Stats for Tanking and Healing

As you progress to the higher levels of LOTRO, there's another category of stats worth considering: stats that help you do your group role. In groups you may be more of a specialist than a generic fighter. Most classes can be effective in their roles using the same survivability and damage stats they use for soloing, although you may find yourself switching class traits or gear to improve your utility skills for grouping. Tanks and healers, however, need to consider some additional stats for grouping - especially after level 50.

Tanking Specialist

Tanking is a two-part role: 1) gather up the attention of the baddies, and 2) survive the smackdown long enough for your group to kill them. Tanks do part one - generating threat - via damage (and healing, if you are a Warden) and by using threat-building skills, traits and legacies on their legendary items. Your skill at playing your tank is also extremely important for gathering up mobs.

Part two is where stats come in: surviving the damage that huge troll or horde of goblins is trying inflict. Tanks need the same survivability stats I described in the Stats for Survivability article - Morale, BPE, Defenses, Mitigations, and Resists - only more of them than other classes need.

Vitality is a great survivability stat for Guardians and Wardens since they get 5 Morale per point of Vitality, and can benefit from its boost to resists.
Try to raise all three Avoidances (block, parry and evade). Not only is more avoidance valuable in it's own right, but it's also important to get the most from partial mitigations (discussed below). Take note of the bonuses supplied by your tanking stance or gambits, and use stats to boost the ones that aren't already capped at 15%.
Where bad effects are commonplace raise Resistances proactively, rather than relying on an after-the-fact cure or potion. Use resist foods, virtues and gear bonuses to increase your resistance to them.
Where particular damage types (Fire, Shadow, Acid, etc.) are commonplace, use armour sets for their large Mitigation bonuses.

Incoming Healing

Incoming Healing is an important stat for any player that receives lots of heals. It is multiplied by the outgoing heals cast on you by a healer. If your Incoming Healing is 10%, for each 100 morale of healing you receive will heal you for 110 morale instead. Incoming Healing directly offsets incoming healing penalties, such as the one Champion's suffer while in Fervour stance. The Incoming Healing percentage from ratings is capped at 15%, however buffs like Captain's Strength of Will and the Race of Man +5% incoming heal trait Easily Inspired are not included in the cap.

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