As a hardcore Division 2 player with countless hours perfecting tank builds, I live for charging headfirst into the fray and unleashing chaos among the enemy ranks. There‘s no greater feeling than soaking up a relentless hail of bullets while my teammates safely punish our foes from behind my impenetrable shield fortress.
But creating a truly unkillable Division 2 tank requires incredibly precise balancing of talents, attributes, skills, and playstyle. Only with deep knowledge of build synergies and experience refined from battle can one craft a tank capable of withstanding the deadliest encounters.
In this extensive guide, I pass on everything I‘ve learned about tank theorycrafting during my long tenure as a dedicated Division 2 agent. Follow along to transform yourself into the ultimate bulwark upon which enemy offenses shatter against!
Choosing the Right Specialization
The Demolitionist specialization forms the core foundation for the quintessential Division 2 tank:
Specialization choice is the most impactful decision when planning any build, as it defines which bonuses and playstyles you‘ll invest into. I‘ve tested all three specializations extensively, but the Demolitionist far outshines the others for tanking due to three major benefits:
Burn Resistance
This 20% damage reduction against burn effects provides tremendous defense against the frequent Flamethrowers, Incendiary Bullets, and Molotovs you‘ll face in challenging content. That added resist makes a larger effective health difference than any other bonus.
Absorption of Explosive Damage
Tanks attract explosion damage like moths to a flame. So the Demo‘s ability to absorb an explosive attack every 60 seconds pays massive dividends for survival. Time this bonus correctly to laugh off deadly grenades or suicide drone detonations.
Squad Damage Buff
Boosting your team‘s damage amplifies your tanking impact. While they gun down marked enemies faster, you generate more threat to keep attention focused on yourself. This synergistic relationship enables the whole squad to deal and absorb more punishment.
Simply put, no other specialization concentrates such powerful benefits specifically for tanking. The Demo tree embodies the tank role fantasy to the fullest!
Weapons – Grabbing Threat and Building Menace
Now for the all-important weapon selection that completes the tank trifecta of threat generation, teammate support, and personal survivability:
Scorpio – Ultimate Threat Generation and Crowd Control
The sheer aggression drawing power of the Scorpio Exotic shotgun cements its mandatory inclusion for tank builds. Landing shots applies a stacking effect that stuns enemies after seven stacks while forcing their attention onto you. This unmatched threat generation perfectly adheres enemies to your bulwark.
And thanks to its exotic status, the Scorpio disrupts enemies with additional crowd control effects including disruption, confusing enemies and reducing their damage output. Combined with the Demo specialization‘s damage buff aura, you amplify your squad‘s damage against these hampered foes!
For primary weapon, no options matches the Scorpio‘s tanking capabilities. It manipulates enemy behavior and buffs your team in one devastating package.
Card Counter P416 – Ideal Secondary for Flexible Threat
While the Scorpio dominates up close, the Card Counter AR excels at mid-long range threat through its synergistic talent combo:
- Future Perfect – Kills with the Card Counter grant skill tier boosts to then enhance shield health and Reviver Hive.
- Overwhelm – Suppression applied via the AR builds bonus armor. Great for blocking flankers!
- Optimist – Damage scales up the longer you fire. Excels at pressuring rushers and preventing flanking.
This flexible threat production combats rushers trying to escape your frontline presence. The Overwhelmed suppression especially helps lock down enemies attempting to sneak past your flank, buying time for you reestablish aggro with them or for allies to take them out.
Meanwhile, the tier boosts make your Bulwark Shield nigh unbreakable while enabling your Reviver Hive to revive from longer distances. Fantastic utility!
The Card Counter fulfills the tank role spectacularly as an ever-present menace applying non-stop pressure. Enemies will grow to fear its sight trained on them from afar!
Orbit – Emergency Threat Support
We complete the weapon loadout with the Orbit for its Perfectly Opportunistic sidearm talent. Whenever firing this pistol, gain a substantial 10% amplified damage against that target for 10 seconds.
Use the Orbit to rapidly tag priority threats for faster focus fire from your teammates. Taking out problematic Veterans, Rusher minigun heavies, or Warhound mini-tanks quicker better enables you to reestablish frontline dominance. This synergy makes the Orbit an invaluable emergency support tool!
Optimal Gear and Attributes
Now for the gear and attributes to push our tank to its climax of impenetrable glory:
2pc Badger Tuff and 4pc Foundry Bulwark Gear Sets
The core to every tank starts with Foundry Bulwark‘s exceptional bonuses including extra armor regen, shield health, and the unique self-healing Perfectly Efficient talent that procs when taking damage with greater than six defensive attributes.
But the 2pc Badger Tuff‘s shotgun damage and armor on kill further doubles down to complement the aggro-pulling Scorpio by boosting its damage and granting bonus armor for each kill – fueling EVEN more frontline threat. Together, these bonuses amplify Signature Shotgun wielding tank fantasy!
Imperial Dynasty Holster
We further augment constant danger presence with the Imperial Dynasty‘s holster talent. Every eight seconds, apply burn status to all enemies within 15 meters. Burn not only damages enemies but serves as the highest-priority threat boost, metaphorically painting a giant target symbol above your head for aggro fixation.
With so many crowd control and threat effects emanating from your build, enemies will NEVER ignore you!
Galvanize Backpack
Finally, the Galvanize pack enhances the "guardian" role-fantasy by granting bonus armor temporarily when reviving allies. This protection lets you fearlessly revive teammates during heated fights even under extreme enemy fire. Inspire their rally behind your stalwart leadership!
