Tanks - a SWGoH character class review
Super Long - but I always see poeple asking about which tanks are best, so listed them out and suggested some tank like abilities to add to the game at the end.
Typical gaming 'class' that refers to a character that protects others, allowing them to deal damage to the opponents while they soak up or distract the enemy. Usually they have high hit points, medium to low damage output, require immediate attention, self/buff and individual or team opponent debuff.
In Positional Games (think you place your toons is front, middle or back row positions) - They are placed in the front row, requiring that they are focused on before moving to the other rows, can have self heal, revive, health and heal up for self, damage and defense down debuffs for opponent, team bonus on their deaths (but who cares as this is not a positional game)
Free Attack Games (like SWGoH) - Need to have a reason for opponents to attack them first. Should have a taunt, a bonus if they are not attacked, a bonus if other allies are attacked, etc.
SWGoH - currently there are 15 tanks, only 6 of which are actual tanks (doesn't mean they aren't good toons, just not tanks). There are a couple toons not considered tanks by the game which actually are.
Real Tanks
Defensive taunt tanks - Tanks that are meant to take damage with high health and defensive bonuses, but few, if any, offensive skills or damage - listed by my ranking (others will vary, just my opinion)
1. Royal Guard - the 'perfect' defensive tank - high health, auto taunt, bonus when allies are attacked instead of him (turn meter and health bonus), Team Defense up and Basic Attack has Speed Down/Stun opponent debuff. Downside is slow farm
2. Clone Wars Chewie - poor man's defensive taunt tank - high health, maunal taunt with health up, self heal w/self Defense up, Basic has turn meter down on enemy, Easy to farm, but taunt is not auto and he is slow so toons could be dead before he can taunt
Offensive taunt tanks - Tanks that are meant to take damage, have only medium health, but supply offensive benfits to team with medium damage and some offensive skills
1a. Poe - Fast offensive tank that allows others to do big damage and slows opponents - maunal taunt which can expose and slow down entire opponent team and remove turn meter, basic attack has offense down, but has only moderate health and his debuffs can be resisted, farmable
1b. Stormtrooper Han - Medium speed tank, with large turn meter manipulation - manual taunt with turn meter add for allies when used and additional turn meter to allies every time he takes damage, passive enemy turn meter reduction at the beginning of his turn, basic attack has self turn meter boost, but he only has moderate health, easily farmable
Mixed taunt tanks - Stormtrooper - Poor man's tank with has a little of both, manual taunt with defense up for emipre units and turn meter reduction for enemies when he is attacked, very small amount of health for a tank, farmable, but not easily (needs a rework)
'Don't you dare ignore me' tanks - IG -100 Magnaguard - If you don't strike me down I will become stronger than you could possible imagine - Gains speed and attack bonuses if you don't attack him every round, full team turn meter reduction on AoE and basic attack inflicts Offense Down, counter helps to protect against AoE attacks
Tanks by any other name - several toons which are not classified as tanks but really are (I may have missed some)
1. Annakin - a don't ignore me tank - high health and if an ally dies he gains huge turn meter bonus and damage. Hard farm.
