Crackling Thunder and pugs, is it necessary?

[boolslice]

So I've been really wanting to completely switch to Bounding Stride for the extra mobility, but I feel like some pulls you need CT to grab initial aggro (trash pack before Hymdall as an example) where the mobs are too far spread out to tag them before over-eager DPS does and at a time when GCDs are too important for rage (SS, and Rev) to get up IP/SB to hit them with HT. This seems trivial, but those gladiators can completely wreck one or more DPS on Mythic if they get their cleave off at the wrong time/angle. Is there an efficient way to handle a pull like this while keeping BS talented?

[McJiggles]

I don't know how helpful this is, but i do run with Bounding Stride and for pulls like that i will charge / ThunderClap one side and immediately Heroic leap to the other side which allows me to get initial aggro and still get groups and facing correct. The casters are still a pain since we dont have a silence.

[blackphantom21]

I just keep Tomes available. Bounding Stride for world content, Crackling Thunder for dungeons/raids. I don't need to be Demon Hunter fast moving through dungeons. No one else can keep up with that

[Uriel]

lol you guys.. I did all Dungeons so far and never did I need a bigger AOE.
Maybe its because I am used playing oldschool Warrior where AOE was very limited..
I feel like Crackling thunder is a wasted talent. Heroic leap basically is another Thunderclap and Bounding Stride has so many uses while also reducing your CD.

Some tips:

If the Group is widespread charge one side>TC>charge the other>CLeave
Running in circles helps to gather them. Use Shockwave when they are in one place. Instead you can also heroic leap one side and charge>TC the other keeping cleave as a backup.

If there is a caster, do as above but postion yourself next to the caster. The meleemobs will come to you.

If there are two casters, charge one interrupt his spell and you will get a few seconds where he follows you. Charge the other caster to get them as close together as possible.

If you cant interrupt or the caster wont move, fight the meleepack and Heroic throw the stray caster. Heroic throw does good Thread and you can spamm it for a stray add.

If there are only two mobs, Heroic throw one and charge the other.

If there are multiple casters it is a good idea to pull them and hide behind a wall so they lose LOS. They will then come to you. Inform your PUGS before you do so though, because while you are hiding behind an object they might already eviscerate the impatient mage.

If everything else fails just use taunt. If even that fails spec for Warlords challenge.

[Bigbazz]

I never use this talent, so I guess it's not necessary. I also run Ravager though so I dump that down, leap to the right of the mobs with a thunder clap and charge to the left most mob to shield slam, then I run back towards the middle and revenge, any interupts on casters done during this too. Same with any pack like this, it's a bit busy but I just enjoy bounding stride too much.

[Leih]

A lot of people don't like Crackling Thunder, but it's actually very useful for dungeons. I wouldn't be put off by people who call it a dead talent because they're too cool to use it or people who've read an Icy Veins single target raid tank guide and heard it does nothing for you so they never spec it. I run it quite often and it has a lot of applications in many of the dungeons.

While, yes, you can absolutely clear everything no problem without the larger AOE radius, there are plenty of individual trash pulls (especially while chain-pulling) that I just feel are much easier with Crackling over Bounding, and I've tried just about every dungeon with both by now I think.

I mean, 15s off your Heroic Leap is pretty useful and all, but at the same time depending on your group's speed and the mobility of your other party members, you quite often don't even get the full use out of it. If you're not able to productively use Heroic Leap on cooldown, you're not getting the full benefit, and unlike Demon Hunters our leap doesn't really hit for enough to be a big contribution to your damage, and still has that awkward minimum range.

That said, if you do need the extra mobility from Bounding, then for trash packs like the one before Hymndall your best bet is to utilise your cooldowns. In dungeons, don't be afraid to make use of your big mitigation cooldowns on the trash, because most often the larger trash packs can be a lot harder than the bosses themselves, especially for a Prot Warrior where once you get your IPs up and rolling the danger is a lot less! On a pack like this, make sure you use your Heroic Throw on a distant mob while you charge (it hits for nothing but it does a significant amount of threat). If there are two casters like on that dragon pack, charge one of them, hit him with an immediate interrupt, then leap/charge to the other caster, the first caster will follow you over there and that gets them grouped up quickly. Since you're not focusing on rage/IP at this point, and it's a big pack, I would normally throw down my shield wall or something while doing this. It's as good a time as any, and I don't need it for Hymndall.

Hope this helps somehow.

[Alorithin]

Overpositioning as a tank is a bad idea. Crackling lets you dodge cleaves/breaths/run like a girl and simplifies spread out trash/add grabs like valor/vault/eye.