After years as a Bear Tank, I have decided to respec to resto/boomkin from resto/feral. It was a tough decision, after main tanking my guild through Kara and much of Naxx one becomes attached to a toon and spec. But after some guildees leveled a Paladin and a DK tank, it is apparent to me its best for me to step aside. Here are my reasons for the change.

(1) Itemization - If you are a casual player, tanking gear is pretty much non-existent. I don't think there is a single good bear tanking item, besides the trinket, in 5 man and heroic ToC. PVP gear is ridiculously gimped for Ferals (very low AP). Unless your guild regularly gets tier badges, you have very few options. Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

(2) DPS - Our DPS is too low compared to Paladin and DK tanks. When those tanks are pulling 2000 to 2500 dps in Naxx, its hard to justify bringing a tank doing 1100 dps. Heck it just speeds up the run to have the higher DPS.

(3) AOE Aggro - AOE dps has become a big part of the game. A bear tank does not have the same amount of AOE threat that a Paladin or DK does.

So I am leveling a Paladin for tanking. Got her to level 20 and I will be back in the tanking game in a month or two. But I'm gonna miss my Bear.

I love tanking too much to tank on anything else. Paladin tanking is sooooo boring. >.<

I have an 80 warrior and DK and paladin on the way up.

But I'm tanking with my druid. Different strokes.

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Q u o t e:
After years as a Bear Tank, I have decided to respec to resto/boomkin from resto/feral. It was a tough decision, after main tanking my guild through Kara and much of Naxx one becomes attached to a toon and spec. But after some guildees leveled a Paladin and a DK tank, it is apparent to me its best for me to step aside. Here are my reasons for the change.

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wow, if your feral gear and spec were as badly researched as your Balance... no wonder you were struggling with such easy aspects of the spec!

:) best of luck with your new fotm tank Alcyon, just make sure you have a good read of the stickied threads relating to Balance and Restoration raiding up the top of this forum if you don't want to run into very simliar problems with your new specs.

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Q u o t e:
After years as a Bear Tank, I have decided to respec to resto/boomkin from resto/feral. It was a tough decision, after main tanking my guild through Kara and much of Naxx one becomes attached to a toon and spec. But after some guildees leveled a Paladin and a DK tank, it is apparent to me its best for me to step aside. Here are my reasons for the change.

(1) Itemization - If you are a casual player, tanking gear is pretty much non-existent. I don't think there is a single good bear tanking item, besides the trinket, in 5 man and heroic ToC. PVP gear is ridiculously gimped for Ferals (very low AP). Unless your guild regularly gets tier badges, you have very few options. Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

(2) DPS - Our DPS is too low compared to Paladin and DK tanks. When those tanks are pulling 2000 to 2500 dps in Naxx, its hard to justify bringing a tank doing 1100 dps. Heck it just speeds up the run to have the higher DPS.

(3) AOE Aggro - AOE dps has become a big part of the game. A bear tank does not have the same amount of AOE threat that a Paladin or DK does.

So I am leveling a Paladin for tanking. Got her to level 20 and I will be back in the tanking game in a month or two. But I'm gonna miss my Bear.

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Yikes. I suspect your problem is located between your chair and your keyboard--not with the bear class.

Do bears have issues?

Sure. We're ugly (imo), we have no reliable interrupt, and our rotation is boring compared to kitties.

Don't see those on your list, because your list is the big suck

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Q u o t e:
(1) Itemization - If you are a casual player, tanking gear is pretty much non-existent. I don't think there is a single good bear tanking item, besides the trinket, in 5 man and heroic ToC. PVP gear is ridiculously gimped for Ferals (very low AP). Unless your guild regularly gets tier badges, you have very few options. Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

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...

http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47522

I'd link the other stuff you missed in ToC, but I'm hungry and want to get late lunch.

It's World of Badgecraft anyway. You can get a full set of T9.232 if you run enough heroics. I totally do not see the "It's hard to get gear" argument.

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Q u o t e:
(3) AOE Aggro - AOE dps has become a big part of the game. A bear tank does not have the same amount of AOE threat that a Paladin or DK does.

