Entitled dual-wielding/2H "tanks"

That’s a MASSIVE strawman.

Welcome to the WoW forums :roll_eyes:
Dont feed the trolls.

True. Oddly enough, I wouldn’t run pugs if I wanted to min/max. I’d run with a static group.

Oh that’s a fail, should be 48 and even then switch to shield for the final boss.

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That is what most players of even average intelligence do when trying to MIN MAX… but hey, processing thoughts to make intelligent decisions is not for everyone.

Jokes aside, they watch a stream and think they will be cool or better or liked or whatever if they do the same, but dont have the social web to run a static group, for reasons we can all probably imagine.

My healer is sitting right next to me. looks at the stats and logs and clearly said it made no difference. I don’t know what else to tell you.

I do. They’re lying.

I completely agree.

Problem is, I’ve yet to group with a “dps tank” that can hold aggro for more than 2 seconds. I’m not saying they don’t exist, I’m saying I haven’t seen one. They’re fine 1v1. The moment they pull multiple, it turns into #%^*ing thunder dome.

“Why you keep wanding?”

Because if I cut a fart i’ll pull everything off you.

Always a #%^*ing slog with these “tanks”.

BREAKING NEWS

Some unnamed healer has confirmed sheilds have no use in Classic WoW.

You heard it here first folks.

But on a serious note… how about YOU link your log with how much damage YOU are taking… the healers heals will be the same regardless of how much damage you take.

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It’s OK. It’s really that big of a deal to tank without a shield while leveling. You don’t have to be so upset. This happened all the time in vanilla too. How ever you do need shields at max level. You can play mental gymnastics around it all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that low level shields aren’t that great.

I can use my OP two hander to help kill things really quick or use my greens and kill things slower and overall take about the same damage. But I digress. I didn’t come in here to argue with someone. I responded just to share my experience on the matter. Since it does work.

You can be mad all you want.

Of course it works. Either the healer makes it work by carrying the tank, or the tank actually knows what he is doing… either way, you can have a successful run with a 2H tank, of course.

It still doesnt make it true for everybody, but everybody seems to want to tank with 2H now. That is the problem we are having… and if you would like to bring a counter point to a discussion on Entitled DW/2H Tanks, expect to have at least a discussion, if not a debate on the matter. Nobody is mad lol, I just wont agree that it is good. It is good FOR SOME PEOPLE, sure.

Bad players will be bad. They won’t be good even if they have a shield. /shrug

And if they do want to tank, they should probably wear a sheild. Or if the healer is bad, has bad gear, the tank should probably wear a sheild.

Or the better option. Overlevel the dungeon. If you go in as soon as you can you will do poorly as a tank. Maybe that’s your problem. I was level 40 before I did SM cath.

Then follow my little miniguide on how to do it properly at a baseline level!

2H tanking as a Warrior, when and when not, assumptions and analysis

Discussion

There are two pull types here: ranged pull and 2H charge pull.

RANGED PULL ASSUMPTIONS:

  • This pull is in a crowded area, and your group understands you are going to pull with a ranged weapon around a corner to get the entire pull to come to you.
  • Your DPS isn’t going to AOE until you are established.

Do this:

  • Use a ranged shot in defensive stance. As soon as the damage lands and all the enemies turn to face you, activate bloodrage and then battle shout. Use LOS to bring the pull around a corner to you.
  • Use a combination of spamming battle shout and revenge/sunder on the main target. After a battle shout or two, cycle through targets applying sunder to them. This type of pull usually goes smoothly so just tank normally, you don’t need sweeping strikes or a 2hander for this type of pull. The main thing here is if your DPS is AOEing, they need to have some way of managing their threat because inherently in this type of pull you can’t really generate threat that will compete with them.
  • This is what some purists call “real tanking” and they’ll get mad at you if you use a 2hander or whatever, because they don’t really understand that the next type of pull is also viable (under certain circumstances: read the assumptions below).

