Today's subject is one of Assur's favorite type of hybrids. They may not be the best warriors to grace the sands, but they are a lot of fun. The idea is that you can't take them down and at some point they will attack back and when they hit, they will hit hard!
1) Design
Tank Hybrids (hereafter referred to as simply tanks) are hybrids that wear lots of armor and have lots of hit points. There are lots of variations of this type of hybrid, but typically they are not depending on anything other than their physical prowess to win.
Encumbrance and Hit Points are amongst their most important attributes. Skills are nice, but in some cases almost an afterthought. Attack is probably the most useful skill to have, followed by Parry and Defense.
Endurance, Wit, and Will are all nice to have, but you can create a tank without any of these. Typically they will have minimum 14 in strength and constitution, often much more. Historically Assur has made high will versions of tanks, but has seen others succeed with very low will tanks as well. Usually at least one of speed or deftness is quite low. Most of Assur's tanks have also been stat trainers, so some of them have started lower than 14 in strength or constitution.
2) Style Choice
Any style can tank it up, but the higher attack styles work better, simply because when you do attack, you want to hit. But any style can work. Lungers have the highest attack base. Aimed Blows with 21 deftness are just below Lungers. Next is a four way tie between Parry Lungers, Wall of Steels, Bashers, and Slashers. Parry Strikes, Parry Ripostes, and Strikers are all considered lower attack styles, but the lowest starting attack style is, of course, the Total Parry (a full 8 attack skills lower than the same Lunger). Advantages/disadvantages of tanking styles:
Lunger: Highest total skills, but learns are not the best and high endurance burn.
Aimed Blows: High deftness requirements means designs are very limited.
Wall of Steels: High total skills, learns (att/par/ini) are awesome for tanks. High Endurance burn.
Basher: Learn attack and decise, reasonable endurance burn. A more offensive type of tank.
Parry Lungers: Similar to Wall of Steels, with slightly worse learning and skills.
Slashers: Similar to Bashers, but don't learn decise as fast and slightly higher endurance burn.
Parry Strikes: One of the few warrior types where their learns work together (decise and parry). Conserve endurance very well. The best tanking style of the lower attack styles.
Strikers: Again similar to bashers, but with fewer attack skills, but better endurance conservation.
Parry Ripostes: Only 2 attack more than total parries, worse learning, and worse weapon selection suggests that Total Parries would be a better choice.
Total Parries: Horrible attack, but can use most of the big weapons and the best defenses in the game makes them a good choice for a more defensive tank.
3) Weapon Selection
Typically you will choose the highest damage weapon you can use for your Tank. Some nice choices (with relatively low stat requirements) are: Maul (15 Str, 5 Wit, 7 Dft), Broadsword (11 Str, 9 Wit, 7 Dft), Battle Axe (15 Str, 7 Wit, 9 Dft), and Long Spear (11 Str, 5 Wit, 9 Dft).
Feel free to choose other weapons, even if you lack the requirements to use them.
4) Strategy and tactics
Tanks are fun to run, because you can really play with their strategies and see different results. Typically you will run in the upper range of offensive effort (5+), but in certain minutes, you very well might go more defensive depending on your tank. As mentioned last turn, some warriors will actually attack more with lower offensive effort (usually if it is their favorite rhythm). To start, though, play with 5-10 offensive effort. Activity level can be anything. I have literally run tanks with 10 activity level in one fight and 1 activity level in the next.
I have used almost every tactic with Tanks. I can't remember using the Riposte tactic, but no reason you can't try it. And some styles are not well suited to some tactics.
5) Armor
APA/F is the norm.