There are four tanks in FFXIV, each with a unique skill to keep foes at bay. They all have specific mechanics, with different playstyles, suited for different tank mains.
For example, Dark Knight and Gunbreaker are fantastic choices if you like to tank more on the offensive. On the other hand, if you prefer to main a tank with more points on the defense stats, then FFXIV Paladin and Warrior are your best bet.
But which tank job is the best of the lot? To help you decide, we've created an FFXIV tank tier list. Within this list, we not only describe each tank job's advantages, drawbacks, and if they're beginner-friendly. Let's begin.
C-Tier: Dark Knight
Dark Knight is a brooding tank job with a hybrid playstyle. Its dark magic and heavy slashes make it a fearsome tank to wield. However, while it excels in damage with Bloodsplitter, Souleater-combo, and more, it lacks self-healing.
Its attacks take up more of the skill meter, with skills like Living Shadow and Salted Earth boosting more damaging points. However, newer updates have proven detrimental to Dark Knight's playstyle. Currently, Dark Knight's attacks deal less damage, alongside limited defensive skills like The Blackest Knight, Oblation, etc.
While tanking as Dark Knight offers the thrill of lashing out with high-damage skills like Edge of Shadow, Flood of Shadow, and The Blackest Knight, they can deplete your MP quickly, making it hard to sustain mitigations for long.
The imbalances of power and defense scales make Dark Knight slightly challenging, especially for first-time tanks.
B-Tier: Paladin
Paladin is the poster tank job of FFXIV, a dauntless warrior capable of taking down monsters and fiends with their valiant swords and shields. You go in all on defense with your skills for shielding (Sheltron), healing, and reducing incoming damage.
Tanks can also buff their attacks and stun enemies with Shield Bash and crowd control (CC.) All in all, it is an ideal addition as the party's ultimate shield in dungeons. What's more, paladins are FFXIV's beginner-friendly tank, with simple yet effective tanking abilities. It takes little to no time to adapt to the playstyle.
While a paladin is heavy on defenses and self-heals, it does fall on its damage output and DPS skills. You might sense this drawback in higher-level dungeons, even though you can use skills like Passage of Arms to block off incoming damage to party members.
So, if you utilize perfect combo mechanics for your buffs, mitigations, and attacks, the world's your oyster.
A-Tier: Gunbreaker
If you love playing a tank but want optimum damage output and survivability, Gunbreaker is your pick. It has some of the highest DPS in the game, along with damage buffers like No Mercy for more potent damage.
Of course, you have to dedicate time and effort to master Gunbreaker. This job has multiple combos and attack mechanics, ranging from regular weapon skills like Keen Edge>Brutal Shell>Solid Barrel to cartridge skills like Gnashing Fang>Jugular Rip, Wicked Talon>Eye Gauge, etc. Hence, the Gunbreaker comes with multiple combo rotations and mechanics.
Let's not forget the array of mitigations like Great Nebula and Heart of Light that keep a Gunbreaker in check. In short, if you're looking for a menacing DPS in the garb of a tank, the Gunbreaker job covers your needs.
S-Tier: Warrior
The Warrior is a self-sustaining tank capable of burning through mobs in a heartbeat. What sets a warrior apart from other tank jobs is its high damage output and damage buffs like Berserk and Inner Beast that improve your attack output.
What's more, Warriors also possess abilities like Storm's Path to heal you for every weapon attack. With skills like Infuriate, you can raise your Beast Gauge to increase your damage output and wipe out enemies within minutes. Similar versatile rotations for damage and heals, paired with the damage mitigations, make Warriors immensely powerful for dungeons, trials, and raids in FFXIV.
In short, Warriors are self-healers and buffers and have abilities to amp their DPS output, making them a one-man army among FFXIV tanks.
In conclusion, if you're looking to play Tank in FFXIV for the first time, Warrior and Paladin are your best bets. If you're a seasoned player with a knack for combo mechanics, try out Gunbreaker and Dark Knight.
Tanks are exciting jobs for those who love to play powerful classes with a knack for shields, heals, and deadly damage.