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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-24-2010 @ 12:08AM
Tom said...
While I really like the idea of the article, I think that the differences the author address are not as wide as she makes them out to be. In Heroics and easy raids, the damage each type of tank takes isn't going to be very different - sure, Paladins and Warriors can block, but it really isn't a big deal. All other things being equal, Paladins, Warriors, and Druids don't seem any different in terms of incoming damage. I get a vague impression that DKs can be spiky if they're not using their cooldowns, but I'm probably imagining most of it.
The real differences to be mindful of are the different ways they deal with adds/pulls and the nature of their cooldowns.
Warriors and Druids can be slow to get initial aggro on a group if their Rage bars are empty, whereas Death Knights and Paladins tend to have pretty rapid pick-up. I pre-fade when a tank's red bar is empty, and that generally works well enough, while with other tanks I'm not as concerned. Another thing to be mindful of are casters. Warriors and DKs have a bunch of abilities to get them under control, but it can be harder for Druids and Paladins. In a similar vein, Paladins don't have a gap-closing move, and DKs' gap-closer is kinda funky. Another thing to keep in mind is that DKs don't really have a mechanical reason to move between groups quickly, all the other tanks do.
The author's done a fine job explaining the various tanking cooldowns. The things you need to be aware of, though, are how many each class has, how often they'll be used, and how each one might affect you. A Paladin, for example, only has one cooldown they can use at-will, while DKs have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves.
Ultimately, if you have a passing familiarity with how tanks pull and move between groups you'll be fine for Heroics. If you're in a raid with a tank you're not familiar with and you're going to do a fight that takes more finesse than "stand there and heal", just talk with the tank and make get on the same page as each other about how to deal with movement or whatever.
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