Steel Garrote + Streetfighter lifedrain tanking questions

[Zoda]

I started a new run where I aim to make my watcher a ranged single target dps guy by the endgame (Soulblade + Shattered Pillar, with the plan to use Chromoprismatic Quarterstaff + Instruments of Pain). I want a 2nd Tank to hold the line beside Edér, and I'm thinking about a human Steel Garrote + Streetfighter combo. The plan is to keep a dynamic balance of health right around the bloodied mark, but not sure if I could make it happen as I'm planning to, so I'm asking for your experiences.

The plan would be to wear all the engagement gear: Reckless Brigandine + Kapana Taga + Last Word + Champion's Helm for most engagements (Akola's Apex Ward, Thaos' Headdress, Sungrazer and a number of other weapons also kept at hand). I would keep a reasonable CON, so being bloodied is less risky. Edér would be geared for deflection. 

He would also be supported by Herald healbot (troubadour + shieldbearer), with the possibility to also chant Old Siec

Has anyone tried such a lifedrain tank? Can it actually survive on lifedrain in tougher encounters?

Also is lifedrain affected by + healing done enchantments?

Thanks for your answers

[Kaylon]

It's impossible to maintain perfect balance between the damage taken and healing. Use a trickster instead of a streetfighter and if you want to see ripostes get also a shield...

[Boeroer]

What you can make happen relatively easily is that you don't quite outheal the average incoming damage with draining and other "side effect" healing stuff. That requires you to monitor your health closely and get the occasional actively triggered healing burst (to not just die) - but it allows for longer times under 50% health. Against weaker foes it will prevent you from going under 50% though - but that might be the fights wherer you don't need to go there anyway (because easy). I didn't try that a lot with a Streetfighter, but SC Furyshaper (bc. of Blooded and Fighting Spirit, using Blood Ward etc.). A lot of CON helps to manage that a lot. But it will never work smoothly or perfectly well because all fights/enemies are different, rolls are chance-based etc. But on average it allows you to be under 50% health longer which can directly add to your offensive output (even if you have to shift some points from a "good for offense"-attribute like DEX/MIG/PER to one which usually is associated with defense/survival - like CON). 

What also helps is high AR (ideal if you can activate it at low health, see Reckless Brigandine) and getting grazed a lot when under 50% (swichting to a shield for example). And in addition to that have some damage resistance/reductiuon, too (Death's Maw and something like that. Death's Maw is pretty cool in this case because it only triggers when there's dead bodies around you which isn't at the start of the fight - where you might want to get hit harder until you get damaged too much).

I played an Unbroken/Streetfighter main tank with Gladiator Sword + Bronlar's Phalanx - but he woud start the fights dual wielding often (no investment in two handed style) and then switch to the large shield as soon as under 50%. That allowed him to stay under 50% for a long time and made him perform a lot better than trying to keep on with the dual wielding. 

Edited yesterday at 08:23 AM by Boeroer

[Zoda]

On 9/8/2025 at 9:40 PM, Kaylon said:

It's impossible to maintain perfect balance between the damage taken and healing. Use a trickster instead of a streetfighter and if you want to see ripostes get also a shield...

I did trickster ripost tank a bunch of times already, I just wanted to experiment with something new (although I very much prefer to use Ryngrim's on tricksters nowdays over the defelction buffs). I wanted to do steel garrote a bunch of times, but always ended up on the conclusion that Kind Wayfarer just selfheals better.

13 hours ago, Boeroer said:

What you can make happen relatively easily is that you don't quite outheal the average incoming damage with draining and other "side effect" healing stuff. That requires you to monitor your health closely and get the occasional actively triggered healing burst (to not just die) - but it allows for longer times under 50% health. Against weaker foes it will prevent you from going under 50% though - but that might be the fights wherer you don't need to go there anyway (because easy). I didn't try that a lot with a Streetfighter, but SC Furyshaper (bc. of Blooded and Fighting Spirit, using Blood Ward etc.). A lot of CON helps to manage that a lot. But it will never work smoothly or perfectly well because all fights/enemies are different, rolls are chance-based etc. But on average it allows you to be under 50% health longer which can directly add to your offensive output (even if you have to shift some points from a "good for offense"-attribute like DEX/MIG/PER to one which usually is associated with defense/survival - like CON). 

What also helps is high AR (ideal if you can activate it at low health, see Reckless Brigandine) and getting grazed a lot when under 50% (swichting to a shield for example). And in addition to that have some damage resistance/reductiuon, too (Death's Maw and something like that. Death's Maw is pretty cool in this case because it only triggers when there's dead bodies around you which isn't at the start of the fight - where you might want to get hit harder until you get damaged too much).

I played an Unbroken/Streetfighter main tank with Gladiator Sword + Bronlar's Phalanx - but he woud start the fights dual wielding often (no investment in two handed style) and then switch to the large shield as soon as under 50%. That allowed him to stay under 50% for a long time and made him perform a lot better than trying to keep on with the dual wielding. 

That's sort of how I envisioned it, with mid/high con, all the AR buffs etc. Death's Maw is pretty good idea, I always forget that helm exists. 

I'm a bit thorn on Unbroken. I love the idea, and thematically it's the subclass probably closest to what I like, but that +1AR is not all that much, and even on a build dedicated to proccing disengagement hits I chose Devoted instead (my last paythrough was devoted/trickster with Willbreaker). That said I used unbroken plenty of times, I just find that it could use a bit of a buff.

[Boeroer]

Unbroken/Streetfighter was just what I played while trying to stay below 50% health with the Streetfighter. I didn't mean it as a recommendation.

+1 passive AR is great btw.

Underpenetration malus is a sort-of multiplicative dmg reduction which pairs especially well with getting grazed a lot.

Paladin is even better with AR, but if I plan to use a shield anyway and want a fighter for lots of engagement and increased speed while wearing heavy armor, I personally would pick Unbroken over Devoted any day. Just because of the +1 stackable AR. 

With a two hander (which I don't plan to switch much) that's another story ofc. 

Edited 16 hours ago by Boeroer

[Zoda]

13 hours ago, Boeroer said:

Unbroken/Streetfighter was just what I played while trying to stay below 50% health with the Streetfighter. I didn't mean it as a recommendation.

+1 passive AR is great btw.

Underpenetration malus is a sort-of multiplicative dmg reduction which pairs especially well with getting grazed a lot.

Paladin is even better with AR, but if I plan to use a shield anyway and want a fighter for lots of engagement and increased speed while wearing heavy armor, I personally would pick Unbroken over Devoted any day. Just because of the +1 stackable AR. 

With a two hander (which I don't plan to switch much) that's another story ofc. 

My take on the the disengagement focused build was that if I want to maximize the damage output, then I better not use a shield. That's what I meant by being thorn on Unbroken. I was debating going Unbroken and switching between sword and board and dual wield/two handed depending on the fight, but ultimately decided that I commit to Willbreaker + Devoted fully. 

The +1 engagement +1 AR is pretty vanilla, but I guess those are great bonuses, and I did play plenty of unbroken builds (Tuotilo's + Gladiator Sword Unbroken Trickster was a pretty decent blend of tanky dps for example with strong riposts).