Bear Tank..Too many buttons?

[Voytrekk]

From the sound of your rotation, your threat should be fine. Your AoE rotation will generally be Swipe, Thrash, Swipe, Mange, repeat. Since you don't have thrash yet, then you can tab lacerate instead. Given you are getting hit hard enough, you should be able to spam maul on cool down. This puts your buttons at four, given you didn't macro in maul. If you also include lacerate and pulverize from single target, then that puts you at six buttons total in your rotation. This is excluding any cool downs that you have, which would add three more buttons to your rotation. I have only warrior and druid at 85 atm with both DK and paladin being leveled, but I find that bear is the easiest for me personally. The buttons are probably the least of all of the tanks with the exception of maybe paladins.

[Deleted]

Well, you're making it even worse by using Swipe for a single target. Lacerate easily does more damage than Swipe, so I'm not sure why you're using that. Outside of that, I know exactly what you're saying. It's why I can't really stand short-cooldown skills (4-10 seconds) most of the time. I've gotten around it with intelligent /castsequence macros as well as /script UIErrorsFrame:Clear() so it doesn't look as annoying to deal with.

Also keep in mind that for the majority of players, Lacerate will be perfectly fine. And Pulverize is something you only use to keep the buff up because Lacerate does more damage. You absolutely do not have to use Thrash to keep aggro on a single target.
In fact, in a 5-player dungeon you'll probably have major rage issues if you use Thrash as much as possible against a single target. In raids, rage definitely is no problem and that's when it's better to use Thrash when you can, but even then I doubt you have to use it. It's just more overall damage.

The single most important thing you have to remember is reacting to Berserk procs. Mangle is a LOT of damage and thus a LOT of threat.

Have you heard of mastery? Getting a bubble when you crit? 9% extra crit or whatever it is (I dont play bear) is like 9% extra chance to get an absorb?

[Oajng]

Have you heard of mastery? Getting a bubble when you crit? 9% extra crit or whatever it is (I dont play bear) is like 9% extra chance to get an absorb?

Actually, its way less than that. Your bubble has a 50% chance to proc when you crit. So that means that at best Pulverize gives you 4.5% more chance to proc savage defense. This changes with your hit/expertise

[VXBlade]

Actually, its way less than that. Your bubble has a 50% chance to proc when you crit. So that means that at best Pulverize gives you 4.5% more chance to proc savage defense. This changes with your hit/expertise

No, actually it gives you a 9% greater chance to proc a crit. A crit in turn still gives you a 50% chance to proc a Savage Defense Shield.
Your really looking at something more like
N = log(1 - DC)/ log(1 - p), where
DC = Degree of certainty that an event will appear
P = probability of the event
N = number of trials

to figure out if its worth doing... and the answer is yes.

[Dyzon]

Funny when I switch from my DK tank to my Feral Tank I always feel like it's too few buttons - because it is far less, and I can actually be lazy and do nothing for a few seconds without just exploding.

[Deleted]

Technically a Bear tank is feral just saying...

i have to consider your answer for a smart answer?

---------- Post added 2011-08-16 at 12:03 AM ----------

Bear tanking is probably the least amount of buttons to press. I played a DK Tank and didn't enjoy it at all. Having to watch the shield and maximizing it was a pain in the ass. With a bear it's like, whatever, if I get a shield then yay.

mage => feral tank then all the rest

---------- Post added 2011-08-16 at 12:09 AM ----------

lets see....as a boomkin on ragnaros the other day i used:
1 wrath
2 starfire
3 insect swarm
4 moonfire
5 starsurge
6 starfall
7 typhoon
8 treants
9 wild mushrooms
10 detonate wild mushrooms
11 hurricane
12 innervate
13 rebirth
14 mark of the wild (to rebuff the chump who died)
15 barkskin

then i also had macros for potions, healthstones, ect.
go roll an arcane mage if buttons are an issue

feral kitty

ffr
mangle
swipe
shread
rake
rip
fer bite
feral charge
ravage
tigers fury
bererck
maim
bash
riberth
savage roar
inervate
buff
shadowmeld (if n elf) to pounce adds
barskin
survival inst
frenz regen

