Crying wolf...for real this time
#1
Ok, I know I have asked in the past...and haven't really seeked aside from harassing several of you in game with a barrage of questions. I am in seek of advice again.

Donalzon was kind enough to let me off tank Naxxramas yesterday, which is a TREMENDOUS jump from the two regular instances I have tanked in the past (which summed up my experience prior to yesterday). This sparked an insane amount of questions I never thought of, and the desire to tank more instances. So if anyone who has experience with Warrior tanking and has some time to answer my questions again...possibly helping me put it into practice, it would be appreciate it.

This time I will be more active at practicing it so it becomes second nature and I no longer have to ask you guys over and over again.

Thank you!
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#2
Well, I am far from being a person that can give warrior tanking tips. I have a warrior alt that I have tanked with some in low level instances. It is a far cry from tanking a heroic or a raid. However, in looking for some of the same info as you I stumbled across this web site. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tankingtips.com/category/general-info/">http://www.tankingtips.com/category/general-info/</a><!-- m -->
The info is pretty current and has quite a bit of information for the tanking warrior. Hope this will be of some help to you.
Stalkinghoof, 85th level Tauren Hunter
Krinar Cloudcleaver, 85th level Tauren Warrior
Zerthis Waterwalker, 85th level Orc Shaman
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#3
These are some things that came to mind. Although I found what I read on several tanking sights enlightening, I find valuable wisdom from those I have seen tank and can tell me their experiences first hand.

1. Multiple Mob Tanking...how do you accomplish this as a Warrior? How do you know which mob is the most dangerous and needs to be CC'd or killed first? Is there a Particular site that you know of that has guides for tanking each instance? Do you Tab target or just spam Thunderclap/Shockwave on cooldown with Cleaves thrown in? Is there a particular Mod that you use to accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

2. Single Mob Tanking...Is there a particular "rotation" of abilities you use to ensure your threat remains the highest? If not, what abilities should I focus on using (aside from Shield Slam) once 5 sunders are up? Same about mods, is there one that would help me accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

3. What about defensive abilities? Should I use Shield Block on cooldown or should I be saving it for the "Oh Sh!t" situations? Should I consider Shockwave/Concussive Blow as part of my Defensive abilities? Do you use Beserker Rage often? Or is that another shaiza button? Are ALL defensive abilities only for emergencies?

4. Gear...I wont go too much into it because its pretty much self explanitory but...I have reached Defensive cap...now what? Most gear I see in Naxx actually has LESS defense on it than the blue I crafted? Will I be spending a fortune re-organizing gems/enchants whenever I find an "upgrade" to accomodate for sacrificing such an important stat? Should I not worry about dodge/parry/block/hit/expertise on items and just focus on Defense and Stamina and take what else is there as an added bonus?

This is pretty much what came to mind...I am truly enjoying this role and wish to become proficient at it so I can fulfill another role for the Tribe.

Thanks for any replies!
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#4
Eruadan Wrote:These are some things that came to mind. Although I found what I read on several tanking sights enlightening, I find valuable wisdom from those I have seen tank and can tell me their experiences first hand.

1. Multiple Mob Tanking...how do you accomplish this as a Warrior? How do you know which mob is the most dangerous and needs to be CC'd or killed first? Is there a Particular site that you know of that has guides for tanking each instance? Do you Tab target or just spam Thunderclap/Shockwave on cooldown with Cleaves thrown in? Is there a particular Mod that you use to accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

As far as I have tanked (not much, but I've done it and feel I've done a good ob of it...at least people tell me I do), multiple mobs I grab by using Thunderclap as soon as I pull. I focus as much as I can on the primary target, but I will use Shockwave if other mobs start looking like they want to leave the group. Also...Vigilance. Putting this on another high threat raid member (such as a high DPS or a healer) really helps. Every time that target gains aggro, your Taunt is refreshed. Use it.

Quote:2. Single Mob Tanking...Is there a particular "rotation" of abilities you use to ensure your threat remains the highest? If not, what abilities should I focus on using (aside from Shield Slam) once 5 sunders are up? Same about mods, is there one that would help me accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

Usually, I just shield slam every cooldown, Revenge and Devastate a lot. And Shockwave because it's just fun and gives you a lot of threat over everyone else. Devastate has the same effect as Sunder Armor, so you really don't need to worry about tossing up an SA unless you don't have the rage or Devastate is on CD. Even if it's a single mob, I may use Thunderclap if I see my threat starting to go down. But having vigilance on someone should make it so your Taunt is available quite often if said mob tries to run off.

Quote:3. What about defensive abilities? Should I use Shield Block on cooldown or should I be saving it for the "Oh Sh!t" situations? Should I consider Shockwave/Concussive Blow as part of my Defensive abilities? Do you use Beserker Rage often? Or is that another shaiza button? Are ALL defensive abilities only for emergencies?

