Maybe it's just my server, but there is a serious lack of tanks. All I ever see is "LF Tank then good to go"

I myself am a retired tank. The truth is, being a tank requires more keyboard dexterity than any other class. It is much easier doing dps or even healing where you can almost play single handed.

Am I alone in this assessment? Seems like tanks need some User Interface love or all the other classes need to feel their pain.

The reason there's a tank shortage can be summed up in one word: Arena.

Tanking as anything but a Paladin is boring, nobody likes Prot Paladins though it seems.

A big part of this mystery is the prospect of raid viability. Why spec for tanking when your guild will only use warriors to tank raids? I'm not blaming the guilds mind you, it is just a dead end spec for most druids and paladins.

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I think the larger issue is that people who spec to tank often feel gimped in PvP and solo play.

I'd say that's much more the issue than the UI.

Introducing a class that can DPS and tank without respeccing solves that nicely. (Not that I have any reason to think DK's can DPS and tank adequately without respeccing, but it wouldn't surprise me.

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QFT. The problem of going protection spec is that tanking becomes the ONLY thing you can do. you can still kill monsters by tanking them to death but the problem is it takes to damn long

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or all the other classes need to feel their pain.

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Yeah, cause thats the answer.

Its been covered before but a) Arena b) just too many people play dps classes for all the tanks in WoW to cover them and c) most established tanks dont need to pug anything. As it is with most MMOs, tanking and healing classes are in short supply because of the extraneous requirements placed on them in groups and soloing about in the game world. Most people prefer to dps.

Still, there are still a brave few who love to tank, are specced to do it and pug away.

Agree with the posts above.

If I could just farm my primal mights faster I would be happy.

As far as BG's go. I dont need to be the ultimate DPS machine, just being incredibly hard to kill would make me happy. (and using 30 min cool downs to accomplish this dosent count). A protection warrior should be the single hardest person to kill in a BG. Right now if you see a warrior in a BG/arena wearing a shield................ /point LOL

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The reason there's a tank shortage can be summed up in one word: Arena.

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FACT.

Why blow months actually playing the game when you can start landing Black Temple-level epics in a matter of weeks?

I've always wondered why most damage meters count the damage and healing, but not the damage that was mitigated and taken. I think if damage meters showed that, people would have a new appreciation for tanks. maybe they do I just have never seen one.

but yea, to someone else's post, I got out of tanking because I felt like I was working too hard to cover up other people's mistakes.

Its like the old days of Healers.. People hated healing.. it was stressful.. and people couldnt manage their aggro..

But I still loved healing..:)

I have Friends who loved tanking.. but retired and moved to DPS classes..

And as for paladin tanks.. Give em a chance folks.. they are usually the best way to go..

you just have to give em a bit longer before you start wailing away at the mobs they are tanking..:)

I think it's mainly just the talent trees, respec costs, and the complete separation of PvE and PvP. Well okay, the part about always getting groups where no one is controlling their aggro is true too (it won't kill you to wait a few seconds). Warriors are the most extreme example of the talent tree problems. They have probably the worst divide in their talent trees, forcing them to spec for one aspect of the game and suffering at all others. Paladins aren't much better in their situation. Only druids at least get tank and PvP talents in the same tree.

Actually there are 2 reasons.

Arena - Tank specs just can't pvp effectively

Raids - You don't need 1 tank for each 5 man party in a raid. Normally only 2 main tanks are needed at most for the entire raid. Of tanking can usually be done by a holy spec pally or restor druid if need be. So in order to get into end game content alot of main tanks are forced to respec and gear as something else. also do to the time sink that raiding can be and the fact that raid tanks get nothing from running 5mans (except a repair bill) most end game raid tanks won't pug 5 mans.

A third reason would also be as a protection warior playing solo sucks. Feral druids and prot pallies do great at the solo game but soo many people don't consider them tanks or won't group with them as tanks most don't bother to pug anything. And as noted above, its rare that a druid or pally will get into end game raids as a tank so they normally respec and gear as something else when they hit lvl 70.


Wow is not casual friendly. Its all PvP or Raid.

Best bet is to get into a big guild that is willing to help you lvl up. good luck with that. Most guilds won't lvl you up. and most raiders don't understand how hard it is now to lvl up since they did it when everyone else was also doing the lvl 60-70 grind and thus finding groups was much easier. I really feel sorry for new players to wow. I wouldn't even want to think about trying to start a new chacarter with out a god guild or a bunch of friends to help me out.

(endless repeatable rep grinds is NOT casual content)

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And as for paladin tanks.. Give em a chance folks.. they are usually the best way to go..

you just have to give em a bit longer before you start wailing away at the mobs they are tanking..:)

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LTP with a paladin tank.

(if you blast the specific mob that the paladin has engaged, there is no need to wait at all... :) )

I am only at the 5-man/heroic level, but here is the problem I have with pugs and, BTW, I pretty much tank for anyone...

1. Most never played with a Paladin Tank
2. I pull a lot of mobs at once
3. DPS scrubs get confused and start blasting mobs I am not hitting
4. Blasted mob takes it personally and goes after DPS scrub
5. I have to then taunt (15 sec cool down...) the stray mob back into my control
6. of course, a second DPS scrub is already well on his way to pulling another mob off me

in the end...

7. LoL on dead DPS scrubs
8. Healer and I simply wait for them to run back before continuing...

I suppose that, after a while, I will no longer have patience for bad players. So I will probably only tank for players who I know can actually play...

farming and arenas

but I dont see how this can be fixed and balance maintained

There is a shortage of Tanks, because there is no healers to heal them...