How to tank in AION 2: threat, pulls and positioning

'STOP ENGAGING BOSS FIGHTS BEFORE THE TANK' (229 upvotes, written by a Gladiator): without a taunt the opening decides who the boss follows, and a ranged opener drags it around the arena for 5–10 seconds while the tank takes it back (R3minder825, Emergency-Wave-2912, Muistaax). Pull, then wait for everyone — 'a spare 5 s in a 5-minute dungeon won't hurt' (Lanky182k) — and in dungeons with a kibelisk light it before the pull. For trash, drag it into the boss or the next pack so the macro kills it: there is no area taunt.

The Templar's passive doubles its threat (Tarific2003) — about 150% more than a Gladiator (Aghanims) — and both classes have skills that generate 300% of their damage as threat, so 'a templar can do 20k dps and hold threat on a 150k dps player'. A Gladiator holds with damage: Rending Blow, Leaping Slam, Ruinous Blow and Overhead Slam all carry enmity (Yoseby8), one player adds Keen Strike, Lunge Stance and Mocking Blade; five Gladiators at 2,600+ hold aggro through every Transcendence 4 and [Hard] run, three say no Gladiator holds a strong damage group — 'Gladiator isn't a tank'. Below Overhead Slam 16 and Lunge Stance 20, at about 95k combat power, Gladiators report aggro stays put.

From the etiquette thread (27 Oct): the boss faces you and stands between you and the party, so give Assassins room behind it — back attacks skip the block and evasion check, so the party wants the back (Due_Parsley2251). For big area attacks bring it to the edge with its back to the centre (TheSmoGG). Do not eat the heavy hits: dodge and come back; standing in them strains the healer (Alightsong, taelis11). A Templar's Nezekan's Shield makes Vakron Sky Island's first boss — the 426-upvote 'hardest mechanic in the game' — a non-event for the party (four players). In [Hard] modes press Shield of Protection at least every 20 s and keep Noble Armor and Taunt up: natural blocks alone stop keeping Fury running.

Many bosses change target by script and it looks like a failed tank: Shattered Arkanis's second boss chases the ranged, Deus Research Base's first boss ignores tanks, several leap at the farthest player (Lunskies, TikiSniper; TwistIcy8748: secondary aggro is not lost aggro). Learn which ones before blaming the Templar — and do not be the farthest player on a leap boss. The boss-mechanics guides list each boss's attacks and who they aim at.

On global Taunt is read as a 10% damage multiplier for the whole party with under 5 s of downtime at level 20 — 'the aggro pull is only a nice secondary feature' (GMKNGJY); a build without it got 'no taunt = no go' from seven players, 'you can do 10% more damage selfishly or everyone can do 10% more' (ariesmanh). Two Templars skip it for personal damage and are usually top-2 anyway. In PvE its tooltip is damage, enmity and Shrink; the taunt itself works on players. Korean speed parties, asked on 29 Oct whether they replace it with Assault Fury or Executing Blade, still run it.

Templar, from the 'why no full-tank build' thread (34 comments, none for one): Noble Armor 15, then Shield of Protection 5, Battlefield Banner 10, Taunt 10, Banner 20, Taunt 20; Doom Shield is optional — by Transcendence 4 there is enough speed and cooldown reduction for Judgment uptime without it — and Debilitating Smash's defence cut does nothing in the current tier. If you fear dying, take the lifesteal option on Judgment or Pummel and Shield of Protection, which is there to proc the damage passive anyway. Gladiator: Focused Block is a damage pick, not a comfort pick — a block guarantees an Experienced Counterstrike proc, the party buff (eight players) — with Wave Armor the alternative when a Templar is in the party and Lifestealing Blade argued both ways. The class guides' tank builds have the full bars.