Ranged tanking?

[Destlin]

Hi fellow sentinel lovers. I am here to pose the question of a ranged tanking setup. Is it possible? Is it viable? What are some of the ideas to make it work? I would imagine you would need to take the taunt pool power but are there ranged AoE abilities that can take a taunt set that I could use instead? Just a thought.

[PaxArcana]

I don' think Sentinel defenses and health points are quite up to the role of Tank on a team.

[Fedifensor]

I don' think Sentinel defenses and health points are quite up to the role of Tank on a team.

The traditional tank role of getting aggro from everyone and laughing at their attacks is beyond Sentinels.  That said, I "off-tank" frequently for our main tank, gathering a few foes on the fringes that weren't caught by the Tanker and letting them go after me.  With my current build (capped S/L/F resistance, near 30% ranged defense), I can hover and let foes shoot at me while I pick them off.  With a bit more work on prioritizing defense boosts, I could probably take Provoke and grab foes like a Tanker in training.  Just don't expect me to have 10+ guys in my face without some difficulties.

[Hyperstrike]

I dunno.  Sentinels can be pretty freaking durable.

 

Here's one where I DIDN'T just go for max Defense.

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962

http://www.cohplanner.com/

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Joanie Wu: Level 50 Magic Sentinel

Primary Power Set: Dual Pistols

Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability

Power Pool: Fighting

Power Pool: Leaping

Power Pool: Leadership

Power Pool: Speed

 

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Dual Wield -- SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprSntWar-Dmg/Rchg:50(3), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(3), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(5), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(13), SprSntWar-Rchg/+Absorb:50(50)

Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(5), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(7), RctArm-ResDam:40(7)

Level 2: Empty Clips -- SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprOppStr-Dmg/Rchg:50(9), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(9), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(11), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(11), SprOppStr-Rchg/+Opportunity:50(50)

Level 4: Resist Physical Damage -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(13), RctArm-ResDam:40(15), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(15)

Level 6: Suppressive Fire -- SprEnt-Acc/Hold:50(A), SprEnt-Hold/Rchg:50(17), SprEnt-End/Rchg:50(17), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End:50(19), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End/Rchg:50(19)

Level 8: Durability -- Pnc-Heal/EndRedux:50(A), Pnc-EndRdx/Rchg:50(21), Pnc-Heal/Rchg:50(21), Pnc-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg:50(23), Pnc-Heal:50(23)

Level 10: Swap Ammo

Level 12: Dull Pain -- Pnc-Heal/EndRedux:50(A), Pnc-EndRdx/Rchg:50(25), Pnc-Heal/Rchg:50(25), Pnc-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg:50(27), Pnc-Heal:50(27)

Level 14: Bullet Rain -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg:50(A), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx:50(29), PstBls-Dmg/Rchg:50(29), PstBls-Dmg/Rng:50(31), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(31)

Level 16: Unyeilding -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(33), RctArm-ResDam:40(33)

Level 18: Executioner's Shot -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprWntBit-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(34), SprWntBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg:50(34), SprWntBit-Rchg/SlowProc:50(36)

Level 20: Environmental Resistance -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(36), RctArm-ResDam:40(37), GldArm-3defTpProc:50(37)

Level 22: Kick -- SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(39), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(39), SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg:50(39)

Level 24: Tough -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(40), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40), RctArm-ResDam:40(40)

Level 26: Piercing Rounds -- SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx:50(42), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(42), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(42), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg:50(43), SprFrzBls-Rchg/ImmobProc:50(43)

Level 28: Invincible -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(43), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP:50(45)

Level 30: Weave -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(45), Rct-ResDam%:50(45)

Level 32: Hail of Bullets -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprAvl-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(46), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(48)

Level 35: Tough Hide -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(48)

Level 38: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(48)

Level 41: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(50)

Level 44: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A)

Level 47: Assault -- EndRdx-I:50(A)

Level 49: Super Jump -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB:50(A)

Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End:50(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+:50(31)

Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%:50(A), PrfShf-EndMod:50(36)