2. Hoth Rebel Soldier - a defensive taunt tank - manual taunt with defense up bonus. Hard farm.
I know the game had to fill out the tank roster to have a tank challenge but in a Free Attack/Non Positional game like this they are not tanks (and in some cases, not useful). They may have some tank like abilities, but are not tanks
Attack, attack, attack - haha, you thought I was a tank, watch this (acutally attacker) - listed in no particular order, only tank like abilities are discussed
Finn - typical attacker who has some self-heal and self-defense capabilities
Boba Fett - attacker with AoE ability block and self-revive
Mace Windu - attacker, pure and simple, self-heal on basic when below 50%
Im just here to help (actually support) - again no particular order only tank like abilities discussed
Teebo - a supporter that runs and hides not to get hit - leader ability does protect others with stealth. Massive turn meter manipulation. High health
CT-5555 Fives - a counter attacking support toon - protects allies from AoE by counter attacking, basic attack inflicts Speed Down, has huge health and low damage
Plo Kloon - support toon with Defensive abilities (pretty close to a tank) - applies Offense Down and Defense Up, with decent health (if there was a reason he needed to be focused on he would be a real tank)
Obi-Wan Kenobi - the enigma - a toon who you both want to kill early (before he gets he debuffs off) but don't want to kill early (on death bonus) - Evasion and turn meter manipulation leader skill perfect for a tank, Mind Tricks is really a support skill, but is also a tank ability
First Order Stormtrooper - forgot him, counter attacking tank like substance - protects allies from AoE with counter, inflicts speed down down on basic, self buff and minor turn meter manipulation. Poor man's Fives, though much harder to farm
Don't you .... Forget about me - the useless characters who don't fit into any category (and in current form, don't actually fit in the game)
Mob Enforcer - enough said right - does have defense down on basic attack and chance for offense up when allies get in red health
Jedi Knight Guardian - down there at the end of the bench, sure I can sit there - high health, basic can inflict Offense Down, Ability Block on AoE and self defense up unique provides self-heal, but currently just useless
Tank like skills that could be added to existing toons or for new toons
Bonuses while a toon is alive - any bonus that only exists while a toon is living (the opposite of the bonus on death) - would have to be a 'secret' buff that could not be dispelled or something that only takes affect at the beginning of every ally turn (health up, offense up, etc.)
More if you don't attack me toons - if not attacked the toon or the full team gets a bonus (and improve IG-100 skill to give both speed and offense up any round he isn't attacked)
Full team bonus on basic (similar to Bariss team heal, but 100%) - every time a basic attack (or special attack) is used every team member gets a random buff (off up, def up, speed up, advantage, etc.)
Counter redirect (Unique) - all counter attacks (or extra attacks) are redirected to this toon - Dooku, Fives, Phas leader ability, assist callers, etc. Might be OP, but I think it would be cool and very tank like
Block Unique debuff - stops unique abilities from working (like special block, but for uniques like counter)
I bleed for you (Unique) - toon has a 50% chance to take 50% of the damage from any attack on an ally - say an enemy attacks for 100 points of damage, the toon he attacked takes 50 and the tank takes 50, still the same damage, but spread across the two toons.
Edit: added FOST
Typical gaming 'class' that refers to a character that protects others, allowing them to deal damage to the opponents while they soak up or distract the enemy. Usually they have high hit points, medium to low damage output, require immediate attention, self/buff and individual or team opponent debuff.
In Positional Games (think you place your toons is front, middle or back row positions) - They are placed in the front row, requiring that they are focused on before moving to the other rows, can have self heal, revive, health and heal up for self, damage and defense down debuffs for opponent, team bonus on their deaths (but who cares as this is not a positional game)
Free Attack Games (like SWGoH) - Need to have a reason for opponents to attack them first. Should have a taunt, a bonus if they are not attacked, a bonus if other allies are attacked, etc.
SWGoH - currently there are 15 tanks, only 6 of which are actual tanks (doesn't mean they aren't good toons, just not tanks). There are a couple toons not considered tanks by the game which actually are.
Real Tanks
Defensive taunt tanks - Tanks that are meant to take damage with high health and defensive bonuses, but few, if any, offensive skills or damage - listed by my ranking (others will vary, just my opinion)
1. Royal Guard - the 'perfect' defensive tank - high health, auto taunt, bonus when allies are attacked instead of him (turn meter and health bonus), Team Defense up and Basic Attack has Speed Down/Stun opponent debuff. Downside is slow farm
2. Clone Wars Chewie - poor man's defensive taunt tank - high health, maunal taunt with health up, self heal w/self Defense up, Basic has turn meter down on enemy, Easy to farm, but taunt is not auto and he is slow so toons could be dead before he can taunt
Offensive taunt tanks - Tanks that are meant to take damage, have only medium health, but supply offensive benfits to team with medium damage and some offensive skills
1a. Poe - Fast offensive tank that allows others to do big damage and slows opponents - maunal taunt which can expose and slow down entire opponent team and remove turn meter, basic attack has offense down, but has only moderate health and his debuffs can be resisted, farmable
1b. Stormtrooper Han - Medium speed tank, with large turn meter manipulation - manual taunt with turn meter add for allies when used and additional turn meter to allies every time he takes damage, passive enemy turn meter reduction at the beginning of his turn, basic attack has self turn meter boost, but he only has moderate health, easily farmable
Mixed taunt tanks - Stormtrooper - Poor man's tank with has a little of both, manual taunt with defense up for emipre units and turn meter reduction for enemies when he is attacked, very small amount of health for a tank, farmable, but not easily (needs a rework)
'Don't you dare ignore me' tanks - IG -100 Magnaguard - If you don't strike me down I will become stronger than you could possible imagine - Gains speed and attack bonuses if you don't attack him every round, full team turn meter reduction on AoE and basic attack inflicts Offense Down, counter helps to protect against AoE attacks
Tanks by any other name - several toons which are not classified as tanks but really are (I may have missed some)
1. Annakin - a don't ignore me tank - high health and if an ally dies he gains huge turn meter bonus and damage. Hard farm.
