Tanking- A Mindset?
Posted 02-07-2008 at 10:38 AM by Finelle
I enjoy tanking.
I also enjoy DPS. I love seeing numbers. And I'm quite a minmaxer. I enjoy pulling numbers that get bigger and bigger. There's nothing I enjoy more when I'm playing my hunter and mage than a DPS race with another. I'm competitive like that. One of the fondest memories I've had with a raid group I ran with for more than a year (started from PuGGing AQ20) was racing against a rogue in Kara, trying to squeeze every drop of DPS out. Cooldown management, aggro management, when they all merge into a smooth, perfect rhythm, there's magic in that.
Part of that attitude contributed to my falling in love with block value. I love Shield Slams. I also love leading the DPSers on threat. Holding aggro is a challenge to me, just on Omen as opposed to SW Stats/Recount/WWS. I view DPSers (who don't do stupid things like PoM Pyro off the bat) pulling aggro as a direct challenge and I work my ass off to make sure that Target of Target=me.
But recently, it had been brought to my attention that another aspect of this attitude is causing problems elsewhere. DPS is mostly a one person show (neither of my classes are synergy/utility classes). You are have absolute command over the tools your class has. What you do with it, the timing, the execution, is reflected upon your personal dps and damage done.
As has been brought up on Tankspot many times in many guides, tanking is different. Yes, individual performance is important, but the Time-To-Live for an unsupported tank is measured in seconds. Single digit seconds at that. You rely on your healers and co-tanks to execute their roles, or you die.
I have been very careful about taunting in particular and I do not lightly hit that button when the Target of Target is a tank. But I have been told that there are things which (I obviously have not noticed, or I would have corrected it) irk my co-tank, especially about the tanking assignments which I set, being the RL. In particular, I may have exhibited bias when designating phase changes.
I am sure that the rationales for most of the bigger assignments (warrior to Nalarokk bear phase as opposed to tankadin) are sound, but the perception I give and the little things I do, or say, may betray problems in how I view tanking.
I know I wouldn't stand for being overlooked or undervalued as a tank in the fields and content that I am certain I am competent in. I must ensure that real or perceived, my actions and decisions cannot reasonably be construed into something I myself would object to.
I also enjoy DPS. I love seeing numbers. And I'm quite a minmaxer. I enjoy pulling numbers that get bigger and bigger. There's nothing I enjoy more when I'm playing my hunter and mage than a DPS race with another. I'm competitive like that. One of the fondest memories I've had with a raid group I ran with for more than a year (started from PuGGing AQ20) was racing against a rogue in Kara, trying to squeeze every drop of DPS out. Cooldown management, aggro management, when they all merge into a smooth, perfect rhythm, there's magic in that.
Part of that attitude contributed to my falling in love with block value. I love Shield Slams. I also love leading the DPSers on threat. Holding aggro is a challenge to me, just on Omen as opposed to SW Stats/Recount/WWS. I view DPSers (who don't do stupid things like PoM Pyro off the bat) pulling aggro as a direct challenge and I work my ass off to make sure that Target of Target=me.
But recently, it had been brought to my attention that another aspect of this attitude is causing problems elsewhere. DPS is mostly a one person show (neither of my classes are synergy/utility classes). You are have absolute command over the tools your class has. What you do with it, the timing, the execution, is reflected upon your personal dps and damage done.
As has been brought up on Tankspot many times in many guides, tanking is different. Yes, individual performance is important, but the Time-To-Live for an unsupported tank is measured in seconds. Single digit seconds at that. You rely on your healers and co-tanks to execute their roles, or you die.
I have been very careful about taunting in particular and I do not lightly hit that button when the Target of Target is a tank. But I have been told that there are things which (I obviously have not noticed, or I would have corrected it) irk my co-tank, especially about the tanking assignments which I set, being the RL. In particular, I may have exhibited bias when designating phase changes.
I am sure that the rationales for most of the bigger assignments (warrior to Nalarokk bear phase as opposed to tankadin) are sound, but the perception I give and the little things I do, or say, may betray problems in how I view tanking.
I know I wouldn't stand for being overlooked or undervalued as a tank in the fields and content that I am certain I am competent in. I must ensure that real or perceived, my actions and decisions cannot reasonably be construed into something I myself would object to.
Total Comments 2
Comments
 | I agree with what you are saying and would say that it primarily applies to Raid Leaders. A good RL is pushing his tanks with assignments that are a challenge. A wipe or two that ends with one of the non-MT's tanking a kill they have never done before will benefit the raid a lot as the tank's confidence goes up. He becomes more and more enthusiastic as he meets bigger and bigger challenges. And of course when the MT or RL tank can't make the raid your other tanks can handle the encounters too! The flip side of this is making sure your raid understands that and is willing to take a wipe as the new tank learns a different part of the encounter. |
Posted 02-07-2008 at 11:24 AM by Blackfriday  |
| | I think you should certainly try to work with them. There isn't a solo MT roll in BC anymore but a collection of tanks all needing to be just as good. Yes, I can generate more threat then any other tank in the guild but it's my responsibility to make more like me and I can't do that if I'm the one in front of the boss all the time. |
| Posted 02-07-2008 at 12:32 PM by Bonerot |
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