Fans of tactical RPGs appreciateDivinity: Original Sin 2for its remarkable depth in character customization. After all, with learnable Skills, players can tailor their party’s skillset to accommodate any challenge they face. Thing is, RPG fans might resort to the basics - why settle for all-rounders when roles exist to maximize character strengths? And what better role to prioritize first than the straightforward Tank, right?
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Interestingly, characters easily become frontline fighters thanks to theLarian StudiosRPG’s straightforward Skills system. However, certain tweaks can help melee warriors become behemoths in both defense and damage mitigation. How can Tanks achieve this kind of mastery?
Updated on July 14, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:Divinity: Original Sin 2raises the bar in tactical RPGs thanks to its heavily interactive environment and freeform take on character progression. Since the game allows players to switch up builds for characters at any time, a newcomer can feel overwhelmed with the number of available options in the game.
To those planning on creating Tanks, players need to remember that their frontline defenders need to look beyond the scope of being a meat shield for effective tanking inOriginal Sin 2. However, just how should players build effective tanks for the Larian Studios title?
15Consider Becoming A Mini-Spellcaster
Given the combat role of the tank, it makes sense for players to trade offheavy-hitting AOE Skillsand settle for more melee-oriented strategies. Thanks to the Warfare Skill School, tanks can optimize their presence in short-range with deadly strikes or mobility attacks.
However, players can further optimize their tanks by giving them a bit of a Spellcasting edge. For instance, Geomancer can help tanks become more protective and generate oil to boost the damage of other Pyrokinetics in the party. Likewise, the Pyrokinetic Skill School can help tanks dish out explosive bursts in mid-range.
14Optimize Skill Choices To Maximize AP
As with most characters, tanks don’t have much access to AP in any combat situation. Either they make use of measly 4AP every turn or withhold using them to carry over. As such, tanks shouldn’t necessarily waste their APs dishing out cooldown-heavy Skills when they canoptimize their Skill layout. For instance, a tank could opt away from Battle Stomp (2AP, 4CD) when they can access Skills like Bouncing Shield (2AP, 2CD) and Blitz Attack (2AP, 3CD) faster.
While the Glass Cannon Talent does give maximum AP to a character every turn, its caveat involves removing status resistances from Physical Armour and Magical Armour. Considering the defensive role of the tank, the unnecessarily vulnerability for maximum AP usage is unideal.
13Spend As Little Movement As Possible
Since tanks don’t always have the highest AP in the group, it’s always expected for them to move a bit slower in combat. While tanks do have the ability to catch up in these situations, they can cost as much as 1AP per few meters. With the wrong positioning, a tank won’t be able todefend their teammates.
To avoid this caveat, tanks should be in a position to spend as little AP as possible. to make this work, it can help tanks to scout a possible combat area and use mobility Skills such as Phoenix Dive (Warfare) to head straight to the battlefield. That way, they can reach enemies much faster.
12Become Proactive To Party Threats
While it can help for tanks to head to combat straight away, it does help to position themselves in such a way that they can reach threats and help allies at the same time. Ideally, such a position means heading deep enough into the battlefield but still close enough to an entrance or exit.
With this in mind, tanks can now assess which threats they need to pay attention to. Since the tanks are likely the closest to the enemies, they can deal with attackers who focus their attention on them. With these enemies distracted, allies cantake out unsuspecting foes with backstabs (for stealthy rogues)and distant bursts (for Spellcasters).
11Delay Enemy Movement When Necessary
Given their protective nature, tanks in the heat of combat need to delay enemy movement whenever necessary. That way, they can give allies enough space to retreat or even reposition for a counter-offensive. Tanks can best do this byblocking off pathways that lead closest to their allies. This can take the form of an entrance or an exit, as well as narrow passageways.
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When positioned this way, a tank can pay attention to allies going in these entrances and protect them from unnecessary encounters. Thanks to Opportunity Attacks, tanks can also try and hit enemies who have to pass the tank to get closer to an ally.
10Consider Picking Knight, Fighter
Players may as well pick a Starting Class to use as a template for the Tank they’re perfecting for much later in the game. Both these Class suggestionscome with the Opportunist Talent, letting them perform Attacks of Opportunity to nearby opponents that attempt to move away from melee range.
In this regard, the Knight easily becomes the ideal Starting Class. It comes with three Warfare Skills that immediately let Tanks tackle short to mid-range incursions more aggressively: Battering Ram (rush), Crippling Blow (stun), and Battle Stomp (mid-range stun).
Meanwhile, the Fighter fits a more defensive Tank build. They come with mid-ranged attacks and a defensive buff that enable the Tank to prepare for battles before engaging. These include Battle Stomp (mid-range stun), Bouncing Shield (long-range AOE), and Fortify (buff).
9Strength And Constitution Are Key
When building the perfect Tank, players need to tackle the right Attributes. Regardless of the combat approach, Tanks need to have high Strength and Constitution to boost their survivability as much as possible. In the case of Constitution, each increase gives players a 7-percent Vitality boost and leads to stronger Shields. This can help accommodate more defensive builds while also letting aggressive builds sponge more damage.
Likewise, each Strength increase gives a 5-percent damage boost to Swords, Maces, and Axes. Higher Strength also gives access to Heavy armor capable of boosting Physical Armour. Since the Warfare School utilizes Strength by default, aiming for high Strength can make for a straightforward yet relatively safe Tank build. Pure attacking power alone can help Tanks take on foeswithout relying on complicated Source abilitiesand other Skills.
8Single-Handed Is A Safe Choice
Tanks might want to invest in Single-Handed for a more optimized and balanced build. After all,each point in Single-Handed boosts Damage and Accuracy by 5-percent, making this Combat Ability perfect for landing more hits to opponents especially when outnumbered.
Granted, Two-Handed also boosts Damage and Critical Multiplier by the same amount. Unlike Single-Handed, Two-Handed’s perks guarantee more “punch” whenever Critical Hits connect. However, Tanks might find it riskier to bank on high-hitting Criticals instead of just ensuring a guaranteed hit with middling DPS. As such, Single-Handed is easily the safer choice for Tanks who want to maximize their turn in every round.
7Defense Can Have More Use Than Skills
Unlike Skills that give characters an advantage in terms of spells and combattechniques, Defence Abilities diversify the way Tanks can soak damage on the battlefield. For instance, every point in Leadership benefits nearby allies with 2-percent Dodging and 3-percent added Resistances. This allows Tanks to complement melee DPS builds.
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Meanwhile, each point in Perseverance restores 5-percent Armour when recovering from Frozen or Stunned (Magic), or after being Petrified or Knocked Down (Physical). Lastly, each point in Retribution reflects 5-percent damage to attackers, easily punishing foes for even trying to engage the Tank in combat.
6Shields Up Can Become A Godsend
Players who equip Shields alongsidetheir favorite weaponsmight notice two things: they get a boost in Armour, and they also get Shields Up (Special Skill). This Skill consumes 2AP for restoring the Physical and Magical Armour of the caster’s Shield. This might seem too much for a 2AP-Skill, but it can become a life-saver in emergencies.
Essentially, Defensive Tanks can use Shields Up to immediately restore Armour lost in the middle of combat. This fits clutch situations where a fully Armoured Tank can soak damage while the rest of their allies heal or reposition. Given the defensive advantage of Shields, this immediately complements the Single-Handed Ability.
