I like a lot of what you talk about here.

+ 1 for being informative.

I do disagree a bit with your categorizations. Many of your "mistaken for tanks" are really Off-Tanks, particularly if they slap an Atmogs on.

Also you left out Gangplank as an Off-Tank. 4500 HP and Raise Morale and Parrrley? Sounds off-tank to me.

Very nicely written. Looks good, too.

That's false mate, just check my new Nasus guide and you wills e that tanky DPS works.
Not a bad guide either.

I like the mass downvotes because people just can't get into their heads that tanky DPS simply fail as tanks. I'm done with this guide.

Basically I'm just going to quote Morello on this issue I'm seeing of people disagreeing with my categories. I feel like his categories and mine align very well, and essentially we are echoing each other.

First here is my skillset breakdown:

First off: Initiation. Every true tank in the game has some form of initiation, most of the time it's a gap closer, although in some special cases it is not.

Second: Heavy disables. Almost every true tank has at least 2 forms of heavy disables in the form of snares/stuns.

Third: They effect entire teams. In almost every case a true tank has abilities that will hurt the entire enemy team, if they are bunched up close enough, all at once, giving your team a distinct advantage during this period.

Fourth: Shields. Almost every true tank has a shield of some sort, although so do many DPS champions, support champions, and off tanks. The difference is built around the rest of the champions kit

To quote Morello:
Yes - Sejuani is a tank. At Riot, we define that as someone:

* Who forces fights to occur.
* Is tough.
* Gives you a reason to attack them (slow, but strong damage ala Despair or Poison Trail, continuous disruption, etc).
* Isn't as good at killing as characters who are dedicated to it (Mages, Assassins, Carries and Fighters).

She definitely acts as a jungle tank.

That said: Forces Teamfights is pretty much equal to initiation skill.
Is Tough co-aligns with Shields, although if you notice for the heroes who don't have shields they still have some way to reduce damage, and make them "tough".
Gives you a reason to attack them is basically "Effects the entire team". When you wreck an entire team with your hero, people tend to want to kill you because they're afraid of you.

I also added the category of heavy disables. I also mention that almost all tanks have a form of sustained damage, isntead of burst damage, which also co-aligns with what Morello said. Basically I think if I'm writing a guide that follows the exact same thing that Morello said with different words, but conveying the same message, I'd say I'm on the right track.

I disagree with Udyr being a true tank. However I will be adding in a section for Volibear and for Sejuani, once Sejuani is in the database.

well like most of the posters I agree to an extent with your groupings, however I believe your requirements for the classifications are a little off.

here are some examples of the requirements of a true tank, as I see it.

-an initiation: the ability to force a fight, ideally when the enemies aren't as prepared as your team.
(blitz's grab may not bring you to the enemies but it should count in this field bringing an enemy to you forces their team to either jump in or sacrifice the grabbed player.)

-draw focus: having a kit that makes it difficult for the enemies to ignore you in a team fight. Preferably that comes in the form of AoE CC however like in the case of singed AoE damage is viable.
(I personally prefer tanks like Leona with enough CC to ensure my carry's survival in all but the worst scenarios, but when it comes down to it a Cho or singed who deal enough aoe dmg with minimal dps gear have the same level of "full field" impact during a team fight.

-survivability: HP, regen, defensive stats. I wouldn't put a shield as a requirement of a true tank... a benefit to be sure but in the end it doesn't matter how they survive so long as they can stand in the middle of the fight till it's over.

I would also add Udyr to the true tank list, he's a solid tanky dps, or pure dps. but when geared tanky he meets the requirements of a true tank, an amazing speed boost for initiation, and a kit that severely punishes enemies for ignoring him.
He is a little unorthodox as he can't affect the entire enemy team at once and depends more heavily on gear than the typical tanks, but over the course of a team fight he brings as much or more in terms of disables than the rest of the disable tanks as well as high burst/sustain

yo just sayin i understand what u think of alot of the tanks but i want to say i think gragas can be a viable tank i started out tanking with him and i think hes pretty good and when i look at his moves they are sort of like makois not sure if i spelt that right the tree dude he has a long range poke like him a charge at enemy slow iniator and he has the 20 percent shield up at all times the part i like about gragas is that in the jungle he can charge through a wall at the enemy or if hes from a losing fight he can run through walls to escape and gragases ulti has a very low cooldown u can spam it practically every time u get in a fight you will be able to use it atleast once

yo just sayin i understand what u think of alot of the tanks but i want to say i think gragas can be a viable tank i started out tanking with him and i think hes pretty good and when i look at his moves they are sort of like makois not sure if i spelt that right the tree dude he has a long range poke like him a charge at enemy slow iniator and he has the 20 percent shield up at all times the part i like about gragas is that in the jungle he can charge through a wall at the enemy or if hes from a losing fight he can run through walls to escape and gragases ulti has a very low cooldown u can spam it practically every time u get in a fight you will be able to use it atleast once

nice guide, i also desagree with your tank/off tank definition, for example dr. mundo, it is true, he can´t CC the whole team alone, but if you buy a crystal scepter you can activate your 'W' skill and slow every enemy that gets closer to you, and with that build that i usually use him, he turns into am off-tank.
anyway, every tank player have his own "tanker definition".

Skimmed through the guide.. I like it! Great work. What led me here was your discussion about Malphite, and I noticed you had my first tank posted, Singed. I disagree with Malphite's banshees but I like hthe Shurelya's, one item I've never tried yet on Malph.

well written guide. Makes me laugh, because I play more then half the characters on your main tank list regularly. However, I will often attempt to perform the role of a main tank with other champs. This mostly happens when I've already picked and locked in a off-tank or tanky DPS, and then everyone else decides they want to play carries. makes my head hurt T.T

I reason Singed is a true main tank due to his Q being an amazing initiating ability. His presence alone disrupts team fights as he is very scary to stand next to. He discourages clumping with his heavy AOE slow, the ability to disrupt repeatedly with his fling and his poison gas, as well as being a great soak for CC with his ult. He's a team disrupting machine, and this is what makes him a true tank.