What's the difference between a tank and bruiser?

LegacyDAP·Sep 2, 2015·1 votes·683 views

Idk. They look the same to me.

17 Comments

ReshiKillimSep 2, 20156 votes

Bruiser: Does a crap ton of damage and is really tanky. Tank: Too fat to shoot skillshots past, has a lot of CC, is really annoying because they eat your damage for breakfast.

LegacyDAPSep 2, 20151 votes

So where does this leave Skarner ?

53436278DEL1Sep 2, 20152 votes

lol agreed if you build any tank with 1 damage item they really get insane

Kat HeadSep 2, 20152 votes

Bruiser = Tank with TONS of damage Tank = CC with enough damage to make it hard to ignore them.

redniwediSSep 3, 20151 votes

Based on old definitions bruisers are a subsection of fighter, not tank. So a bruiser would be a fighter with tons of tank instead.

EndlessSorcererSep 2, 20152 votes

Tanks are primarily threats due to their CC.

Bruisers are primarily threats due to their damage.

Obviously, this can vary depending on playstyle and build for the champion (and some champions bring a mixture of both), but that's how I keep them straight.

LegacyDAPSep 2, 20151 votes

So does that mean Ekko is a bruiser with a giant aoe stun and slow.

EndlessSorcererSep 2, 20151 votes

If you build him for durability (i.e. Cinderhulk, Frozen Heart, Spirit Visage) then his CC is his primary threat. Considering he still provides decent damage due to his passive and W-passive, you could consider him a bruiser.

If you build him for damage (i.e. Lichbane, Luden's Echo, Zhonya's Hourglass) then he is an assassin with utility.

LegacyDAPSep 2, 20151 votes

He seems like a tank, bruiser, utility, assassin am I wrong?

EndlessSorcererSep 2, 20153 votes

Depends on how you build him. He has mobility, CC, and damage; how you build and play him defines his playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses.

If you want another example, look at Jarvan:

Enough utility to be built pure CDR tank and function well.
Enough damage to be build as an AD assassin
Functions quite well with a mixture of damage and durability

LovelleSep 9, 20151 votes

{quoted}

So does that mean Ekko is a bruiser with a giant aoe stun and slow.

Ekko is a melee, ranged, tanky, dps, assassin, mage, support.

Variks the LoyalSep 3, 20152 votes

Bruisers are very kitable. In exchange, they deal a lot of up front damage.

Tanks are hard to peel off. They don't deal much damage, but lock you down and outlast you. Not kitable.

Both are very, very burly and can take a lot of hits.

IcyPepperSep 2, 20151 votes

has knockups, but most of her kit is sheer damage and some tankiness. Bruiser. No stuns or slows built in. Garen a silence, natural tankiness, but deals mostly damage in teamfights. Bruiser. Darius a pull and heal, mostly deals fuckloads of damage. Bruiser. JarvanIV knock-ups, a shield and ways to deal damage. Bruiser.

A bruiser has tools to mitigate damage and they usually have some form of cc (similar to mages, because mages can have cc but not all of them can be supports!). What they do in teamfights is deal damage, as well as soaking up damage for the squishies.

Tanks, on the other hand, soak up damage but they tend to have more cc.

Sejuani knock-up, slow, aoe stun/slow. Nautilus root, hook, slow, and targetted knockup. His shield is designed to get him to be focused as well. Amumu assloads of cc Braum cc up the ass, defensive wall

The difference between tanks and bruisers is that tanks have more tools to protect the carry, and bruisers tend to have more ways to dive the carry. Both can do the other's job, however. Tanks tend to have stronger defensive steroids that incentive teamfights, while bruisers have shorter defensive steroids (shorter shields, like Vi or J4) or defensive boosts that encourage them to build some damage (Garen). Even if you built them exactly the same, their jobs would be a little different. Sejuani is a lot better at peeling for your carries in a losing teamfight than, say, Darius.

They're pretty similar, but their functions are slightly different.

LegacyDAPSep 2, 20152 votes

no stuns or slows. Just 2 knock ups. and a shield Garen Some pretty nice ms he has too to just run in and win trades, and stop anybody winning while being tanky Darius He's the only person that I think is a true bruiser out of that jug patch. JarvanIV is in a good spot right now. he's not super strong either.

Sejuani Good tank after they removed her damage, and nerfed cinder. Nautilus Like sej but support. Amumu Like Sej but less skill Braum not too strong good support, and a good peeler.

I think all the tanks you mentioned are fine. However, all the bruisers got more damage than the tanks, and probably half as good as cc as they do while still being as tanky.

redniwediSSep 3, 20151 votes

However, all the bruisers got more damage than the tanks

I see you're starting to understand the difference.

EndlessSorcererSep 3, 20151 votes

I think all the tanks you mentioned are fine. However, all the bruisers got more damage than the tanks, and probably half as good as cc as they do while still being as tanky.

And the student begins to learn.

AMYS GRAVESep 2, 20151 votes

Tanks point to the enemy carries and say sit down, stop damaging my team, shut up, you can't run away from me, and calls to their carries to hurry up and get over here so we can kill them.

Bruisers try to get on the enemy and kill them by themselves through a mix of damage and durability.