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best tank build?

hardy-

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
i need a pet to tank everything, i don't care about damage, just need hold the aggro and tank.

i was thinking in a sidhe with heal anat bush, hit life leech, then max hpr and mr and max hp and high mana.

its the way to go?
 

Xris

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
i need a pet to tank everything, i don't care about damage, just need hold the aggro and tank.

i was thinking in a sidhe with heal anat bush, hit life leech, then max hpr and mr and max hp and high mana.

its the way to go?
I believe beetles are the best tank pet atm (I could be wrong).
 

SouthPaw

Lore Master
A Saurosaurus with 90 physical resist and 85 fire resist is the best tank pet I know of. They come with life leech too. Damage output is not good, but they have been known to be able to tank the stygian dragon. Even better if you can use the taming mastery: consume damage with it.
 

Khyro

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Cu cannot get Bushido (not a Tokuno native) or Life Leech (not necromantic).

Tanking abilities that would be applicable:
  • Feint - Reduces all incoming damage from the target by up to 50% (based on Bushido skill)
  • Repel - When activated, reflects 50% of the next attack back at the attacker (if your pet takes 100 damage, a repel would make your pet only take 50 damage, and reflect 50 back to the attacker, pre-resists)
  • Bushido (full) - Your pet will gain access to the Confidence and Evasion skills. They will also get a bonus to parry.
  • Life Leech - Can proc on any hit, steals 50% of the damage done as health. Can burn through mana fast.
  • Steal Life - Does minimal damage (70 pre-resists) and heals for 100% of the damage done. Not very effective, but can help with sustain
  • Magery - Your pet will remove poisons and heal itself
  • Chivalry - Your pet will remove poison, cleanse curses, and heal itself
  • Healing - Not trainable and only available innately on a small variety of pets
Given the above abilities, you can piece together a good tank pet, but it really depends on the content you want to do.

As @SouthPaw mentioned, Saurosarus' can make great tank pets if you have someone else for DPS. The innate life leech combined with high primary resists is great for sustain.

Aggro in UO is different than most other games. In most games, you get aggro either from doing the most damage or from "taunting" or special moves that build extra aggro. In UO, for most encounters the first thing to aggro a mob is what will hold its aggro forever. Unless that mob has an AI that causes it to switch aggro (Teleporting, Area of Effects, Damage over Time effects, etc.), then it's just a crap-shoot as to where aggro will end up. You can try to control it with invising and telling your pet to attack again, but it will probably keep bouncing aggro.
 

Xris

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Cu cannot get Bushido (not a Tokuno native) or Life Leech (not necromantic).

Tanking abilities that would be applicable:
  • Feint - Reduces all incoming damage from the target by up to 50% (based on Bushido skill)
  • Repel - When activated, reflects 50% of the next attack back at the attacker (if your pet takes 100 damage, a repel would make your pet only take 50 damage, and reflect 50 back to the attacker, pre-resists)
  • Bushido (full) - Your pet will gain access to the Confidence and Evasion skills. They will also get a bonus to parry.
  • Life Leech - Can proc on any hit, steals 50% of the damage done as health. Can burn through mana fast.
  • Steal Life - Does minimal damage (70 pre-resists) and heals for 100% of the damage done. Not very effective, but can help with sustain
  • Magery - Your pet will remove poisons and heal itself
  • Chivalry - Your pet will remove poison, cleanse curses, and heal itself
  • Healing - Not trainable and only available innately on a small variety of pets
Given the above abilities, you can piece together a good tank pet, but it really depends on the content you want to do.

As @SouthPaw mentioned, Saurosarus' can make great tank pets if you have someone else for DPS. The innate life leech combined with high primary resists is great for sustain.

Aggro in UO is different than most other games. In most games, you get aggro either from doing the most damage or from "taunting" or special moves that build extra aggro. In UO, for most encounters the first thing to aggro a mob is what will hold its aggro forever. Unless that mob has an AI that causes it to switch aggro (Teleporting, Area of Effects, Damage over Time effects, etc.), then it's just a crap-shoot as to where aggro will end up. You can try to control it with invising and telling your pet to attack again, but it will probably keep bouncing aggro.
Ya I kinda wish they'd tinker with what holds aggro and what doesn't. Like when putrefier (spelling?) just gives up on your pet and runs over to 1 shot you. Really don't want a new threat system, but something that's more predictable.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
What are you tanking? One of the blackthorn captains? Paroximus? Exodus?

