The Gluttonous Butcher - A Necro 2h Tank

“The code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules." -Hector Barbossa

I made a stamina 2 hander tank provided extra DPS to the group while still keeping in mind the roles of a tank (taunting, self-sustain, buffing, debuffing). While the 2-hander tank is mostly a debuffer then a buffer, it survives well and in pugs will make those clears a bit faster depending on skill/play level.

You will find that I'll list a lot of options for gear, consumables, and moves below in the guide. Kinda think of them as your utility belt, and you're batman. Keep options around. 

Veteran Tested, veteran cleared.

I was inspired by a good chum, and wanted to provide a PUG-friendlier DPS that could get into queues faster, while still making sure other players didn't feel like a role was missing. One of the biggest things that some players feel when a ‘fake tank’ joins a group, is that they don't feel they can do dungeon mechanics easily without a taunt on like the boss or dangerous heavies. I wanted to show that you can still skip the wait, be a tank and a DPS, and get done with your daily dungeon grind needs. 

After that, I went on and wanted to test this hybrid Tank DPS's limits in content. So far, the challenge has been refreshing. You can apply this concept to basically any class, and some classes will obviously provide different outcomes for your groups, and gearing needs. Feel free to steal and help improve the pug queue community over all by being the best dps-tank hybrid you can be! Happy Dungeoning! 

GEAR SWAP IDEAS
Firesong Update Note: I went with a non-monster mythic set up personally, and here in the guide you see this. However, as long as you have Gourmad always on, and Grisley on proc (ideally you wear the medium on the body however)- any combo of gear is fine. Even a maelstrom weapon is fine. I just went with Death Dealer to give me flexiblity, and my monster helm slot swaps based on if I'm doing easier stuff (crit/wep/max stam/penetration) or harder stuff (regen/max health/armor).
 

Body: I went with Grisley Gourmet for niche fun theme to provide that sweet roll buff fun times, as well as general good stats and medium armor perks.  Its a DLC dungeon set so not terribly hard to farm on normal. Arkasis' Genius, Crimson's Oath Rive, Turning Tide, and Drake Rush are also a good options. Champion of the Hist for a more selfish-ult generation and average DPS is also a very good option (and easy to get as it is an overland set). Saxhleel Champion is a great group option to provide your group with a beneficial DPS buff, its a trial set so may take a little time to farm. These sets that are recommended are heavy armor, and more over all just a mix of offensive/defensive.  For a more agressive set up, if you are comfortable with the content, Tzogvin's Warband is a great option for more over all DPS, or any general stamina based DPS set ups. 

Front Bar: Powerful Assault could work, if you want to run echoing vigor and provide more dps-based buffs for your group. War Machine, Kinras's Wrath, Morag tong*, Gryphon's Reprisal and Roar of Alkosh all good buff the dps options to look out for your PUGs bottom line and fits nicely in this for your front bar. Back Alley Gourmand is better as an always on set, if you can combo it that way, but it runs in light armor so its best as an augment armor peice, weps and jewels. While very niche, is also a fun option for your group and kinda fun. Pick what is best for you with the accessibility of content you have! You can also add more survival-based sets here if you feel too squishy. 

 *(if a poison and diseased damage favored group) 

Crafted set options can be:
Ancient Dragongaurd, Armor Master (note: swap out for Immovible), Clever Alchemist, Coldharbour's Favorite, Daedric Trickery (stats), Daring Corsair, Druids Braid (stats), Eternal Hunt, Fortified Brass, Hist Bark, Hundings Rage, Innate Axiom, Iron Flask, Mechanical Acuity, Might of the Lost Legion, Naga Shaman (good for hard content, as we have no way to self-generate vitality- not as useful if a healer has Hallowfang Thirst), Noble Conquest (frees up totem, if you want to swap something else), Orgnum's Scales, Redistrubitor, Senche-raht's Grit (harder content), Serpent's Disdain, Shaildor's Curse (situational at best), Torug's Pact, Twice Born Star, Varen's Legacy, Willow's Path, Wretched Vitality

There are a lot of sets. I listed all the sets of interest that provided good stats, a fun proc that could add more group utility, or damage, as well as all ranges of content (Base game, or DLC) for accessibility purposes and just for the funs. I bolded the classic ‘this is a crafted tank’ sets however. But honestly just look at the stats, the 5 piece, or 4 and decide for yourself what you need:
 

• Survivability/Sustain
• Damage
• Overall Stat Improvements 
• What this brings for the group, or for yourself

Keeping these in mind and balancing around them, will help your overall experience with this non-traditional tank build. Note some 5 sets (like Varen's) are a boon to your defenses, but provide a fun bit of DPS after a action satisfies the requirement for the proc. There are obviously better combinations to min-max effects and tried and true craft tank options out there you can stick with. 

