armored tank viable?

[Madscientist]

Is a tank with armor and shield a good idea?
This is not about the optimal char, it should just be good enough to tank enemies in the game when playing on normal.

In the last days I tried to make an optimized tank. The result was always a dex based char with wis or cha to AC (monk) and maybe even int (duellist or sword saint).
So I want to ask if somebody has good experience with the classical warrior with heavy armor and shield.
Armored fighters have problems with touch attacks, do they?

Does it make sense to give such chars on hit effects? (cornugon smash, shatter defense, maybe lv4 thug for uncanny dodge and another debuff)
Stuff that makes you tanky reduces your hit chance ( defensive fighting, combat expertse ) and those debuffs require power attack witch also lowers your hit chance.
On hit effects are useless if you never hit.

[StonedWerewolf]

I very much played through the game with heavily armoured, pure paladin. While it wasn’t probably optimized, it was good enough – and until the House at the End of Times, I didn’t have troubles. Touch attacks may very well harm you. I don’t think it comes often enough for it to be big issue.

I also don’t know what would possibly be issue on ‘on hit effects’. I would say that if you make armored character that is incapable of hitting enemy, you are doing something wrong.

[Cutlass Jack]

I'm using Armored Hulk Barbarian as a tank merc in the varnhold DLC and she's doing great so far. And full plate comes with its own boots so it covers up those awful fur ones. Bonus!

The Damage resistance they get helps make up for lack of dodging heavy armor brings. Her class also lets her move faster than the party even in full plate. So that lets her easilly get attention ahead of the rest of the group. And she's got lots of health since she's a half orc.

I have her doing the shield bash stuff that I couldn't do with Val in the main game. But that's mostly for fun. Her main role is just being a big target while the DPS does their thing.

[Marcos_DS]

A regular sword+board fighter works quite well. Mithral full blade + fighter still allows you to get up to +7 dex bonus (if you go far enough along the fighter path). Just make sure you don't pick tower shield specialist which replaces the very goot +hit/+damage with tower shield stuff thats not so great (imo).

If you are looking at some dips:
Thug 4 adds some nice debuffs and 2d6 SA (and option to get Accomplished Sneak Attacker for another +1d6) as well as evasion. Due to debilitating injury (-4 AC on hit to enemy), the lost point of BAB is actually a net win. Also imroves the cormugeon smash&dazzling display line
Pal 2 adds CHA to saves and 1/day for one enemy +CHA to hit. CHA to hit is very nice for those hard to hit endboss type enemies.

I would recommend a weapon with a high crit range (18-20), e.g. kukri or scimitar, since you can get 2 on-crit effects as a fighter.

Shield: Heavy if you don't want to use shield for attacks, light otherwise. Not tower shield, -2 to hit is a bad idea for some minor AC bonus.

[Amoc]

A Tower Shield Specialist prestiged into Stalwart Defender gets absurdly tanky. I think some of the mechanics might actually be broken with how the different traits increase your max dexterity bonus, because with this combo you get your full dexterity bonus while wearing heavy armor AND using tower shields.

[Lightning]

Yeah I noticed late in game that all Armor isn't the best gah, those crystal attacks just wow, just a knife through butter

[Iry]

It will never be as good as a Monk/Sorcerer, but it will get high enough that even Unfair + Much Tougher Enemies can only hit you on a natural 20.

[Lightning]

Yeah I finished my first playthrough with about 59 AC on Valerie i think it was on normal even and those freaking hunter stabbers are annoying as crap lol