View Full Forums : Got any Good Tank Tips....


Magellan19
05-29-2007, 05:01 PM
I was 100% Resto until recently, when I switched to Feral. I have found that it helps me to level much faster.

Therefore, I have absolutely no XP as Tank. In fact, I don't even know what to do. (Great Healer Though!)

My guild has a MT, but I expect to have to play the roll eventually. Would love to actually know what to do when they ask..... :)

Trixtaa
05-29-2007, 07:02 PM
Mangle is your friend. So is Lacerate.

Also it's a very GOOD idea to have a threat meter even if your guild doesn't require it.

kmpirish
05-29-2007, 07:24 PM
This is by no means a comprehensive list of things, but here's what I do:
1. Pull the mob with faerie fire.
2. Lacerate, lacerate, lacerate ...until it stacks 5 times (I can't always see it stacking but lacerate the mob 5 times anyway.)
3. Alternate between Mangle and Maul till the mob is dead (keep throwing in the occasional lacerate)

If you lose aggro, growl to get it back (though some bosses resist). On bosses, ask your party to let you build up threat before attacking (e.g. let you build up 5 lacerates)

Things I've learned the Hard Way:
1. Be VERY careful about using anything that attacks more than one target or affects an area. Swipe, Demoralizing Roar and Challenging Roar can quickly pull mobs you don't want and can break Sheep, Sap and other necessary forms of crowd control.
2. Don't feral charge to pull unless you are 100% sure you know what other mobs are nearby and that you won't pull them when you charge.
3. If you need to pull 2 targets, I like begin the pull by moonfiring my off target, then drop into bear and focus fire on my primary target. I've found that a targetlasttarget (not sure of the command) macro helps here so you don't have to tab through targets and risk hitting a mob you don't want to hit.

Trixtaa
05-29-2007, 10:25 PM
I'm not 100% sure but Furor seems to generate a bit of threat (at least in bear form anyways) so pulling with a Moonfire/Wrath/Starfire/whatever else you can nuke in caster form and then dropping into bear might give you a slight boost in threat (trying to confirm this).

Btw keep your growl binded to something in which you can hit in case of an emergency. There's nothing worse than trying to gain aggro back asap and taking precious time to reach over to the hotkey.

Kromas
05-30-2007, 03:51 AM
I don't strafe much so my growl is set up to the Q button and my challenging roar is set up to my E button. Has not failed me yet.

Khar
05-30-2007, 07:15 AM
Yeah, furor does generate some threat, which is handy. I too like pulling with moonfire (starfire if it's a boss fight which involves me kiting the boss, just cause it gives me a teeny boost) then dropping into bear and enraging/FFFing as they come near me. I'll sometimes rejuv myself if the mob hits particulary hard (some heroic pulls come to mind) before dropping down too. In group pulls, if things are being CC'ed I'll sometimes take the time to moonfire 2 things that are going to be on me, but that takes good timing, you basically have to keep moving backwards as you moonfire then drop into bear in time before they hit you.

Keep your bash easily accesable as well, it's great for using when your taunt resists, when a healing mob's about to heal, when a runner's about to aggro more mobs, or if you need to stop more than one mob at once. I love being able to save a raid when 2 CC'ers end up going down with a feral charge -> taunt on one mob, then a bash on another.

Make sure to keep an eye on your healer at all times when possible, if they die you're most likely doomed. In fact observation is really key in tanking if you ask me. Most of the horrible tanks that I've grouped with all have lacked observation, they have no idea when mobs break loose, they have no idea when extra things are pulled etc. Pay attention, learn the pulls, know where your mobs are and who's CCing what, and you'll become a great tank. :D

Trixtaa
05-30-2007, 10:39 AM
Thought so...

Make sure you read Khar's last paragraph. There's nothing I've hated more than a tank that doesn't know what's going on besides the 1 mob he's tanking.

Barkley
05-30-2007, 12:40 PM
I think as a tanking class we benefit from the fact that most of us have experienced instances as a healer and know how irritating tanks who don't know what they are doing can be.

Most of us have had the fury specced warrior in ZF who manages to repel mobs with his anti agro radius (or is that just me?) obsessed with whirlwind.

Gives us a good perspective.

Rorgg
05-30-2007, 12:53 PM
This seems really obvious to experienced tanks, but I've seen new ones have trouble with it: Use your lucky charms in a consistent manner. If I'm tanking, I'll ask for leadership, and start by saying:

"Okay, polymorph is the star, freezing trap is the blue square, and if I need to hibernate something, I'll mark it with the moon. Kill order is Skull, X, pumpkin, then I'll start on moon, square, and star will be last."

and then mark EVERY pull, and if you absolutely HAVE to deviate from the kill order, announce it. If nothing else, having all the mobs marked helps ("STAR IS LOOSE") gain control if things break down.

Just this little bit of consistency will help even a mediocre group snap to some semblance of teamwork.

Magellan19
06-04-2007, 12:37 PM
After reading all of your advice, I ran my first Instance as MT.....And Success!

Thanks for all the help.....and BTW, I LOVE Faerie Fire :)