Would I Be "Expected" To Be A Tank As A Warrior?

[Deleted]

I'm coming back to WoW after 6 months off and want to be a Warrior.

One thing; I HATE tanking.

I know as a Warrior I could be a pure DPS but would people automatically expect me
to become a tank when need be?

[BoysBoysBoys]

Only in Vanilla. ❤

[Samaramon]

This isn't Vanilla anymore. Warriors are great DPS (and some of my favorite DPS classes tbh).

Anyway, no one will force you to spec into something you hate. If they do, time to find other people.

[Vorticough]

I'd assume not. I'm never expected to tank when I'm in my DPS spec.

[staart]

What makes you say this? You've only been away 6 months..

[Deleted]

Looks like I'm going to be a Warrior then. Would hate being specced pure DPS and then be expected to spec tank when needed.

---------- Post added 2012-10-03 at 10:56 PM ----------

What makes you say this? You've only been away 6 months..

I never played a tank or paid attention to tank classes. So not sure what's expected from the classes that have those roles.

[Deleted]

Of course not warrior is great as DPS as well.

[ImpTaimer]

In all honesty, there's no reason you shouldn't have a tank offspec. You don't even need real tank gear to tank most normal content. Strength gives you all the parry you'll ever need, so just make sure all your gear has Mastery on it (not reforged) and gem /enchant for STR. Carry two stam trinkets with you just for the extra HP when tanking. Being Hit/Exp softcapped also helps since.. lets be honest.. our stances are the stupidest they've ever been.

If someone expects you to tank, they better be playing a class that can't tank.


However, Warrior tanking is the worst of all the classes imo (maybe tied with Druid). They even nerfed our AoE damage even further recently.

Second Wind is pretty much the only thing holding the Warrior class from being pushed off a ledge right now.

[Deleted]

Just get 2 dps specs and no one will expect you to.

[Leare315]

No, noone's going to make you do anything you don't want to do. However, i'd say that as a warrior you're missing out on the, imo, most entertaning tanking spec in the game. I'd offer to give it a go.(do some dailies as prot ) But no, most guilds with dps needs will have no expectation for you to tank for them. It's up to you if you want to fold to the inevitable "why wouldn't a warrior have a tank spec?"

[xebtria]

it all depends on the guild's roster. warriors have to potential of being a tank, so if a tank is needed, I'd start with asking the classes who have a tanking "tree", who are already in the guild but as DPS/heal, first.

but if you get invited and you clearly say, that you never ever going to be a tank, well then, they have to accept this. it's the player's choice after all.
but as others said, well yes, you might give it a try. I actually consider it fun to pull like 15 mobs for dailies, do 60k dps on them and be basically immortal to them. And especially seeing dps classes nearby struggle on a single mob. :P
I also farmed Black Prince Rep in Dread wastes with the help of an elemental shaman in a little more than 2 hours all the way up to honored. it's pretty fun playing a prot warrior.

But well, if you don't want to, no one can force you to. just communicate it clearly to whatever guild you're applying, and if they understand, they won't ever expect you to tank. if not, they're not the right guild for you, even if you'd be the right dps warrior for them.
the same applies to a world boss or a random-not-LFR-raid. you just have to make clear, that you don't have a prot spec, and you won't join the raid for dpsing half of it and offtanking the other half. they agree with you, you'll be fine. but most times they specifically search for "DPS warrior with tank off spec" if they want one. if they're only looking for a DPS warrior, you should be save joining them.

[CptEgo]

Protection is only 10 billion times more fun than being DPS, can't imagine why you 'hate' it. Because as a tank, people would expect you to actually know what you're doing? Don't be afraid to take charge of a group.

[Angy]

Protection is only 10 billion times more fun than being DPS, can't imagine why you 'hate' it.

The reason is that tanking is almost zero challenge. Executing tactics without failure is all roles' duty, using appropriate defensive cooldowns at the right time is same as using the right damage dealing abilities, leaving tanking with only the challenge of not getting overaggroed by DPS in the first 3 seconds.

[Kisho]

It's dependent on what you want to do. Just do 5 mans, casual raiding? Yeah, only DPSing is fine.

If you want to get into a more progressive, 'hardcore' guild? DPS is still fine, but you'd be expected to carry an off-spec set with you just in case.

As an ex-raid leader, if I have a choice between a Warrior who only DPSes, and a Warrior who prefers DPS but can Tank as well, then I'm going to choose the second Warrior every single time. Assuming they do comparable DPS, of course (or even if the Warrior who can Tank does slightly less DPS, I'd still choose them for flexibility's sake).

At the end of the day, it's your character. You choose what you want to play. Just ensure you accept what that may mean, depending on how you wish to play the game.

[xebtria]

The reason is that tanking is almost zero challenge. Executing tactics without failure is all roles' duty, using appropriate defensive cooldowns at the right time is same as using the right damage dealing abilities, leaving tanking with only the challenge of not getting overaggroed by DPS in the first 3 seconds.

taking your words, the whole game is no fun. if everything as tank is the same (executing tactics, using cooldowns, using the right abilities), then the OP should hate DPS as well as he does hate tanking, because it's the same except as a tank you're the one getting smashed in the face. obviously, that isn't the case for the OP. that being said, what makes you answer a question that is directed to the OP? your opinion is not everyone's.

I'll tell you something. while the basic story you're trying to tell remains true (success in this game is pretty much having appropriate gear at the right time and pressing the right buttons at the right time), tanks still have a bit more thrill. screw up your rotation and you will get your ass beaten. get your ass beaten, and your healers will struggle to keep you alive. if your healers struggle to keep you alive because you screw up your rotation, you will most likely die, and if it's not one of your lucky days, wipe the raid.

screw up your rotation as a DPS, and you do a bit less dps, but that's it. it may wipe you in the long term of the fight, but a low performing dps can be better compensated than a low performing tank. at least it's not an instant wipe in 99% of the cases if the tank dies. especially in 10 man raids, where you have only one battle rez per boss fight.

[Envisionist]

I'll always have two dps specs, never tanking. Never been expected to tank, never been asked to tank.

[Deleted]

The reason is that tanking is almost zero challenge. Executing tactics without failure is all roles' duty, using appropriate defensive cooldowns at the right time is same as using the right damage dealing abilities, leaving tanking with only the challenge of not getting overaggroed by DPS in the first 3 seconds.

This statement made me die inside, untrue in cata given tanks always have a very unique role, exacerbated even more now given tank specific abilities by ALOT of fights in MoP. Tanking now is more fun than ever and as challenging as it ever was, if not more. The threat game is gone but given the level of tank DPS currently on single target bosses, you are going to play a very important role on DPS races and just DPS in general

[Veyne]

If you're a DPS Warrior, and you join a guild or raid group as a DPS Warrior, you shouldn't ever be expected to tank. That being said, though, a decent Prot offset, secondary spec, and competent skill at tanking is -always- a bonus.

[Angy]

My mistake, the wording could have been different. Let's say I'm more into worldoflogs kind of thing. A database to see whose epeen is at what length, including mine.

That is what makes me like this game.

[Deleted]

No, Fury/arms Warriors do good dps atm and people prefer other classes over Warriors any way