[Review] [Tank] Focused Offense

[porkstar]

EDIT: @porkstar balance isn't only at wb level, and I don't see how melee trains are any grosser or more annoying than firing squads. Plus the tactic is there, dps tank is a playstyle, and so it makes sense to balance it.

I personally find melee trains gross so excuse me for interjecting my personal feelings. However, the tactic itself is flawed. If it was balance it should say do 15% more damage take 15% more damage. I understand the desire to have a tank that does killer damage while having all the abilities of a tank and little downside. Ya'll should thank the gods the tactic is reduced armor and not % increased dmg taken.

[GodlessCrom]

Literally no one ever would pick that tactic and for good reason. 15% more damage from all sources is insane. You'd be squishy as hell. As a tank, you aren't doing 15% more dmg to everyone around you, you generally do that dmg to one target. So 15% more dmg from all sources would just ensure that FO tanks die instantly to rdps. It would a nerf to an already terrible tactic.

[Gerv]

The tactic will never be slotted in any 6v6 or semi serious group in the proposed suggestions because it fundamentally reduces the ability of tanks to perform their role. Creating a massive liability.

The issue of over-powered tanks in 1v1 is a none issue, over-powered tank damage is a non issue because of the reasoning above and thus a pug issue. Tanks not using guard is already an issue and this would just exasperate it.

Therefore it should not be adjusted and not worth discussing.

However, if devs feel so inclined, and focused offence is touched at all the volume of armour reduced would need to decrease. Godlesscrow gives us some useful numbers at which we should be looking at around 20% armour reduced. Although, even then a hard switch by a premade will easily kill any focus offences tank regardless. Adjustment would only result in a quality of life improvement to pug situations. Which is bleh anyway.

[GodlessCrom]

What if a FO tank assumes mdps role, like dps Dok? Might even work with some lineups: i.e. Ironbreaker and Slayer instead of WHite lion and slayer. IB brings 50% ougoing hd, and armor debuff. Less burst dmg but more survivability and a more reliable kd. Plus can then have an SM for whispering winds in addition to kotbs.

[porkstar]

Literally no one ever would pick that tactic and for good reason. 15% more damage from all sources is insane. You'd be squishy as hell. As a tank, you aren't doing 15% more dmg to everyone around you, you generally do that dmg to one target. So 15% more dmg from all sources would just ensure that FO tanks die instantly to rdps. It would a nerf to an already terrible tactic.

That was my point to illustrate that currently the risk of this tactic it isn't really that bad. It's just a fundamentally situational tactic. It's useful, for example, if your group is in a fight and you just can't quite squeeze out enough dps and at the same time are never really under any pressure of dying. Get the tanks to put on some focused offense and squeeze out a bit more. Or it's great for OffTank PvE as already mentioned. I don't see how improving out dmg or reducing inc dmg with this tactic will improve game-play in a large scale setting. It seems like one of those surreptitious pug buff requests.

[porkstar]

What if a FO tank assumes mdps role, like dps Dok? Might even work with some lineups: i.e. Ironbreaker and Slayer instead of WHite lion and slayer. IB brings 50% ougoing hd, and armor debuff. Less burst dmg but more survivability and a more reliable kd. Plus can then have an SM for whispering winds in addition to kotbs.

They already can. We used to run a (2) IB (1) SLAY (1) Kotb (2) WP on live for a while and it was a beast. Sometimes we just couldn't squeeze out enough dmg tho, which is really, probably just fine.

[eks]

A (possibly very poor) suggestion:

Make Focused Offense a +Strikethrough tactic instead of +Dmg, maybe at the cost of a penalty to Block/Parry. This would make it usable by tanks who aren't just trying to max out dmg but also trying to maximize procs/CC.

I'm thinking either a flat +5% Strikethrough, or +10% with a -5% penalty to Block/Parry?

[Tifereth]

As Porkstar mentioned, people already ran/run 1 SnB 1 2H, or even 2 SnB 1 2H comps.
IBs can remain really tanky despite going for the 2H build.

True is also, that SM, IB and BO already do very well without a possible buff to the tactic.

I'm not against buffing underperforming/garbage tactics getting a push so we can have more
choices in our stale meta game. However, I'm skeptical on this one. It needs to be good enough
to be worth slotting it, but easily runs risk of being too strong or too mediocre given it will be a
cross class buff for classes that inherently perform on different power levels.
(BG and his reliance on lots of tactics already springs to mind)

[Penril]

As Porkstar mentioned, people already ran/run 1 SnB 1 2H, or even 2 SnB 1 2H comps.
IBs can remain really tanky despite going for the 2H build.

He said they ran that on live. Which probably has something to do with crazy gear stats (again). Offensive Warpforged for example.

Let's keep the "well, on live..." posts out of this thread please.

[Tifereth]

He said they ran that on live.

Porkstar said that, I was talking about here. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear.
Premades became rarer these days, but groups mixing in 2H tanks was not uncommon.
Not saying it's the best in slot meta pick, but changes to WP/DoK showed how
easy the meta can shift once a change is deemed too desirable.

Just playing devil's advocate that a cross class change, while aiding underperforming 2H classes, might push already
strong classes over the edge, instead of creating diversity of choice. Given that some 2H builds are in a very
good spot, I thought it was worth mentioning.