Spec'ing to Prot

[Deleted]

Hi all,

Over the last couple of days I've tried out tanking for the first time and oh my days am I enjoying it. After playing Ret for so long I needed something a bit different to try and I think I've found my calling.

As I have pretty much zero tanking gear, and having to rely on my Ret stuff, my stats aren't exactly as what they should be. However I've been able to tank some +6 M+ dungeons but don't want to try too much before I just can't handle it (901 Ret / 893 Prot).

My question is, as I can tank lower end M+ dungeons pretty much winging it and using common sense, what would be the optimal way for me to actually learn how to tank? Do I just keep trying harder and harder M+ dungeons and when I'm properly geared then move on to raiding?

Sorry if this is a repeated question, I've only ever played as a DPS before and never delved in to the depths of tanking up until now.

Thanks!

[Deleted]

My question is, as I can tank lower end M+ dungeons pretty much winging it and using common sense, what would be the optimal way for me to actually learn how to tank? Do I just keep trying harder and harder M+ dungeons and when I'm properly geared then move on to raiding?

Stick to what you CAN while you're learning and adapting to the playstyle. Once comfy, do exactly as you suggested yourself.

[Deleted]

As I have pretty much zero tanking gear, and having to rely on my Ret stuff, my stats aren't exactly as what they should be. However I've been able to tank some +6 M+ dungeons but don't want to try too much before I just can't handle it (901 Ret / 893 Prot).

My question is, as I can tank lower end M+ dungeons pretty much winging it and using common sense, what would be the optimal way for me to actually learn how to tank? Do I just keep trying harder and harder M+ dungeons and when I'm properly geared then move on to raiding?

Sorry if this is a repeated question, I've only ever played as a DPS before and never delved in to the depths of tanking up until now.

Figure out the class, spend a bit of time learning the basics of tanking (balls of death, bringing in targets at range, moving so that melee have an easy time sticking/cleaving), and then hop into what you consider challenging. Any time a dungeon feels like it went easily, try and bump up your key levels a few and see how it goes. Learning the ebb and flow of Dungeon tanking can seem awkward at first, it just comes with experience so don't be afraid to try new things to see how they work out.

Tanking raids is very different to tanking M+, but you can apply the same concept to that as well. If you have a guild and potentially a friendly, experienced tank that can help, even better! Ultimately, as long as you keep on pushing yourself as soon as you start feeling comfortable, you'll figure it out.

[Deleted]

Thanks all :-)

So far so good, progressing slowly through M+ dungeons and getting a better feel for tanking as a whole

[Deleted]

There are real differences tanking M+ or tanking a raid boss...

In M+ you are much more dependent on what your mates do. You can have an easy time tanking M+15 when your dps know when to throw in a stun, when to kick which ability, which target to focus and how to deal with affixes. Doing this you can avoid most of the damage done to you. If you know the mechanics, there is little chance in boss fights where you can die, especially as a prot pally with it's strong AM.

In raids as a tank everything grows and falls with experience i guess. If you know what's going on you can succeed. Know when to pop a cooldown, know when to taunt, know the positioning of bosses and adds... Of course dps and healers can help you. But usually the main problem while progressing won't be tank deaths.

So for M+ i would suggest just to try it. If you can do M+6 without any problems, try M+7... If you know how to deal with the affixes, where won't be that much difference.

Use Blessing of Spellwarding and Divine Shield to get rid of necrotic stacks. Remember to have some cancelaura macros.

Ask your rogues and hunters to help you with skittish mobs. With Seraphim you should not have a real problem with it anyways. Final Stand is useful here too.

Watch your positioning with quaking and volcanic...

If you wan't to tank raid bosses i would suggest to start at least with NHC and not wasting time in LFR. You simply cannot die there as a tank with 893+. And with all the chaos going around you won't learn anything.

Get weakauras and use them to track your own debuffs, and of course those on your co-tank. Raid awareness is an important point for a main-tank.

[Evilmoo]

1)when tanking high M+s (15+) and in a pug without a voice comm, ALWAYS assume that you have incompetent dps and do cooldowns accordingly. DO NOT anticipate for stun, slow or interrupt, you can not imagine how many times i've died because dps did not do an obvious interrupt that i was convinced was a no brainer.

2) Cooldowns and AM are to be used, i've had mentality to "save" them for "harder" situations, and it sometimes backfired, i'm slowly changing this mindset in me. it is better to burn all defensive CDs on a large pack than wipe, because you decided to "save" ardent defender or spellwarding for next (maybe even harder) pack.

3) Don't do seraphim untill you are comfortable with your active mitigation rotation and know how to save shield stacks, if you don't have 4 pc set go for passive defender thingy.

4) ardent + BoAK +Spellwarding + Final Stand will give you immeasurable pull power in any dungeon (don't do this in bolstering, explosive, vulcanic or any other affix where trash buff each other) for example in this week you can pull EVERYTHING in wardens +15, including miniboss and top trash and just alternate with spellwarding, boak and final stand to be pretty much immortal for ~25+ secs, dps should be able to cleave that pack tho.