Doh!! I switched from long-time Warrior to DK noooooo!!
It's ok. I prefer that DKs be known as being the worst tank so that it'll hopefully prevent any future nerfs.The toys and tricks I've discovered with this DK are really neat indeed.
I agree though...those new to tanking should choose Paladin or Druid.
Stay strong. Stay smart. All heart.
Now my only questions are-- I hear leveling up as the spec you are planning on to be when you hit 80 and staying that spec, will help you learn it faster and make it less confusing. So, as an example -- If I were to level up a warrior, should I level up as Prot?
If you wanna learn your class well- yesOriginally Posted by scenex
If you want to level in any sane amount of time- no
That said I levelled as prot and did fine, and thanks to the dungeon finder instances really are a viable levelling method, so it's easier than it used to be.
Not really lvling's end result is to hit 80 how you get there is up to you but i prefer the asap way. Doing dungeons will give you some idea on how to do your rotation, cooldown management, as well as working with other players. Most of tanking is facilitating: could be with cooldowns to help healers or positioning the boss to help maximize dps.
One thing to keep in mind.
Your tanking tools and requirements are considerably different at certain stages, due to what tools you have.
Especially since some of the abilities that are considered bread and butter for some classes you don't get until after level 70.
Truthfully, I would run with a dps build until the 70s then maybe start running a tanking build.
To be a Tank imo is a calling you have to love what you do, doesn't matter the class you play. Just like healing its a calling either you love doing it or it will grind you down until everytime you hear the word tank you shudder.
Never really understod where the "Mediocre single target threat" comes from. Not only is there a fairly big difference between the different specs but also as a frost tank (which is supposed to be in the middle on single target threat) I have never noticed my single target threat beeing lower than the other classes.
Granted it would be true if Rune strike isnt used as often as possible but using it and making sure you always have enough RP for it is DK tanking 101.
Also when it comes to surviving big burst magical attacks without interupting threat generation I doubt any of the other classes can beat the DK. Might not be the most common thing but there are some fights where this comes in handy.
Speaking of healers, not sure its like this on most other realms but on mine: For some reason its not uncommon that healers quit healing and just want to dps but I dont think I've ever heard a tank say they just want to dps instead. Why is this?
Level as fury, the amount of time you save leveling can be put towards chaining heroics as prot and getting good practice (plus give you a ton of good gear with Triumph Emblems dropping like rain). Why waste time in low levels as prot when you don't even have the tank abilities that matter?
If anything switch to Prot @ 75 or something like that so it is just a few levels to practice before heroics instead of a long pointless grind.
This is a great thread. I posted a similar question yesterday and hopefully this isn't a thread hijack, but I'm asking the exact question as to which class to play... But I have all of them at between 70-80 now and am torn as to which class to go with.
I've been away from the game for a few months now, but have played tank since beta in some capacity. I am trying to get some feedback on which class to pick up and play now that I have reactivated my account.
I'm in a unique position as I have 3 tanks at roughly the same level but all different classes. My problem is that I love them all and see the strengths of each class and I simply can't decide which to go with.
80 Death Knight
70 Warrior
71 Paladin
72 Druid
Is there there one class that anyone can say "Dang... If Icould do it again I sure would play <class x> becuase I love how they can do this cool <class defining thing> that my <class y> can't do."
I'm leaning towards a Druid or a Paladin just to be able to off heal in Heroics. A Paladin would be nice to use to run my friends lowbie alts through dungeon's a little more easily, they seem well suited in that role. However, a Warrior is just flat cool in it's own right with it's purity of approach and wide variety of abilities.
I can't decide, and would appreciate any feedback and advice.
Thanks!
FotM FTW
"Dang... If I could do it again I sure would play Paladin because I love how they have basically the #1 cooldowns, #1 threat, #1 dps output, #1 survivability, fairly easy to play and are generally the current OP tank class"
Major downfall is the fact that Paladins are as gay as Richard Simmons playing twister with Clay Aiken. With that in mind I would never be a Paladin lol, Prot Warrior 4 lyf!
