Why is Rek'Sai considered a tank?

S0kaX·Oct 18, 2016·1 votes·880 views

She doesn't have an abillity that scales with hp/gives hp and also her wiki page says she's a fighter, so why is she considered a tank?

8 Comments

EndlessSorcererOct 18, 20162 votes

She's always been more of a fighter than a tank. That said, she is often picked for her utility and map pressure rather than her raw damage.

Generally, Rek'sai will build one or two offensive items with the remainder being defensive items.

The main issue is that Riot keeps nerfing her damage whenever she is popular. As such, she's pretty much been reduced to a knock-up bot during teamfights.

SlythionOct 18, 20161 votes

she isn't considered a tank...she's considered a brawler/fighter

who considers her a tank?

S0kaXOct 18, 20161 votes

Well all the Rek'Sais I see build tank also I saw a post on the boards saying how she is a true tank.

SlythionOct 18, 20161 votes

In a way she can be considered a "disrupter" tank if she had to be labeled, simply because her role in teamfights is to...well...disrupt enemies. You see her building all these brawler/juggernaught items (note: not tank items) such as item 3156 item 3053 item 3748 item 3071 because she requires those tank and offensive stats, but later in the game she requires more durability and transitions into more "true" tank items due to her role in teamfighting putting her in a position where she'll take a lot of damage

RalanrOct 18, 20161 votes

Riot kinda messed with her scalings and took out a lot of damage because her utility was too good for fighter level damage.

Personally I like her better as a fighter/diver.

XxxLumberJackxxXOct 18, 20161 votes

Because her base damage is solid and scaling not very good. That puts her as a 'bruiser' and since her only real job is to flash-unburrow as many times as possible building tank items on her is the best way to go.

Wolfram OxfordOct 18, 20161 votes

Tanks don't need HP scaling, in fact most tanks don't have health scaling, they mainly have AP scaling, if not some AD scaling. She is a tank.

TehNACHOOct 18, 20161 votes

You don't need an ability that scales on defense to be a Tank. Amumu for example, excluding his E passive, doesn't actually have any defensive steroids or scalings. His kit naturally benefits from purchasing defense, yes, but he doesn't outline that with stats.

Similarly, Rek'Sai's kit is one that naturally benefits from purchasing defense, meaning she can either be a Fighter or a Tank based on why you need her. Speaking of Rek'Sai as a whole, she's considered a Fighter AND a Tank, however in certain teams she may be considered one or the other. For example, if your team is already full of high damage threats and you really need the vision control or a powerful flanker, Rek'Sai does amazingly well as the team's tanky utility, the Tank. If your team needs another damage threat on the other hand, a Rek'Sai in that team may build for some damage and function as the team's Fighter.

Never forget that classifications and roles aren't always cut and paste. Dive Fighters are especially notable in this regard as they can function as a team's Engage Tank or even an Assassin based on build or play style or whatever the team needs at that moment. Most Rek'Sai's abuse their utility, so it's more common to recognize that as a tank.