What Is More Likely To Get Me Into A Raid

[Izanoob]

Hello,

I am not going to draw this out as to avoid the TL;DR people out there. I have two choices right now, and I'm just looking for some opinions from you experienced raiders out there on what to do. Right now I am leveling a warrior. I have been tanking dungeons since I could first queue up for the dungeon systems, and I have to say I have enjoyed it quite a lot. I never really enjoyed PvE, so I've tended to stick to PvP throughout my entire warcraft career (played since Dec. 19th 2004). My concern is, with my very little experience with raids (stopped at mag in BC and never raided since) will I more likely be accepted by todays guilds as a tank who plans to tank his way all the way to 85, or will I be more likely to get in and experience the content on my mage who is already level 80?

This mage is the one that has the only raid achievements out of any of my characters (besides a few on my rogue) and the one I have the most experience with PvE wise. I believe I would enjoy mage just as much as my warrior, but there is something very unique about tanking that makes it a fun and engaging experience each time I play him. I just don't want to level him all the way to 85 and find that no one will take me in on their guild just because I have no experience. Anyways, looks like I drew this out a little too far, so I'll stop here. I've added a poll for which one you think I should choose, but please I encourage you to leave your comments below as to why you picked the one you do. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks Champs!

[RelentlessDruid]

Getting to know people (other raiders on your server) is more likely to get you into a raid.
any raid achievement other than a cata one is pretty useless so whichever you like more

[Deleted]

People will often click warrior by default but think about it.

For pugs - yea tank probably on the same basis as for 5men LFD.

For guild raiding - you need to be very good and raid consistently to fulfill tank role. You may be kicked more easily than on mage. Also more often than not - guilds already have established tanks. I'd go with mage.

[Ulgrim]

There's only 2-3 raid spots for a tank, also you need to know the fights inside and out. Your odds are better as a dps imo.

[Kinada]

1. Play the character that you will enjoy the most and for the longest.

2. Don't expect to come into a raid group as a tank. Most raids use 2, sometimes 1, and sometimes 3. So main tank spots are limited. Gear up both your tank and dps specs as that makes you the most useful.

3. Pick the raid guild that seems to be the best fit for you. The last thing you want is to hate all the people your raiding with or the raid start time is too early and your always late.

[Mascotte]

Well, gear as a tank would become a choke point.
Basically in order to tank tier x people expect you to have no need whatsoever for gear that drops on that tier.
But getting that gear will require you to raid, etc.
Dps has lower gear standards since a dps doing 3k less dps wont wipe the raid, the tank dieing in 3 hits rather then 4 will.

Besides that; every trade pug needs tanks, and you could always offspec dps if you want to join as a dps.
Guilds are another story, since most raiding guilds have their tanks set in stone so you can maybe join as an offtank with dps offspec.

Tanking is fun, but getting the gear to do so might be a grind you underestimate

[Tokru]

You may be kicked more easily than on mage. Also more often than not - guilds already have established tanks. I'd go with mage.

The second part is true. The first not. Nobody kicks a tank as quickly as a dps as long as your are not as bad as hell. If you are at least a little bit familiar with the habbits of a raid it's just more convenient to stick with you and your minor flaws instead of having to acclimate another unknown tank to your raid.
A dps instead is easily replaced if it is not the only one in the guild capable of fulfilling a special role somewhere.

[akaTheDude]

guilds already have established tanks. I'd go with mage.

this my guild already has people waiting to get a tank spot

[Tziva]

It's a double edged sword.

A tank is certainly harder to find, and you'll hold on tighter once you get one.

However, there are only a limited amount of spots for a tank. Once they're filled, they're filled.

I'm also about fifty times more likely to take a PuG (or trial) DPS than a tank. Training and gearing up a new tank isn't fun, and not work the raid is going to put in if they don't have to. It's also scary to have someone I'm not familiar with tank for the raid, when their mistakes could wipe us. If a PuG DPS is bad, then the good DPS just have to carry him until he's out. No harm.

[kaelleria]

If you're a good tank, you are valuable. If you are a good dps you're also valuable. If you're a good tank who also is a good DPSer, you're invaluable.

Gearing up tanks is not as hard as people seem to think it is. You have instant queues for all heroics and you can craft 2 very nice pieces of gear.

[Tziva]

Gearing up tanks is not as hard as people seem to think it is. You have instant queues for all heroics and you can craft 2 very nice pieces of gear.

I was speaking generally, not limiting the statement to this specific moment.

You're right. Right now it [i]is[i] easy to gear up a tank in the current stage of the expansion. However, once 4.2 is out and a raid want tanks in tier 11, it will be harder, and that difficulty will only increase as more tiers are released unless a catch-up raid like TOC is released to fill in the gear holes you can't buy through points.

[Deleted]

Just me that thought "Boobs" as soon as they read the thread title?

[Deleted]

The "Being a good player and a great person" option is missing

We´ve been looking for a mage since Ctaclysm release and have four potential tanks, so...

[Medivh the Prophet]

If you have over 346 ail and can tank with skill then a tank would be more desirable

[Deleted]

i dont know... less tanks are needed than dps. (obviously) so it depends on what the raiding guild still needs.
if you have a guild who's been running with the same tanks for ages, gl beating them with a tank, whereas dps is more easily switched and replaced