Are tanks weaker right now? Really? (in General)

I see a lot of people talking about Mageblender the past few months. Enough to make me put away my mage toys and pick up the tank ones again.

The thing is, if everyone is running mage teams then how the hell do we know that tanks are weaker right now? Encumbrance may be a bit of a blow at higher levels, making those really huge weapons less viable for some. But that isn't stopping some people using those big weapons up top right now...

Ok, so it's not really weapon tank, but I'm using UC again for the first time in a while and it doesn't feel any different to how it used to. I'm still fighting up a decent height. In fact the only thing stopping me fighting any higher is a complete lack of clan targets at this level and for about the next 500k scores.

And that other thing that put people off tanks in the past - when it was tankblender funnily enough - evasion: that's not like it was, you can't completely shut a tank down like you used to.

So what's really stopping people going tank? Is it a side effect of the tattoo artist changing? Not enough ToAs around to switch strats?

Feels to me like there's a lot of blind acceptance that mageblender is the status quo. Just because there are a lot of mages in the top ten doesn't mean it's the case. There were mostly tanks in the top ten when apparently evasion was the big demon of CB.

I think tanks are totally viable in this meta. There just isn't much EC etc around hosing them, making them that much better. However, they are not quite good enough to farm up too much because archers have reduced damage, and I think melee weapon get out-classed by CoC or SG damage. I think the right balance is when mage (at low NW) > tank at low NW, mage = tank at "average" NW and tank > mage at high NW.

Tanks aint bad... point being... people love + too much :)

To make a good tank at high MPRs you need a lot of weapon NW, the focus has shifted from a + oriented weapon system to an x oriented weapon system, and 50% disenchant just doesn't cut it.

Tanks are quite viable for new USD spenders however.

1st. Tanks are a blast to play.

2nd. Not all Tank user are US spenders.

3rd. Most of the changes Jon has made are pretty good ones.

4th. It is the change he has not made that I see the biggest problem,and it should be a problem for mages also. GA all other damage has been reduced and adjusted and armor weakened.

I just do not believe a passive spell should be able to kill it should be adjusted like everything else or turned into damage reduction so their teams have more time to make the kill.

So I believe overall most are becoming balance, and it is closer to carnageblender again.

the problem with tanks isn't much about damage, it's about making it to melee. Wich is incredibly hard to do after a point

making it to melee has been easier than it ever has been before in CB as my understanding

Tanks have alot going for them now, and the fact that they pretty much can guarantee a hit (even two!) pretty much puts them on equal footing.

Also worth noting is that the heavy tank is something people don't use enough. It's ability to be a huge damage dealer and have a huge enc with little penalties to fighting is something tanks should capitalize on. In fact, it's probably the best counter to GA we have now.

I honestly think tank/mage balance is fine where it is right now. The Evasion nerf brought things to the level they should be. We haven't seen balance this good in... well, we've probably never seen balance this good.

i think mages suck and tanks are the best thing so far
its very cool to imrpove yoru wepaons and get good gear to ya tank and broke some bones with ya hands !