User blog comment:Deshiba/Solo Queue: Skewed perceptions./@comment-6435632-20130730195604

Hmm I agree and disagree. I'll say this: Your criteria does describe full-on, proper, traditional tanks, and in most situations they're probably superior. But I think other champions can perform "tank duties" without necessarily having every strength of a tank, and still pull it off. Untraditional comps and all that. Certainly you were screwed in that example situation, but other times it can work out.

I play Warwick tanky a lot, and same with Mundo. One of the things I've found is really effective is becoming a threat and then building tanky as hell. People will focus you by nature because you are a threat and can kill people, and it's more of a psychological effect rather than having in-game CC; you build one offense item then go full-tank build, so you get kills enough to get focused but then focusing you is suddenly a bad idea because you're the damage soaker and everyone focuses the enemy while they hit you.

Or, conversely, you build tanky and then start building damage when your CC isn't enough. I did this with Thresh once. Played a top-lane Thresh and ate my lane alive enough that I quickly had a Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, and Runic Bulwark... and then simply decided to build Bloodthirster and Infinity Edge. The effect was wondrous.

All I'm getting at is half-tanks, or bruisers/assassins built tank, or whatever they should be called, can be effective. They're not traditional tanks and they don't have exactly the same place in a team, but depending on the game and comps, they can perform equivalent roles and be good picks. Your Xin was being silly, at least against that enemy team, but in other cases it can work.