Taunt is an attribute that is only active in many vs many battles (i.e. team battles). Taunts main purpose is to decide which gladiator will receive the next attack from the opposing team. The chance that a gladiator receives the next incoming attack is equal to their taunt in relation to the total taunt of the team.
Taunt works differently to most other attributes in the way that all gladiators have a hidden amount of taunt that gets applied in addition to the amount that gear contributes with. The different sources that make up the total value of taunt are:
In addition to being the deciding factor in who should receive the next attack, a gladiators taunt level will also reduce the hit chance of any attacks against them. The reduction is based on Gear and Roles (including received leadership bonus on these points).
Q: Does negative taunt from gear reduce my chance to get attacked even if I do not have any positive taunt from gear?
A: Yes!