While more spec choices in general would be nice, judging from recent interviews and general sentiments surrounding the role, I don’t think this would help much.
It seems like making current tank specs better would be a bigger help.
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Adding more tank specs doesnt increase the amount of tanks. And Blizz is having trouble balancing the tanks we do have.
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“No one’s eating the red M&Ms. We need to order more red M&Ms!”
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People that like red M&Ms are gonna eat them regardless of their packaging.
People that dont like red M&Ms are gonna avoid them regardless of their packaging.
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Aug should’ve been a tank spec the whole time. Just sayin’.
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I think we need less tank specs
A drunk guy and a guy getting vengeance are not tanks
I actually think that Brann is the final testing for a Shaman tank and that it’ll be revealed in the 11.1.5 or 11.1.7 patch. The dude uses a shield with a stacking dmg reduction just like Shamans in SoD, he has a pet which is basically earth ele, and ability like bloodlust, he has a totem, he has a spirit link and Shaman would likely be a ranged tank which could be masked by Brann’s gun - Crafted shields in TWW have Str/Int as primarty stats, not Agility and why would Blizz add a third Str/Shield tank? Sure, Brann is a Hunter and he uses gadgets and stuff but mechanically he has Shaman abilities.
Also, I don’t currently tank but I would absolutely tank full-time if Shaman Tank became a thing. I’m sure I’m not unique with this thought so the tank population would probably grow by at least some small percentage.
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I actually think it would; if Shamans could tank for example, at least some Shaman mains would give it a try. It would also shake up comps since you’d now have a tank that can bring Lust and even a quasi-brez for themselves.
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Nah, I think Bran is testing for Tank Spec Tinker Class. DPS Spec Tinker class would be using one handed guns, and a support spec using tinkers for buffs. Don’t think you can do a proper ranged tank, too much AI would be needed. Have to be in melee for boss positioning.
Don’t get me wrong, a caster tank shaman would be amazing.
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It never worked before
People wanting to play a tank are already playing a tank.
If the shaman tank is good, you would just have people rerolling to play it.
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When did they add a tanking spec to a non-tank class before?
There are many people who only main specific classes out there.
Not all of the rerolls would be existing tanks. The OP themself is someone who wants to roll a tank while also being a ranged DPS, but doesn’t like druid. So there are indeed folks who would reroll but aren’t currently playing a tanking spec.
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well, 1-handed guns dont exist. ranged abilities are basically the same thing as a gun. and, why would a tinker have a shield instead of a mech suit? i’d imagine that they’d be a lot closer to a demon hunter.
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Worth an experiment. 
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Idk I’ve seen some drunk guys take hits and keep on going like nothing happened
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nah, i dont play a tank and would 100% play shaman tank. i doubt that it would be a massive increase in tanks but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. even 1% more tanks would be an improvement.
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Their major cooldown skill should cause them to yell really loud and have gold hair for its duration.
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No I think it needs to be trivial because of all the other stuff that generally comes with being a tank, especially in M+. It’s not like the healer or one of the DPS can pull for you throughout an entire dungeon, unless it’s premade and you all know each other and how well you can play together, generally speaking the tank needs to lead the way and do what they can to lead the group.
And in raid you still need to work with the other tank, taunt swap, where to position the boss, co-ordinate with the rest of the group to ensure they are all standing where you need them.
If they made tanking as in depth as healing, along with the other tanking stuff, for sure no one would play it.
Personally I think tanks are fine how they are, there is nothing about the current tanks per se they need to change. It’s more about the entire philosophy surrounding the game that needs changing.
Sure you can buff tanks 100% in all directions, that would make them unstoppable killing machines again, but the other 4 players would be in a worse situation than they already are.
Like currently I can pull 3-4 packs in M+ without needing a healer, buff me so I can pull 6-8 and what would that achieve? More frontals, more AOE, more interrupts and spells casts, but since I can survive no issues right? No, the DPS and healers would get KO’d instantly.
Fix the game so we can pull bigger, make dungeons purposely designed to allow for bigger pulls, let the DPS go brrrrrr, but also make it so we have less crap, less interrupts, less frontals and ground effects, less outgoing damage so players overall don’t feel as stressed playing the game.
But people who also want to play a certain class and tank, are not.
Fact is none of us know the true severity of what players want, yet for certain what we do have every time that similar topics come up are players who agree it would get them trying out said suggestion.
Just scroll up, there are players here who are admitting if they made more classes have tank specs that they would tank. In 34 responses only to this post there are already a handful of players stating it would help.
Yes you would also get people rerolling into new tanks, but it would no doubt bring in at least some new tanks entirely, and that helps no matter how little people do it.
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to me, this always come back to the beginning: shaman tanks.
as many people know, the original enhancement talent tree had many tanking nodes: increase dodge, increase block, increased threat. rockbiter threat, defensive totems, etc.
they never got much traction outside of dungeons. I leveled a shaman as a tank in classic into the 45-46 level range when people didn’t believe you could tank as a shaman and plate became a tank thing.
also, blizz never made tanking gear (i.e. defensive gear) for mail wearers. today, gear adjusts to spec, so that isn’t an issue.
an earthwarden tanking spec would be great.
plus you would also have melee, ranged, healer, and tank all in one
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My hottest take that is probably incorrect - is that DH, much like Priest having 2 healing specs, should have 2 tanking specs.
With the 2nd tanking spec being more akin to the SoD Warlock tank spec that uses the metamorphosis form. Lot less focus on kiting, jumping, and sigils, and much more focused on “I’m a demon, rawr”
But that doesn’t solve the issue you presented >.< C’est la vie.
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I’ve also seen a drunk guy knock himself out
It’s a dangerous thing to have your tank miss their ability and kill themselves