The gunas of planets and signs are tricky because we are used to Tamas in a yogic sense - Tamas

as an obstructing veil.
Tamasic planets are motivated toward destruction / protection. just like lord Siva is known as the
tamasic God.
There is nothing "wrong" with Tamas in this sense - and in general.
Mars as a tamasic planet is oriented to destroy something, it is all a matter of what we are
destroying. One thing is certain, every moment is one of destruction and birth - one is impossible
without the other.
In order for a flower to grow, we must destroy the weeds (Mars) and protect it from predators
(saturn).
We just have to be careful that mars is destroying the right thing, destroying the weeds, not the
flowers - destroying our ignorance and strengthening us, not destroying our relationships and
peace of mind through fighting the wrong battles. Saturn is also Tamasic, creating structure and
long-term protection - we just have to make sure the protection doesn't become a prison.
sattwic planets are motivated to uplifting actions
rajasic planets toward fulfilling desires.
Tamasic planets toward protection and destruction
There is no right or wrong implied here. A Sattwic planet can harm as easily as a Tamasic one,
just for a different reason. For instance a person may oppress you but think it is for your own
good if it is a Sattwic planet opressing. Like a smothering Mother (Moon) despotic King (The Sun)
or dogmatic clergyman (Jupiter).. Similarly the Tamasic nature of mars may show another fighting
to the death to protect you. A different motivation.
Look at the gunas as motivating forces, not "good or bad" qualities.
I have noticed something about tamasic planets.
They produce the heaviest veils of illusion and the power to overcome them
Anger - Mars

Fear - Saturn
Confusion - Rahu/Ketu
The Tamas of Rahu / ketu is the hardest because we do not know we are clueless.
Anger and fear are obvious - though we justify them.
Confusion is just being clueless that you have a problem to even justify. This confusion also
ensures that you will not listen to anyone else and therefore make your own mistakes over and
over in order to learn. Usually, there is no reasoning with the nodes, either one.
mars exalted in Capricorn.. 28 degrees to be exact.
Mars is a Tamasic planet of haste, impatience and anger exalted in another tamasic sign of
caution, worried about making mistakes - oriented toward long-term goals not immediate results.
So Shani makes mars wait, until 28 degrees, the last degree before Sandhi - Mars has had time to
reflect before acting - he is acting to strengthen and embolden the tangible worrioes of Capricorn
- the internal / psychological nature of saturn. Although he is in Bala avashta - infant stage here
(mars rules the innocent mind)
Freedom
So Mars in Capricorn.
Cancer is soft, gentle and represents the learned Brahmins. It is the sign where Mahadeva
chanted Aum and created the whole world (omkareshwar). It is the mother creating all, and the
learned behave in this place of the source. Jupiter is uccha here b/c of the need for refinement
and treating the mother correctly. Cancer relates to clean moving rivers.
Capricorn represents rivers as well, but the ones where the crocodiles live...more specifically in
India they burn bodies in burning ghats along rivers and then throw in the remains. What wasn't
fully burned goes to the crocodiles (Makara). It is the opposite of the mother creating life, it is the
Mother taking life back into herself. Two thing here make Mars happy: the left handed tantrics in
the burning grounds- see what Parashara says about Mars- he is a master of "dark magic".
Secondly, when Mars goes to war, it is a killing field. The soldier (Mars) trains his whole life to
protect and kill. It is only the battle field where Mars can do its job with reward, where killing is
good and not bad. In this way, Mars feels like himself, his intrinsic nature is supported to flourish
in Capricorn. In this way, the natural signifcation of Mars is to break things and make them end:

tamas. Not like Jupiter who makes things live- sustains them. In Raj Jyotish, the ninth
house/Sagittarius represents the barracks where the king keeps the war elephants (and
warplanes/tanks/soldiers/etc). When he goes to battle, to the killing feild, the king steps into
Capricorn.
Mars can do good things and has many beneficial attributes that it can give to an individual. We
cant say that brothers (karaka Mars) are all tamas, so there are good significations, like
engineering, etc. But the root nature from which Mars manifests in this world is the tamas of
Mahadeva.