ps: you use hurricane? you are fail really

[moocowfrakmilk]

lets see....as a boomkin on ragnaros the other day i used:
1 wrath
2 starfire
3 insect swarm
4 moonfire
5 starsurge
6 starfall
7 typhoon
8 treants
9 wild mushrooms
10 detonate wild mushrooms
11 hurricane
12 innervate
13 rebirth
14 mark of the wild (to rebuff the chump who died)
15 barkskin

then i also had macros for potions, healthstones, ect.
go roll an arcane mage if buttons are an issue

As an Arcane mage i used
1. Arcane Blast
2. Arcane Missiles
3. Arcane Barrage
4. Arcane Explosion
5. Fire Blast
6. Presence of Mind
7. Arcane Power
8. Mana Gem
9. Create Mana Gem
10. Mirror Image
11. Flame Orb
12. Blink
13. Time Warp
14. Evocation
15. Mage Ward
16. Mana Shield
17. Ice Block
18. Cone of Cold
19. Frost Nova


But mages are a 2 button class amirite?

[Aleksej89]

I have all 4 Tank classes (pala, warr, dk , druid) up in around 362 item level gear, and i must say i find Feral Bears the most "overcrowded" tanking spec - not to mention a tad annoying at the same time.

Compared to a paladin or a DK, bear tanking was very much not nice.

[baller1308]

I have all 4 Tank classes (pala, warr, dk , druid) up in around 362 item level gear, and i must say i find Feral Bears the most "overcrowded" tanking spec - not to mention a tad annoying at the same time.

Compared to a paladin or a DK, bear tanking was very much not nice.

Probably because Paladin's and DK's have easier AOE damage abilities. You use it and forget it where as a Druid has to spam Trash and Swipe.

What I don't like about being a bear is that I lose all of my rage when I mount, gets annoying. Enrage should have a 30s CD imo.

[Kokiron]

lets see....as a boomkin on ragnaros the other day i used:
1 wrath
2 starfire
3 insect swarm
4 moonfire
5 starsurge
6 starfall
7 typhoon
8 treants
9 wild mushrooms
10 detonate wild mushrooms
11 hurricane
12 innervate
13 rebirth
14 mark of the wild (to rebuff the chump who died)
15 barkskin

then i also had macros for potions, healthstones, ect.
go roll an arcane mage if buttons are an issue

11 hurricane

Why would you...? /sigh

[Deleted]

As an Arcane mage i used
1. Arcane Blast
2. Arcane Missiles
3. Arcane Barrage
4. Arcane Explosion
5. Fire Blast
6. Presence of Mind
7. Arcane Power
8. Mana Gem
9. Create Mana Gem
10. Mirror Image
11. Flame Orb
12. Blink
13. Time Warp
14. Evocation
15. Mage Ward
16. Mana Shield
17. Ice Block
18. Cone of Cold
19. Frost Nova


But mages are a 2 button class amirite?

yeap cause from all those battons you need
the 1 only to do dmg 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 111111111111111111111111111111=win

tell me what is your rotation / priority system as arcane mage?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm4q7tIJjvA

[Deleted]

All the tanks have a similar number of abilities to use in their rotations. Obviously some will have more/less but I don't think having too many buttons to press really is much of a concern right now.

I break the abilities I use as a bear down to two rotations, depending on what I tank, which means it's highly unlikely I'm going to be using ALL of them all the time.

[ghostprotocol]

I used to use my Druid alot in BC and a substantial ammount in Wrath.Im finally leveling him to 85 and my typical rotation is Swipe-Mangle-Maul-laceriate-swipe,rinse and repeat and I know at 82 im gonna get Thrash and it just feels like im spending all my time watching CD's and not enough time watching the mobs.And I seem to have threat issues lol so I guess im looking for some feedback or advice.

Do you guys feel like bears have too many buttons or is my rotation wayyy off?

P.S. Im a long time tank but my primary focus has been with Paladin and Deathknight so im a little behind on how Druids work now a days.

