Elite's Warrior Tanking Guide

WoW Classic
21

@Elite, if you are still tracking your thread. I need some more explicit advice for this scenario, if you have time:

I was in a pug overworld group that I did not know, as a lvl 41 tank. The group of dps seemed pretty good (better than me), with a shaman doing the healing and dps. We did the 3 Bloodsail Captains - everyone basically lvl 42 as I remember, maybe one lvl 43. I am still pretty new to dealing with NON-AOE dpsers vs AOE dpsers. This group had a hunter, rogue and shaman not throwing AOE, so was basically a NON-AOE group, which I thought was good.

I did not do a great job pulling mobs up from below in the ships, but we got through. Group then wanted to go onto the Ogre Cave quest which the elite boss and 2 elite adds at the very back of that cave. The whole was all elites I believe, with the 3 at the back linked. I had actually done this cave as a tag along (ie not the tank) with a group of lvl 46 shamans just day before - dicey but the group cleared the bosses after 2 tries (1 wipe and 1 time partial wipe).

STILL, I offered to the current group that I would drop out, and said I was not high lvl enough to tank this, esp at the back of cave. Everyone said go for it. Here it got very interesting for me (if not for the group, who definitely wanted a more skilled tank). Somehow, as a result, the rogue and I got to an agreement where he would lead, mark and sap first as we went through.

This was a new thing for me, and I was impressed how well it worked.

BUT at the back, an couple times before where we aggroed in 2 or 3 ogres, I realized I did NOT know exactly where I should be and where the others should be behind me, with the rogue in front of me.

I tried to stay back but that put me right next to the hunter and shaman. If 2 mobs came - I was in defensive stance, not stance dancing - I would try to hold aggro on the two, but am reminded of your postings that aggro is easy to lose and hard to get back, and even more difficult if range dps are within melee range of me (I forget the %'s needed to pull aggro). We wiped at least once before reaching the back.

At the back I crowded the rogue (not a happy camper with me), but the 2 adds were 44 elites and the boss I think was 46 elite or at least had more abilities.

We failed and everyone pretty much reported that I was the worst tank ever. Trust me, I am not actually upset about that - I was learning - so I am not looking for comments about tensions.

The question, instead, is, how should that last pull have gone, with the rogue sapping one of the two 44 elites and skulling the boss (ie if I had not apparently faced pulled the trio before he could sap)?

  1. WHAT should I as the lvl 41 and lowest lvl in the group have done, to give us the best chance of bringing this very interesting cave run to a successful end?

  2. HOW do I learn, if not by doing these risky ventures?

TY and any posters for any advice as to MECHANICS ( I can handle the anger directed at me, perhaps at least 70% deserved - maybe 90% except I offered to drop out at the entrance to the cave)

22

From Magey’s WIKI: https://github.com/magey/classic-warrior/wiki/Threat-Mechanics#aggro-thresholds (great resource, btw):

  • To become the new aggro (“rip”) at MELEE range, you must be 10% above the current aggro.
  • To become the new aggro (“rip”) at RANGED range, you must be 30% above the current aggro.

With regards to the rest, it’s really hard to say. When you are trying to tank elites above your level, you may miss, they may resist your taunts, etc.

In the group that you had, you mention that the healer was DPSing. I’d be curious as to what gear he was in, as perhaps having him swap to his healing gear, and focus on that could have made things go differently. Perhaps not though.

When it comes to threat, there’s really only so much you can do as the tank. If targets are marked, and you are generating initial aggro, and then DPS is going ham and pulling off of you, on the main kill target vs pulling non kill targets, then there may be different things going on.

In the first case, you get initial aggro, maybe you have a sunder on your main kill target, and the hunter, let’s say, pulls aggro. There are a couple of things to consider here: either the hunter should be doing a better job of managing her or his threat, or you should be doing a better job of generating threat.

If it’s the case of people going ham on non kill targets, and pulling threat everywhere, then you are just playing with a bunch of idiots. They may have snide comments for you, and they may have all sorts of remarks about other tanks, but they simply aren’t playing their roles well (note: these types of players seem to represent a large portion of the WoW population. Often, using CDs like Mocking Blow/Taunt, having mages to slow/freeze, other warriors/druids/shaman etc. who are paying attention, and will taunt/Mocking blow or otherwise pull threat, and run stragglers to tank, can help mitigate their damage to the efficacy of your group, and good healers help as well, though all of this is just _enabling their deficiencies to continue unchecked).

So, having said all of that, let’s go back to the one thing you have control over: doing a better job of generating threat. Can you think of anything you could change that might improve your threat generation?

In the case you described above, where it sounds like you and all your party members, and even the hunter’s pet were in close proximity, Commanding Shout (EDIT: Battle Shout) would be a great threat generator, as its threat is multiplied per party member it affects, including pets. So depending on how much rage you had, and assuming you weren’t stance dancing or using SS with a 2 hander, you might be applying sunders on the kill target, and then the next kill target, with CS in between to keep threat up on the other mobs, as one example.

23

Maybe I missed something. Do you mean Challenging Shout? 10 min CD or is there a talent or item at warrior training I missed? I admit I have been out grinding for gold since turning 40.

As to rotation, when I am in conservative mode, esp with pugs I do not know, I rarely but sometimes charge and hit, and then use your macro to shift to defensive. I do not have that talent yet that saves some of the rage, so usually in tight quarters, as in this cave, I just STAY in defensive from the git go (and say so to the group as to why I am doing that) and face pull.