When swapping gear, you want to try to keep your health in a range that you are comfortable with. I personally like mine around 35-40k with food buffs ect, and adjust my attribute points accordingly.

I prefer 5 heavy armor, 1/1 for undaunted passive purposes with this build, but you can swap accordingly depending on your content challenge needs. 

MONSTER HELMET SWAP OUTS - For when you don't want to run with a mythic and combo your gear diffrently. 

• Thurvokun for pugs/trash if people are not w/totem. Can be worn all the time for the most part. Kinda like those jeans you wear even to your 1st date, because you just look that good in them. Can swap this helm if you decide to run empowering grasp. 
• Blood Spawn for more survivability, Lord Warden or Chudans. You know, the classics “I don't wanna die” helmets.
• Magna Encarta for general grouping if people either bring minor maim for group, and or are good at keeping totem active. Earth Gore, and Sentinel of Rkugamz also good options for a ‘buffy support’ vibe, amongst other healer helms. You know, the “I'm a healer, I'm a tank, I'm confused, but we don't have a  real healer so someone's gotta do it” kind of helmets. 
• Kjalnar's Nightmare or Standard Stam DPS helmets for easier content where only just a warm body and a taunt is needed, and you want to do more DPS. Velidreth, Maarselok, Selene's, Kra'gh, Stomrfist, Domihau, and Slimecraw. 
• Kargaeda is a nice middle of the road for group support, a bit more DPS, and sustain. Not good for overall survival, however. 
• Lady Thorn and Nazaray are a nice middle of the road for more group support, and survival.
• Tremor Scale is fun and adds more shred for your DPS. 

*A note for any monster helmets that are not Thurvokun: You must find a way to get maim out- either by using poisons on your back bar, having yourself use your grasp, or a group member who can provide it as a debuff. This debuff is essential in surviving harder hitting bosses. 

A note for Mythic Set ups: Please don't use the kilt. Or pale order unless you are in content you are confident you can solo, and don't have a healer. If you are a veteran player, you can get away in a full set of medium and run like a maniac with a taunt in your normal DPS set up for random normal. Emphasis on the taunt to help out the over all pug experience for the 3 other players being slung on your speedy killing machine back. Destroy! 

Bloodlord's Embrace, Death Dealer's Fete, and Torc of Tonal Consanty are fairly common pratice set ups, just keep in mind to not run your monster, or only do one-5 piece set up. 
 

MOVE SWAPS
Silver chain is good to help make those proper stacks tanks are expected to do if the group needs it, as well as if there's a mechanic that would benefit from it. Just be smart and swap to the groups' needs. You can wear Swarm Mother's monster set if you need help, and your necro armor also helps a little too. 

Venom Skull or Executioner are good options if you want more DPS and don't need the sustain from scythe, as well as have someone to help with the off-balance. 

You can swap Evil Hunter out for more DPS, or if needed for group utlitly you can swap for something like Bone Surge, orbs, blood alter, or shadow silk depending on your group's needs. IE: If your group lacks synergies, or need the major vit, or need more healing. 

NEW  Balance- You can swap out your bone armor and mortal coil for other flex options, if you are finding your sustain is hard in content and need more mag-based sustain. Balance is in the mage guild tree, so will require you to join the book club. But it is very powerful in the sense it provides a lot of mag sustain, as well as the protection you get from beckoning armor. I would recomend Silver Leash at that point to be your add control. 

Ult Swaps: Pick if you need more survival or DPS. Keep in mind your group as well. Good options are things like the necro rez (either morph), barrier, berserker's rage, or aggressive warhorn.

MUNDAS and ATTRIBUTES 
Do what you wanna do. Since this isn't a divines set up, the mundas is just more like adding a thin layer of butter on a nice piece of bread. Swap for what you need for content, or to get your stats in a comfortable spot (health, resistance caps ect, or go with like stat sticks like max stam, regen, or crit/pen/damage while in easier content).

You're going to have to do a lot of tweaking and seeing what you like for your attributes to get your health, and stamina in a range you are comfortable with for the content you are going tank in- especially depending on your race and gear options you decide with.  I threw in some numbers that I was using on an orc as an example.

CHAMPION POINTS
Honestly, Alcast CP for (solo)DPS or Tanks is advised, swap accordingly if you need more survival or want more DPS. You can try mixing the two to find what works for you, if you want to keep a static CP set up however. 

Be flexible for your group, and the content you are doing with this build. I just kinda threw in what I've been using for my vet-pug's/all around general CP. 

FOOD AND POTS
Dubius Cameron Thorne, Blue stam food, take-away-broth, sugar skulls or tri-stat food are great options (depending if you need to run some mag heavy support moves or not). Easier content, things like green max stam or lava-foot, is good. Go with whats best on your wallet for the contet you are doing.

Tri-pots, or health/stam restore, armor increase, spell resist, unstoppable, or weapon power- are all good options depending on the content or if you need an extra effect.