I hear more complaints from healers than tanks.

[Seegtease]

So, I have to ask, why are there fewer tanks than healers?

There are just as many classes that have healing specs as have tank specs. Given all the current QQ about healing, I'd imagine healers would be a faster queue than tanks, but it's not the case.

If healing is so difficult, why are people more willing to heal than tank?

[Drexxil]

Because for most people tanking is a lot more difficult job than healing, and to some, healing might be more fun than tanking to them. I always felt tanking had a lot more responsibility, and effort.

[trollaltdel]

because us healers are cool.

[Seegtease]

Because for most people tanking is a lot more difficult job than healing, and to some, healing might be more fun than tanking to them. I always felt tanking had a lot more responsibility, and effort.

Then why does it seem the majority of complaints are about healing, not tanking?

I mean, personally, I enjoy both roles and I have classes that I will always heal and tank with. But I just notice the trend of complaints don't match up with actual results.

[Cryoh]

Because some people don't like to have their face in pixelated giant boss crotch.

I'm not one of those people. Mmm.

[cococabana]

Honestly, the reason probably is that a 25 man raid usually requires 2-3 tanks and 5-7 healers. 10 mans require 2 tanks and 2-3 healers. 5 mans require 1 tank and 1 healer. It's probably just the disparity in the number tanks and healers required for raiding. There's no real shortage of tanks. It's simply that everything outside of 5 mans, requires more healers than tanks. More people heal than tank, because there is more demand for healers than tanks. The only place this statement does not apply is the dungeon finder. If raids were 15 mans, that required 5 tanks, 5 healers, and 5 dps, then there would be a much better balance in the number of tanks and healers you come across outside the rdf.

Also, tanking and healing tend to be more stressful as when they mess up, people notice b/c people die. When a dps pushes the wrong button, sure dps may go down, but most likely the only one that will ever know is the dps. So, nerves probably play a role in this as well.

[lol]

Tanking heroics can frustrate a lot of players. I know a couple good friends that couldn't handle wiping in heroics, they felt like the group wiped because of them (Usually wasn't the case)

And a lot of tanks don't want to have to deal with the random dungeon system (reason pretty obvious), so they roll DPS offspec and faceroll. What cococabana said could also be a good reason as to why there are fewer tanks than healers.

[Rivin]

Then why does it seem the majority of complaints are about healing, not tanking?

Because tanking didn't go through a massive overhaul while healing did.

[superstargoddess]

Because tanking didn't go through a massive overhaul while healing did.

I'm going to agree with that. My Resto Druid became a Bear Tank, so I know how that is.

[wylatron]

zzzzz really? really? REALLY? heals: watch ui boxes, wackamole low health party member whilst considering mana acd's oooooh scary tough stuff amiright? Tanking: must have knowledge of all encounters and control over all 3 aspects of awareness as well as manageing threat and cd's...often in raid situations, the offtank is the hard worker, running around picking adds up ect ect, while the MT sits there bashing away. (go thank your guild OT, he's most likely underappreciated for all he/she does) Yes I have filled all roles to a fairly decent and longstanding extent, no I am not discounting how crunchy it can get as a heals, just that when you stack the two options of tank or heals together, I find PERSONALLY that healing is a walk in the park, with beers, compared to the attention you need to tank.

[darkhelmet]

Most of my toons have heal or tank specs.

I gave up on the random finder. There's too much blame, pain and suffering. I either heal/tank heroics exclusively with guildmates, or queue as dps while doing dailies or farming something. I'll take a 55 minute queue as dps anyday over being the first one to get blamed for not being able to heal people through breaking CC (or not CC'ing at all), standing in AoE/fire/whatever.

I don't remember the last time I've seen a dpser say "oops, sorry" when they unnecessarily got themselves killed or caused a wipe.

Being stuck in a random to tank or heal for clueless people just isn't fun anymore.

[Seegtease]

Honestly, the reason probably is that a 25 man raid usually requires 2-3 tanks and 5-7 healers.

This would be true, except I'm talking about dungeon finder. Tank queues are instant, heals are 5-15 minutes, depending. This means healers are more common.

Because tanking didn't go through a massive overhaul while healing did.

Right, so why are more healers willing to heal then if they're having so much trouble with the overhaul?

That's all I'm asking. Healers complain a lot about healing as it is, and yet there are STILL more heals than tanks available, despite all that. I don't get it. Shouldn't more unhappy healers = less healers?