Level 10: Chemical Ammunition

Level 10: Cryo Ammunition

Level 10: Incendiary Ammunition

Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon

Level 50: Ion Core Final Judgement

Level 50: Diamagnetic Core Flawless Interface

Level 50: Longbow Core Superior Ally

Level 50: Ageless Core Epiphany

Level 50: Support Core Embodiment

------------

 

 

 

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[Gone]

Tanking isn't taking damage, tanking is controlling aggro.  Without proper aggro management tools (Gauntlet, Auto-hit taunt, Aura taunt), all you will do is take an alpha strike and then watch all the mobs go after everyone else in the team who interacts with them.  You can get a modest taunt (provoke) from power pools but that will still not come anywhere close to a tank or brute with more robust tools, or a select few scrapper builds that include strong taunt auras and aggro management tools.

 

Take damage / Survive?  Yep, Sentinels can do that.  Tank?  Not really, unless you're fighting small spawns at medium difficulty in a less than full team.

[Sunsette]

On that note, discovered a patron power that's listed as having a taunt in Mids Reborn. Haven't checked it in game yet.

 

Re: Sent survivability. We'd need babysitting more than most for content that's actually hard but as long as there's a support that complements your weak survival stat, should be doable.

[Zepp]

Sentinel would need a strong taunt and a strong immobilize to do that. They still couldn't herd though...

[Sunsette]

Immobilize isn't a problem, we got an embarrassment of riches there.

[Hyperstrike]

Tanking isn't taking damage, tanking is controlling aggro.  Without proper aggro management tools (Gauntlet, Auto-hit taunt, Aura taunt), all you will do is take an alpha strike and then watch all the mobs go after everyone else in the team who interacts with them.  You can get a modest taunt (provoke) from power pools but that will still not come anywhere close to a tank or brute with more robust tools, or a select few scrapper builds that include strong taunt auras and aggro management tools.

 

Take damage / Survive?  Yep, Sentinels can do that.  Tank?  Not really, unless you're fighting small spawns at medium difficulty in a less than full team.

 

No.  Actually Tanking is soft combat-control.

Either by controlling aggro, or absorbing damage from enemies so your teammates don't have to.

And by absorbing I mean:

 

• Avoiding (Defense)
  
• Reducing (Resistance)
  
• Surviving (Heal/Regen)
  

 

[Gone]

Tanking isn't taking damage, tanking is controlling aggro.  Without proper aggro management tools (Gauntlet, Auto-hit taunt, Aura taunt), all you will do is take an alpha strike and then watch all the mobs go after everyone else in the team who interacts with them.  You can get a modest taunt (provoke) from power pools but that will still not come anywhere close to a tank or brute with more robust tools, or a select few scrapper builds that include strong taunt auras and aggro management tools.

 

Take damage / Survive?  Yep, Sentinels can do that.  Tank?  Not really, unless you're fighting small spawns at medium difficulty in a less than full team.

 

No.  Actually Tanking is soft combat-control.

Either by controlling aggro, or absorbing damage from enemies so your teammates don't have to.

And by absorbing I mean:

 

• Avoiding (Defense)
  
• Reducing (Resistance)
  
• Surviving (Heal/Regen)
  

 

Sorry, that's incorrect at a base level.

 

Avoiding damage requires you to have aggro for damage to avoid.

Reducing damage requires you to have aggro for damage to resist.

Surviving requires you to have aggro for damage to heal/regen.

 

At a base level tanking requires aggro, otherwise you have nothing to avoid/reduce/survive.  All three of those qualities are meaningless if nothing is paying attention to you.  You start with aggro, then you survive and avoid/reduce/survive.  Any AT can do this at onset with alpha strikes, but only those I mentioned can do so at length.

 

I appreciate your addition and all of the points you make are valid except that aggro is the source of tanking.  As soon as you escape into the land of control beyond aggro control, you're instead CCing, not tanking.  I agree that aggro control can be considered 'A' soft control, however, and will cede that point, but you need it to tank, without it you're just a sponge on the side hoping something shoots at you.

[nihilii]

I'll sidestep the "is it tanking or not" debate, but I will say I've been on teams where I'm effectively the one taking the alpha and having most mob aggro towards me.

