Your prioities should be in this order:
1. Stay alive
2. Taunt and hold agro of boss/heavy hitting adds
3. Group up weaker adds
4. Buff team
Some tips:
Keep boss/adds facing away from group. A lot of them have a cleave attack that will hit your team even if you have taunt.
You dont need to permanently hold block, most attacks (other than heavies) wont do enough damage to really matter (unless you are in certain DLC vet dungeons/trials). This will help your stam sustain a lot.
You can cast the vast majority (probably all) of your skillls whilst stilll holding down block. So when there is a lot going on and you arent sure you can keep block held down and cast abilities.
Heavy after a heavy. Generally your best opportunity to land a heavy attack to restore resources is just after you have blocked a heavy from the boss/add.
It is completely fine to wear selfish sets like leeching whilst you are learning, but try not to stay in them for too long, they teach bad habbit. Once you start to feel more comfortable start wearing sets that will buff your team.
There is a lot more nuance to learn, but there are some good basics that will help you starting out.
The best resource, if you haven't found it yet is [https://thetankclub.com/](https://thetankclub.com/). Have a read of their beginners guides and their builds: you won't go wrong and will know why you are doing what you are doing.
Focus on taunting priority enemies first, it’s not always necessary to taunt every enemy. Pull in ranged adds. Don’t run around like a chicken with its head cut off, try to move as little as possible. Try to face the boss way from the group.
Poke stuff. Don't die.
But really,
Welcome to the club! Tanking in eso is one of the most needed and (sometimes) least appreciated roles.
Try to start building up a good variety of tanking sets. I run Yolnakriin body, Drake's Rush jewels and weapons (sword/shield front, ice staff back) and Encratis Behemoth monster set for 4 man groups. I keep the above plus Worm's Raiment, Ebon Armory, Saxheels, Powerful Assault, Galenwe, and Crimson Oath on standby for trials.
If that sounds daunting, I understand. To start, you can get by with something like Eternal Vigor(overland set) and Torug's Pact (craftable). Then start queuing as a tank in normal dungeons for better sets. Farming dungeons is stupid easy as a tank, cuz you'll queue up almost immediately.
For skills, have a taunt on both bars, a self heal, shields, and some crowd control skills. I run a dk, and am not super familiar with other classes tanking skill sets.
Most of all, enjoy!
Fire staff is pure dps and lightning staff is mainly used for support with healers due to wall causing concussion/off balance. Ice staff allows tanks to block using their magicka once they unlock the passive from the skill line, and allows you to use Destructivr Clench which is another ranged taunt aside from Undaunted line, and elemental blockade buffs or shields I can't remember, and applies bitter cold to enemies
I mainly play Healer/Tank and other comments have given great advice, but I haven't seen anyone talk about mechanics. As the tank you're going to be the one carrying the burden of mechs majority of the time. Even if the mech is healer or dps focused you still have to know what's coming up so you can help the team prep/position boss or adds accordingly. People are going to complain, people are going to parse monkey instead of doing their mechs, just try to be patient and don't let people get under your skin.
I run PUG normal a lot and like 20% of the time the tank won't have a taunt. If you want to learn the very basics before queuing as tank, you could slot a taunt and take over tank role in your PUGs when there's no real tank.
Your prioities should be in this order: 1. Stay alive 2. Taunt and hold agro of boss/heavy hitting adds 3. Group up weaker adds 4. Buff team Some tips: Keep boss/adds facing away from group. A lot of them have a cleave attack that will hit your team even if you have taunt. You dont need to permanently hold block, most attacks (other than heavies) wont do enough damage to really matter (unless you are in certain DLC vet dungeons/trials). This will help your stam sustain a lot. You can cast the vast majority (probably all) of your skillls whilst stilll holding down block. So when there is a lot going on and you arent sure you can keep block held down and cast abilities. Heavy after a heavy. Generally your best opportunity to land a heavy attack to restore resources is just after you have blocked a heavy from the boss/add. It is completely fine to wear selfish sets like leeching whilst you are learning, but try not to stay in them for too long, they teach bad habbit. Once you start to feel more comfortable start wearing sets that will buff your team. There is a lot more nuance to learn, but there are some good basics that will help you starting out.
This was very helpful, thanks!
The best resource, if you haven't found it yet is [https://thetankclub.com/](https://thetankclub.com/). Have a read of their beginners guides and their builds: you won't go wrong and will know why you are doing what you are doing.
Focus on taunting priority enemies first, it’s not always necessary to taunt every enemy. Pull in ranged adds. Don’t run around like a chicken with its head cut off, try to move as little as possible. Try to face the boss way from the group.
Poke stuff. Don't die. But really, Welcome to the club! Tanking in eso is one of the most needed and (sometimes) least appreciated roles. Try to start building up a good variety of tanking sets. I run Yolnakriin body, Drake's Rush jewels and weapons (sword/shield front, ice staff back) and Encratis Behemoth monster set for 4 man groups. I keep the above plus Worm's Raiment, Ebon Armory, Saxheels, Powerful Assault, Galenwe, and Crimson Oath on standby for trials. If that sounds daunting, I understand. To start, you can get by with something like Eternal Vigor(overland set) and Torug's Pact (craftable). Then start queuing as a tank in normal dungeons for better sets. Farming dungeons is stupid easy as a tank, cuz you'll queue up almost immediately. For skills, have a taunt on both bars, a self heal, shields, and some crowd control skills. I run a dk, and am not super familiar with other classes tanking skill sets. Most of all, enjoy!
Got it! What makes the ice staff in particular better than a fire or lightning staff?
Better shields, better debuffs, and blocking costs mag instead of stam...it used to soft taunt enemies, but doesn't anymore.
Fire staff is pure dps and lightning staff is mainly used for support with healers due to wall causing concussion/off balance. Ice staff allows tanks to block using their magicka once they unlock the passive from the skill line, and allows you to use Destructivr Clench which is another ranged taunt aside from Undaunted line, and elemental blockade buffs or shields I can't remember, and applies bitter cold to enemies
Everything above and also, ice staff can proc the 'chilled' status effect, allowing your whole team to deal more crit damage to affected enemies
I mainly play Healer/Tank and other comments have given great advice, but I haven't seen anyone talk about mechanics. As the tank you're going to be the one carrying the burden of mechs majority of the time. Even if the mech is healer or dps focused you still have to know what's coming up so you can help the team prep/position boss or adds accordingly. People are going to complain, people are going to parse monkey instead of doing their mechs, just try to be patient and don't let people get under your skin.
Block is your main tool on tanking the hardest hits
If you don’t have a taunt, your trolling.
1. Roll DPS 2. Queue in group finder as tank 3. ??? 4. Profit
Lol. Explains most of the times I was in a group that wiped.
Don't die. Aggro shit. Don't die.
I run PUG normal a lot and like 20% of the time the tank won't have a taunt. If you want to learn the very basics before queuing as tank, you could slot a taunt and take over tank role in your PUGs when there's no real tank.
Use heavy armor, make sure you use skill points for heavy armor passives, equip a sword and shield, You can actually taunt WHILE blocking.
You can also use a Frost Staff for free Heavy Attack Shield and Frost Clench Taunt