Here the rogue was sapping and then pulling a second back to me. That is what surprised me that it worked so well. But sometimes a third was linked and that was tougher but doable. These were all elites after all.

Anyway I would almost always then tab hit, sunder, tab hit, sunder, then demo shout, and if not up, battle shout. I know both those have aggro ranges so I had to be sure I didn’t pull the sapped one, which I did not. Still I would lose aggro usually on at least one elite very quickly and just held onto the other one.

This worked for about 9 groups of 2 and twice for a threesome, all elites, all the way back to the back where the boss was. So I think we were doing fine, even if I didn’t hold agro as much at they wanted me too.

Still, I am not good enough, yet, to have confidence to say the group frankly was just venting because we could not after 2 wipes get the boss they wanted. They seemed pretty sure I was not standing still and holding mobs in place as they thought I should.

I appreciate your response. I am pretty sure I wasn’t great at taunting but I no longer will ever run after a mob, at least not where I cannot see well. So yes the shaman took a bunch of heat … died once too, maybe twice. I don’t know his gear or spec.

I have actually rolled a shaman on a pvp server to learn what they are doing. The mages I pretty well understand. But here no mage throwing AOE.

I do know for sure that at the end I crowded the rogue and ruined the 2nd try. My bad and I said so. Ah well. Die and learn, I say (here, not there, lol)

Ty, Elite, we new tanks really need details or we can’t solve our errors or detect errors in others with confidence. Funny, since the endgame really seems to need the warrior tanks. I would think pugs would want to help teach a bit more. No often, I have found.

24

Sorry, I meant Battle Shout https://github.com/magey/classic-warrior/wiki/Threat-Mechanics#battle-shout

  • Like other buff mechanics, Battle Shout generates more threat the more targets it buffs.
  • Buff targets must be in combat with the mobs you wish to generate threat against.
  • Battle Shout threat is not capped at 5 party members and pets.
25

This suggests that I perhaps should not wait for current BS buff to expire to re-cast it, if I think more mobs have joined the combat, right? If so, I will cast it more often.

26

Hi Elite

thanks for the great guide. if you are still around, 2 quick questions.

for the Shield Bash macro or any macro in general, do I need to run it twice if I am in wrong stance or wrong gear?

do you prefer paging (action bar switch when changing stance) or no paging (all buttons show)? I am having a hard time deciding my keybinding

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27

Changing stances will cause a GCD, so yes, you’ll need to hit it twice, if you are in the wrong stance (something to keep in mind, if trying to interrupt at the last possible moment).

Good question! Very early on when I started keybinding, I was using Bartender, and a druid. Paging through action bars and keybinds then made me prefer no paging, which I still tend to prefer, though I’ve been thinking of putting together a keybinding guide, as a way to push myself to rethink my setup, and better optimize my key presses.

I suspect, I’ll be able to simplify some things by using paging, though most of my binds are closer than my number keys.

28

Thanks!

After reading your guide, I start to prefer no paging as well (since each spell can have condition checks on stances). I literately spent last 5 hours mapping my keybinding with no paging. I think I am almost sorted:)

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29

I’m very much a fan of this guide. It’s simple, it’s sweet, and while the basics are something I’ve already learned a bit about, that macro example for Shield Bash is something I’m going to have to take notes on. I find that macro uses on my end is severely lacking.

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30

Taunt raises your threat to the highest the mob had when taunted.
Jumps to the top of the hill instead of climbing it with Sunders.

31

Wouldn’t listen to this zoomer’s guide. Thinks VC is called DM. When he can google Wowhead classsic deadmines and see all the comments calling it VC.

32

Sounds like a great reason.

Also, VC is clearly the acronym for Dire Maul (Value Content).

33

Nah, bruh. Wowhead comments say you’re wrong. You weren’t even out of your dad’s sac by vanilla. Zoomer.

34

Oh. haha I thought you were just trying to have some fun trolling with your first comment, but you may actually be being serious.

Good job, and good luck to you :slight_smile:

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35

Now I definitely know you’re a zoomer. You hate evidence and facts.

36

I very much like evidence. I’m not sure what your comments regarding VC or DM have to do with this guide, nor what point you may be trying to make.

37

Then google ‘Wowhead Classic deadmines’ Read the comments and come back and apologize. I’l let you kiss my ring.

38

Hey Elite, this was a delicious guide, and I think you for linking it to me on a post of mine. I really took in a lot of key info reading your main post and the continuing discussion here. Definitely gonna bookmark it.

Cheers! Hope this guide helps many others as well.

1 Like
41

So just discovered this guide.

Has anyone else noticed the amount of aggro generated from shield block spam??

And not shield block followed by revenge. I mean just actually spamming shield block, with a spike attached of course helps. But this seems to generate a high amount of AOE threat. Of course this also comes with the added bonus of preventing you getting a crushing blow against you and the like but this also seems to gen some AOE aggro.

I just started doing this the past few days but it feels like AOE things stick to me much easier then they used too, and all I am doing is spamming shield block off cooldown.

Anyone care to comment? What’s the deal with shield block?

42

makes a guide for elite warriors and puts a list of add-ons in there. Mate your not elite at all… True elite tank and feel there toon holding agro or not no need for addon MATE.