COH:Beginner's Guide to Tanks and Brutes

From  mmorpg.com

Have you decided to roll an aggro magnet? Good choice. For the most part you are the heart of the team. Your job is to take as much aggro as possible while your team locks down, blasts and debuffs the opposing forces. You're the first one in and the first one to play punching bag. Your place in the team is extremely crucial, so you have to think 2-3 moves ahead.

As a Tank or Brute you have some of the most sought after abilities. You can take more damage than any other AT in the game. The more damage you take, the more your "fury" meter rises,(Villain side) which when fully induced, turns you into hell on wheels, where your damage output is increased.

You run the front lines. You position where and when the attack from the enemy will occur. This archetype is the most wanted and vital aspect of teaming.

Some tips for running your Impact player are:

Get yourself a pocket healer. You may not be the leader of your team, but most team wipe happen once the Tank or Brute falls. So make sure you have a dedicated healer.
SB plz!!! Don't be afraid to haggle that Kinetics wielder. Speed Boost is your best friend. A Brute or Tank with rapidly recharged powers is just steps away from victory.
Take your vitamins-Don't forget to save them red inspirations. They'll make short work of the opposition in no time by increasing your damage output.
Upgrade your enhancements. Don't wait till 3 missions later and realize that your Damage resistance is lacking because you haven't upgraded.
Can the attitude. You know you're the most vital part of the team and everyone counts on you to do your job. If you plan on running into a mob let your team know. If you plan to herd, call it out. Also don't get annoyed if you are getting tons of invites. Tanks and Brutes aren't as popular as they use to be, so you could mean xp or debt for most teams looking for your talents.
Call them out. Taunt. Your number one way to keep the baddies off the backs of your team and smashing you. Use it.

Enhance it. Become one with it.