I'm really curious about the difference between DK tanks and others

[NiceBlade]

I haven't tested it very seriously.
However, it seems that, compared with Warriors tanks in similar average equipments' level, the DK tanks have similar armor, dodge+parry ratings. Right?
I mean, if I am a frost tank with Obliterate, I am just like a tank of Warrior without shield.

Does anyone compare it seriously?

[mattepatte]

We take the same damage overall so who gives a shit. Look at damage taken on marrowgar 25, thats a prime example that we are just as good as any other tank.

[ßarnes]

MG is a very entry level fight from which to base parses on. That said, it's also not a good representation of stronger vs. weaker tanks. All 4 tank classes are capable of tanking the content in game, though as even Blizzard has said, some will not necessarily have as easy a time as another class. It changes from fight to fight, from raid makeup to raid makeup.

We don't use a DK tank, not because we feel they can't get the job done, but because we already have one each of the other tank classes and they've proven to be just too darn good to sit. That and it seems with the insane levels of DPS that DKs can achieve, they are best suited to fill a dps slot in raid. Their output is insane at endgame levels of gear. It's actually not a hard choice: do we want our DKs tanking, or do we want them all doing 12k+ dps when we can just as easily have one of our other tanks at 55k-65k hp tank an encounter?

[NiceBlade]

I agree with the specific battle especially in ICC.
But our main tank who is a pal, has some private affair so that RL has to chose the main tank from a Warrior and me.
I want to be the MT. But the data is cheating, isn't it?

[Hovsa]

one problem i see right now is that DKs are avoidance tanks, and while avoidance gets better the more you get (less chance of spikes), youre down on luck right now since you got 20% less of it.

as a warrior with 4 pieces of ilvl245 tier9, I block ALOT of saurfangs incoming damage, aswell as lord marrowgar, but on a fight like lady deathwhisper and probably alot of fights later on in ICC I could imagina alot more spelldmg, though i dont see alot of DKs speccing into your otherwise awesome magic mitigation talents.

[AnEvilForce]

It's actually not a hard choice: do we want our DKs tanking, or do we want them all doing 12k+ dps when we can just as easily have one of our other tanks at 55k-65k hp tank an encounter?

Isn't the same true for the other tanks? Well, maybe not paladins, but warrior and kitties can do some mad dps aswell, no? I personally stopped DK tanking when toc came out, it was too boring to play...

[Zao]

Aside from a few gimmick fights the only place where you will really notice a difference are five-mans.
In five mans Block (or the Blocklike mechanic druids how since a few patches) becomes an avoidance stat, which makes a huge difference on some of the harder hitting packs (I'm saying this with an eye on the new instances)

[Gerian]

As an avoidance tank we are prone to more spike damage than a block class i.e. Gormok instagibs when you don't dodge/parry two attacks in a row.

[ßarnes]

Isn't the same true for the other tanks? Well, maybe not paladins, but warrior and kitties can do some mad dps aswell, no? I personally stopped DK tanking when toc came out, it was too boring to play...

Oh, I agree, they can all do DPS though for some reason it seems that DKs are exceptionally better at it. Ret Paladins seem to hit 7-8k consistently, the same with Fury Warriors. Feral cats are a crapshoot depending on what gear has dropped and what priority list the cat is using, so a bigger range of 6-9k is more appropriate. But for some reason, our DKs are always at an ungodly level of 12k. I can't figure it out to be honest.

[select20]

I have a Pally tank and a DK. I've been a DK tank since WotLK came out and then I lvl'd my pally this past month to 80 to try tranking with him. Huge difference even thoguh my pally's gear isn't as good. I feel like i'm never going to die on my pally. Also my avoidance spikes to 98% sometimes, on my DK never goes above 65%.

Try it for yourself, you'll see that DK's aren't as good as Pally's. DK's can tank the same content, but also Pally's mitigate alot more dmg. Ask any healer.

[Apostolic]

I have a Pally tank and a DK. I've been a DK tank since WotLK came out and then I lvl'd my pally this past month to 80 to try tranking with him. Huge difference even thoguh my pally's gear isn't as good. I feel like i'm never going to die on my pally. Also my avoidance spikes to 98% sometimes, on my DK never goes above 65%.

Try it for yourself, you'll see that DK's aren't as good as Pally's. DK's can tank the same content, but also Pally's mitigate alot more dmg. Ask any healer.

Lawl your avoidance spikes to 98%??? Block is not avoidance, its mitigation. Your still taking DMG it is just being mitigated. (Also being un-hittable does not mean you are not taking damage, it just means that you are not taking damage without block reducing the damaging hits you are taking.)

FYI if you can get all the BiS gear on a DK they theoretically have the highest avoidance somewhere around 80%

[NiceBlade]

Actually, that is what my RL focus on.
See, if we have similar armor, XP, dodge and parry ratings, the Warriors can block and mitigate so that they will receive less dmg especially in some situation which demand more mitigating than dodge&parry, for example the Gormok.
The reason now my RL focuses is obviously, the Warrior tank will receive less dmg in general so that they are more likely to be a MT. That's why we seldom chose a Warlock tank. In some specific condition, WL will be the tank just like DK. But we never use them all the time since they will take much more healing and give the team more pressure. That's why we though Pal is the best tank. They will give another chance in the same situation when the tanks die.

[DSRilk]

I don't play a warrior, but I have a pally and DK tank and I MUCH prefer playing the DK. Mitigation on the pally is nice, but when it comes to those big bursts, it's not like I can't pop two cooldowns on my DK (with only 1 or 2 minute cooldowns). But key to me is the flexibility. My DK can interrupt, he can easily grab that annoying caster or ranged guy, I can pop off several huge AoE threat moves before the mobs even get near the party, and my cooldowns are available much more often. That and I can use a giant two-hander... and army...

[Apostolic]

I don't play a warrior, but I have a pally and DK tank and I MUCH prefer playing the DK. Mitigation on the pally is nice, but when it comes to those big bursts, it's not like I can't pop two cooldowns on my DK (with only 1 or 2 minute cooldowns). But key to me is the flexibility. My DK can interrupt, he can easily grab that annoying caster or ranged guy, I can pop off several huge AoE threat moves before the mobs even get near the party, and my cooldowns are available much more often. That and I can use a giant two-hander... and army...

or two 1 handers :-D