Why are tanks so squishy?

Sintama·Mar 26, 2016·6 votes·1,012 views

In multiple games, but mostly in the last ARAM I did, tanks seem to be useless. I played as Leona, and with her W up, I had 300+ magic resist, however, the enemy LeBlanc could still do half my health in damage with just Q+W. She did not have a . How is this possible? I have a friend who used to always play tanky champions, however, no one seems tanky at all. I have more success winning with a full-burst full-squishy team than any tank. Excluding of course because he is a bursty mage, bursty ADC, and God-Tank.

14 Comments

redniwediSMar 26, 20162 votes

Most tanks that are good right now are good not because of their items, but because of their abilities. Leona is kind of meh right now because of it. She's a god at locking people down and forcing an engage, but unless she is ahead she is rather weak compared to other tanks at the moment.

She's still a fine tank, but fine isn't at the top of the chart.

KivolanMar 26, 20162 votes

The tanks that are good right now are the ones that can build tank while still doing a ton of damage.

Darius Trundle Garen Malphite

etc.

v (Which is a problem, since true tanks aren't in a good spot compared to those that can do much more damage by building all tank items such as the ones above) ^ editing in the above because people don't think about the context before downvoting

redniwediSMar 26, 20166 votes

Only one of those is a tank...

EndlessSorcererMar 26, 20162 votes

With the exception of Malphite, those are all fighters.

I'm really not sure how you confused Gangplank with a tank since he builds pretty much entirely damage items.

INoble KnightIMar 26, 20162 votes

Every Darius, Garen, and Trundle I see build straight tank with maybe one damage item.

EndlessSorcererMar 26, 20164 votes

It's not the build that matters; you could build Vayne with pure defensive items and she still wouldn't be a tank. What truly matters is how they threaten the enemy team.

Darius, Garen and Trundle are all damage-oriented champions. Even if they build primarily defensive items, their damage is their primary threat to the enemy team. Those champions are fighters, not tanks.

Actual tanks (such as Sejuani, Nautilus, Maokai and Sion) generate threat primarily through their utility. If they are left alive, their utility (i.e. damage amplification, damage reduction, CC) are their primary threats to the enemy team.

Some champions (i.e. Jarvan, Poppy) can straddle the line between the two and which role they fulfill will depend primarily on their build and playstyle.

KivolanMar 27, 20161 votes

{quoted}

It's not the build that matters; you could build Vayne with pure defensive items and she still wouldn't be a tank. What truly matters is how they threaten the enemy team.

Darius, Garen and Trundle are all damage-oriented champions. Even if they build primarily defensive items, their damage is their primary threat to the enemy team. Those champions are fighters, not tanks.

Actual tanks (such as Sejuani, Nautilus, Maokai and Sion) generate threat primarily through their utility. If they are left alive, their utility (i.e. damage amplification, damage reduction, CC) are their primary threats to the enemy team.

Some champions (i.e. Jarvan, Poppy) can straddle the line between the two and which role they fulfill will depend primarily on their build and playstyle.

And this is precisely the problem. Base damage / AD rations / kit steroids are completely messed up when fighters building tank are a bigger threat than the actual tanks will ever be.

KivolanMar 27, 20161 votes

{quoted}

With the exception of Malphite, those are all fighters.

I'm really not sure how you confused Gangplank with a tank since he builds pretty much entirely damage items.

Secondary roles are also a thing, but anyway...

The point was they are champions that you can build full tank on and still do a crapton of damage, whether it be because of true damage, kit steroids or low-cooldown AoE damage... The most common builds of most of the champions I just listed (minus Gangplank) is one or two damage items (usually something like a Titanic Hydra & Black Cleaver, which also offer HP) before going tank for the rest of the way.

Which is pretty ridiculous, because a tank is supposed to be there to do a small amount of damage with high utility / survivability.

I do not agree with the OP that tanks are "squishy", per say, but what I am getting at is that currently the definition of tank is completely fucked up in the world of League of Legends.

But please continue to downvote without actually thinking.

DREADN0UGHTMar 27, 20162 votes

If you build GP as a tank, I don't even have to look you up to know you are bronze.

KivolanMar 27, 20161 votes

{quoted}

If you build GP as a tank, I don't even have to look you up to know you are bronze.

I don't even play him.

The point was that theoretically you could build him tank and still do a high amount of damage due to his kit steroids (true damage on basic attacks, 40% armor ignore + high damage on barrels, etc.)

He is primarily build as a fighter though, so I should remove him from the list.

(And, by the way, I'm a higher division than you, but thanks for your concern)

AlienPrimateMar 26, 20162 votes

Here is a list of tanks who can just stand there and take damage from the whole enemy team for a few seconds and still get out. Note that Leona is not one of them unless she is extremely fed. Also note that most of them get their tankiness from abilities and not items. Alistar DrMundo Galio Maokai Nautilus Rammus Sejuani Shen Singed Sion TahmKench Volibear Zac

DREADN0UGHTMar 27, 20162 votes

Because AD champs have so much power, and because Rito loves %max hp dmg.

OurLestradeMar 26, 20161 votes

So the MLGs can have their flashy montages.

The Bearded BardMar 26, 20161 votes

Because in ARAM you're most likely being hit by more than just Leblanc. Leblanc alone, unless extremely fed while you're underfed, shouldn't really be able to kill a tank without going OOM first.