As a high ilvl PLD and WAR, I wish people hadn't already chipped in, because they've covered my thoughts on the matter mechanically, and far better at that 
I will say that one crucial point to WAR is knowing when to pop INNER BEAST. This is a GCD 20% damage mitigation that can be popped when you have 5 stacks of Wraith. For easier lvl50 content, you want to pop this for King Tonberry's Everybody's Grudge as well as Blood Rain from Haukke Manor's final boss (assuming the DPS didn't pass the check). For Ultima HM, you want to pop it for Aetheric Boom and Tank Purge as well as for Diffractive Laser as well (though I don't think that 3rd attack has a warning).
I am quite pleased you decided to pick up WAR after your concerns about PLD! While others talk about mechanics, I'll go with aesthetics. Butcher's Block is your Rage of Halone at lvl30, and I guarantee you will love its kinetic feel far better than the obnoxiously loud RoH. It feels like it connects. Storm's Path is a little underwhelming to look at since it's just a selection of previous animations, but Storm's Eye is wonderful as well.
But the big one is Steel Cyclone. Forget about that airy-feeling Circle of Scorn...I mean, what IS CoS anyway?! Stab the ground, some light beams shoot up for some inexplicable reason...right...WELL, for Steel Cyclone, you won't be disappointed. It looks and feels incredible, with plenty of kinetic weight behind it that PLD just simply lacks. From a RP perspective, the PLD's aggro generation for groups is just...eh. Blinding them with a flash attack, really? That doesn't seem very swordsman-like...instead, for Warrior, you've got groundpounding Overpower and the iron tempest of Steel Cyclone. Nothing says "Come at me, bro" like pounding the crap out of everyone around you at once, rather than this PLD sissy "Waa I blinded you, nernerner!" nonsense!
To wrap up my useless rambling, consider the invincible button for both PLD and WAR. Hallowed Ground versus Holmgang. HG has you turtle up like a "Waa, I don't want to take any damage at alllll" craven! Holmgang?! FIGHT AT THE EDGE OF LIFE AT 1HP, RAAAWWWRRR. That's what I'm talking about.
Ahem, anyway...
QUICK EDIT: Oh also, when you've got enough AF2 stuff, consider a 20STR/10VIT split or even 30STR. I've got a close to 1000 damage crit as a WAR...while on tanking mode with -25% damage by default. A paladin will be wondering "What on earth is a crit?" while they're busy doing 150 damage for their combo ender. The easy lvl50 dungeons go MUCH faster with the damage you bring to the party.
QUICK EDIT2: Oh yes, it's certainly far more intense to tank as a WAR vs PLD, because it's harder by default. Perhaps even objectively so; when I'm feeling lazy or want to give my healers an easier time, I go as PLD, even if it's boring in my princess tiara with candy stick sword and plastic shield.
I will say that one crucial point to WAR is knowing when to pop INNER BEAST. This is a GCD 20% damage mitigation that can be popped when you have 5 stacks of Wraith. For easier lvl50 content, you want to pop this for King Tonberry's Everybody's Grudge as well as Blood Rain from Haukke Manor's final boss (assuming the DPS didn't pass the check). For Ultima HM, you want to pop it for Aetheric Boom and Tank Purge as well as for Diffractive Laser as well (though I don't think that 3rd attack has a warning).
I am quite pleased you decided to pick up WAR after your concerns about PLD! While others talk about mechanics, I'll go with aesthetics. Butcher's Block is your Rage of Halone at lvl30, and I guarantee you will love its kinetic feel far better than the obnoxiously loud RoH. It feels like it connects. Storm's Path is a little underwhelming to look at since it's just a selection of previous animations, but Storm's Eye is wonderful as well.
But the big one is Steel Cyclone. Forget about that airy-feeling Circle of Scorn...I mean, what IS CoS anyway?! Stab the ground, some light beams shoot up for some inexplicable reason...right...WELL, for Steel Cyclone, you won't be disappointed. It looks and feels incredible, with plenty of kinetic weight behind it that PLD just simply lacks. From a RP perspective, the PLD's aggro generation for groups is just...eh. Blinding them with a flash attack, really? That doesn't seem very swordsman-like...instead, for Warrior, you've got groundpounding Overpower and the iron tempest of Steel Cyclone. Nothing says "Come at me, bro" like pounding the crap out of everyone around you at once, rather than this PLD sissy "Waa I blinded you, nernerner!" nonsense!
To wrap up my useless rambling, consider the invincible button for both PLD and WAR. Hallowed Ground versus Holmgang. HG has you turtle up like a "Waa, I don't want to take any damage at alllll" craven! Holmgang?! FIGHT AT THE EDGE OF LIFE AT 1HP, RAAAWWWRRR. That's what I'm talking about.
Ahem, anyway...
QUICK EDIT: Oh also, when you've got enough AF2 stuff, consider a 20STR/10VIT split or even 30STR. I've got a close to 1000 damage crit as a WAR...while on tanking mode with -25% damage by default. A paladin will be wondering "What on earth is a crit?" while they're busy doing 150 damage for their combo ender. The easy lvl50 dungeons go MUCH faster with the damage you bring to the party.
QUICK EDIT2: Oh yes, it's certainly far more intense to tank as a WAR vs PLD, because it's harder by default. Perhaps even objectively so; when I'm feeling lazy or want to give my healers an easier time, I go as PLD, even if it's boring in my princess tiara with candy stick sword and plastic shield.
