In the first of these articles I'm going to investigate the Tanker Class and the power sets available to that class.

As a Tanker your role is to be first into the fight, to draw the attention of all the bad guys to you so the rest of your group can hit them without worrying about being hurt. The Tanker has the highest hit points of the standard classes in City of Heroes ( I say standard because I have not played either of the prestige classes yet). You also do a medium amount of damage. However a high amount of Hit Points is only part of the battle, there are numerous different types of damage that can, and will, be thrown your way. Luckily the Tanker's primary power set has a number of choices available to you to allow you deal with this damage.

Primary Power Sets

Dark Armour

Death Shroud

Toggle power. Damage over time attack, all enemies in short range while active
Damage: Low
Recharge: Fast

Dark Embrace

Toggle power. Grants resistance to lethal, smashing, energy, negative energy and toxic damage while active
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Fast

Murky Cloud

Toggle power. Grants resistance to fire, cold, energy, negative energy and endurance drain while active
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Fast

Obsidian Shield

Toggle power. Grants resistance to Psionic, sleep, fear, hold and disorient effects while active
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Fast

Dark Regeneration

Drains health from nearby foes to heal you. More foes nearby more health restored.
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Slow

Cloud of Darkness

Toggle power, Difficult to see and when attacked you get a bonus to defense Can not be stacked with other stealth powers.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Slow

Cloak of Fear

Area of effect. Causes fear to all enemies within range.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Fast

Oppressive Gloom

Area of effect disorient, uses little endurance BUT also uses Hit points to use
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Moderate

Soul Transfer

Self resurrect - needs nearby enemies, damages foes. Make you invulnerable and no XP debt for 90 seconds
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Very long

Advantages: Self heal, Self rez and stealth.
Disadvantages: heal and rez require nearby foes to drain from to work

Fiery Aura

Blazing aura

Short range, all enemies in range, damage over time
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Fast

Fire shield

Grants resistance to lethal, smashing, fire damage and minimal cold and disorient resistance
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Healing Flames

Self heal and resistance to toxic for a short time
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Long

Temperature Protection

Grants resistance to fire and cold. Always on. Requires no endurance.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Consume

Area of Effect damage and increases endurance
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Very longM

Plasma Shield

Grants resistance to energy, negative energy and fire damage. Also sleep and hold effects.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Burn

Frees you from immobilization effects and causes damage over time to nearby enemies. However can only be used on or near the ground.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Slow

Fiery Embrace

Boost attack damage of fire attacks for a long time and non fire based attacks for a short time.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very long

Rise of the Phoenix

Area of effect Blast and disorient, Self Rez, invulnerable and no XP debt for 90 seconds
Damage:
Recharge: Very long

Advantages: Temperature Protection is always on and does not use Endurance. Heal and Rez don't need targets to work
Disadvantages: little/no resistance to Psionic. No knock back resists. Some powers limited by location

Ice Armour

Frozen Armour

Toggle. Grants resistance to Smashing, Lethal, and cold Damage and to a lesser degree fire damage
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Hoarfrost

Increases max Hit Points while active
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very long

Chilling Embrace

Slows the move and attack rate of enemies Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Wet Ice

Grants resistance to disorient, immobilise, Hold sleep, knock back, cold and defence debuffs. Slight increase of all defensive except against Psionic
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Permafrost

Grants strong resistance to cold and minor resistance to fire and a resist to slow. Always on, no endurance cost
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Icicles

Damage over Time to foes in Melee range
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Fast

Glacial Armour

Grants resistance to energy, negative energy and bonus to perception. Reduces cold damage and resist defence debuff.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very fast

Energy absorption

Drains endurance from your foes and increases your defence also increases your defence against all by Psionic
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Long

Hibernate

Encases you in an invulnerable ice block for max 30 seconds during which time accelerated healing and endurance regeneration are in effect
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Long

Advantages: Increase Max HP (Always good), Defence that also attacks.
Disadvantages: little/no Psionic defence. No Self Rez or heal

Invulnerability

Resist Physical Damage

Grants resistance to smashing and lethal damage. No endurance cost, always on.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Temp Invulnerability

Toggle, strong resistance to smashing and lethal damage
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Fast

Dull Pain

Toggle - increase Maximum HP while active
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Long

Resist Elements

Grants resistance to Fire, cold and Toxic damage and to Slow effects. No endurance cost, always on
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Unyielding

Toggle. Grants resistance to all damage but Psionic, knock back, sleep, hold and Immobilise
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Slow

Resist Energies

Grants resistance to energy, negative energy and endurance debuffs. No endurance cost always on.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Invincibility

Toggle. Bonus to defence and chance to hit for each foe in Melee
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Slow

Tough Hide

Grants resistance to defence debuffs and makes you harder to hit. No endurance cost, always on.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: N/A

Unstoppable

Big resistance to all damage, disorient, immobilise, hold, knock back and sleep. Increased endurance rate recovery. Uses little endurance but when over left drained of health and endurance for a time afterwards.
Damage: N/A
Recharge: Very long.