2H CHARGE PULL ASSUMPTIONS:

  • The specific pull you are engaging in is far enough away from nearby mobs that you won’t aggro extra mobs by charging.
  • You are not under-level for the instance. You don’t want to be missing much as a 2H tank.
  • Your two handed weapon doesn’t suck. You are wearing as much mail or plate as you can, not completely decked out in leather. If doing this type of pull, damage mitigation actually matters somewhat. You can’t automatically assume the healer will keep you up, you need to be prepared to swap to sword/shield if you start dying.

Do this:

  • From battle stance, charge in and hit once. Your DPS should know not to engage yet. Activate sweeping strikes.
  • Stance change to berserker stance. Activate whirlwind as soon as possible. Your DPS should know not to engage yet. (Meaning it is your job to make sure they know how to handle this type of pull beforehand. Use the most powerful WoW spell of all: communication)
  • Now switch to defensive stance and see how much rage you have and how much time has passed. Edit: Activate bloodrage immediately after defensive stance.
  • Your DPS is itching to start aoeing. Knowing this, battle shout is probably the best next move. But if you don’t have aoe DPS, then focus on getting a sunder or revenge on the main target (if you’ve dodged an attack at this point).

Now you have super solid threat on all mobs, so check in on your health bar. If you’re taking serious hits, swap to shield and focus on rotating through mobs applying sunders, use shield block and reserve your revenges for the main target.


Some followup discussion:

Certain situations call for one approach or the other. For example, you should not charge in in situations where you might pull additional adds, as that can wipe you.

What’s more, you can use general Warrior knowledge and savvy to improve these techniques based on the situation. If you have anger management and you swap to battle stance at the end of the last pull, you might start a fight with 30+ rage ready to go meaning you can use sweeping strikes even on a ranged pull.

When you pull >6 mobs at once, demoralizing shout becomes a better aoe threat ability than battle shout.

If you are under leveled for an instance, sword and shield is recommended because the faster attack speed means you are less likely to miss twice in a row with your 3.8 second attack speed whirlwind axe for example.

Not all DPS will cooperate in a way that will make 2H tanking possible. If they don’t, they will die occasionally, and your run will slow down.

Note: bloodrage generates aoe threat as long as the pull is already aggroed. So use it immediately after entering defensive stance.

Defensive stance gives threat *1.3 for threat causing abilities, any other stance gives threat * 0.9, so that is why we use battle stance only to activate sweeping strikes, and berseker stance only to activate whirlwind, before entering defensive stance for all following abilities in the fight.

Okay that’s all I’ve got for now, all feedback is welcomed!

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You have exquisite taste, Pupnasty. I’m surprised there isn’t an armored skirt in the game.

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Wearing a shield does not make a bad tank good. In fact at low levels, it probably makes them even worse. Since the major problem is rage generation.

People are generally going into dungeon overleveled for them. Most mobs bar end bosses are green to all players. Wearing a shield makes rage generation impossible.

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Lmao you’re gonna be really mad when you get to 60 and realize the best way to tank is duel wielding

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Did a UBRS for a guildy and what a surprise, dual wielding taking insane amounts of dmg ea pull and has the nerve to tell the healer asking him to put a shield on to “just get better”

Meanwhile he’s dead on the floor at General Drakk :thinking:

iMaGiNe tAnKiNg wItHoUt a sHiElD

Perfect example of a bad.

Nobody puts points on Prot specs as a Warrior in leveling in Classic. Warriors can tank on Arms or Fury specs. The problem is that they should switch to shield when overwhelmed. Most of the 2H Warrior tanks I am seeing now in Classic (not all though) doesnt switch to shield when overwhelmed. I saw them die… I saw the party wipe afterwards. I dont mind the wipe coz I never die in dungeons with my feign death.

All I am saying is that if you are the tank, you dont need to be on Prot specs. But you need to wear shield when you get overwhelmed. There were many times the freaking patrols came when we are killing 1 group of mobs. When 2 group of mobs needs to be dealt with and your warrior is still on 2H tanking. GOOD LUCK.

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