meters and deals +265 damage to health and armor, but reuse timer is +2 seconds
All Shield attacks have a 26% chance to conjure a force-shield that mitigates 10% of all nature, darkness, demonic, and acid damage for 30 seconds (or until 100 damage is absorbed). Stacks up to 5 times
Max Armor +75, Direct Acid Mitigation +50, and Indirect Acid Mitigation +4 while Shield skill active
Shield Team grants all allies +24 mitigation of all physical attacks (Crushing, Slashing, or Piercing) for 20 seconds
When you are hit, all Shield abilities taunt +334 for 30 seconds (stacks up to 20 times)
Feet
Suppress and Heed the Stick have +51 Accuracy
Lunge deals +126 damage and knocks the target backwards
Deflective Spin restores 102 Health instantly and provides +47 Mitigation from all Elite attacks for 10 seconds
All Shield attacks have a 26% chance to conjure a force-shield that mitigates 10% of all slashing, crushing, and piercing damage for 30 seconds (or until 100 damage is absorbed). Stacks up to 5 times
Fire Shield deals +144 Fire damage to melee attackers
While Bulwark Mode is enabled, other abilities cost -22 Power to use
Ring
Deflective Spin gives you +27% Projectile Evasion for 15 seconds
Heed The Stick gives you +26 mitigation from direct attacks for 10 seconds
Elemental Ward mitigates +50 elemental damage (Fire, Cold, and Electricity) for 30 seconds. Against Elite attackers, mitigates +50 more
Take the Lead boosts the taunt of all your attacks +250%
While Bulwark Mode is enabled you recover 44 Armor every 3 seconds
Infuriating Bash deals +54% damage and taunts +510
Necklace
Deflective Spin restores 102 Health instantly and provides +47 Mitigation from all Elite attacks for 10 seconds
Blocking Stance mitigates +19 physical damage (Crushing, Slashing, Piercing) for 30 seconds. Against Elite enemies, mitigates +19 more
Deflective Spin heals 405 Health over 15 seconds
Max Armor +100
Chance to Ignore Knockbacks +33%, Chance to Ignore Stuns +20%
Chance to Miraculously Avoid Death +178%
Main Hand
Staff Base Damage +60%
While Shield skill active: Mitigate Slashing +18, Piercing +18, and Crushing +18. Versus Elite attackers, these values are doubled
Shield Team grants all allies 25% evasion of burst attacks for 10 seconds
While Bulwark Mode is active all your attacks taunt +50% and restore 44 Armor to you
Fire Shield causes melee attackers to ignite, dealing 180 Fire damage over 10 seconds
Fire Damage Reduction +18, Cold Damage Reduction +18, Electricity Damage Reduction +18
Off Hand
Lunge causes the next attack that hits you to deal 47 less damage
Heed The Stick gives you +26 mitigation from direct attacks for 10 seconds
Pin causes target’s attacks to deal -77% damage for 5 seconds
Deflective Spin damage +125. Targets’ next attack deals -10% damage
While Shield skill active: Mitigate Slashing +18, Piercing +18, and Crushing +18. Versus Elite attackers, these values are doubled
Fight Me You Fools deals +65% damage and taunts +950
How the Staff / Shield Tank Performs in Group Content
In group content, the Staff / Shield tank excels at maintaining aggro through consistent taunt scaling while absorbing heavy elite damage. Staff abilities provide reliable damage reduction and self-healing, while Shield skills layer additional mitigation, crowd control, and group survivability tools. This combination makes the build highly reliable in sustained dungeon encounters where tanks are under constant pressure.
If you’re looking for alternative tanking playstyles in Project Gorgon, the Cow / Unarmed Tank Build offers a strong but unconventional alternative, while the Ice / Shield Tank Build focuses more heavily on control and damage reduction.
Useful Links
- Play Project Gorgon on Steam
- Project Gorgon Tank Guide
- Project Gorgon Cow / Unarmed Tank Build
- Browse more Tank Builds on The Tank Club
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