Why do you play tank... NOT?

[Brachamul]

I have been a tank in World of Warcraft for the past 5 years, alternating several classes. I've tried all classes and most specs, but nothing ever felt quite as engaging as tanking.
When they implemented the dungeon finder tool, I realized how few of us there actually was. Since it's usually the tank that's missing in a group of five, this means there's less than one tank for every three dps players out there.

I know the advantages of being a tank, which to me are these :
- Controlling the flow of an instance, where we go and who we pull.
- Constantly challenging gameplay, you can't let your attention waiver ever.
- Instant dungeon queues, people always need a tank.
- Ability to solo most elite mobs, and solo a few normal instances when the gear comes along.
- No pointless peenmeter race with other dps.

The gameplay has much improved in Cataclysm, at least for my DK, giving us even more control on whether we live or die.

And yet, despite all this, it seems that very few people want to play as a tank.

So my question to you is this, why did YOU choose to not play a tank?

[Deleted]

I would, but I prefer PvP and I couldn't be bothered to level another character yet. Although my next character will probably be a tank. In PvE at the moment though, I prefer to play something that takes real skill, an arcane mage.

[Histidine]

People don't play tank because the tank directs the group. A tank cannot hide their ignorance of which way to go or which packs to pull; it's much easier to play a DPS and let someone else do all the hard work.

[Shadewind]

Well, mostly because off what you said. I was the main tank for my guild from Naxx to TotC, and I didn't find it that challenging. Yes, you have to pay attention, but threat isnt really hard to keep. And most fights are just a taunt rotation, and halfway your ahead so much in threat, it's a non-issue. I went back to DPS for that cutting-edge competition. Trying to push out that 101% of your class. Because let's be honest, some tank fights, I could almost fall asleep after 3 minutes....

Shadewind

[Spitfyre]

I played a war tank through most of BC and I played my pally tank during WotLK; till 3.3 during which I played ret for awhile. Really tanking is the most fun for me, but it can often time be very annoying and you are the go to guy when whinny dps start throwing out blame when we wipe because they pulled 20 mobs. I suppose many people don't have the patience to be a leader and then be handed the shit when things start to fall to pieces. I'm gonna be playing my pally as a tank again in cata but I seriously hope that attitudes change a little after a few months.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I'm almost always a tank. I have 5 level 80's, only 1 is a non-tanking class (Warlock), and the other 4 I always prioritize tanking gear over dps.

The reason why I sometimes choose to play the Warlock is because sometimes I like to just sit back and blow shit up. As a tank, I love being the one dictating the tempo of the group/raid and I like feeling important like the backbone of the group (though I will say sometimes the healer becomes the leader), but it takes a lot of attention. Even in Cata, when you don't insta-die as easily, it's still a lot to look after, especially with some of the PuGs who aren't used to CC-ing (not really they're fault). But when I play my warlock, I don't get as stressed or frazzled, I can just go with the flow. I'm like a Terminator on autopilot. Just blow crap up, don't die, annoy the healer if I'm in a guild group for some extra lulz. It's a much more laid-back experience, usually, and overall can be just as much fun, if not always as engaging. That being said, 80% of the time I'm tanking, and loving it.

[flick86]

I've tanked on my DK a lot in wrath and actually liked the challenge of it, but never being able to dps anymore due to tanks leaving my guild at the end of the expac just made me dislike it. Mostly tanking you really notice the screw ups people shouldn't be making and it just annoyed me.

[Whiskra]

Because I don't really like the way Paladin tanks are atm, they feel too much like ret for my taste.

[comasutra]

Im with you bro. I too tank and nothing makes me feel more empowered than that. As you see below I have tons of classes maxed out (well before cata) lvl 80's- Druid, Pally and DK tanks. They really have made DK tanking in Blood wicked fun. Druid tanking is meh but that's probably because I was so use to swipe swipe swipe and Pally tanking is in between for me. Personally, Im glad there aren't many of us out there. More loots for us and if we're good then we're always guaranteed a raid spot

[Kama]

I think only 2 people answered the question that was asked, the rest stated why they tank.

As was stated the only time I dont tank on my pally is when I don't feel like really thinking much. I go ret and just hit what the tanks hitting. some times i have to use my amazing 1 min CD CC ability that breaks on any damage or misses and then I cant cast it again to try and save the healer from that guy thts going for him/her. But if I fail at that, oh well, nobody expects a pally to be able to CC anyway. In short I dont tank to be lazy, otherwise I love tanking.

[Corjha]

i tank because its all about the attention baby.

[Evolixe]

I jusr prefer my rogue over any class or role. I however like to play any role, so i also have a healer and a tank. I just like to finish one character gear and progress wise before i will level tjhe other 2 to 85.

[stuck4cash]

Because in a 25 man raid group there are 2-3 tanks and 5-6 healers. The other 16-18 are dps. That means in raids there only needs to be 1 tank for every 5-9 dps. Raiding > Heroics and if heroics had lower dps queue times then there'd be way too many tanks.

[Deleted]

love playing prot pala, like you say, instant dungeons plus its great fun in pvp(mostly because ret is broke), taking on so many opposition at the same time with several ways of reducing damage intake, great fun.

[Ewokmywewok]

i did it on my paladin in wotlk, but its tough handling the pressure, so im not sure if im going to tank this expansion

[XepNes]

Played tank until the end of wotlk and started healing since I was tired of being always the one getting knocked on. =/

[Reluctant]

I play a tank and love it but sometimes i want a easy job not having to focus much thenn il log my enhance shaman and sit back and relax
Playing dps means having very little responsibilty. Everything a dps does a tank has to do aswell + more building max treath is like maxing dps but he needs to control the boss and survival etc aswell. Dps Is relaxd and thats what ppl like

Also the tank is still expected to somewhat lead the party and know all the stuff know every pull in the game and every boss skill, its yust alot of weight on ur schoulder

[Deleted]

Ummm mostly ppl don't play tanks because it is easier to be the one who is standing there smashing the same button over and over, then it is to actually pay attention to everything and make sure that everything is going according to plan. Like some people already said, if you don't like to lead, you don't play a tank (or a healer, because healers are also often leaders). I do play tanks, but also dps when I don't feel like tanking. Another thing is that any time something unpredictable or bad happens to your group, it's nearly always the tank's fault (like a dps pulls, it's tanks fault for not taking the aggro fast enough and letting that guy die) stuff like that is what drives people away from such a role, otherwise all the servers would have a ration of 10 tanks to 1 dps.

[Nekkedninja]

I love tanking on my pala it is dualspec with ret but I seem to stick in tank even when leveling lol. Knowing it's my job to make sure no one gets beat on but even so some people atm are complete idiots and won't let you grab threat and wonder why it is they got nailed in cata -.-

[Hoofshock]

i play a tank for several reasons

ability to lead and be noticed
phat lootz
fun factor (if u catch my drift)

however some of my vanilla friends dont like tanking cause
1. always your fault if u wipe
2. scrubby dps (mostly that one huntard using rowans rifle)
3. can be boring at times, especially questing
need me to go on?