If they’re terrible tanks, then yes just stay arms/fury. You’re likely to be better off as DPS than a tank regardless of what spec you play.
Here’s what all you terrible tanks don’t seem to understand: tanking is a different mentality than DPS in vanilla. Tanks play a different game than the rest of the group, similar to how healers are playing a different game. If you go into it trying to play the same game as DPS, you’re not going to do well. So I say again for all you thickheads, learn to play the spec.
It comes down to the low level talents, guy. At low levels, prot talents do not serve you or the group as well as arms talents. All of us tanks agree. Idk why you did it wrong in vanilla, but don’t try to argue against a whole meta.
Honestly? There are a few classes and specs for whom talents genuinely don’t make that huge of a difference in overall performance, outside of the big milestone talents. Resto shaman comes to mind.
Except during your 20s to 40s, where you’ll do very well, as long as you can manage threat.
EDIT: Well, “as long as you can manage threat” is a different game than DPS threat management, so you have a point.
They serve you just fine. Learn to play the spec or stop complaining it. It’s simple. If you don’t like the tanking game, then DPS. There’s no shame in that. But don’t complain about a spec that you’re just terrible at.
Early on, your base abilities should be enough to be a serviceable tank. Although a lot of people even fail at that. Protection will make you a better tank though, even at earlier levels (assuming you’re not just a terrible tank to begin with).
Until you roll a warrior yourself, stay out of the discussion LOL
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Been there done that, cupcake. Learn to play, then come at me.
I just wrote up a low level tanking guide, and would appreciate some feedback on that.
Perhaps, some deeper discussion on prot talents, macros, leveling tips, rage generation, pull strategies and how they might out perform Arms or Fury would be good.
There are talents to give more threat in dev stance and also anger management will help preserve rage so saying you had less threat being prot is absurd. Dual wield tank then with prot build. I ran a zf yesterday with a 48 mostly prot tank and it was the best warrior tank I’ve seen on our server yet. he also knew what he was doing. His rage bar was always over 50 and was cycling sunders properly in all targets(and more on main dps target). I leveled a warrior tank in vanilla to 60 and tanked all the 5 mans and then for burning crusade on that same warrior I raid tanked into sunwell. So I know what’s up. You can also tank as arms but imo nothing beats prot with someone that knows what they are doing low level or not. Unfortunately questing is better with arms so having a happy medium is probably best while leveling. The main thing though is most warriors don’t really know how to tank. Use blood rage on gun pulls, cycle sunders on all targets, hit all revenge procs, only use taunt when you lose agro, put target markers on keybinds so you can quickly mark pulls. Los pulls where applicable, keep mobs off healer and be mindful of healer mana at all times.
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Defensive stance has a base (untalented) of 130% threat, but you’re right, that can go higher with talents in the prot tree.
Anger Management is in the Arms tree.
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Arms 100%. Deflection and Tactical Mastery are god talents.
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Not sure if it was mentioned above, but the OP is level 10. A lot of the conversation seems to be bouncing from different views that could very much be dependent on level ranges.
It seems quite common to level as say deep Arms, until low 40s, then choose to respec Prot, Fury, or stay Arms. This then seems to also ask the question about whether dungeon leveling is viable vs questing (which it obviously is, and a lot of people are doing it).
Anyway, back to the grind 
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Yes it is but I’m saying that’s what you get in a prot build to help with rage and threat
Thanks for the advice. The first tank I ever had the balls to make wasn’t till MoP, obviously a different thing.
Ah, I see. Fair enough. I know a lot of tanks are going Prot in their 40s, and not looking back.
I’ve got 31 points in Arms at level 40, and am going to be putting my remaining points into Prot, specifically to buff my Shield Blocking, Rage Generation, and not quite decided on whether to prioritize defense vs Armor. I’ll have to take a look at the types of mobs in the higher instances…
We’ll see how viable this build is, and whether I drop it and go full Prot as well.
I would go 100% prot and just tank-farm dungeons all the way to 60.
Get a good healer and 3 mages and ride the underground EXP train.
Arms for leveling, Slam 2H Fury for raiding, or Prot if you want to tank,
Lol thinking you need prot to tank while leveling. Stuff doesn’t hit that hard, and you need to get hit somewhat in order to have rage to do anything.
For any warrior, any spec you want to play, your best bet is going 11 deep into Arms for TM and anger management. After that I’d still continue down arms for leveling but if you really had your heart set on prot you could start going down it at that point.
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You can be Prot but get the important arms talents first you need to Tank. Anger Management and Tactical mastery are a must have to Tank efficiently. Anger gives 1 rage every 3 secs. Then go into the Prot tree and get improved shield 1 pt so blocks give 1 rage. I take some point in cruelty as crit is good and more rage… then up to you where to go.
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