What is a Tank in Games? An In-Depth Look at the Vital Protectors of Multiplayer Gaming

As an avid gamer, you‘ve surely encountered tanks before. The bulky, heavily armored characters leading the charge into battle and soaking up damage. Tanks are the protectors and initiators who anchor multiplayer team comps. But what exactly makes a tank tick? In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about tank roles across various online games.

The Origins of Tanking in MUDs and Early MMORPGs

To understand modern tanking, we have to go back to some of the earliest predecessors of today‘s multiplayer games – text-based MUDs (multi-user dungeons) and their graphics-enabled counterparts, MMORPGs.

In these virtual fantasy worlds, the concept of someone playing a "tank" role emerged organically from party-based combat. Warrior and paladin classes, wearing the heaviest armor and wielding shields, found they could soak up hits while their squishier friends dished out damage. They leaned into this advantage, evolving into dedicated damage sponges and monster taunters.

According to veteran MUD player Xavier Pine:

"In a MUD called Archmage in 1989, I first saw players intentionality put on gear to boost their armor class and provoke monsters into attacking them over the spellcasters. That‘s when it dawned on me that drawing aggro was a real tactical role worthy of a dedicated build."

As competitive raiding became popular in early MMORPGs like Everquest and Ultima Online, so did more advanced tank builds and strategies. The community began referring to these protectors as "tanks" – after the heavily armored vehicles – and the name stuck.

Tank Roles Across Game Genres

Tank characters now feature prominently in many online multiplayer game genres:

MMOs: Hold aggro and anchor the group against PvE enemies and bosses. Examples: Warriors (WoW), Paladins (FFXIV)

MOBAs: Initiate fights and disrupt enemies. Examples: Sion (LoL), Axe (Dota 2)

Hero Shooters: Create space and opportunities for DPS to do their job. Examples: Reinhardt (Overwatch), Ruckus (Paladins)

Fighting Games: Absorb damage while teammates recover. Examples: Zangief (Street Fighter), Bowser (Smash Bros)

Despite some genre differences, tanks across all these games share some core responsibilities: protect allies, control enemies, start engagements.

Now let‘s explore what abilities allow tanks to fulfill their role…

Key Tank Attributes and Mechanics

Tanks require a specialized toolkit to soak damage effectively and control the battlefield:

Health and Resilience – A large health pool and damage mitigation gives tanks longevity in the thick of combat. Heavy armor, shields, and buffs improve durability.

Threat Generation – Taunts and aggro-grabbing abilities force enemies to focus tanks over squishier teammates. Some generate "threat" passively.

Crowd Control – Stuns, knockbacks, pulls etc. allow tanks to disrupt enemies and buy time. A well-placed slow or root can win a fight.

Initiation – Leaps, charges and repositioning skills let tanks start engagements decisively. They choose when and where to brawl.

Peel/Protection – Counters and absorbs help safeguard allies, as do body-blocking shots and placing barriers.

Not all tanks boast every ability, but a good mix makes them formidable. Now let‘s compare some quintessential examples…

Breaking Down Tank Kits – Leona vs. Reinhardt

Leona from League of Legends and Reinhardt from Overwatch have become iconic tanks in MOBAs and hero shooters respectively. Here‘s how their kits exemplify great tank design:

Leona

• Q – Shield of Daybreak: Gap closer that stuns
• W – Eclipse: Defensive stats boost
• E – Zenith Blade: Long range gap closer/root
• R – Solar Flare: AoE stun/damage

Leona excels at initiation and pick potential. Her E allows her to root separated enemies for a quick kill. She can also peel for allies with her on-demand stuns and durability boosts.

Reinhardt

• Barrier Field: Large projecting shield to block damage
• Charge: Rocket towards enemies to pin them
• Fire Strike: Long range skillshot initiating damage
• Earthshatter: AoE stun perfect for engagement

Reinhardt anchors teams with his massive shield. His Charge and Earthshatter enable him to start fights decisively. He also protects allies from blast damage and snipers by controlling position.

Playing the Position – Mindset and Gamesense for Tanks

We‘ve covered tank kits, but what about the human behind the character? Tanking well requires the right mindset and gamesense:

• Remain calm under pressure. As the main damage magnet, tanks eat the most fire. Shrug off mistakes and keep going.

• Develop situational awareness. Tanks need a sixth sense for the whole battlefield to control space effectively.

• Lead decisively. Shot calling engages and positioning with confidence is huge. But also…

• Communicate cooldowns. Letting your team know when defensive skills are on cooldown helps them position accordingly.

• Coordinate with healers. Work together on ability usage and positioning to maximize sustain.

• Learn enemy patterns. Study dangerous abilities that need to be interrupted, shielded or dodged.

• Be the rock. Embodying steadiness and positivity helps your team play consistently even in chaotic fights.

• Have patience. Some comps require slow pushing or waiting for the right moment – even if DPS get antsy.

Mastering these intangibles separates great tanks from good ones. There‘s psychology behind holding the frontline.

Off-Tanks and Main Tanks – A Study in Roles

Not all tanks need to perform identically. Games like Overwatch and WoW differentiate between Main Tanks and Off-Tanks. Let‘s examine how their duties differ:

Main Tank

• Anchor the team at the frontline
• Hold the attention of the most enemies
• Soak the biggest damage sources
• Claim and maintain space for the team to occupy

In Overwatch for example, Reinhardt shields the team from the front while staying mobile on the objective.