Other than those. A Cu can tank everything else unless you plan on never using consume or healing the pet.

They have healing...

Hitting the target hard is better than defense. Whether the geeks believe it or not. Pets and mobs can whiff when a hit is landed right before.

Make your pet hit hard and fast. And have the highest parry you can afford. We stabled our bush hiryu s within 2 months.

There is nothing that beats AI/ chiv on any pet that can get it.
 

chester rockwell

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
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I'm betting he's running two accounts. Maybe a max damage thrower or samp. Pets are slow at killing things.

I'd rather have a tank pet and do the damage myself.
 

Khaelor

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Hitting the target hard is better than defense.
Which is why the Cu Sidhe isn't the best pet for everything. :)

We've never advocated defense over offense. In fact, in almost all cases we advocate offense. It's easy to keep almost any pet alive, which is why I don't favor Cu Sidhe, they spend their mana on healing and not dpsing, also their damage type isn't favorable in a lot of encounters.

But the original poster did not ask about DPS. They wanted to know about tank pets, and there are some encounters/specs you would want a tank pet for.
 

SouthPaw

Lore Master
@hardy- We need more details about how you're going to use this tank pet. As I said, a saurosaurus makes a good tank, not good damage though. I had one fully trained and 5 slots, but didn't really have a use for it so I released it back into the wild. Loved the resists they come with, but sadly, can't put AI/Chiv on them.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
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Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
But the original poster did not ask about DPS. They wanted to know about tank pets, and there are some encounters/specs you would want a tank pet for.
That's why I asked. An 850 HP Cu dies just as fast as a 600HP Cu if you are fighting One of those 3 things I mentioned.

Yellow Khal is also a fast pet killer.
 

SwordofExcalibur

One of the last Rangers of Skara Brae
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
I'm interested in this thread.

So, if you happen to be an ABC Archer-Tamer, maybe a Tsuki Wolf with Bushido would be a really great tanky pet.

Even though Life Leech is a mana-hog, perhaps going 120 Med/Focus 30MR and dedicating only Life Leech to the pet would be ideal. Of course, firing off all of its Bushido skills may end up being compromised to an extent, depending.

However, I would just want the pet to stand there and live long enough for me to run Consume Damage and fire off arrows and deeps.

Well, I have a fun project for the evening. :)
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I'm interested in this thread.

So, if you happen to be an ABC Archer-Tamer, maybe a Tsuki Wolf with Bushido would be a really great tanky pet.

Even though Life Leech is a mana-hog, perhaps going 120 Med/Focus 30MR and dedicating only Life Leech to the pet would be ideal. Of course, firing off all of its Bushido skills may end up being compromised to an extent, depending.

However, I would just want the pet to stand there and live long enough for me to run Consume Damage and fire off arrows and deeps.

Well, I have a fun project for the evening. :)
Mine uses a AI/ Chiv Cu. I can run consume and specials if I am using a slayer. Can run consume for 3 minutes if still.

Most things die before I need to run consume. The archer does way more damage than the pet. The pet allows the archer to play at a distance. Works great if not in a crowd.

He has a Hiryu, Nightmare and Cus. Cus are easiest.

You will be trying to keep your tsuki alive more than you will be fighting.
 

hardy-

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Sorry for delay, my idea is a pet to i lure a spawn (all the mobs) then i need he tanking for like 15s to i kill all with aoe.

i have a sw mage with CAP in sdi and all slayers. so i have near 200%sdi, my idea is lure everything with protection on, self invis wait they change aggro into the pet then AOE like its the doomsday.
 

Max Blackoak

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Sorry for delay, my idea is a pet to i lure a spawn (all the mobs) then i need he tanking for like 15s to i kill all with aoe.

i have a sw mage with CAP in sdi and all slayers. so i have near 200%sdi, my idea is lure everything with protection on, self invis wait they change aggro into the pet then AOE like its the doomsday.
are you talking about champ spawns? If so, save yourself the trouble, take off taming and lore, put on necro and spirit speak and use the necro mastery to get two skeletal dragons. Unless you're doing stuff like abyssal infernal spawns you won't have to heal them and they kill everything while you do area damage (tell them to guard you) before you take any significant damage.
 

Khaelor

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Sorry for delay, my idea is a pet to i lure a spawn (all the mobs) then i need he tanking for like 15s to i kill all with aoe.

i have a sw mage with CAP in sdi and all slayers. so i have near 200%sdi, my idea is lure everything with protection on, self invis wait they change aggro into the pet then AOE like its the doomsday.