And that's where I think I'm at too. I play the Paladin and I'm all "Hot damn this guys is a bad ass! He's like a Death Knight that can heal... sweet!"
...but for some reason it feels like I'm making out my sister. The Blood Elves just feel wrong after years as a Tauren Warrior, Tauren Feral Druid and a Orc Death Knight.
Last edited by brainwashed; 01-14-2010 at 09:33 AM.
Lol, Squirrelnut you're amazing.
Anyhow, I know tanking is something you have to like--and I'm not sure yet because I haven't really tried it. I want to try it and level up a class, because I know if I don't like it, I can always go DPS or something to make that character somewhat useful. My only problem still stands as what class I should make. So far everyone's saying Warrior.
Also, the short-attention span thing. It depends on the day. I'm known as a "ADHD" healer because I can't seem to focus on one target, I have to be doing multiple things. I understand that as a tank you also do have to focus on multiple things, which might in fact be for me. I understand paladins seem to be the easiest, and the hardest seem to be different. So far I seem to be debating between Death Knight and Warrior though. Still, I'm not quite 100% sure. They all sound pretty fun.
I'm just curious to whether I should start out easy, or mid, or just go all the way to hard. I don't want to spend all my time leveling up a character, then not being able to really tank with it also. I just wish there was an easier way to decide which class I'd like. I hate wasting time!!
Sorry for my stubbornness and Indecisiveness. Feel free to slap me.
I have to agree with very few exceptions I have never lost threat on a single target mob, other than when I started to tank way back when Unholy Blight was an AoE and I did an AoE Unholy Tanking build, I have always been a Frost Tank, either 2H or DW.
Those few exceptions that I have lost threat on a single target, have been at the start of a fight when a Mage or a Fury Warrior decides to go super crazy right after I taunted, but haven't even got any hits in yet, and never in a Raid, with the exception of briefly losing threat on KT because the OT died and I had to grab the adds and tank them and KT at the same time.
I'm also one of those DK Tanks that doesn't follow the mantra of Rune Strike every time you can. I'll admit since I changed out my sigil I do use Rune Strike more often now, but I don't use it religiously like other DK tanks say to.
In your case I would recommend Druid. They are near Pally's in their OPness, they can be great healers and you can hot up the whole raid so ADHD would fit fairly well. If you get sick of it they have one of the best DPS specs available right now if you work out the rotation. Sort of gives you a chance to try everything, see what you like and go with it all in 1 character.
Healing is MIND NUMBINGLY DULL.
Tanking, unless you're really overgeared for something, you always have something to pay attention to. You're always busy. And if you're bored, you go grab another pack of mobs and see if the healers can keep up.
Healing is...get ready for it...
<loud announcer voice>
X-TREME WHACK-A-MOLE!
</loud announcer voice>
You stare at 5-25 boxes. Sometimes one gets smaller than another or changes a funky color. You click on it and it gets better. ZZzzzzzzz.
Last edited by Eisen; 01-14-2010 at 01:38 PM.
Pretty much.
Hell I have had friends tell me while tanking heroics, to pull EVERYTHING because they are so bored as a healer...
As to a Tank wanting to DPS, for me it depends on my day.
I don't know about others but I do occasionally have the "off-day" where I just can't seem to be able to tank...
And there are days where I just want to not think and just smack something around...
I think if you are looking to have the most fun as a tank and be the most versatile with different abilities and such, I'd say definately a warrior. I have an 80 pally tank with 42k unbuffed health, and he's awesome and all, but it does get slightly boring and repetitive. With warrior tanks, there's always something fun that can be going on, and you have a vast majority of things in your arsenal to whip out and pwn some faces. I am in the process of leveling my warrior, and he's been prot ever since the mid 40s and I love it.
Noob Prot Pally - Armory
You know you can be a Tauran Paladin in cataclysm.
That's what's keeping me even considering the Paladin still.
The Warrior is great but when I would help buddies level I couldn't heal or res them if they died in an instance. It's sounding the Paladin would be best for me despite it beiing a simple play style.
Last edited by brainwashed; 01-14-2010 at 04:05 PM.
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