This spec is designed for RIFT 2.0+.
The spec: 61 Riftstalker / 8 Ranger / 7 Bard
This is our highest health pool spec in Storm Legion. Endurance is best in slot even over deflect.
The spec and abilities have not changed too much since the old 51 Riftstalker including with 8 Ranger and 7 Bard. A few abilities are gone (like Shadow Warp) with a few new abilities added (like Planebound Aegis) as well. If you have used this spec before, you will be more than familiar with it still. If you have not, it is still at least a very easy spec to understand and fast to get used to and setup.
You can use this tank spec in any of the current content without any problems. The only problem that might occur would be losing threat to a cleric tank or possibly a warrior tank.
Gilded Riftstalker Crystal
T'Scain's Riftstalker Crystal
#show Phantom Blow
cast Phantom Blow
cast Planar Strike
You can generate more AOE threat by using the buff Planar Splash (new ability) and spamming this macro. Planar Splash makes Phantom Blow and Planar Strike hit up to 10 enemies but also reducing there damage done by 20%.
You also have Instigate to grab threat off someone or to make sure you have threat right away depending on the pull or how you pull it. This has a 8 second cooldown and 20 meter range.
#show Shadow Blitz
cast Shadow Assault
cast Shadow Blitz
cast Shadow Stalk
You only need to teleport at least around every 10 seconds to maintain threat and keep up your buffs. Though this will depend on what and where you are tanking, be it a raid or just a simple dungeon.
Also with the addition to 1.11, a new ability was added called Planar Rejuvenation that heals you for 10% of your maximum health over 20 seconds after plane shifting.
Rift Disturbance
Planar Splash
Planar Attraction
Do not macro these together. These are your additional AOE threat abilities you have other than plane shifting. Make sure you do not always have Planar Splash up either unless you need it for AOE threat.
If you want to macro Rift Disturbance with your spam macro, go ahead, though I highly recommend keeping it out.
Planar Attraction still has a 1 minute cooldown so use it wisely, it teleports up to 5 enemies to you and forces them to attack you for 3 seconds. If you have lost any AOE threat, this cooldown can be helpful most of the time.
Shadow Shift
Memory Capture > Flashback
These abilities may not be used as much as others will but they are very useful in different situations. I personally rarely use Shadow Shift and only will if I absolutely need to, mostly in dungeons. If you do not know already, we lost Shadow Warp back in 1.11, I would have rather lost Shadow Shift instead.
You might find yourself using Memory Capture with Flashback more now, I have started to use it more often after 2.0 and rarely did as much before. It is great for line of sight (los) pulls.
Guarded Steel
Wrath of the Planes
Power of the Planes
Guarded Steel increases your armor by 10% for 30 seconds, which you should pretty much have 100% uptime on. Rogues (and other classes) also saw a larger armor increase when 1.11 came out and of course when Storm Legion did.
You will want to keep Wrath of the Planes up at all times. It lasts 15 seconds and deals damage up to 10 enemies and reduces their hit chance by 5%. This also generates additional threat.
You could keep Power of the Planes up at all times too, if you want, however it would be best suited for a DPS build. It buffs you based on how many combo points you had when you used it, so use it at 5 combo points and it will last 60 seconds. It gives a stacking buff that each time you Dodge, Deflect or Parry an attack it increases your Weapon Damage and Attack Power by 5% for 20 seconds.
We no longer have Annihilate when 1.11 came out, if you were wondering. But it was not like it was ever useful for rogue tanking, but instead for hybrid specs for DPS.
(coming soon)
These are not necessary to use but can prove to be quite helpful to know if specific buffs of your own are up, how long are left on them, a debuff on your target (Wrath of the Planes, Rift Disturbance), an ability ready or if a specific ability from someone else is on you such as say Healer’s Covenant.
Planar Disruption
This has a 8 second cooldown, so use it wisely.
Defer Death
Planebound Aegis
Scatter the Shadows
Planar Refuge
Physical Wellness
Soul Coalescence
These are the greatest cooldown a rogue tank of course has and even over Warrior and Cleric tanks.
Defer Death can save your raid in a lot of ways, and when properly used. The same goes with Planar Refuge and sometimes Scatter the Shadows depending on the fight, what you are using it for and if the damage can be ignored with it. Not everything can be such an example as on Maklamos the Scryer (old Infernal Dawn 20 man raid), you cannot ignore Crystalline Desolation with this.
Planebound Aegis was added with 2.0 and is a great ability to use when in trouble, it gives you an absorption shield up to 50% of your maximum health that lasts 10 seconds. If it expires, it heals you based on the amount of the absorb shield remaining.
Physical Wellness, an increase of 1500 HP to your raid for 20 seconds, will be more useful for those fights where your raid is not as geared, when heals are going to be needed for a lot of damage about to be taken very soon and what not else. You will not always use this and this will be dependent on the fight, if you are in Hammerknell Fortress you could use this on Inquisitor Garau or in Infernal Dawn on Ituziel just when a lot of AOE damage comes out at 33% to help your healers a little. But of course, this was all written before nerfs to these bosses and more so used as examples for future fights. This would be useful for some of the new raids too, Frozen Tempest and Endless Eclipse.
Soul Coalescence was added when 2.0 arrived, it is a 30 second cooldown that every time you use Phantom Blow or Planar Strike, you gain Soul Synthesis that increases damage done by 1% and stacks up to 20 times. Soul Coalescence consumes Soul Synthesis which causes you to take 1% less damage per stack for 4 seconds.
Guardian Phase
Planebound Resilience
Fanfare of Vigor
You will not always need to cast Fanfare of Vigor yourself if you have a bard to cover this in raids and or another greater endurance buff from another class. The other 2 are self explanatory, you need Guardian Phase up to tank and Planebound Resilience for a large health increase.
Motif of Bravery
Cadence with Coda of Wrath
Cleanse Soul
You can use Motif of Bravery in dungeons and maybe 10 mans to increase the raid members Attack Power and Spell Power by 225 and Critical Hit chance by 1%. You do not have to manage this if you do not care to increase the AP or SP in your party or raid.
Cleanse Soul comes from the Tier 1 PVP PA tree at the top. You may or may not have this, but this is an overpowered ability to have in raid or elsewhere. There are a lot of debuffs it does not work on but there are still some where it does and makes it great to use with.
