PvE - Main the tank or the healer?

In my Pve setups I've always utilized some type of 1 tank 4 dps where the DPS offheal, (Ret Paladin/Enhance Shaman).
First, is it easier to Main the tank for positioning and have the healer break auto follow and "sit" somewhere? Or is it better to control from the Healer and sometimes right the Tank if IWT causes issue.
Second I'm going for a more traditional route (1 healer/1tank/3dps) and have the option of a Warrior or DK, is there any preference for which is more suited and the other you'd rather be doing dps?
Healer will be a Resto Shaman. I want to focus on DPS as the priority though so whichever tank pumps out more damage is what I'm probably going with.

Thanks in advance.

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Originally Posted by Ellay

In my Pve setups I've always utilized some type of 1 tank 4 dps where the DPS offheal, (Ret Paladin/Enhance Shaman).
First, is it easier to Main the tank for positioning and have the healer break auto follow and "sit" somewhere? Or is it better to control from the Healer and sometimes right the Tank if IWT causes issue.
Second I'm going for a more traditional route (1 healer/1tank/3dps) and have the option of a Warrior or DK, is there any preference for which is more suited and the other you'd rather be doing dps?
Healer will be a Resto Shaman. I want to focus on DPS as the priority though so whichever tank pumps out more damage is what I'm probably going with.

Thanks in advance.

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i used to drive from tank still helps when getting Argo and put the healer with the dps casters. but not done a setup like this in a long time.

I run a group with a priest healer and 4x DK, one of which is blood, the other 3 are frost. I usually control from my priest, but I can drive from my tank or DPS just as well. Sometimes it's easier to use the tank due to aggro or positioning. With the right setup in ISboxer you can control from anywhere you want.

I still run the tank as main. It gives me more control to reposition and micromanage things like taunts and Hands on my paladin. With things like VideoFX or mouseover regions there's nothing I feel I'm losing micromanagement wise by not controlling the healer.

Can't offer an opinion on DK vs War. My DK is DPS and I haven't run a warrior in a long time.

I'd recommend the tank if you're choosing one, because you can reliably heal from any character via Repeater Regions and/or Clickbars.
But you cannot as easily position the tank, change the facing of the mob, etc... from another character.

You can actually bounce between the characters, be it the Tank, Healer or one of the DPS.
Nothing stops you from switching, whenever it is advantageous to be on one character or another.
Some fights might be a straight tank and spank, but being on another character allows you to see the whole encounter better...
Another fight you might need positioning, and to drive the tank... so you can move the mob, or whatever.

I switch with my current team based on fight mechanics, but most of the time I drive with the tank, I find like Khatovar mentioned you pretty much have full control over your healer with repeater regions anyway.

The only time I'll drive with my healer is if ranged need to constantly move in a fight and melee can pretty much stay put. Although you can still do this with isboxer and driving with your tank.

As for DK versus Warrior as tank. I'm starting a new team with a DK and I've had a warrior in the past. I'd say that the warrior has a lot more mobility with charge, heroic leap and intervene. The DK does have death grip though which can be nice against ranged mobs when you AOE.

Are you going to run both the warrior and dk in this team and just decide which will dps and which will tank? if so try em both out as a tank while you level and decide as you go.

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Originally Posted by Ualaa

I'd recommend the tank if you're choosing one, because you can reliably heal from any character via Repeater Regions and/or Clickbars.
But you cannot as easily position the tank, change the facing of the mob, etc... from another character.

You can actually bounce between the characters, be it the Tank, Healer or one of the DPS.
Nothing stops you from switching, whenever it is advantageous to be on one character or another.
Some fights might be a straight tank and spank, but being on another character allows you to see the whole encounter better...
Another fight you might need positioning, and to drive the tank... so you can move the mob, or whatever.

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/seconded

I find that positioning of a boss or adds takes a lot more "timeslices" of control time than the occasional repositioning of a healer. Plus I typically find the tank has better feedback on the mob status than dps/healer depending on addons/threat UI settings.

I bounce around a lot, but most of then time I'm on the tank. I bet I'm on the healer least of all.

With VideoFX and VuhDo, I find it's easiest to be the tank now. For my current primary group (monk tank + four shaman) healing is less of a hassle since all of them can heal. But the elemental shaman are easier to macro relatively-efficient DPS rotations for (at least so far, as of level 37) and the monk needs a bit more micro-management (lots of abilities dependent on situation and resource availability). Having the healer's tools and targets in a nice neat square in the tank's screen makes it much easier to run the tank as the main.

I use videoFX.. vuhdo..healbot AND grid so i have TONs of single click, non modifier, heals. I have them all set up the same.. vertical and small squares.. vuhdo has a setting that is called somthing like "gridesque" or some shit.. it copies your grid and makes your vuhdo frames look exactly like your grid. And i drive from my tank.. it feel like my tank is a healer as well 8)