WoW Rookie: Tanking for beginners
by Lisa Poisso 
Jun 3rd 2009 at 6:00PM
You've always wanted to be the eye of the storm: a World of Warcraft tank. You're working your way up toward level 80, quest by quest and zone by zone. Maybe you've consulted a leveling guide and done some research around the internet, and you're sporting a shiny, efficient leveling spec. Or maybe you're taking things more casually, experimenting with different specs and abilities on your own and devoting most of your energy to soaking up the sights and the lore, meeting new friends and settling into your first guild.
Either way, you're beginning to feel the first tendrils of apprehension curling around your ankles. You haven't been able to get many instance groups to knock the shine off that new armor. Heck, maybe you're not even tanking-specced yet at all. What's going to happen when you hit 80? Everyone's going to expect you to know the pointy end of the sword from what's under that fluffy tail you feel inclined to tuck beneath you ... What can you bring to the table with absolutely (gulp) zero experience?
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The basics of aggro management The first thing you need to understand, young Padawan, is the underlying principle that allows a tank to do his or her job: aggro. Learn to dance with aggro as a Jedi does with the Force. As your group or raid's tank, you need to have an implicit understanding of aggro, from what it is and where it comes from, to why YOU want it and why the rest of the players don't. |
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Tanking 101 You understand the principles of aggro – now what do you DO with it? What are the methods, tools and tactics that help you gain and hold aggro? And once you have aggro, how do you live through it? |
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Great power and great responsibility What's it like to be the tank, anyway? The pivotal position you play in groups lends a unique perspective to how you play and enjoy the game. |
Class balance has become a fluid thing in today's World of Warcraft, but we can still point you toward some universal truths. Know that the details in the following class-specific articles may have changed since they were written, but they'll give you a good feel for what you can expect from the tanking experience in your chosen class.
- Druid tanking Bear tanking strategies
- Paladin tanking The tankadin for dummies
- Warrior tanking Rage and how to use it
- Death Knight tanking Tips for new Death Knights from a fellow melee, Part 1 and Part 2
Read more about tanking among the posts in our tanking class columns.
- Tank Talk
- Druids Shifting Perspectives
- Paladins The Light and How to Swing It
- Warriors The Care and Feeding of Warriors
- Death Knights Lichborne
To battle!
WoW Rookie feeds you the basics to get you off to a good start in the World of Warcraft. Find more tools you can use in the WoW Insider Directory and WoW Insider Leveling Guides.Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Warrior, How-tos, Features, WoW Rookie, Death Knight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Malkavos Jun 3rd 2009 6:14PM
Yes, that IS a warrior on the cover graphic, but why he's the poster child for a tanking article, we haven't the foggiest.
Malkavos Jun 3rd 2009 8:30PM
Yay, bear druids are much more appropriate, thanks for the change.
darren Jun 3rd 2009 6:18PM
Your link to the paladin column is broken.
Bigjimm Jun 3rd 2009 6:21PM
Why is the tank dual-wielding?
Eternauta Jun 3rd 2009 6:34PM
This^
Vassal Jun 4th 2009 5:16PM
ahahahaHAHAHAHA
Shrike Jun 3rd 2009 6:40PM
Because he's a Rookie in search of help and guidance.
SmokeTheBear Jun 3rd 2009 6:46PM
Surely someone there can craft a group pic of a party of tanks that represents the different classes. I mean, I agree that a dual-wielding warrior probably wasn't the best choice, and as much as I do love the bear, that's probably not the most appropriate graphic for the column either.
That said, great article. I forwarded it on to a couple of our guild's baby tanks. :)
Oni Stardust Jun 3rd 2009 11:07PM
"Surely someone there can craft a group pic of a party of tanks that represents the different classes."
You mean like this: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/freya-ix/default.jpg ?
(background picture from Totemly Cool's Youtube page. They're the ones who made that "I'm A Tank" song)
Shibdaddy Jun 3rd 2009 7:08PM
I have to say that the class specific article you have posted for Warriors is horribly out of date. Just reading again how we had to tank back in BC made me shudder a bit. Thankfully blizz allowed us to be better aoe tanks in Wrath, and not frantic jackrabbits that had to tab and devestate everything like a madman.
I recommend new Warriors review some of Mr. Rossi's more recent articles or visit Tankspot.com for info that will actually help you out.
jbodar Jun 4th 2009 12:27AM
I 2nd the Tankspot.com recommendation. Seriously, just go already.
Hyphen Jun 3rd 2009 7:35PM
Want to learn to how to tank? Level Prot thats why I did
Robert M Jun 3rd 2009 7:58PM
The biggest advantage to leveling prot is you often teast yourself and learn to use your cooldowns when you are alone and the only consequence to dying is your own repari bill. Once you have a handle on when and what oh shit buttons to you, you will find tanking in groups much easier.
GREAT ADVICE!
Sinthar Jun 4th 2009 7:53AM
Gotta say i leveled my alt prot - from lvl 30 (approx). Hours of fun, pulling 1/2 the zone and aoe tanking em down. Even at some points having to leave in the middle of a battle, only to come back expecting a CR, to find a neat pile of bodies around a severly injured pally - epic. I even had to do this in BT zone, when i was grinding rhino meat. Pulled about 20 of em, and d/c'd for 5 mins. Managed to log back on, just in time to loot all the meaty goodness around me before it despawned.
lilrabbit129 Jun 4th 2009 12:12PM
I've done the same. My (now dual spec ret/holy) pally leveled as prot. AOE killing was awesome, for the most part. The bane of my existence were mobs that could heal though. I did so little damage as prot that it literally took 5-10 minutes for a group of healers to die.
I switched to ret mid-60's and got my revenge though =).
Osc Jun 3rd 2009 7:44PM
All the individual class posts are incredibly out of date. Hell the druid one is talking about blessing of salv.
tanky Jun 3rd 2009 7:45PM
I remember my first tanking experience - Steamvaults. Like a complete nub, I run into the instance without any key binds (warr tank!) or addons and start trying to mouse-click-tank. Needless to say, the group disbanded after the first pull/wipe.
Now I have no less than 25 key binds and there is barely anything left of the stock Blizz UI. The Thorim arena is one of my favorite tanking encounters in the game.
Atrophus Jun 3rd 2009 9:24PM
New night elf bears are really really ugly, so glad im a tauren!
Eros Jun 4th 2009 2:35AM
I like the new Nelf bear. This coming from a Tauren by the way.
Sean Jun 4th 2009 7:23AM
Great! post i was curious if you have any advise of setting foot into a guild or getting your way in an already structured Raid i would love to see Naxx!