Ever wonder why there are so few tanks available?
I'm sure there are quite a few reasons, but I thought it'd help to explain my own story.
I decided to roll a DK in Neltharion, our Cata server, and give tanking a shot.
I hit 85, get some gear in the AH, nothing really fancy but decent, and enough to get me into the RDF. I read a few guides, and get a nice blood spec, as well as information on rotation and mitigation abilities.
I had done some tanking with other classes in retail and in WotLK, so I have a grasp of the notions of threat, AoE threat, mitigation and such.
I read someone posting in global, in uppercase letters and in a pretty spammy way, that they just need a tank. The guy seems desperate, so I think that'd be a good opportunity to get me started. I check that my ilvl is appropriate according to the RDF system, but I nevertheless inform the guy of my ilvl, and of the fact that I have a few PvP items as well.
No response, the guy simply invites me. OK, Neltharion isn't exactly well known for pleasantries, camaraderie, friendliness and good manners, but no big deal. We get HoO.
I notice that the healer has a tiny mana pool, and that the warlock is quire overgeared, as well as trigger happy, but I sort of manage to get aggro on all mobs in the first trash pulls.
Time for the boss. The guy that goes immune till you pull a couple of levers downstairs.
I realize I could have done my homework better, figure out optimal strat from YouTube, although things aren't exactly the same here in Warmane. But I thought I could just ask in /p and get a quick response.
Never done this as a tank, so I ask whether there's any advice on the matter. The leader responds with a polite, uppercase "GO". Healer is at 60% mana, of a tiny manapool suggesting he's even worse geared than myself. Overgeared warlock pulls boss. I immediately taunt.
Time for levers. I try to keep snakes off healer, but everyone ends up dying.
Someone says that the healer has a small mana pool, but someone says, in grammatically poor Spanish, language that I happen to understand, that "the tank is an *****".
I quit the group immediately. Log out, and back into my shaman. I'm done tanking.
I could learn how to better tank, but I'll do that once people learn some manners, and that's gonna be between never and not ever.
Bottom line: Be nice to your fellow players, tanks or otherwise. If someone makes a mistake, giving advice is usually more effective than calling names.
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Member
One less tank
Edited: May 7, 2015
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Member
I suggest keep tanking bro, its an fun role after you master few tricks.
About ppl complaining that it was your fault , thats warmane player logic: "Gear > Skill"
Healer died = tank fault DPS died = healer fault Tank died = too low or heal fault Ev1 died = DPS fault (in raids case)
The deal is, there are too many immature players right now who just want to get OP as fast as possible to show off , nothing to worry about, just find yourself an good grp or get into an good guild and start farming until you can join raids , you'll see the difference after you get some gear and get an bettter gameplay on the tank role
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Member
I wouldn't let that experience ruin it for you. My suggestion is to form your own groups as the tank and simply boot anyone who gives off the "just doing this for my emblems/points as fast as possible" vibe before you start...this also lets you try to select a slightly overgeared healer, if necessary. If possible, get guildies in there -- even if you don't know them. I have found most people that are guilded together, even if they have never been in a group before, tend to respect each other a little more (especially if you make it clear you're new to the role). Until I got my iLvl up and most of the instances run once to know the strategies, I tried to exclusively do one of those two things and found my experience to be far more fun.
Good people ARE out there, you just have a crap-shoot of a time when you use the RDF tool. Most people using RDF are trying to get their emblems/points and move on with something else. Don't let that experience deter you away from such a fun role.
Just remember that tanking, from my opinion anyway, is the most pro-active play-style of the three roles...which I think makes it the most challenging and fulfilling. Meaning, healers tend to react, DPS tend to have to follow their perfected rotations, but tanks have to anticipate damage and positioning during fights, in addition to rotations and reactive taunts, etc.
PS: I will say that if you have ambition to tank raids you will need to fully research the "retail" strategies, then politely ask what's different for Warmane. If you're in a raid with an MT and OT (often the case), you can always politely whisper the other tank and ask -- my experience is most tanks are very willing to teach other tanks, as they know what it was like coming up the ladder themselves.
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Member
Woah! Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Indeed, there are still tons of nice people around :)
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Member
Yeah i usually don't tank pugs for same reasons and negative experiences: if you are not perfect, or something goes wrong, blame is usually given to tank. Like others said, find a good group or a good guild who is willing to improve your playstyle patiently, and you will likely find this role more enjoyable.
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Member
If you wanna be a tank, you have to be man, a man man, and no sissy boy crap because that's what gets you killed and others to rage at you. I suggest you watch this video if you wanna know what kind of man you have to be to be a real tank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx1mryKqvT8
Now I hope that prepared you a little and put some hair on your chest, because you're gonna need it.