Off-Tank

• Support the Main Tank as needed
• Control secondary threats like flankers
• Provide extra damage/cc for engages
• Peel to help protect backline allies

A hero like D.Va can use her Defense Matrix to eat damage meant for the Main Tank. Her mobility allows her to harass and pursue enemies that slip past the front.

The Rise of Off-Tanks in Overwatch and Beyond

The differentiation between Main and Off-tank roles is a relatively recent development in gaming. Let‘s examine how Overwatch spearheaded the rise of Off-tanks as vital team members.

Pre-Overwatch, most teams ran with one straightforward Tank focused on damage soaking. But Overwatch popularized Off-tanks through heroes like:

• D.Va – Backline diver and peeler
• Zarya – Damage booster with protective barriers
• Roadhog – Flanker counter and playmaker

These supplemental tanks opened up new strategic possibilities. The Off-tank flex role is now common in team shooters including Paladins, Valorant and Apex Legends.

But it took time for rigid metas to recognize their value. In Overwatch League‘s inaugural season, teams ran single Tank comps nearly 96% of the time. But within two years, dual Tank was the standard – highlighting the importance of Main/Off synergy.

Best Practices – Designing and Balancing Tank Heroes

Tank heroes require meticulous balancing to feel satisfying without becoming overpowered. Based on extensive playtesting, here are some guiding principles:

• Give tanks clear strengths and weaknesses. Reinhardt dominates at close range but is countered by long-distance damage. Roadhog self-heals tremendously but is vulnerable to bursts.

• Damage should scale with difficulty of use. Slow firing but hard-hitting guns reward accuracy (Orisa‘s Fusion Cannon). Avoid sustained damage that‘s too easy to apply.

• Crowd control abilities need counterplay. Stuns and immobilizes should be telegraphed and/or dodgeable (Reinhardt‘s Earthshatter has a clear windup).

• Limit ranged damage/mobility. Tank durability balanced by short engagement range. Exceptions can work (Winston) but beware making tanks too universally strong.

• Provide feedback on resource usage. Give clear visual/audio cues tracking critical stats like barrier health, overheat meters, rage generation, etc.

Of course, perfect balance is impossible. But tanks tuned towards these principles promote teamplay while remaining fun to fight.

Playing to Your Team – Tank Synergies Across Games

While tanks can make big solo plays, they really shine enabling teammates. Here are powerful tank combos from various games:

Overwatch

Reinhardt (Barrier tank) + Zarya (Damage booster)

Reinhardt‘s shield protects Zarya while she builds damage. Her Projected Barrier gives Rein brief immunity to counter huge hits.

League of Legends

Malphite (Crowd Control tank) + Yasuo (Damage dealer)

Malphite‘s Unstoppable Force knocks up enemies for Yasuo to sweep in and use his Last Breath finisher.

World of Warcraft

Vengeance Demon Hunter (Pick potential) + Fire Mage (Burst damage)

The DH can single out priority targets with Sigil of Chains for the Fire Mage to quickly burst down.

Final Fantasy XIV

Paladin (Mitigation tank) + White Mage (Healer)

The PLD provides damage reduction that paired with the WHM‘s big heals makes the duo very sustainable.

Smart tanks enable their teammates to pop off. Understanding these potent combinations helps optimize success.

Mastering Your Tank – Game-Specific Build Tips

Now that we‘ve covered tank roles broadly, let‘s get into specifics with build tips for popular games:

Overwatch Tank Builds

Reinhardt – Barrier Field duration and recharge rate are crucial. Upshield uptime + health is his power.

D.Va – Boosters cooldown reduction makes her excellent at diving and peeling. Defense Matrix eat % is huge.

Orisa – Augment high health with Fortify damage resist. Halt can combo with ults like Zarya graviton surge.

League of Legends Tank Builds

Malphite – Stack armor and magic resist. His W gives him bonus damage scaling with armor. Unstoppable Force combos make great engages.

Sion – Health stacking synergizes with his W shield and makes him tougher to take down. Lethality boosts Q poke damage.

Maokai – His passive heals him based on maximum health. Spirit Visage boosts all healing. Waveclear with saplings aids split pushing.

World of Warcraft Tank Builds

Protection Warrior – Haste until about 18% then stack Versatility. Take Devastator, Into the Fray and Never Surrender talents.

Vengeance Demon Hunter – Crit for damage, Mastery for physical mitigation, and Haste for cooldown reduction. Demonic and Last Resort for massive self-healing.

Brewmaster Monk – Stagger damage smoothing is key. Get 40%+ Mastery. Rushing Jade Wind and Celestial Brew talents boost survival.

Final Thoughts on Tanking

After reading this guide, you should have a much deeper understanding of gaming‘s stalwart tank heroes. Whether absorbing hits on the frontline or disrupting enemies as an off-tank, mastering this role takes research, practice and creativity.

If you have the mindset to withstand pressure and the game sense to outsmart opponents, tanking can be extremely fulfilling. You become the pillar your team leans on in the heat of battle. With great durability comes great responsibility – are you up for the challenge? It‘s time to bring your tank A-game, because your team needs you!