1. #1
    Deleted

    Question of Confidence

    Hi, I've played WoW for a long time but never as a tank. Rogue in vanilla and switched to a DK in WotLK.

    For the new expansion I was thinking of switching to Warrior and Prot in particular to focus more a lot more on progression and raid leading.

    But having never tanked before one thing i noticed even in really low lvl dungeons is my confidence kind of drops if i lose aggro on a mob or if while tab targeting it will select a the wrong mob and i don't hit it with revenge and it runs off.

    Just wondering how you guys just mentally prepare yourselves for raids, and whether you guys have every had scenarios when the adrenaline may sometimes get the best of you. How you calm yourselves down.

    All help would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    One of the best addons to support you when AoE tanking are tidy plates. It makes the healthbars change color depending on its aggro status. For example: Green when you are its focus and red as soon as someone else has aggro. This allows you to easily find the mob in question and taunt it if needed.


    It's just experience. Get used to your buttons and what you can do

  3. #3
    some thoughts on the mater from my side. No offense intended.

    If you want to Focus on raidleading you should in my eyes not do this with a new role. You Need expierience up to a Point where you can fulfill your role pureley with instinct and Routine, so you actually have enough of ressources left for watching the fight, your raid members, make decitions and communicate them.
    While i know a bunch of raidleaders that are tanks, i still think there are better roles out there for that Job. For example a healing class or a ranged DPS.
    It is possible to get a good overview as tank as well, but it is definiteley harder.

    Dont worry if you loose aggro one some Mobs while leveling. In < lvl 90 Szenarios there is not much Balance and some classes produce a horrid amount of aggro which gives you a hard time.
    Once you are fully leveled aggro should not be of much concern anymore unless you decide to tank in blues for Ilvl 550+ DPS dudes. And even then you could probabaly hold aggro if you were just using your stuff niceley.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by ripponesan View Post
    If you want to Focus on raidleading you should in my eyes not do this with a new role. You Need expierience up to a Point where you can fulfill your role pureley with instinct and Routine, so you actually have enough of ressources left for watching the fight, your raid members, make decitions and communicate them.
    Agreed, he does however have MONTHS of "practise" to reroll, and honestly some people (like me) are better tanks then they are DPS.... or Healers or what ever. He should try it out and see if it works out. I wouldn't just be turned away due to it beeing a new roll. (FYI I rolled tank when we started Cataclysm, first time tank then, also as GM & RL and I had no issues at all adjusting).

    While i know a bunch of raidleaders that are tanks, i still think there are better roles out there for that Job. For example a healing class or a ranged DPS.
    It is possible to get a good overview as tank as well, but it is definiteley harder.
    I've raidlead as a ranged DPS and I currently do it as a Tank, can't say i've done it as a healer but personally I actually think Tanks are generally the better Raidleader, there are times when our vission is blocked and what not, but honestly for those situation (which are rare, really really rare) I'd just assign one other person to watch out for one specific thing. So i'm sorry but on this point I have to disagree, I like tank raidleaders, that said other rolls can do it just fine I just know when raidleading as a DPS my performance took a big hit, not at all the case as a tank.

    Just wondering how you guys just mentally prepare yourselves for raids, and whether you guys have every had scenarios when the adrenaline may sometimes get the best of you. How you calm yourselves down.
    Preparing is simple, plan for every scenario possible so you can act in advance, watch videos raid tactics and board and make sure you have GOOD and comfortable keybindings for all your abilities (the more important ones on the easier to reach binds ofc).

    As for the adrenaline bit, generlly the only way to handle this is get to the specific point more often. Yesterday I solo tanked Malkorok for the first time (which only one external cooldown so I'm pretty suprised we killed it tbh) and the first time we got to the Bloodrage I got a little excited and made a few mistakes which affected my mitigation/performance. The try right after it was better since I knew exactly what to expect etc etc.

    But having never tanked before one thing i noticed even in really low lvl dungeons is my confidence kind of drops if i lose aggro on a mob or if while tab targeting it will select a the wrong mob and i don't hit it with revenge and it runs off.
    Don't care about Dungeons, especially the lower dungeons. In higher dungeons some classes especially geared DPS will still rip agro, you should not be to worried, it's all about what cooldowns they popped/gear/your vengeance. If you have this problem in LFR though for example i'd start looking at your performance.