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They fixed UH DK threat by changing Unholy Blight.
They're fixing Prot. Pally threat next patch. (Righteous Fury: The bonus threat from Holy spells caused by this talent has been reduced from 90% to 80%.)

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Q u o t e:

Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

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We have always had the most health of all the tank classes. Obviously the rogue gear cuts it.

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Q u o t e:

(2) DPS - Our DPS is too low compared to Paladin and DK tanks. When those tanks are pulling 2000 to 2500 dps in Naxx, its hard to justify bringing a tank doing 1100 dps. Heck it just speeds up the run to have the higher DPS.

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I don't know how you could possibly be doing only 1100dps tanking naxx. Just bind maul and swipe together and faceroll it to 2kdps.

I'm pretty sure your problems could have all been solved with a few simple macros. Grats on quitting, GL with the next respec.

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Q u o t e:


wow, if your feral gear and spec were as badly researched as your Balance... no wonder you were struggling with such easy aspects of the spec!

:) best of luck with your new fotm tank Alcyon, just make sure you have a good read of the stickied threads relating to Balance and Restoration raiding up the top of this forum if you don't want to run into very simliar problems with your new specs.

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I'm wearing resto gear nimrod.

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Q u o t e:


I'm wearing resto gear nimrod.

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meh he was kinda right tho haha. and bear tanking isnt NEAR as bad as you make it out to be...but gl anywho, to each his own :)

If you were doing a whopping 1100 dps while tanking a raid, you're doing the right thing by letting the DK and Paladin take your place. Here's the bitter pill though. If they had rolled a druid tank, they'd still be better than you. :(

Gear is ridiculously easy to come by in this expansion. Don't even try that excuse as a reason for failure.

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Q u o t e:
I'm wearing resto gear nimrod.

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Who the hell is nimrod?

Yes Alcyon, I guessed that at least some of that disaster you're wearing is recycled restoration gear...

but it's gemmed badly for both restoration and balance, your balance spec is terrible, your glyphs are horrid and your professions are weak.


as I said, no wonder you struggled with something as easy as bear tanking if you don't even bother doing a little easy research before scaring up a balance spec :)

I expect to see your "A Moonkin No More" post sometime next week where you complain about rocking the bottom of every meter from VH to 25ToC!

I think if i ever seriously tried to entertain the idea that bear tanking is bad in gchat my guild mt (a dk) would personally fly to nyc and punch me in the nuts. Then, my guild's other mt, a warrior--would hop on a bus from canada to finish me off.

You failed at tanking with the simplest tank there is, one that also happens to currently be op on live.

I don't think you'll have much success as a boomkin, and i can't even imagine what you'd try to do to yourself to pump out respectable kitty dps.

The druid boards, historically, aren't that hostile. If you'd come here and said "hey guys, i'm having these issues with my bear tank, am i screwed or can you offer some advice?" and listed your concerns: you would have (probably) gotten helpful responses. Instead you came in with pathetically false complaints about issues that dont exist. Not gonna be greeted with much respect.

edit: if you want to make your initial post factually accurate, you can trim it down to this.

"Hey fellow druids, I can't figure out how to spec, gem, gear, enchant, and play my bear tank--so i'm stacking up poorly against other tanks in my guild. Since I've failed in these areas, i'll be trying out boomkin."

Now, that'd be a worthless rant, but at least it'd be true!

The mind boggles at this...I mean if you need help we are here to help.

But...I dunno...I think the big issue I have is just the lack of buttons that I need to press...

PS.

As a side note I'm JUST NOW GETTING INTO RAWR. Dear god its scary >.>.

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Q u o t e:


(1) Itemization - If you are a casual player, tanking gear is pretty much non-existent. I don't think there is a single good bear tanking item, besides the trinket, in 5 man and heroic ToC. PVP gear is ridiculously gimped for Ferals (very low AP). Unless your guild regularly gets tier badges, you have very few options. Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

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Basically all leather is tank gear. Thats what our talents are for. Just gem it for stam or agi. The only piece I have that can be considered "tank" gear, other than the cape/neck/trinkets, is the Origin of Nightmares. And I can still hit 45k health with raid buffs. My dodge is a bit to low to try Ulduar, but I tank heroics and T7/7.5 content with ease.