Recommended Attributes
For maximum effectiveness, build this tank around the prioritized defensive attributes:
- Bonus Armor – Maximizes threat and direct survivability
- Armor Regeneration – Passive sustain enabling endless engagements
- Skill Shield Health – Bigger shield capacity to block heavier attacks
I recommend the following stat benchmarks as an initial goal:
- >100k Bonus Armor – Massive supplementary health pool
- ~20-30k Armor Regen – Out-of-combat recovery letting you quickly re-engage
- ~30-40 million Shield Health – Block tons of damage between cooldowns
Focus everything solely into these tanking-oriented attributes. Offensive investments like weapon damage or critical hit chance DON‘T benefit this build. You exist solely to absorb damage, not deal it!
Skills: The Perfect Compliments
Now to cover skill loadout – the essential tools that enable your tanking prowess. We‘ll equip the Bulwark Shield and Reviver Hive:
Bulwark Ballistic Shield
This powerful shield possesses the highest health pool in the game, enabling you to block insane amounts of damage for extended durations. Position its protective barrier between teammates and incoming enemy fire to foster a mobile safe zone permitting allies free firing lanes.
The Bulwark forms an essential extension of your role: plant yourself as the immovable object from which enemies crash and break against!
Reviver Hive
Even the mightiest tanks occasionally fall in heated combat. We safeguard against disaster through the Reviver Hive, a autonomous drone which resurrects upon fatal strikes. Self-revival ensures temporary misfortune won‘t cascade into squad wipes.
Additionally, with ample armor and shield health, attempt manual squadmate revives from behind the safety of your Bulwark Shield. Few situations present deadlier exposure than reviving – but with your fortifications, pull it off!
Together these two skills perfectly encapsulate the tanking duality: shield allies from harm while refusing to fall yourself!
Advanced Tactics and Gameplay
Now to impart advanced situational tactics and insightful playstyle advice to utterly dominate as an apex tank:
Bulldozer Spearhead
I cannot stress enough your role as the squad‘s spearhead and intimidating bulldozer into battle. Rush headfirst into enemies first to rapidly generate threat. Burst forth violently with Scorpio flaming to establish battlefield supremacy.
Fierce, forward momentum rightfully installs terror and demands the full attention of opponents. Allow nothing to deter you from warpath obliteration!
Search and Destroy
Mark isolated threats caught out of position with the Opportunistic Orbit sidearm. This makes them prime targets for ally focus fire. You dictate engagement pacing and priority through experienced target marking.
Constantly scan the battlefield for potential high-impact kills to enable via amplification debuffs. Then throttle those hapless enemies under coordinated firing squad attacks!
Arc of Protection
Fulfill your purpose as a living barricade by constantly repositioning your shield between allies and enemies. Visualize an "arc of protection" as you shuffle laterally across the battlefield, preventing flanking or exposure.
Leave no openings or sightlines for enemies to circumvent your Bulwark bastion. Become an living embodiment of mobile cover through which no bullets may pass!
Rallying Fortitude
Embody an unbreakable symbol of courage and fortitude around which your team rallies. With you anchoring the front, allies gain confidence to unleash their full damage potential without fear.
Reinforce their rally not just through vital Reviver Hive pickups, but vocal positivity. Bark directions authoritatively like a grizzled tank commander! Your unshakable presence heartens squad resolve.
Calculated Counter-Attack
While dealing damage typically falls to teammates, contribute offensively by awaiting and capitalizing upon ideal moments. Temporarily break shield posture after absorbing barrages to unleash Scorpio carnage point blank when enemies cluster or reload.
Timed retaliation upon chunks of health eaten by your shield directly converts prevented team damage into impactful counters. Thrive off punishing those who fail to puncture your protections!
Master these advanced combat tactics for consistent victory. Enemies may eventually adapt to a stationary juggernaut. But proven unpredictability and controlled aggression utilizing strength? Unconquerable.
Talent Synergy Summary
To summarize key talent synergies empowering this build:
| Talent | Effect | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Future Perfect | Kills with Card Counter boost skill tiers | Bulwark Shield gains more health; Reviver Hive revives from longer range |
| Overwhelm | Card Counter AR suppresses enemies | Applies bonus armor to block damage from flankers |
| Optimist | Card Counter damage scales up over time | Pressures enemies who try retreating from your threat range |
| Opportunistic | Orbit pistol amplifies subsequent damage by 10% to marked target | Helps focus down priority threats quicker |
| Perfectly Efficient | Foundry set talent procs bonus armor and regen on high armor builds | Maintains sustain and tankiness through all damage taken |
| Shock and Awe | Scorpio disorients enemies after suppression stack countdown | Forces aggro onto you; makes enemies easier for allies to gun down |
As you can see, our entire build focuses on amplifying personal survivability while debilitating enemies so your team can punish harder. Master these talent combos and become the scourge of any battlefield!
Conclusion: Ultimate Battlefield Supremacy
The tank reigns as battlefield royalty, unflinching stalwart and protector amidst raging firefights. Enemies break themselves against the inexorable, interposed bulk. No gunfire penetrates. No grenades find purchase. Squadmates shelter safely in the lee.
This build epitomizes that hardened juggernaut fantasy. Foundry Bulwark and supporting talents stack armor infinitely. Imperial Dynasty and Scorpio forcibly fixate aggro. The Bulwark Shield walls off assaults without compromise. Reviver Hive refuses the taste of defeat.
Follow my accumulated expertise and transform into a walking bastion around which teams achieve complete supremacy! If you love soaking savage punishment so allies dish it back tenfold, then buckle up and get ready to rock frontlines.
Now get out there, agents! Glory and conquest awaits only those tanks tough enough to seize it!