Advantages: Many of the powers require no endurance.
Disadvantages: No Psionic protections, and no self heal or Rez

Shield Defence

Deflection

Grants a bonus to defence and minor bonus against lethal and smashDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Battle Agility

Grants bonus to range and Area of Effect damage and defence debuffs Damage: N/ARecharge: Fast

True Grit

Increase hit points. Grants resist to cold, fire, energy, negative energy and toxic. - No endurance cost, always onDamage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Active Defence

Grants protection from sleep, disorient, fear, immobilize, confusion, repel, knock back, hold and defence debuffDamage: N/AVery Long

Against all Odds

Grants increase in damage for every enemy in MeleeDamage: N/AMRecharge: Slow

Phalanx Fighting

Grants bonus to Melee, range and area of effect defence for each ally in short range. - no endurance cost, always onDamage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Grant Cover

Grants bonus to nearby team mates defence (but not the players) also some resistance to defence and recharge debuffs (player and allies).Damage: N/ARecharge: Slow

Shield Charge

Teleport and knock backDamage: N/ARecharge: Very Long

One with the Shield

Big resistance to all damage, disorient, immobilize, hold, knock back and sleep. Increased endurance rate recovery. Uses little endurance but when over left drained of endurance for a time afterwardsDamage: N/ARecharge: Very Long

Advantages: Some powers require no endurance. Can add bonuses to allies as well as your self.Disadvantages: No Psionic protections, and no self heal or Rez

Stone Armour

Rock Armour

Grants resistances to smashing and lethal damage - can not be used with Granite Armour.Damage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Stone Skin

Grants Resistance to smashing and lethal damage. - Costs no endurance, always onDamage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Earth's Embrace

Bonus to maximum HP while active and resistance to toxic damage. Damage: N/ARecharge: Very Long

Mud Pots

Area of Effect snare and immobilize with minor Damage over timeDamage: Minor (Damage over time)Recharge: Fast

Rooted

Grants resistance to knock back, sleep hold, disorient and endurance drain. Bonus to HP and HP regeneration. Must be close to the ground to active and slows movement, you can not activate move speed increase of flight powers while activeDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Brimstone Armour

Grants a high resistance to fire and cold. Can not be used with Granite ArmourDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Crystal Armour

Makes energy and negative energy attacks less likely to hit and grants resistance to defense debuffs. Can not be used with Granite ArmourDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Minerals

Grants resistance to Psionic, increase in Perception and a resistance to confusions. Can not use with Granite ArmourDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Granite Armour

Almost complete invulnerability and resist to most effects - however no fly or speed powers while active and attacks are slowed and you do less damage while active. Also grants high resistance to defense debuffs. Can not be activated with any other armors in the set or any move/fly powersDamage: N/ARecharge: Slow

Advantages: Granite Armour is almost complete invulnerability. Defense from Psionic attacksDisadvantages: Armour in the set slow and limit travel powers. No self Rez or heal.

Willpower

High Pain Tolerance

Grants slight resistance to all damage types. - Costs no Endurance, always on.Damage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Mind over Body

Grants resistance to smashing, lethal and Psionic damageDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Fast Healing

increased healing speed. Costs no Endurance, always onDamage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Indomitable Will

Grants resistance to Sleep, disorient, fear, immobilization, confusion, repel, knock back and hold, also moderate Psionic defenseDamage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Rise to the Challenge

Grants bonus to HP regeneration and decreases accuracy of each foe in MeleeDamage: N/ARecharge: Slow

Quick Recovery

Fast Endurance Recovery. - Costs no Endurance, always on.Damage: N/ARecharge: N/A

Heightened Senses

Grants bonus to defense versus environmental damage and grants a bonus to Perception.Damage: N/ARecharge: Fast

Resurgence

Self Rez, gives bonus to damage and to hit for 90 seconds and then a minus to damage and to hit for a further 45 secondsDamage: N/ARecharge: Very Long

Strength of Will

Big resistance to all damage, disorient, immobilize, hold, knock back and sleep. Increased endurance rate recovery. Uses little endurance but when over left drained of endurance for a time afterwards.Damage: N/ARecharge: Very Long

Advantages: Defenses to all attack types. Increase HP and Endurance regain. Self RezDisadvantages: No self Heal, Defenses are not quite as effective as other power sets