[wylatron]

Because tanking didn't go through a massive overhaul while healing did.

wow...okay, here's someone with no idea wtf they are saying.
ALL tank classes had a MAJOR overhaul. DK even had a tree change for it's tank spec, druids, palli's (holy fuckin moly it's HOLY POWER!) and warriors all had change to rotation and a new mechanic (vengence remember?), so yah...guess you missed the interoffice memo huh?
/derp

[Drexxil]

Most of my toons have heal or tank specs.

I gave up on the random finder. There's too much blame, pain and suffering. I either heal/tank heroics exclusively with guildmates, or queue as dps while doing dailies or farming something. I'll take a 55 minute queue as dps anyday over being the first one to get blamed for not being able to heal people through breaking CC (or not CC'ing at all), standing in AoE/fire/whatever.

I don't remember the last time I've seen a dpser say "oops, sorry" when they unnecessarily got themselves killed or caused a wipe.

Being stuck in a random to tank or heal for clueless people just isn't fun anymore.

I agree whole-heartedly. I was tanking last night, and the DPS would start throwing their hardest moves out as I pulled, not waiting. They'd yell at me for "being a bad tank" because they had threat. Sure, taunt, whatever, but when I pull a few mobs together, and AoE starts flying down as I pull, it gets a bit ridiculous. Then, they faceroll another pack of mobs, and die, and they yelled at the healer for being bad for not healing, then yelled at me for not instantly having aggro on the mobs. This happened for a few runs, I just said screw it, and did bg's.

[Jeleh]

Simple reason is people dont listen, i tank offspec on my dk, and whilst im no endgame tank i do a reasonably good job of it, use cooldowns keep aggro, set cc targets and explain what methods im using.

However this morning on my random hc i was told to "stfu" when i said which marks were set for cc, again when i explained with 2 lines the method i was using for first boss. Even got told "it's my mana i will use it how i want" when i asked for the fire shield to be dispelled on the big casters at the start of Hoo.

This is why im no tank, i only run it to get my daily done fast when guildies are not online. Peoples attitudes are generally the issue when it comes to tanking at least in my experience.

[Stanton Biston]

First- The onus is on tanks to succede in a random group. They are (unfortunately) the most important person. They make or break groups.

Second- There are way more healers than tanks. Cataclysm has thinned tanking roles because heroics are not faceroll and neither is tanking.

Third- Consider that a lot of tanks probably stop grinding heroics once they have everything they can get outside of the daily valor. I know if it wasn't for the valor points, I wouldn't be tanking at all.

[Tumble]

Because there are more healers out there than tanks, simple as that. Raids only call for 2 tanks (sometimes a thrid which a dps usually offspecs for) while you need either 3 healers for 10 man or 7 healers for 25 man. So even if alot of healers dont feel like healing random groups, theres still going to be more willing to run than tanks.

[Hunaxor]

This would be true, except I'm talking about dungeon finder. Tank queues are instant, heals are 5-15 minutes, depending. This means healers are less common.

Still, most people are raiders. And when you are in 25 man guild with 3 tanks, why would you roll another tank? I mean, look at recruitment forums. All you see is mostly zero tanks needed, few healers here and there and huge amount of ranged dps needed. This alone makes the problem bigger and bigger. You just dont need tanks.

To the topic. Healers have it harder now but its still clicking on Healbot. You just use different spells when you click but its the same in the end. Only now you have limited mana so seeing dps take damage can be stressful because you know you cant heal them, that much.

Tanks have it harder too. While threat is not issue, survivability is. You have to use every trick you have - damage protections, selfheals, shields in nearly every fight. Add a lot of mechanics and needed awareness and you have hard job.

But still I think this problem is mainly because of raids. Even in 10 mans you mostly need just 2 tanks. But you need 3 healers and 5 dps. Add in that most tanks have all the gear from heroics they need (insta queue) and they only need one daily and probably they will do it with guild.

[Kheng]

As a Tank I am often chided by Healers for not waiting until they are at full mana. I check their mana and they are at 75% and I have cooldowns.

This is for trash btw.

[Emochild]

i can see you are / were a tank, do you think its that simple? just to top everything up with our most pew pew spells? if a DPS fails, its the healer that have to waste a 9k mana heal on him, if a tank prio stamina before the 'donthurtme' (avoidance) the healer pays for it, and if either of those fail they usualy flame the healer.. you should try healing a raid! its not just a walk in the park, i am a healer, and i am a tank. I usualy find healing much much MUCH for challening now than i did before, and i still see healer as more challenging as a tank