You do not need a tank pet to do this with. I do this with my 400 hit point Chiv Unicorns all the time. However, if you are more comfortable with a tankier pet...

What I would do is have the pet have some sort of aoe: fww, poison breath, goo.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
You do not need a tank pet to do this with. I do this with my 400 hit point Chiv Unicorns all the time. However, if you are more comfortable with a tankier pet...

What I would do is have the pet have some sort of aoe: fww, poison breath, goo.
A Cu can tank everything else unless you plan on never using consume or healing the pet.

They have healing...
Looks like my first response was correct.
 

Khyro

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Looks like my first response was correct.
Your first response told him to get a Chiv/Ai Cu, which would do horrendously bad at a spawn.

He asked about a tanky pet with no concerns over DPS, he was given examples. He then clarified what he is looking to do with said pet, and recommendations were made that he did not need a pure tank pet for what he wants to do.

Based on him wanting to use a pet to round up mobs at a spawn so he can aoe them down, a Chiv/AI CU is horrible advice.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Based on him wanting to use a pet to round up mobs at a spawn so he can aoe them down, a Chiv/AI CU is horrible advice.
Dream on. Try one you wont go back to a lesser pet.

And show some resists of a Mod in a spawn a Cu can not eat.

Been there done all.

upload_2018-11-2_14-39-11.png

upload_2018-11-2_14-42-42.png

I dont like the spider, Semidar or Bedlam because I die too much. Pet does fine.

Come on over tonight I am sure someone will do spawns. We can teach you how to use a Cu Sidhe.

Ill help res your pet also and maybe toss it some heals.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
are you talking about champ spawns? If so, save yourself the trouble, take off taming and lore, put on necro and spirit speak and use the necro mastery to get two skeletal dragons. Unless you're doing stuff like abyssal infernal spawns you won't have to heal them and they kill everything while you do area damage (tell them to guard you) before you take any significant damage.
Im not for not using a permanent pet. To the OP: If you can add a magic or 2 that can kill mobs in bulk you will go much faster. You can kill low bulk things a lot better than the pet.
 

Khyro

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Dream on. Try one you wont go back to a lesser pet.

And show some resists of a Mod in a spawn a Cu can not eat.

Been there done all.

View attachment 88961

View attachment 88962

I dont like the spider, Semidar or Bedlam because I die too much. Pet does fine.

Come on over tonight I am sure someone will do spawns. We can teach you how to use a Cu Sidhe.

Ill help res your pet also and maybe toss it some heals.
Lol. Never seen someone so butt-hurt and defensive over being told their Cu is not optimal.

A Chiv/AI Cu is not going to do well to hold aggro on a group of mobs while the player aoe's them down. Maybe if you gave it goo too, but you didn't say a Chiv/Ai/Goo Cu. A single Cu running around single target killing a spawn is going to take forever, it was nothing to do with the damage type of the Cu.

Sometimes you just need to get off your high horse about the Cu and stop ****ting on every other pet in the game. The Cu works for you. Great. The Cu works for the tamers of LS. Great. We have never said Cu's are bad pets. We use them sometimes. We said they are not optimal for every encounter. We also use a wide variety of pets depending on the encounter and do extremely well. I take my Dread Spider to spawns and let him do his own thing, he doesn't die. @Khaelor does the same with their unicorn.You and the tamers of LS on the other hand can't seem to keep a non-cu pet alive (by your own admission in MANY threads in the past).

You say you've tried other pets and you just keep them stabled and use a Cu. Great. Let people that actually use those other pets make recommendations on how to build and use them and stop trying to derail every thread with "Everything is ****, just get a Cu". It's getting very trite and old. Myself and @Khaelor comment very little in Cu build threads beyond basic training information. We can build Cu's and we use Cu's sometimes, but we know other people will jump into those threads with advice as well.

However whenever there is a thread on a non-cu or a general advice thread, all you ever do is **** over non cu's to the point where it has become extremely obnoxious. It is also becoming detrimental to the taming community, as returning players come back for advice and are met with "every pet is ****, get a Cu".

You also often refer to us as Geeks/Nerds in a clearly derogatory fashion, in what I can only interpret is an attempt by you to undermine all the hard work we have put into the taming community and attack our credibility. I don't know if you are just extremely bored, trying to outdo Mervyn for king troll, or just joking around... but it's getting old and tiresome.

