05 Feb 2006 at 17:39 - 51
As a monk (I run a very similar build to Desbreko, and his insights are very much what we monks go through everytime keeping a party alive and kicking) I must agree with the "benefits" of having a w/mo tank.
Nothing is worse than a non-stance w/mo as they can barely keep themselves alive most of the time, and you're just down to spamming word and orison and whatever other low energy spell you have to try to keep them alive. Pretty much a w/mo will completely waste your energy and put all the other party members in danger of dying due to your heals recharging (after being spammed on the w/mo).
However, Desbreko does offer very good advice on covering your enchants like seed with other enchants, and sometimes that's what you have to end up doing and wasting a ton of energy on the w/mo tank. But when there's a huge mob, even covering with 3-4 enchants, they will all get FoC'd or shattered by the mobs in less than 2 seconds.
Most of the time, if I start running low on energy and aggro is getting through I just have to let the w/mo die quite simply because it's pointless to heal him. I choose the next available frontline player, hopefully a n/me or e/me (anything but /mo) and throw prot spirit + seed/or breeze on them and use them as the tank. I've saved quite a few messes that way if the caster is either clever enough to know he can tank w/ prot spirit on him (rarely), or if they are just too dumb to run (much more common lol).
And while I've completed many runs with w/mo's (maybe 10-15 i think), most monks just inwardly groan when they see one in a party. As I only go with pugs, being guildless has it's benefits i suppose, you don't often have much choice in tanks, but I'd pick any character over a non w/mo any day.
Of course this doesn't mean I haven't met the occassional stellar w/mo tank who knows what they're doing. I think I'e encountered a total of 2, and they have surprised me w/ their abilities. They usually tend to be almost pure stance tanks, running gladiators defense and bonetti's among others. They can defend themselves.. until their stances run out or they're out of energy, then they are in big trouble. But at least by then the enemy might be close to dead.
I've met some pretty good W/E's using obsidian flesh as well.
W/N's are not recommended in parties using SS necros.
Also have had some excellent W/Me tanks using physical resistance or elemental resistence.
W/R seems a bit pointless unless they're using throw dirt.
but as a general rule, w/mo tanks will go down the fastest simply because monks can't do much for them when things go bad. you can only spam 5 energy heals for so long and so fast, even w/ a 20/20 icon.
oh, and please people, please refrain from using enchants around the dreamriders. i've seen monks repeatedly enchant a poor war tanking webs+riders. i've also been killed by a well meaning necro w/ BR of all things.
breeze, prot spirit, seed are all enchants. So are auras, blood ritual, Bip, IW, etc etc. Do your monks a favor and don't give the enemy free 105 damage hits!