First thing first, confidence and a common since are your tools to success at being a tank. It is paramount that you know when to pull and when not to pull, got that? Even that some buttweener is telling you "GO!", it is you that decides when to go and when not to go, got that? The Tard dps runs up there and dots that boss, you have EVERY right to take several steps back and leave the dungeon and laugh at that troll, why because I would and i'm an *** when I tank, but it's also good to do the opposite when you feel like it.
That which brings us to our next tool for tanks. integrity! Learn it, know it. It's what people will remember you by and want to reinvite you back to their next party and maybe and hopefully their next raid. Now this happen to me a few years back and I feel this is a good story the prove a point.
Back during Cata Retail I was leveling an alt and I hit WoTLK content and que'd up for that dungeon finder tool. Now I didn't mean to pull, but i did. I was on a warrior and I accendentally pulled some trash and we wiped, now one of the dps ran his mouth, but not at me. He was fuming at the healer for not healing me. Long story short, i told that dps to shut and leave the healer alone and that it was my fault and not the healers. I got a big thank you from the healer and we stayed friends for many more years to come and even ended up raiding with that guy several times. I'm not saying this how it's going to go every time, but you never know and it's the friends and the good times you'll remember the most.
Now I get you're still a little noobish when it comes to tanking, but you're gonna have to grab that sword and board and charge right back in there, if not me, and if not for the community, then do it for yourself. Do it so you can prove to yourself that you can tank and you won't have any regrets.
Now take care OP, good luck, may many wipes come your way. Why wipes? Because it's our mistakes that teach us the most and you have a lot to learn.
peace.
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Member
Having spent pretty much all my time playing PvE progression as a tank, I can tell you that what you experienced is pretty common. The tank plays pretty much, THE most important role in the raid. As a result, if something goes wrong then they get blamed for that. As a tank, you have to be prepared for that. You have to be prepared to deal with people as much as mobs and bosses. If you enjoy tanking, please continue to do so! With some more gear, you should have no problem holding aggro. Best of luck :)
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Forum Veteran
My short story of Cataclysm experience.
I was hunter (full PvE) and I was told I should buy craftable PvP gear to boost iLvl so I could join premade RDF HC runs with better luck. I was new and had no money, 1st time playing Cata hunter. Once I had about 360ish iLvl, enough to queue on myself, but not to join premade RDF HC. First times I got to join some groups, I was bit nervous of my own dps and how would I do compared to others when they had a lot better gear. I was surprised, I was topping meters. Later on I heard Arcane Mages are top dpsers.. Got into End Time dungeon with Arcane Mage, full on epics and good gear from End Time heroics and raids. I knew if I'd ever be in situation where if 1 should be picked to group, it would be him, just because gear and class. Well sad news, I beat this Arcane Mage in dps.
And now while you're thinking "maybe the Mage was slacking," think again.
Maybe you should stop judging people by their class and gear, and see that there are great players around who can play. Just not geared "enough" to live up to Warmane pug standards.
The day I beat that Mage, I decided to quit Cataclysm. Not just because of not being able to join premade RDF HC's, but the community there was just so terrible.
I thought Ragnaros had the worst community (outside guilds). I was proven otherwise.
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Member
keep tanking its hands down the most exciting role in WOW. like other have said as a tank you are in the drivers seat be the group leader find 2-3 healers you like to play with and treat DPS like hired hands if they are being knobs boot them. I love being the tank and doing things like telling a PUG raid leader I am out if he keeps things reserved etc.....
I coudl never play a dps role in wow after tanking its just ****ing boring
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Member
Thank you so much for your support. I loved that video :)
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Member
Thanks to everyone for their kind words.
I might reconsider tanking at some point. It's really a matter of remembering that not everyone is like the people I found in my 1st PuG, or perhaps just tanking for friends.
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Member
When **** hits the fan and people are blaming each other
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJFL-Yo7Nvo
This is the first thing coming to mind.
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Community Manager
Purabasura, you will come across people with similar attitude on the internet quite often, don't let them get you down. Keep on doing what you enjoy, no one was born knowing or having the ability to do anything. With time your skill and gear as a tank will improve and you will have no issues! :)
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Member
Funny video, Romz.
Thanks for the kind words, Hisue.
I'm just glad this post got quite a few views. And I'm certainly glad to see there are still patient, polite players around :). I guess I forget, sometimes.Edited: May 11, 2015
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Member
Yeaaah, if you're not ready to deal with ppl like that in a game, pls don't go outside, it's a whooole different world.