Shield Wall has a five minute cooldown, so save it for those "oh crap" moments when the healers need time to get to you, or they've gone down and say, need a battle res to come back up or some such. Shield Block I would save as well since it would be needed to block pretty much any incoming attack. Should you consider Shockwave/Concussion Blow? Yes and yes. It isn't usable on bosses however, so you will need to keep your Taunt available for moments like that. As far as Berserker rage goes, I've never had to use it except in PvP situations. Also, you can use Charge in Defensive stance, which should give you enough rage to work with getting your threat up. Also, Last Stand is great for moments when you think you'll need the extra health.

Quote:4. Gear...I wont go too much into it because its pretty much self explanitory but...I have reached Defensive cap...now what? Most gear I see in Naxx actually has LESS defense on it than the blue I crafted? Will I be spending a fortune re-organizing gems/enchants whenever I find an "upgrade" to accomodate for sacrificing such an important stat? Should I not worry about dodge/parry/block/hit/expertise on items and just focus on Defense and Stamina and take what else is there as an added bonus?

For gear, I am not 100% sure. I prefer to focus on Stamina after the Defense cap, but I'm really unsure of which of those stats you would go for next. Asking Kosath or looking around at other good tanks would help there. I suppose maybe I should too. ;p

I am no master when it comes to tanking, so please take my advice as you see fit. If you're looking for warrior PvPing though, I would know a lot more about what I was doing. :lol:
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#5
Eruadan Wrote:1. Multiple Mob Tanking...how do you accomplish this as a Warrior? How do you know which mob is the most dangerous and needs to be CC'd or killed first? Is there a Particular site that you know of that has guides for tanking each instance? Do you Tab target or just spam Thunderclap/Shockwave on cooldown with Cleaves thrown in? Is there a particular Mod that you use to accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

Okay, this is pretty much the most complex thing we do, and luckily blizzard made things a lot easier on us in this expansion. I will try to break it down.

Your primary tools will be thunderclap, shockwave, cleave, and shield slam. Expect to have to hold aggro through your allies AEing.

As far as target assignments, kill priority goes to anything that AE's first, anything that disables your ability to tank second, and everything else third. Healers depend on the severity of their healing, your groups damage output, and your available CC. In essence, your target priorities will change depending on your group composition, so you need to be aware of what your allies are capable of.

I use no mods for this and there are few tricks outside of a great deal of practice. Keep a particular eye on the current kill target and get a feel for how long you can hold it with a single shield slam. Beyond that, tab target, use your AE abilities, and build threat on every opponent you can. It is also best to keep the mobs away from the group so that if one of them breaks for the ranged/healers, it's easy to notice and buys you time to taunt it back.


Quote:2. Single Mob Tanking...Is there a particular "rotation" of abilities you use to ensure your threat remains the highest? If not, what abilities should I focus on using (aside from Shield Slam) once 5 sunders are up? Same about mods, is there one that would help me accomplish this easier without sacrificing the current UI?

No mods for this either other than Omen. Keep refreshing heroic strike whenever you can, sunder, shield slam and revenge primarily. Be sure to maintain your own shouts and, if it is a boss, keep thunderclap and demoralizing shout on it.

Quote:3. What about defensive abilities? Should I use Shield Block on cooldown or should I be saving it for the "Oh Sh!t" situations? Should I consider Shockwave/Concussive Blow as part of my Defensive abilities? Do you use Beserker Rage often? Or is that another shaiza button? Are ALL defensive abilities only for emergencies?

Defensive abilities are generally for emergencies and depend largely on the fight. You will find that you use them most often when you want to free up healing for the rest of the group. Always announce that you're using shield wall or last stand so the healers know they have a second to catch up where it's needed. Shield block should be considered a minor version of those abilities... I use it most often right after a boss AE's, as I expect healing to be light for a few seconds.

Shockwave should be used much like thunderclap, and isn't really defensive. It gives a lot of threat. Concussion blow I save for when taunt it on cooldown, so it can buy extra time to get aggro back. Consider it like a secondary melee range taunt. As for berserker rage, you will find you have so much rage that you rarely need to use it other than against fear-causing opponents. There are rare exceptions however, but you'll get a feel for them with a little experience against certain bosses.


Quote:4. Gear...I wont go too much into it because its pretty much self explanitory but...I have reached Defensive cap...now what? Most gear I see in Naxx actually has LESS defense on it than the blue I crafted? Will I be spending a fortune re-organizing gems/enchants whenever I find an "upgrade" to accomodate for sacrificing such an important stat? Should I not worry about dodge/parry/block/hit/expertise on items and just focus on Defense and Stamina and take what else is there as an added bonus?

Basically, that last sentence is correct. Focus on defense and stamina, and you'll find that purple tanking gear fills in the rest of the gaps on its own. Dodge tends to be more valuable than parry simply because of how the rating system works. Block rating is tertiary since bosses don't do crushing blows any more. When it comes to enchants and gems, the bottom line is to keep yourself at the defense cap while building as much stamina as you can.
Kosath Whitehorn
"The Tribe is my weapon.  I am their shield."
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#6
I found the words by those who responded informative and enlightening. I can see what to do in my own mind (which is a good thing) and all that is left is to practice it.

Thank you!
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