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Q u o t e:
(2) DPS - Our DPS is too low compared to Paladin and DK tanks. When those tanks are pulling 2000 to 2500 dps in Naxx, its hard to justify bringing a tank doing 1100 dps. Heck it just speeds up the run to have the higher DPS.

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Again, my gear is hardly steller (I'm still using the polar vest for god sakes) but I generally pull 1.8k to 2. DPS when tanking. Not sure what yer doing wrong.

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Q u o t e:
(3) AOE Aggro - AOE dps has become a big part of the game. A bear tank does not have the same amount of AOE threat that a Paladin or DK does.

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No, Bears don't have as good of AOE as DKs or Palys, but I would say its better than Warriors. Glyph Maul and spam Swipe/Maul with some Demo Roars thrown in and you'll be fine. Just ask yer DPS to give you about 2 Swipes before they start pwning face, and you shouldn't lose aggro. Maybe an occasional single add will break away, nothing a quick growl or faire fire cant fix.

I love tanking on my bear, more now than I did in BC. If ya don't like it, eh, whatever. But ya may want to see if the problem is in front of your keyboard and try some alternate tanking stategys before you bail on bears.

...So OP is just a very dedicated troll, right?

I mean, nobody can possibly be so absolutely terrible at such an easy spec.









Right?

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Q u o t e:
...So OP is just a very dedicated troll, right?

I mean, nobody can possibly be so absolutely terrible at such an easy spec.

Right?

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Not even a dedicated troll would have the fortitude to actually go through a respec and screw it up JUST enough to imply a crappy understanding of druid mechanics, but not so much that it was unplayable.

Please, future moonkin quitter, go take natures grace. You can drop natures focus if you want, you won't miss it. You don't really need it cause you have the awesome glyph of wrath for your raiding spec.

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Q u o t e:
After years as a Bear Tank, I have decided to respec to resto/boomkin from resto/feral. It was a tough decision, after main tanking my guild through Kara and much of Naxx one becomes attached to a toon and spec. But after some guildees leveled a Paladin and a DK tank, it is apparent to me its best for me to step aside. Here are my reasons for the change.

(1) Itemization - If you are a casual player, tanking gear is pretty much non-existent. I don't think there is a single good bear tanking item, besides the trinket, in 5 man and heroic ToC. PVP gear is ridiculously gimped for Ferals (very low AP). Unless your guild regularly gets tier badges, you have very few options. Rogue gear does not cut it without significant buffs to stamina.

(2) DPS - Our DPS is too low compared to Paladin and DK tanks. When those tanks are pulling 2000 to 2500 dps in Naxx, its hard to justify bringing a tank doing 1100 dps. Heck it just speeds up the run to have the higher DPS.

(3) AOE Aggro - AOE dps has become a big part of the game. A bear tank does not have the same amount of AOE threat that a Paladin or DK does.

So I am leveling a Paladin for tanking. Got her to level 20 and I will be back in the tanking game in a month or two. But I'm gonna miss my Bear.

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A tank I think you never were, is more likely.

(1)
Google/Rawr/Stickies, there are lots of places you can get good info on gearing up a starter bear, pre raid and raid bear.
Here's a good example for current bears pre raid
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=19377976463&sid=1

(2)
Again, you obviously never sort advice. The right buff food, Guru's elixirs (ppl practically give these away), good rotations. Maul is your Friend and gear plays its part as well, so refer back to (1) get the right weapon .

(3) Do (1) and (2) properly and this is not an issue.
Saturday, I farmed 53 badges in 7 hours with guildies.
90% of it I used my swipe (macro'd with a maul)
My granddaughter (8) even tanked HCoS using the swipe Macro while I made us lunch.

As stated by others above. If you don't fully understand your class or role, do some research and ask questions