Starting a Tank

[Cantthinkofaname]

I have a 70 lock. I'm starting to get frustrated trying to run things since I am always looking for a tank and/or a healer. I have now got the urge to start a tank since it seems like an interesting change from my lock. However, I can't decide what type of tank to start. From what I gather, pallys hold the best aggro against multiple mobs, but are not really used end-game as tanks. Druid's are really hard to gear and get uncrushable and the like. Warriors are the easiest to gear but struggle against multiple mobs but are the most used end-game.

I'm not really sure which type is the most preferred or which would be the best on to start as. Also, which one has the quickest leveling? And then, if specced correctly, which is the best for PVP?


Thanks.

[piscene]

I would suggest the druid. It's easy and fast to level, fun to play, and can provide group buffs and some healing.

I don't think the druid is hard to gear...at least, not much harder than any other class if you're looking for the truly 1337 gear. It's true that you're limited to leather, but in bear form you get such a tremendous armor boost that you certainly don't need plate at that point.

[Baboon]

I think the Paladin and Druid have the advantage that you can always switch to healing if needed or if you want to.

If you think you will be a serious raider, you have a better chance with a warrior, since they are overall slightly better main tanks for serious raiding.

Also take into account what you like to play. Think a Ret of Prot/AOE Paladin is fun to level? Or do you prefer a MS warrior, or a rogue like feral druid ?

[Successful]

I would suggest a Warrior or a Druid. I don't know if a Paladin would be the best class to tank with. Never really spec'd protection so I wouldn't know.

[Zendarin]

AoE prot pallie is definitely a lot of fun - and from what people are saying a well played prot pallie is becoming more desirable all the time for raiding.

[Dhoum]

It is far easier to make a Warrior uncrushable than it is to make a Paladin uncrushable, so Warriors are often preferred on boss fights. That doesn't mean that Paladins are worse tanks than Warriors, it just means that for boss fights they are more gear dependant. Druids, on the other hand, can never become uncrushable (at least I'm fairly sure they can't) which has it's own set of issues. But again, Druids have their own strengths as tanks and are popular choices for some fights.

Quickest levelling would be Druid or Paladin I'd say because their hybrid status makes things generally easier. Druids probably have the edge generally, but AoE Prot grinding can steam past them once you reach the level-band in which that works.

To be honest all three are good but my natural inclination would be to go for a hybrid rather than a warrior ... but then that's my preferences, yours may well be different.

[HandofDread]

I have a 70 lock. I'm starting to get frustrated trying to run things since I am always looking for a tank and/or a healer. I have now got the urge to start a tank since it seems like an interesting change from my lock. However, I can't decide what type of tank to start. From what I gather, pallys hold the best aggro against multiple mobs, but are not really used end-game as tanks. Druid's are really hard to gear and get uncrushable and the like. Warriors are the easiest to gear but struggle against multiple mobs but are the most used end-game.

I'm not really sure which type is the most preferred or which would be the best on to start as. Also, which one has the quickest leveling? And then, if specced correctly, which is the best for PVP?

Thanks.



Wooh... lots of questions... but good ones...

First as always depends on what you want to do....

Paladins- I know a few Prot. specced Pally's and they get into a lot of raids... a pally's buff abilities are always wanted an Pally's make excellent off-tanks in the end game.... so no you usually won't be the MT in the end-game raids but all the way through say 60 or so that is a large possibility as finding Prot specced Warrs isn't always easy...

Pally's are pretty popular when teamed up with rogues for 2v2 arenas (I should know my main is a Subtlety specced rogue)... cuz they can suck up damage, buff, have some minor casting abilities, and most importantly can heal...

(My alt is Holy specced and I enjoy being an off-healer in the midlevel dungeons...)

Druids- Feral druids make viable tanks all the way through the main instances until you start hitting the high lvl dungeons and raids... The main thing with a druid is your going to be expected to fill slots when your feral specced so your going to have to carry Cat and Bear gear a lot of the time to swap between Agi/Stam and Str/Stam so you may not always be in tank form....

Druids are fun cuz they are really flexible though and can pop in between forms if you need say CC, melee DPS, or healing in a pinch... if the fit hits the shan they can really pull a group out cuz they can throw down some off healing... which is great if your running with a priest and another healing hybrid... 2 pinch healers + a main healer makes for a great combo...

For PvP read this (TY rottentomato)

http://wow.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=408867



Warriors-- If your going to tank your going to specc Prot. I've never heard of Warrs having any particular trouble handling multiple mobs but I've never gotten that high with my warr alt yet... from everything I know the Prot specced Warr is obviously the main tank of choose in dungeons esp. as you go higher in the game... they can just suck up damage like no other and can really manage aggro well when played right...

A thing to note... most of the time the MT is expected to lead the group.. seeing as they are the pullers, the damage suckers, and trying to manage aggro... Since you have a lvl 70 you've prob run most of the dungeons but just know that some experienced players look to the MT to run a group through...

Ok PvP as Warr Prot. isn't usually seen as a viable role... Blizz is looking at fixing that (watch the Blizzcon 07 vids) but I think they do really well in WSG as flag carriers seeing as they can suck up more damage... that's just a personal opinion... So if you want to see more PvP... go with druid or pally...

And lastly as far as the lvling question goes...

Always depends... if your a crappy MT forever... if your decent to great all three can work out just fine...

I've had no trouble lvling my alt pally at a good clip but I've played the first 20 lvls as a dwarf several times so I've figured out those regions...

[Clavina]

Warriors are the best tanks if you are aiming for end game raid main tanking (in my slightly biased opinion). If you are talking about 5 mans and heroics then it doesn't really matter what class you pick. If you want to have the option of healing then druid or pally may be a better choice.

[xDarkDrifterx]

Druids, on the other hand, can never become uncrushable (at least I'm fairly sure they can't) which has it's own set of issues.

Interesting talk about this topic, some say you can, but you wouldn't want to because "no incoming damage would mean no threat generated from incoming damage. This seems obvious, but it means that you would have nothing to work with but white-hit and crit rage generation. I seriously doubt you could somehow sustain any decent level of threat output on white-hit rage generation levels."

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html;jsessionid=F63E2B95EC451F81F94C1AE9064B70D3?topicId=2518019663&sid=1&pageNo=1

[Dhoum]

Fascinating discussion xDDx, a very interesting read ... I can't believe I just said that about the official forums! :laugh:

[Shellar]

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html;jsessionid=F63E2B95EC451F81F94C1AE9064B70D3?topicId=2518019663&sid=1&pageNo=1
Holy boop... now that's impressive.

[jschild]

Any of the three tanking classes can become MT, and all are better for some fights than others.

Warrior will have the easiest time gearing, and from what I have heard Druids are not that hard either. Paladins are by far the hardest to gear to get uncrushable (but can be done without even walking into Kara).

I do not think there is any content that any of the classes cannot do through current endgame, however some encounters are much easier for some than others.

[Aresxx]

You know, with LK coming you there is going to be a new tank class. No one knows for sure when that will happen, but just a thought.

[jschild]

Yeah the new...sigh...hero class....

Worst design decision ever.

Why not let my Main become a "Hero" get getting a new tree instead of creating a whole new class?