    Another thing as posted by someone else is your UI, get that shit sorted. One of our mods Clampy has made an awesome weakaura's group which is widely used and other than that I personally run with ElvUI but to give you an Idea of a UI that I believe works well for tanks/raidleaders since it isn't that cluttered here is a clip if my wiping my ass off a few weeks ago (I believe a screenshot doesn't show a UI very well) I should note that i've made some changes since like no more healing spam on the right side and things like that but for a general Idea this video should be fine (Otherwise just scroll to some recent kill video on that channel)



    However most importantly; Play what ever roll you're comfortable with, which makes you motivated/happy to be playing & raiding. All other things can be taught/practised.
    Last edited by mmocf1c430c691; 2013-10-25 at 09:57 AM.

  5. #5
    When i first started tanking back in Wrath i was going through the same thing. I was fortunate enough to be taken under my GM's wing (the other tank). What i did learn from her was that in raids not to worry to much because along as you know you did all you could to hold aggro and survive then you'll be fine, but if you do lose agro and cant get it back just say something to the other tank so hopefully they have something to help you out. But aggro now is way easier to hold than it was back then you really don't have much to worry about
    Just remember to keep TC on CD, tab through targets keeping shield slam on cd, and revenge when ever possible, and devastate if nothing else is up. You could also get Omen Threat meter so when you tab you see what mob needs more work on.
    Last edited by Avengedlol; 2013-10-27 at 05:14 PM.

  6. #6
    I started my (admittedly short) tanking career back in WotLK too. I joined a guild with my fury warrior, and on the first day they told me to go prot for that night's ICC 25 run. Having never tanked before and only having some gear that was cobbled together (4250 gear score haha), it went surprisingly well.

    My tip is this: if you're feeling nervous, surround yourself with friends/guildies who will be much more understanding if something goes wrong. Being in a group of great people who I could talk to over vent made it a much more relaxing experience. You'll be fine :-)

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Avengedlol View Post
    When i first started tanking back in Wrath i was going through the same thing. I was fortunate enough to be taken under my GM's wing (the other tank). What i did learn from her was that in raids not to worry to much because along as you know you did all you could to hold aggro and survive then you'll be fine, but if you do lose agro and cant get it back just say something to the other tank so hopefully they have something to help you out. But aggro now is way easier to hold than it was back then you really don't have much to worry about
    Just remember to keep TC on CD, tab through targets keeping shield slam on cd, and revenge when ever possible, and devastate if nothing else is up. You could also get Omen Threat meter so when you tab you see what mob needs more work on.
    You do not hold TC on cd unless you are AoE tanking. Even if it is glyphed it only gains priority over devestate as a filler.

    just saying.
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  8. #8
    The single most important thing to do for immediate performance improvement is download TIDY PLATES and learn to love it.

    p.s. as a prot warrior there should literally never be 1 second that you aren't using an attack/ability, some classes are deliberate and slow but warriors are furious and fast.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Valech View Post
    You do not hold TC on cd unless you are AoE tanking. Even if it is glyphed it only gains priority over devestate as a filler.

    just saying.
    While agree for max performance you should prioritize Devastate over TC single target, I use my TC glyphed on CD because it makes lightning come out of the sky every time I do and that is bad-ass.

  9. #9
    Confidence comes with a lot of practice. Tanking will seem stressful at first, but as you become more and more used to it you will calm down and (hopefully) enjoy yourself. As others have said, I wouldn't suggest raid leading on a character you're not familiar with, but you've got quite a while before the next expansion comes out.
    Jazzhands <Sacred Samophlange>, 6/14H, US-Skywall
    "Query? What do you think I'm here for, tea and biscuits? Spill the beans already!"

  10. #10
    In low level dungeons, don't worry about if you lose aggro, it's most likely something someone else is doing that they shouldn't. (Hunter/warlock pets, forget to turn off Righteous Fury, etc...)

  11. #11
    Just tank a lot. The first runs you'll mess up sometimes but eventually it just becomes routine. If you're really nervous just run the dungeon a couple times as dps spec, then try it as tank. While you're dpsing you can check out how the dungeon works in general and how the other guy tanks the mobs/bossses.

  12. #12
    I used to be the same way, after a while you just stop caring and it becomes routine. It'll also help develop a semi-aggressive personality after dealing with different kinds of people, especially in raid finder lol. I'm not saying it'll turn you into an a-hole, but it'll definitely make you more assertive. . Just keep at it you'll learn the confidence and the attitude in no time. Just be nice to everyone and they'll be nice to you. Haters gonna hate.
    Last edited by prizeless; 2013-10-31 at 11:45 AM.

  13. #13
    If you're ilvl is appropriate for heroic dungeons then don't sweat it since so many people are 510+. More gear = better threat.

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