Bear tanking boring?

[Danthegreat1]

So ive did a bit of bear tanking in some outlands dungeons, and i found it really boring.

I've done some 80 tanking on a dk and i found it pretty fun.

So my question is does it get any better?

Bear tanking has improved DRAMATICALLY, however. I hate tanking trash much more now, as Maul isn't as great anymore, and swipe is unspamable. We get another talent at like 81 that helps with trash, but overall tanking is still great.


ALSO, something to highly consider. As a bear tank, (IN MY OPINION) you make the best off tank. When you're not tanking cat dps it up.

[Koumaru]

ALSO, something to highly consider. As a bear tank, (IN MY OPINION) you make the best off tank. When you're not tanking cat dps it up.

Cat dps in bear gear and spec has also improved dramatically in 4.0.1 with the elimination of armor penetration rating. Cats now scale primarily with agility and mastery rating, two stats that bears also stack like crazy. Shred now has the same 40-energy cost regardless of spec, so it's worth using with a tanking spec.

As a result, I can still hit about 6-7k dps self-buffed in cat form on a raid boss dummy while in bear spec, bear gear, and bear glyphs. That may not seem like amazing damage, but it's coming from a "tank" simply changing stances mid-combat with no alteration of spec, gear, or glyphs. And a tank without particularly amazing gear, as well.

[Raugnaut]

I enjoy being high on the dps meters, healing done meters(SD + LotP) as well as never losing aggro. Bears are in such a good place, they are getting a pretty massive survivabilty nerf.. or, so to say, being put back in place.

Of course, the only bit of complexity with current skillz is using Pulverize right after a lacerate tick. That is all. otherwise, its Mangle-Lacerate ad-infinitum

[Leetbeartank]

Fistly, the level difference must be taken into consideration. At level 80, you have most of your abilities as a Death Knight, while at 60~, I can't imagine that you would have all your Bear tank moves.

Bears tank the same from when they get Swipe, to when they tank at 80. It's boring at level 15, and it's boring at level 80. I used to always hope for more fun bear tanking abilities and what not. But then I just decided to roll the other three tanks, and got them to 80. All three of them are 10 times more fun to tank with. DKs are a bit better now, as opposed to before 4.0, but they still take the cake when compared to the druid with ease.

[Alexio]

Isn't it funny how we all have different opinions of what is fun. We've got people in this thread saying that each of the four tanks its the most fun to play.

Personally (and I think that's the key thing OP, its a personal choice), I'll be switching my main from DK in WOTLK to Bear in Cata. The new rune system of DKs leaves me feeling that there are long periods where I can't do anything. Whereas bear tanking has all the tools I need to do my job well.

I recently levelled my bear, and at the time, tanking was simply swipe spam. The new changes have made tanking more challenging, while not taking away your ability to do the job. Now I've got used to the new system, I have no problems even if the DPS go all out on different mobs (Taunt, Mangle or FF to top up threat with Lacerate ticking)

As for the people saying that tanking's the same at 60 as 80, you don't have Lacerate and Pulverize (9% crit buff ), so how can it be the same?

[Koumaru]

Isn't it funny how we all have different opinions of what is fun.

It's also funny how many of the detractors have different versions of the facts as well.

As for the people saying that tanking's the same at 60 as 80, you don't have Lacerate and Pulverize (9% crit buff ), so how can it be the same?

Exactly.

[Lucifersam]

I gotta say I was pretty bummed out after trying bear tanking on the 4.0 PTR when the damage coefficients were really bad for feral. Now that I've tried it out it's fun as hell, AoE threat is not a problem even with swipe CD and single target threat is insane... looking forward to trying something that can actually get vengeance stacks up above 400 + AP.

As a tip for AoE tanking try and keep your rage really high between pulls so you can do a maul-swipe combo right away, if that's not possible self cast thorns and pop enrage and swipe and you'll get mad threat on the melee mobs so then mangle/lacerate any casters

[Alexio]

Don't forget to Skull Bash casters to drag them in

[Pull My Finger]

My biggest problem with bear right now is the distribution of damage from attacks. I understand that there should be a priority but I feel like everything I do is just so I can click mangle as much as possible. Lacerate ticks for nothing, maul doesn't hit near hard enough for the rage cost (the glyphed 50% dmg is nice I guess but it doesn't even hit as hard as a swipe,) and pulverize is nice but not good enough to spam it every time I have 3 stacks of lacerate.

You serious?

Maul hits hard and should be kept on CD at all times.

Lacerate grants you free Mangles, isn't that reason enough to keep it up?

Pulverize is a welcome direct attack when Mangle is on CD.

Lacerate/Pulverize synergy grants you extra crit chance which enhances both your aggro and your survivability.

Got your account off of ebay or what?

[Deleted]

I'm pretty sure that every bear who had to do MH weekly, uttered a silent blessing for 6 sec cooldown on swipe.

[shadowkras]

not really and CD's most are passive

This is wrong, exception on savage defense that is a bear's block.
Barkskin, -20% damage taken for 12s, 1 min cd.
Survival Instincts, -60% damage taken for 12, 5 min cd.
Enraged regeneration, +30% max health, 3% heal per second for 10s, 3min cd.

From non-bear list:
Tranquility, Rebirth, Innervate, Dash.

None of those are passive.

I agree with someone who posted about it being awkward now, but im getting used to the rotation, aoe tanking feels scary at first, but its doable.

[stickyjam]

i was a confident tank previously and now after only a few goes on my bear it feels very awkward and clunky.. i have no problem with my single target threat but just dont feel confident on aoe, tabbing seems fine but with dps who are used to going all out from the start its so easy to lose a mob to the retadin as swipe vs his keyboard face rolling means f'all... i know its his fault but making tanks work harder will just drop the numbers of tanks and increase queue times : /