Like any other class you need to get to the point where you can use your abilities without staring at your ability bars. A few things that will help are..

Mods like powerAuras, procwatch or debuff filter.

Too many buttons are only a problem if you don't use macros. For example there's no reason why your lacerate and pulverize shouldn't be one key.

#showtooltip lacerate
/startattack
/cast [nomod] lacerate; [mod:alt] pulverize

supposing that's your "3" key, then your rotation might include something like "3,3,3,alt-3".

For example I use 2 for mangle, and alt-2 for interrupt, 1 for thrash and alt-1 for trash+maul, etc.

[Taurrus]

lets see....as a boomkin on ragnaros the other day i used:
1 wrath
2 starfire
3 insect swarm
4 moonfire
5 starsurge
6 starfall
7 typhoon
8 treants
9 wild mushrooms
10 detonate wild mushrooms
11 hurricane
12 innervate
13 rebirth
14 mark of the wild (to rebuff the chump who died)
15 barkskin

then i also had macros for potions, healthstones, ect.
go roll an arcane mage if buttons are an issue

Arcane Mage reply

lets see....as an arcane mage on ragnaros the other day i used:

1 Arcane Blast
2 Presence of mind
3 Arcane Power
4 Mana Gem
5 mirror images
6 Flame Orb
7 arcane missiles
8 arcane barrage
9 arcane explosion
10 evocation
11 mage ward
12 Arcane Brilliance (to rebuff the chump who died)
13 Focus Magic (to rebuff the other chump who died)
14 Blink (I'm detonating bombs)
15 Slow Fall (saving those who got knocked back into the trap)

[Kavak]

Arcane Mage reply

lets see....as an arcane mage on ragnaros the other day i used:

1 Arcane Blast
2 Presence of mind
3 Arcane Power
4 Mana Gem
5 mirror images
6 Flame Orb
7 arcane missiles
8 arcane barrage
9 arcane explosion
10 evocation
11 mage ward
12 Arcane Brilliance (to rebuff the chump who died)
13 Focus Magic (to rebuff the other chump who died)
14 Blink (I'm detonating bombs)
15 Slow Fall (saving those who got knocked back into the trap)

and of all the abilities you listed there, your actual rotation consists of like 2 buttons. Arcane Blast and Arcane Missiles (depending on whether you are in the burn or conserve phase).

Of the buttons he listed he uses the first 5 regularly.

Not saying Boomkins are complicated (quite simple really), but you are a 2 button pusher 90% of the time.

[Skygoneblue]

On the topic of hotkey reduction, is it commonly accepted that macroing Maul into another ability is a good or bad idea? I haven't seen much discussion about it one way or another.

Granted mah bare is only 82, but in my experience, I usually have an assload of rage against bosses (more than enough to do something every GCD), but only ever run into trouble against trash packs with casters.

I want to think macroing Maul into Mangle would be a good idea, but I know I'm not considering all sides. Anyone have any good input, positive or negative?

[Deleted]

Generally a bad idea - because you're getting rage-starved. Especially with better gear (meaning less incoming rage).

You use Maul as a rage-dump.

[Shiny212]

Not sure if troll...anyway, druid tanks have virtually no buttons; you mentioned swipe, mangle, maul and lacerate, and one more is too much? Take a look at other classes; you have it easy, druid.

[Dyzon]

Not sure if troll...anyway, druid tanks have virtually no buttons; you mentioned swipe, mangle, maul and lacerate, and one more is too much? Take a look at other classes; you have it easy, druid.

Not just a bad idea, a HORRIBLE idea.

Regardless I really don't get the issue here, bear tanks have far less buttons than any other tank, save for maybe pally - which is lolfaceroll anyways.

[Deleted]

Just a question here regarding bear tanking:

When I compare my druid with my paladin I feel like a paladin has more tools to prevent taking hits. Is this just a feeling or actually true? I wonder if the sound of parry's and blocks are a factor in that aswell?

Feels like I can pop more defensive CD's as pally and take less damage compared to my druid (which is better geared).