When should a tank stance dance to thunder clap?

WoW Classic WoW Classic General Discussion
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[Edit add: I am lvl 41 tank not lvl 30 as icon says]

Two things:

I just read the thread Tanks, You Have Two Choices
(basically move fast or get panned)

and

I just tanked RFD for the very first time at lvl 41 – no wipes – medium speed (dps might say slow but will explain) – a cpl of dps deaths with instant rez I think –

BUT I chose to stay in defensive stance with sword and board the whole way
BECAUSE I didn’t want to lose Taunt and don’t yet have the talent that holds some rage during shifts. Still, I face pulled all but twice to keep moving because dps said that is what they wanted.

Now this point: we had 2 shaman and no healer. So lots of totems.

I had NO problem with that – this was their group and I was needed just to complete it.

QUESTION: Should a tank (even first run in RFD or ULDA) use stance dancing to fire Thunder Clap to create threat? I mean, as a basic approach?

I want to LEARN. In 2008-10 I rolled rogue, priest, hunters - never tanked. As those I never pulled aggro. Today I cannot hold aggro hardly at all with the faster play style. That can be okay - like I said, not my play unless I create the group, or unless I say so as condition of tanking.

Should I use Thunder Clap on each pull of 4 to 6 in RFD?

[Edit 2, I took out SM because AOE in SM can be a true disaster - LOS is almost the only reasonable way to do SM Lib, Arm and Cath, imo - see the other thread]

[Edit 3, I think but am not sure that group might have expected me to be going 2H axe in battle stance or biserker stance the whole way - but this did not occur to me until it was nearly finished]

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Thunder Clap generates only marginally more threat than Battle Shout or Demoralizing Shout, while your Defensive Stance gives you 130% base threat (untalented).

If you are untalented into Tactical Mastery (which would allow you to retain up to 25 rage, if talented 5/5 when changing stances), then the decision may be more trivial for you.

If you have no rage, but would like to start with Thunder Clap, you could consider starting a pull with Charge (generates 15 rage), Bloodrage (10 rage) then Thunder Clap, dump whatever rage you have left, and swap to Defensive stance, then do your thing. See if that is helpful for your play style.

I ran SM mostly in melee cleaves, and other than the first few pulls at the end of Cath (in the actual Cathedral (and the very first pull, as you enter the courtyard), I didn’t LoS at all. The main reason to LoS is to give some time to pick up runners.

Maybe. You’re entitled to tank however you prefer, and if you prefer tanking in defensive stance with a shield and sword, because that’s more comfortable for you, or suits your play style better than using a 2 hander and stance dancing when needed, then that’s your choice.

If you don’t have macros set up for swapping weapons, changing stances, etc. but would like to, have a look at my tanking guide for a starting point.

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No. Battle stance creates 80% threat. Defensive creates 130%, 145% with 5/5 defiance. Thunderclap, once you factor in the battle stance 80% modifier, it’s pretty much just damage threat. Thunderclap does low damage. It is absolute rubbish for threat in classic.

Thunderclap in classic is used in two scenarios, attack speed slow, or to kill of a group of adds that only require 1 hit to kill. It didn’t become a tanking staple until TBC. Usually just get one of the dps wars to maintain it during raid for classic.

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Ty, Elite, I have looked at your guide and am using it a lot. Very good job, I think.

As I just said in another thread, I am beginning to realize the problem (for me) may be front end communication as to what the party leader/group former is expecting. This would really resolve lots of later tensions. What I mean is this - some tanks may not want to undertake both styles. I am game to try both BUT I need to know this before we are 3/4 through and everyone is hinting I must be a bad tank because I haven’t done burst threats. I finally realized they meant Thunder Clap, instead of Battle Shout. I have also been reluctant to hit the long CD buttons for focusing mobs on me, since I can do that only 2 or 3 times in an entire run.

For here on out, I will be asking immediately, are we going AOE come what may or are we pulling small 2 to 4 or so with little or no AOE? If I don’t get clarity, I plan to decline or even leave the group (before we get into the dungeon - I am very old school in this: never leave anyone on the battle field, period)

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Thunderclap isn’t very good at generating threat and does very little damage. The 10% attack speed slow is pretty big though, especially against some bosses.

I use it when I’m doing a bigger pull where I want extra damage mitigation, against some mobs that can chunk me (enraged Myrmidons in Scarlet Monastery), and most melee bosses.

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Thunderclap for mitigation, especially against multiple enemies. If you aren’t getting hit very hard then don’t worry about it.

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Correct if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Thunder Clap do a trivial amount of damage?

8

I would agree its not really worth losing all your rage just to change stance for a Tclap. If your using it as an opener like Charge --> Blood Rage --> Auto --> Tclap / Demo Shout then Defensive stance to finish the fight. I would do something like that.

I’m running Fury/Prot atm so having to change just for a Tclap mid-fight is just pretty meh and the speed reduction on mobs seems lame and not worth it.

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