/rant
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
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You also often refer to us as Geeks/Nerds in a clearly derogatory fashion,
Nope. I Love geeks! I am not good at math. I see results by killing ****. I can lore lore my opponents and see what they bring to the fight. I know what my pets bring.
I say that and I know you will join us. Ill just call you the Ks then.

I wish all pets had the same intensity as a Cu. Your math proves that they do not.. I wish we could build every pet to the caps. We would not get a change that drastic.

You have the Devs ear with your charts and graphs. Work for the good of all pets. Show them how to build each pet so they can have a nice build for a casual gamer.

It did not take me long to see which pets need more points. List of Underpowered 5 slot Pets

He is changing the new tamable because of your charts. Show him what to change on the pets in that thread and we may find something better than a Cu :).
We could have a lot of fun with some new builds. And your math and charts could get it done. we need more damage types.

Just so readers know. I PM the Ks often about any questions I have. He should have told me if I made him angry.

Any of you that have questions should ask here or PM the Ks. :cheerleader: Love the Ks! :cheerleader:

As for a Tank:

Sorry I was fresh from looking at spreadsheets that you posted. They show that the highest intensity pet is a Cu Sidhe. Why would I not recommend the pet type that can get every magic that is useful and as a bonus has the most points to spend and it comes with healing. And the damage type 50% cold %50 energy. which hits one of the lower resists on MOST high hitpoint Mobs. My Butt still says A Cu was best for the limited Knowledge we had at the time.

A Lesser Hiryu has more points but they do 100% physical damage. Better tank, not better killer of all.


And I do not tell everybody to take a Cu to each fight. I have posted many times the list of Must Have Pet Types. I tell people to Lore Mobs and take the best pet.
 

hardy-

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Next time, i think will be easier to me make an sampire, all that just because i asked what pet make oO

i have a real good sampire, but sometimes its so boring play as sampire, its why i'm trying other chars.

I will make an aoe sidhe, its easy, and works well.
 

Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
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Pets can only kill one thing at a time. So the first levels take a long time unless you have a way to kill the mobs in bulk.

As the spawns advance and your area spells take 5 casts to kill the mobs a pet is nice to have around.

Like another said, try the Abyss spawns with your pet. You will need them earlier than you would in the original spawns.

Also you really don't need a "tank" for spawns. Match a pet with the Mobs resists or take whatever pet type you like. On the last round your pet will be fighting one thing at a time anyway.
 

PlayerSkillFTW

Babbling Loonie
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Stratics Legend
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A Saurosaurus with 90 physical resist and 85 fire resist is the best tank pet I know of. They come with life leech too. Damage output is not good, but they have been known to be able to tank the stygian dragon. Even better if you can use the taming mastery: consume damage with it.
85 Physical, and 90 Fire Resist is the caps for a Saurosaurus.

A Lesser Hiryu has more points but they do 100% physical damage. Better tank, not better killer of all.
Lesser Hiryu with Bush has Whirlwind and Momentum Strike. For taking down a champ spawn, the Bush Lesser Hiryu is better than a Chiv/AI Cu for quite a few of them since he can AoE and has higher Parry. The Chiv Cu will suffer from increased damage taken due to EoO increasing the damage he takes from non-favored mobs by +100%, and reducing his DCI with Divine Fury. The Cu is better at 1v1, the Lesser will be better at 1vMany.

If you're talking about champs, and want a tankish pet that can dish out some AoE damage as well, take a look at the FWW+Poison Breath Najasaurus. Highest AoE of any pet i've seen, and if you take the time to farm out and tame a good 2 Slot, they can have around 800 Health after leveling, up to 171 Resist after tame (making them virtually immune to debuff spells), 190+ DEX (fastest movement speed), and are completely immune to all Poison (both the status effect and the element).

The only pet that i've seen decently tank Exodus, is a Feint Cu Sidhe.
 
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Pawain

I Hate Skilling
Governor
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The Chiv Cu will suffer from increased damage taken due to EoO
That only would matter on the last level. But by then your pet is fighting one thing at a time anyway and the last level goes fast. Only enough time to clear the area where the boss will pop.

The only time your pet should die is if a crowd of things that can damage it has it surrounded and its AI will not let it keep attacking the same Mob. The pet just turns in a circle does a nibble to one thing then another and slowly dies. Thats when you run up to it, hop on, take it 10 tiles away and it will chomp through those mobs in smaller chunks.

And I totally endorse all of the pet builds you mention. Pets kill stuff.
 
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