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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DracoSuave" data-source="post: 5154979" data-attributes="member: 71571">Defenders usually have two basic strategies they employ.  This is not to comment on the effectiveness of either, but let's go anyways.1)  No one else gets hit.This is the defender who takes as many hits as he can.  His feat choices tend towards defensive feats, and heavier disincentives towards attacking others.  The idea is that he's taking abilities that make the opponents want to hit him and not want to hit others.  Sword-and-Board fighters exemplify this concept.  They're very self-defensive, and rely on tactical shoves pulls and such to make attacks on others very difficult.  Shielding Swordmages are best for this as well.2)  Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.This is the more offensive minded defender.  If you attack his friend, he's more than happy to punish you with a whack of his heavy sword.  If you hit him, he's more than happy to punish you with a whack of his heavy sword.  Unlike the above tactic, this style defends by trying to end fights sooner, by using his punishments, and supplimenting them with disincentives to attacking -him-.  Eyebite-paladins, assault swordmages, and such exemplify -this- approach.White Lotus Riposte is, in a defender's context, of the second variety of defender strategy.  This style of defender doesn't care if you don't attack him... that just means he can unleash more hell.  Go ahead.  Hit that guy.  I'll waiting for you to do it.  Oh, you're coming after me?  Well... that was also a mistake.Defenders aren't only meat-shields.  They're very -deep- in terms of the strategies they can employ, and require as much cooperation from their team-mates as do controllers.  If your defender's running around trying to catch loose stragglers that are harassing a distant artillery, then you're not using your team's defender to the fullest.  And if all the enemies are piling on one guy, even if it's the defender, you're not using your team's defender to the fullest.</blockquote>

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