Anyone who’s immersed himself or herself in the world of team-based games knows just how important team balance truly is. As the off-tank role in MMOs and hero shooters tends to fall under the radar, its relevance or importance is sometimes misinterpreted.
Let’s get this straight: an off-tank is not some bust-golem. It’s a hybrid role that offers a mix of durability with crowd control and offensive potential that can packing quite a wallop.
Overwatch
In Overwatch, off-tanks such as Roadhog and Zarya are the cornerstone of many winning comps; a main tank (such as Reinhardt) creates space while an off-tank holds the line on the flanks and supports the team with clutch crowd control abilities.
Zarya’s bubble shields or Roadhog’s hook-they can win fights-and they do a lot of damage. To many, it’s an incredibly rewarding style of play, somehow perfectly balanced between survival and aggression.
WoW
In raids that require more than one tank, the term “off-tank” gained popularity. The off-tank picks up secondary enemies that would devour the healers and damage dealers.
Classes like Fury Warriors or Death Knights shine in that role by grabbing boss agro during important phases or handling add waves. A strong knowledge of raid mechanics coupled with lightning-fast reactions is required for this kind of off-tanking in WoW.
While the main tank defends the primary boss, often, the off-tank gets to work on even more challenging tactical assignments requiring equal parts of durability and brilliancy in movement.
Final Fantasy XIV
In Final Fantasy XIV, the main and off-tank distinction features in the so-called “stance dancing.” The tank that does not hold primary aggro is more often free to switch into offensive stances.
As nicely fits with the idea of an off-tank, classes like Gunbreaker or Warrior can defend adequately while putting out solid DPS. FFXIV is more than just an ordinary tank game by integrating a unique tank swap mechanic whereby tanks are switching roles regularly through fights.
Off-Tank Meaning in Games
If you like being versatile and generally filling multiple roles within the team, you should consider gearing toward the off-tank role in your favorite game-this is a vastly underrated role but a must-have for any team to cut through.