2. Hoth Rebel Soldier - a defensive taunt tank - manual taunt with defense up bonus. Hard farm.
I know the game had to fill out the tank roster to have a tank challenge but in a Free Attack/Non Positional game like this they are not tanks (and in some cases, not useful). They may have some tank like abilities, but are not tanks
Attack, attack, attack - haha, you thought I was a tank, watch this (acutally attacker) - listed in no particular order, only tank like abilities are discussed
Finn - typical attacker who has some self-heal and self-defense capabilities
Boba Fett - attacker with AoE ability block and self-revive
Mace Windu - attacker, pure and simple, self-heal on basic when below 50%
Im just here to help (actually support) - again no particular order only tank like abilities discussed
Teebo - a supporter that runs and hides not to get hit - leader ability does protect others with stealth. Massive turn meter manipulation. High health
CT-5555 Fives - a counter attacking support toon - protects allies from AoE by counter attacking, basic attack inflicts Speed Down, has huge health and low damage
Plo Kloon - support toon with Defensive abilities (pretty close to a tank) - applies Offense Down and Defense Up, with decent health (if there was a reason he needed to be focused on he would be a real tank)
Obi-Wan Kenobi - the enigma - a toon who you both want to kill early (before he gets he debuffs off) but don't want to kill early (on death bonus) - Evasion and turn meter manipulation leader skill perfect for a tank, Mind Tricks is really a support skill, but is also a tank ability
First Order Stormtrooper - forgot him, counter attacking tank like substance - protects allies from AoE with counter, inflicts speed down down on basic, self buff and minor turn meter manipulation. Poor man's Fives, though much harder to farm
Don't you .... Forget about me - the useless characters who don't fit into any category (and in current form, don't actually fit in the game)
Mob Enforcer - enough said right - does have defense down on basic attack and chance for offense up when allies get in red health
Jedi Knight Guardian - down there at the end of the bench, sure I can sit there - high health, basic can inflict Offense Down, Ability Block on AoE and self defense up unique provides self-heal, but currently just useless
Tank like skills that could be added to existing toons or for new toons
Bonuses while a toon is alive - any bonus that only exists while a toon is living (the opposite of the bonus on death) - would have to be a 'secret' buff that could not be dispelled or something that only takes affect at the beginning of every ally turn (health up, offense up, etc.)
More if you don't attack me toons - if not attacked the toon or the full team gets a bonus (and improve IG-100 skill to give both speed and offense up any round he isn't attacked)
Full team bonus on basic (similar to Bariss team heal, but 100%) - every time a basic attack (or special attack) is used every team member gets a random buff (off up, def up, speed up, advantage, etc.)
Counter redirect (Unique) - all counter attacks (or extra attacks) are redirected to this toon - Dooku, Fives, Phas leader ability, assist callers, etc. Might be OP, but I think it would be cool and very tank like
Block Unique debuff - stops unique abilities from working (like special block, but for uniques like counter)
I bleed for you (Unique) - toon has a 50% chance to take 50% of the damage from any attack on an ally - say an enemy attacks for 100 points of damage, the toon he attacked takes 50 and the tank takes 50, still the same damage, but spread across the two toons.
Edit: added FOST