 

It's chaotic, things run everywhere, but we get the job done with minimal teammate deaths.

 

And I mean that not as in "+2/x2 newspaper", but as in "duoing the LRSF with a /kin corruptor". :)

 

Sentinel defenses are decent, and enemies deal significantly lower damage at range... Really, you can be sturdier than scrappers. It's just an aggro control problem.

 

But even there, attacking first and attacking consistently on a team where no teammate has aggro powers will tend to leave you the aggro forever. I've had 5-10 minutes AV fights where aggro is focused on me the full time. Sometimes I lose it for a few seconds because I'm spending too much time on clicks, then it snaps back the moment I resume attacking fulltime.

 

The necessity of taunt (power, auras, punchvoke) comes up where situations get chaotic or when weaker teammates WITH taunt powers bit off more than they can chew. A Sentinel is never going to be a real tank in the sense of stealing aggro from someone in trouble, but they can be effective damage sponges soaking up most of the incoming nastiness... and then there's a whole primary to get rid of said nasties.  :P

[PaxArcana]

[...]"off-tank" [...]

Yup, THAT is a role that Sentinels should be about as good as Scrappers at doing (and with ranged attacks, maybe better - they can gather in those "loose" mobs without having to run over first).  :)

 

[Destlin]

This is what I have come up with so far and he just hit 50, I will update in a day or so once i have him all geared out and my buddies and I group up.

 

 

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962

http://www.cohplanner.com/

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Water-Bio Sent: Level 50 Magic Sentinel

Primary Power Set: Water Blast

Secondary Power Set: Bio Armor

Power Pool: Flight

Power Pool: Fighting

Power Pool: Speed

Power Pool: Presence

Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery

 

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Aqua Bolt

• (A) Accuracy IO
  

Level 1: Hardened Carapace

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  
• (3) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (23) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
  
• (25) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  
• (25) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
  
• (27) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  

Level 2: Water Burst

• (A) Superior Opportunity Strikes - RechargeTime/Chance for Opportunity
  
• (5) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (13) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (13) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (11) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (29) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  

Level 4: Inexhaustible

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  
• (21) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 6: Dehydrate

• (A) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (7) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (7) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (9) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (9) Superior Sentinel's Ward - RechargeTime/Chance for +Absorb
  
• (11) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 8: Fly

• (A) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%)
  

Level 10: Adaptation

Level 12: Environmental Adaptation

• (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6%
  
• (15) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (15) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  
• (17) Defense Buff IO
  
• (29) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage
  

Level 14: Whirlpool

• (A) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown
  
• (19) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
  
• (31) Ragnarok - Damage
  
• (33) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
  
• (21) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 16: Ablative Carapace

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
  

Level 18: Boxing

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (19) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  
• (27) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 20: Hover

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 22: Tidal Forces

• (A) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception
  
• (33) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  

Level 24: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (33) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 26: Tough

• (A) Resist Damage IO
  

Level 28: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  

Level 30: Water Jet

• (A) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  
• (31) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (40) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Apocalypse - Damage
  
• (43) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 32: Geyser

• (A) Superior Frozen Blast - Recharge/Chance for Immobilize
  
• (34) Superior Frozen Blast - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  
• (34) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (34) Superior Frozen Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (36) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 35: Mind Probe

• (A) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (45) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance
  
• (36) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (36) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  
• (37) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 38: Parasitic Leech

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
  
• (39) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
  
• (39) Preventive Medicine - Heal
  
• (39) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (40) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
  
• (40) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
  

Level 41: Genomic Evolution

• (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (42) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge
  
• (42) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
  
• (42) Aegis - Resistance
  

Level 44: Psychic Shockwave

• (A) Obliteration - Damage
  
• (45) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (45) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (46) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (46) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (46) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 47: Link Minds

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  
• (48) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  
• (48) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff
  

Level 49: Provoke

• (A) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (50) Mocking Beratement - Taunt
  
• (50) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Range
  
• (50) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range
  

Level 1: Defensive Adaptation

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (3) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  
• (17) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (23) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  
• (5) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  

