The best single-player western RPGs for playing as a tank character, ranked.

summation

• Tank characters are very important in Western RPGs for protecting weaker party members and drawing out enemy attacks.
• Tank builds are essential for an effective combat strategy, especially in games like Mass Effect 2 and South Park: The Stick of Truth.
• In games like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3, having a tank makes combat easier to manage and protects other party members.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a tank character that can withstand enemy attacks and attract their attention. This character is mainly useful in squad-based games where he needs to take the place of weaker party members who are better off using ranged attacks.

Having a tank build is essential in certain Western RPGs to implement an efficient strategy in combat, especially at higher difficulties. The last thing you want is for your ranged glass cannon to become the target of enemy fire, and tanks are perfect for providing cover for such party members in combat.

The game is ranked based on how helpful the tank character is in battle.

8 mass effect 2

Tanks become unstoppable in combat

mass effect 2 It played a big role in making combat more action-packed and dynamic compared to its predecessor. This means players can take advantage of unique builds that combine combat-focused classes with powerful equipment to instantly turn Shepard into a powerful tank, giving her a different feel when using her in battle.

Keeping your commander's shields as high as possible will help you charge enemies and draw out the most aggro. In most cases, Shepard's squad members are competent enough to hold their own in combat without dying easily, but it's always helpful to ensure their safety with a tanky Shepard who can rush into battle without hesitation.

7 South Park: The Stick of Truth

Tanks can protect vulnerable party members

stick of truth It's the best south park It faithfully replicates the style of the TV show, allowing players to embark on a whimsical adventure with everything they have. south park The special effects they came to love. Players who always want to play a tanky character can use the Fighter class to make things easier. They can also use the services of Paladin Butter to draw aggro and heal.

However, in terms of pure tanking, the Fighter build is the way to go and makes New Kid the most powerful combatant. stick of truth.

6 Dragon Age: Origins

Tanky protagonists are easier to engage in combat

Dragon Age: Origins BioWare's rise to the top of the video game world as one of the best RPG developers was a huge step in the right direction. It was hard not to feel this way when players got their hands on a detailed RPG with meaningful choices that showcased this feature from the moment they chose their race and chose their unique origin story.

Players who want to transform into a defender of their allies will need to transform the Gray Warden into a tank. This can give them a shield and use abilities to draw the enemy's attention, use a rogue character's dodge ability to dodge most attacks, or use a heavy two-handed weapon to clear the battlefield and fight.

5 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

A Jedi Knight who can attract the attention of his enemies will easily save his allies

Players who want to experience what is probably the best story star wars What will the game like knights of the old republic Bring it to the table. This iconic BioWare game puts players in control of an amnesiac Jedi. The Jedi slowly uncovers his origins in one of the best twists in gaming history.

As you'd expect from a squad-based RPG, it's quite doable to buff a player's defenses and hand them a lightsaber, turning them into a powerful tank. Using heavy armor and investing in both strength and stamina will help players achieve this build and knights of the old republic.

4 tyranny

Tanks can lead party members and draw aggro.

The CRPG features highly tactical combat and rewards players for using different parties in battle. There are such cases tyrannyIn , players can bring four party members into battle to defeat enemies.

Fatebinder itself can use builds that can block enemy attacks and deal high damage, but characters like Barik and Kills-In-Shadow can also serve as effective frontline combatants if players want to choose an objectively superior mage build instead.

3 Pillars of Eternity 2

The smaller party size compared to the first game makes tanks more practical than ever.

Pillars of Eternity 2 is a great sequel where combat is more tactical than ever. The reduction in party members from five to four in the first game means that having a tank in battle is completely necessary for players to take on bosses in most encounters.

Converting your Watcher into a tank makes it easy to rush into battle head-on without worrying about drawing aggro from a Mage or Ranger build. The focus on multiclassing means that players can enjoy the benefits of tanks along with the abilities of other classes, which can synergize well with high HP and damage builds.

2 Baldur's Gate 3

Since other party members rely on this failsafe, enemies may take turns trying to weaken your tank.

Combat in the CRPG from Larian Studios sometimes feels like a chess match, making it important for players to optimally move their party members to gain a strategic advantage in each fight. This is especially true. Baldur's Gate 3Even if the game is a bit generous compared to previous Larian titles.

But there is no denying that there are tanks. Baldur's Gate 3 It makes combat pretty manageable. Tanks baiting aggro ensures that enemies waste precious turns as they are slowly destroyed by the player, with less impact on the fight, so players won't feel the need to perform enormous mental gymnastics to optimally finish each encounter. . .

1 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Tanks can deal physical attacks with their armor, sparing mages, rogues, and other weaker members.

As one of the most difficult modern CRPGs a player can get their hands on, the importance of physical and magical armor is something players must be aware of in this game. Divinity: Original Sin 2 If you want to create an efficient tank character. Usually, players should have two specific types of party members around. One should have high physical armor and the other should boast a lot of magical armor to protect the base.

This is because party members with a lot of health cannot draw aggro for a long time even after their armor is depleted. However, having tanky characters is still essential to succeed in more difficult encounters. As long as players can use two expert party members to take advantage of enemy AI and make their attacks go to waste, they can make the most of the action economy and take out most threats before the fight becomes too long.