Just realized they nerfed the hell out of tank companions.

[CavScout]

Not caring?

The tank cannot tank. Why is it a tank if it can't tank?

I don't really care if this is a zero sum type deal. If it's called a tank it should have the ability to actually tank. I don't care if it has 10% more mitigation or 20% more like it used to have. It should have more mitigation to account for being a tank.

Right now tank companions are far and away the worst companions in the game. Medium armor players tank better than they do. I'm clearing heroic flashpoints right now with a sentinel tanking and the sentinel has higher mitigation than my tank companions that are wearing full epic tank sets.

You're still stuck in the circular logic that tank companions are replacements for tank players (in heroics). They tank just fine in pretty much every other scenario.

[Mercbeast]

You're still stuck in the circular logic that tank companions are replacements for tank players (in heroics). They tank just fine in pretty much every other scenario.

No, they really don't. Once you hit above level 20 or so, they get insta gibbed by just about any pack of mobs containing more than one strong. It only gets worse as you level.

[Khatovar]

I agree with Merc, I've been running one of my sorcs with a tank pet and he's only barely better than I am when it comes to soaking damage. Even spec as a healer, spamming heals and shields the entire fight my "tank" pet still ends a fight under 50% health.

I also have another healer sorc that I run with my husband, who is a tank. We were forced to run dual tanks for a while {him + my tank pet} and it was a nightmare. Killing was slow and again it was spamming heals on my pet. I finally got my DPS pet and I almost never have to stand around healing.

Unless your idea of "tanking" is throwing taunts. In that case, sure, they throw taunts like a champ.

[Crum1515]

I don't really have a problem now that I have upgraded both my tanks. I spent a couple thousand pvp tokens on pvp gear and put them in it, and bought some nice weapons and relics and they now perform the roll exactly as I need it and then some. But, I do see where other people complaints are stemming from and from 20-35ish they were useless to me no matter what i put on them or did with them.

[Mercbeast]

I don't really have a problem now that I have upgraded both my tanks. I spent a couple thousand pvp tokens on pvp gear and put them in it, and bought some nice weapons and relics and they now perform the roll exactly as I need it and then some. But, I do see where other people complaints are stemming from and from 20-35ish they were useless to me no matter what i put on them or did with them.

I have my melee tank in assorted tier 2 PvP gear and crafted purple pvp gear/moddable gear. He doesn't tank very well.

[Crum1515]

I have my melee tank in assorted tier 2 PvP gear and crafted purple pvp gear/moddable gear. He doesn't tank very well.

I'm having no problem. I have even used my companion to tank flashpoints in the mid 30 - late 30 range. I am starting to use my dps companion more now while questing though as its easier to burn through mobs now.

[nodoze]

This thread has been helpful. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

My original character is Jedi Consular Shadow currently speced for infiltration for max stealth & DPS but I can respec for Tanking with stealth between fights at some point... I really enjoy the stealth for gathering and initiating fights but I started hitting a wall as my companion tank couldn't hack it in FPs around level 20... My buddy is a smuggler-gunslinger & things were really fun up to 20 but now, as 2 DPS specs with companions we have to keep rezing our pets/each other and wipe periodically... That lead me to this thread...

My new multi-box party now consists of:
- Trooper-Vanguard Tank;
- Smuggler-Scoundrel Healer (with stealth);
- DPS Companion;
- DPS Companion;

So far they have been going through things much faster than before and hopefully can hack it at 20+. At some point I may try to match up a stealth tank with a stealth healer but for now I wanted to use a ranged tank over a melee tank to make multi-boxing more manageable in the new game...

Please keep reporting back on viability of various duos with 2 companions and any heroics that can't be cleared on level (or within a level). I will try to do the same.

[Oatboat]

I'm running Merc and my pet is healer. I've not hand any problems on the 2+ group quests running solo.

[Gadi]

The SI end companion has the full tank buff. So it gets better if you took the sorc route. Not sure on the rest, still working on those.

[Mercbeast]

The SI end companion has the full tank buff. So it gets better if you took the sorc route. Not sure on the rest, still working on those.

It starts with light armor however. It would have been total lol had they not left Xalek with the armor buff.

I'd be curious to see what his mitigation level is at 50.

My tank companions in full tank purples get about 27% mitigation.