Level 10: Efficient Adaptation

Level 10: Offensive Adaptation

Level 0: The Atlas Medallion

Level 0: Task Force Commander

Level 0: Portal Jockey

Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve

Level 50: Reactive Radial Flawless Interface

Level 50: Agility Core Paragon

Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment

Level 50: Rebirth Radial Epiphany

------------

 

 

 

 

[Hyperstrike]

Tanking isn't taking damage, tanking is controlling aggro.  Without proper aggro management tools (Gauntlet, Auto-hit taunt, Aura taunt), all you will do is take an alpha strike and then watch all the mobs go after everyone else in the team who interacts with them.  You can get a modest taunt (provoke) from power pools but that will still not come anywhere close to a tank or brute with more robust tools, or a select few scrapper builds that include strong taunt auras and aggro management tools.

 

Take damage / Survive?  Yep, Sentinels can do that.  Tank?  Not really, unless you're fighting small spawns at medium difficulty in a less than full team.

 

No.  Actually Tanking is soft combat-control.

Either by controlling aggro, or absorbing damage from enemies so your teammates don't have to.

And by absorbing I mean:

 

• Avoiding (Defense)
  
• Reducing (Resistance)
  
• Surviving (Heal/Regen)
  

 

Sorry, that's incorrect at a base level.

 

Avoiding damage requires you to have aggro for damage to avoid.

Reducing damage requires you to have aggro for damage to resist.

Surviving requires you to have aggro for damage to heal/regen.

 

Yes.  Because there's NOTHING a Sentinel can do to generate aggro.

Nothing I say!  Nothing AT ALL!

 

C'mon man.

 

My default playstyle is "tank it all". And, pretty much, I have.  On every AT available.

[Heraclea]

I noticed that my sentinel's willpower defenses included no taunt or -tohit effects.  All of my tankers, even my willpower and super reflex tankers, annoy Atlas Park grays just by standing too close: not the sentinel. 

 

This actually opens up possibilities, especially since it shouldn't be too hard to build up a sentinel to at least scrapper level defenses, and my water/WP sentinel at least is able to keep mobs that want to melee at bay, especially since she now has caltrops, or whatever the ninja version of caltrops is.  You can stealth; you can stealth without really being concerned about stealth failures from stuff like Rikti drones or Nemesis snipers.  This opens up a world of merit farming and team utility.  Building a Tanker or most Scrappers and Brutes as a stealth/TPer is mostly a fool's errand. 

[Hyperstrike]

Hashtag TankStealth!

[Gone]

Tanking isn't taking damage, tanking is controlling aggro.  Without proper aggro management tools (Gauntlet, Auto-hit taunt, Aura taunt), all you will do is take an alpha strike and then watch all the mobs go after everyone else in the team who interacts with them.  You can get a modest taunt (provoke) from power pools but that will still not come anywhere close to a tank or brute with more robust tools, or a select few scrapper builds that include strong taunt auras and aggro management tools.

 

Take damage / Survive?  Yep, Sentinels can do that.  Tank?  Not really, unless you're fighting small spawns at medium difficulty in a less than full team.

 

No.  Actually Tanking is soft combat-control.

Either by controlling aggro, or absorbing damage from enemies so your teammates don't have to.

And by absorbing I mean:

 

• Avoiding (Defense)
  
• Reducing (Resistance)
  
• Surviving (Heal/Regen)
  

 

Sorry, that's incorrect at a base level.

 

Avoiding damage requires you to have aggro for damage to avoid.

Reducing damage requires you to have aggro for damage to resist.

Surviving requires you to have aggro for damage to heal/regen.

 

Yes.  Because there's NOTHING a Sentinel can do to generate aggro.

Nothing I say!  Nothing AT ALL!

 

C'mon man.

 

My default playstyle is "tank it all". And, pretty much, I have.  On every AT available.

 

Your assertion didn't mention Sentinel at all, you were asserting that all tanking is 'taking or mitigating damage'.  I didn't say a sentinel can't generate aggro.  I said that a sentinel cannot  generate aggro like a tank or brute or even a scrapper.  That's all.  Reread if you misunderstood, sorry for any mixups.

