LOL! This doesn't seem like a problem of tank classes, it seems like a problem on the teams you have been playing on.

1) Who cares about being KS? Some extra gold helps, but.
2) Communication it key in LOL. Make sure you are going in on fights you can win. Tanks can kill a team by going in and bringing his friends to die!
3) If everyone fires off their ult on the tank that is awesome!!! Have your teammates go in for the win!


Malphite is still a descent hero. The problem is that he and Amumu were the only top tier tanks played through the end of beta and beginning of October. He was nerfed three patches in a row.

1. Being KSed hurts, because you need gold to get beefy. Tanks don't have substantially higher HP or Armor than other classes. What makes them tanks is usually their low attack speed (which is easily fixed) but, more importantly, their moveset. Especially early on, if you don't get gold, you're just going to be the guy with low kills and high deaths since you HAVE to initiate fights and take damage while your DPS gets the kill and it snowballs from there.

2. Communication is key in LOL, wow, you act like everyone is willing to communicate, or that you can easily type "GO NOW". Fact is, lots of players are timid, or don't think you can win when you can win. And, since a tank initiates first, if your teamates run, you're screwed. And generally, your allies might go in too soon, not let the enemy hero chase you into a gank, or actually go in first and die really quickly.

Communication isn't easy. And with no built in voice chat, it's really, really hard.

3. See #2.

Which tank isn't underplayed? As a matter of fact, which non-carry character is not? I actually think that Malphite is one of the best tanks out there, and contributes the most to a team.

Cho isn't underplayed. No argument there.