So I've just started and constantly getting my ass kicked (trying to play Kayle and Master Yi).

I've been reading up on the different kinds of characters, and it seems tank is what I'm looking for, I like the idea of soloing lanes (excuse me if I get any of the jargon wrong, this is my first MOBA).

So what would you say is the best tank for a beginner?

Hey VogeGandire,

Top line champions are usually bruisers or sustain champions which build into off-tanks or tanks mid-late game. Some examples of these would be Irelia, Shen, Olaf and Gangplank. Now, there's no real tank in the game, it's more of how you build your champion, any champ can build hp and be 'tanky' but there's a few which are made to become tanks for example Malphite, Shen, Irelia. I suggest for a first tank champion to play Malphite, he's a rather simple champion with a great skillcap.

If you require any more knowledge or need any more tips feel free to reply here or add me in-game.

Welcome to the fields summoner.

Well..
Many champs can be build tanky, but if yoiu look for a tank abilities like :
Taunt, Initiation, Shield, Stun and being able to atract enemies attention and take damage :


Rammus - good all around, ahs shield, can take a good amount of damage, good in jungle.
Amunu - he can stun the whole team and if timed well you will win the team fight, also he does some good damage, also good in jungle.
Shen - his ulty is amazing if you watching the map a lot, yoiu can turn fights and help teammates, also very tanky and can do some damage, also good in jungle.
Alistair - he is a bodyguard you can push away enemies and knock them into air, he is played mostly as support on bottom lane, also can be jungled, but need good cooperation from team mates.
Leona - (my most favourite ) she is played as support, she have single target stun and aoe stun, when her shield is on she can tank anything in this game. She will jump into enemy team and harras people in their face, but she is not easy to play tho..
Nautilus - lot of AOE damage, he can also deal good amount of damage, but he is kinda dull or smt..need good timing. can jungle.
Malphite - best tank vs AD (physical damage dealers) he is just rock solid , can jungle.
Galiio - best tank vs AP (magic damage dealers)
Maokai - great harras, good damage, great jungler.
Nasus - I think he is great champ for learning last hitting, because everytime you last hit something with your Q, you will stack up attack damage, if yoiu do it properly and farm a lot yoiu will be immortal with your ultimate on and you will deal tons of damage.

I hope I didnt forgot someone..
So these champs have the mechanics a tank need in team fights, there are also others like Mundo for example, but he has only a skillshot slow, no aoe or taunt or anything to realy grab a skilled team attention. I hope it helps.

Ofcourse I forgot...

Volibear - he is a big bear... aoe silence, you can throw away peole :P Rush in the enemy team and mess it up.He also deal good damage.
Sejuania - a lot of slow and freezing, also stun, dash to enemies face. Can be jungled, if yoiu dont have flash yoiu will not escpae her ganks.
Skarner - one of the best junglers, he can deal some damage, take a lot damage can grab the enemy plaeyr and pullhim into your team.
Blitzkrank - he is played as support bot lane, he has a long range grab what makes him realy scary, because he will catc you from distance and put you into enemies hands, aoe stun, shield (passive), knock up.
Cho gath - aoe silence, aoe knock up, tons of HP, he ia an unstopable beast, can be jungled.

For playing on lanes :

Solo top - you are suposed to be able farm well, take and do some damage :
Cho Gath, Nasus, Nautilus, Maokai, Shen

Mid Lane - you aare suposed to be build with abilit power items to deal magic damage in team fights and able to kill mages.
Cho Gath, Galio, Nautilus, Gragas

Jungle - in current jungle AOE damage is the way how to clear it fast, you also need to be able to defend your jungle and be able to gank properly.
Skarner, Rammus, Malphite , Shen are mostly used also , Amunu, Alistair, Nautilus, Sejuani.

Support - you are unable to farm, since your AD carry will do that, yoiu need to buy wards and you need to be able to defend your carry.

Alistair, Leona, Blitzkrank.

You cant fill in the AD carry role since he is ranged

Guide :

http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-le...-a-boss-168979
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-le...r-tanks-129679
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-le...gs-tank-119061
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-le...asteries-81094

Few tips :
Be defensive on start you need items first.
Becarefull when you initiate a fight you can get your team killed.

Malphite is also very good on solotop ^^
And you gotta tell that Maokai can be good support too, knockback, entangle(stun), with his sapling toss he can create a lot wards for free, but he gotta need a lot mana if you go supporty way :P His ulti is great for shielding tho.
Vladimir can play pretty well tank against AP.

If you got the right items and mastery's and a normal tank rune page. Malphite, Nasus and or Rammus may be the easiest tanks.

I've found a champ that I absolutely love now: Yorick.

I've been doing solotop now, and I'm having great fun.

Nice one, Yorick is a personal favourite of mine too

But unfortunately he does cost 6300 IP, so enjoy him while he's free!

How are you gearing him? I've been meaning to test out some more tanky builds, but my preferred items at the moment include starting with Tear of the Goddess -> Manamune before heading on to build Frozen Mallet/Atma's (or even Tri Force).

Sounds like Yorick certainly is your style though, he solos well and after getting a couple of items he can certainly take some hits - as long as you have the mana to spam ghouls for your passive bonus

This evening I was focusing on my Yorick play and I was practising using my ultimate in a fairly tanky manner; it's very satisfying to take on multiple champs in a suicidal fashion, kill one, weaken the other two, die, temporarily resurrect yourself and get the Triple Kill. Yorick can also off-tank Towers, Dragon and Baron quite well.

But as for tanks, I'm a big Rammus fan, but his solo lane isn't hugely impressive - he really is optimised for jungling and support.

Kateras! You forgot Jarvan IV!

But excellant posts, also when you get a champion that you enjoy, stick with them and have more fun!

Kateras posted an excellant list of tanks, read carefully and find one you like!

P.S I also love playing Leona!