[Sovera]

The fire/bio build I posted on these forums tackled 4/8 farm maps face on, not floating out of ranged. It did require a single small purple to be soft capped though, which is much easier to maintain solo than in a group where insps get split off to the team.

 

That said it only 'tanked', it had no special tools for agro, but aggro for the most part is a non thing. If you jump into the pack first and unleash all your AoEs the surviving mobs will be pretty focused on you. Nothing survives more than a few seconds anyway.  Few teams won't have a dom or a controller in them and they will sponge off the alpha.

 

Prolonged fights belong only in the realms of AVs and that's the only time some aggro tool will be warranted. Almost surely you cannot build a team that does not have a tanker or a brute unless really nitpicking who joins. Any brute has ST aggro in their attacks so they will always steal it off anything that isn't actively trying to aggro, like using Provoke or another brute, or a tanker.

[Steampunkette]

So... /Nin makes a Sentinel capable of having 30% defense to all positions by level 22.

 

Get Tough early on and 2 slot it with the Attuned versions of the +3% defense IOs.

 

Grab Provoke and slot it for Taunt Duration. With the recharge you're already slotting for and hasten, you'll have plenty of chances to taunt.

 

Start every fight with big AoE and when someone peels aggro off, Taunt. You won't have the passive generation of a 'Real' Tank, but you'll be hellaciously survivable if you build well and have a tool to control some aggro.

[HelenCarnate]

You can sometimes tank but not consistently. The main issue is aggro. By running in/shooting first that will grab the initial aggro but in order to keep it you would need to dip into the presence pool. Brutes, blasters and scrapers are likely to pull aggro from you in prolonged fights as you will not be doing enough damage to compete. Now sometimes groups melt stuff so fast that it doesn't matter but on those teams there are normally enough buffs that no one is really tanking, stuff just dies too fast to matter who has aggro.

 

On an AV fights is where you really want aggro control.  Without a taunt you are not going to be the main focus with any of those 3 AT on your team and would not be able to tank. On my blaster I have pulled aggro off of tanks that do not take taunt and that is simply not possible with the damage output of a sentinel. 

[BrandX]

You can get a taunt aura with the Hybrid Melee Incarnate if I'm not mistaken, but I don't believe it will be permanent.

[MDLittle]

I think one thing that is forgotten when it comes to aggro management is how mobs react to aggro. AT's all have a certain threat rating which determines how the mobs react to a group when they come within aggro range. This initially threat rating is altered in accordance to how they are influenced by other AT's - damage, debuff, taunt. The effects a player stacks on a target ultimately adjusts their aggro in accordance to how strongly they're effected. This is why a blaster will inevitably peel aggro off a tank no matter how desperately they taunt and punchvoke...in certain instances, there's no tanker that can maintain aggro consistently with a blaster hell bent on destroying the opposition - the blaster simply outpaces the tanker's aggro generation and low damaging attacks.

 

Can a sentinel acquire and maintain aggro? That depends on how serious they are about keeping the attention on them. Remember, the sentinels primary is ranged attack - not defense, and while ranged attack damage is generally less than melee damage...tankers melee damage is their secondary, so a sentinel should be able to maintain consistent damage output on par with a tanker. With that in mind, coupled together with provoke from the presence power pool and generous application of consistent damage output - a sentinel has the capacity to tank. Certainly, there will be a straggler or two...so blast those stragglers, either get their attention back on you or put them down. With that said, tanking is very doable with a sentinel (tankers just don't like to hear it...).

 

I guess what's important regarding taunting in general is that it's temporary aggro, kind of like damage that's forgotten about unless consistently maintained which tankers, admittedly, are quite good at. However, in thinking aggro as damage, damage doesn't go away (healed overtime, yes, but not fade anywhere near as fast as taunting). Also note that taunting operates in accordance to type - autohits tend to aggro less than taunt types that require a tohit and aoes tend to be less effective than single target (at least from my experience). Keep this in mind when deciding when and how you want to manage aggro...when to taunt and when to attack, etc. Do note that tankers are exactly the best aggro generating AT - a blaster with provoke would be almost impossible to peel from...

 

...except when they faceplant. 😕

Edited July 30, 2019 by MDLittle