Anyone currently boxing with a bear tank?

[Aradar]

I've always wanted to play a bear tank but currently in game I don't see very many and given their subpar aoe abilities (180 degrees to the front as opposed to 360 degrees) I'm guessing they will be more positionally challenged and take more micro management to maintain threat on multiple mobs. Not that I mind this to some degree but at the same time, I'd rather hear input from someone actually doing it.

Thanks.

[elsegundo]

my pally needs to keep everyone in front of her otherwise she cant block dodge or parry.
there's no difference with the druid.

360 degress? i guess its helpful. not not really.

[Aradar]

While that is true, I've had plenty of situations where a mob ran right past me but turned around due to consecration meaning all I had to do was backup to get everything back in front of me. Seems to me the druid would require way more target switching. Again, not that I'm opposed to more work after running easy mode pally/4 shaman :P since this team will likely be very mixed as it is, just curious what I would be getting myself in to.

[elsegundo]

if that happened on my druid, i would simply turn and swipe a close target. swipes range is about the same as a consecrate, but you'll still have to make the initial turn. if you do need to switch targets, tab works fine. being a bear is a bit different from the pally. micromanagement? not at all. more like target switching to get a mob back? possibly. but then again, if you plan your pulls right, the only time you really need to switch targets would be when a mob decides to attack your dps/healer due to game design. besides your taunt, each class has their own way of getting the mob back.

personally, i have no issues with either my pally or druid tanking. they do fine and have their own strengths and weaknesses. its hard to come out with a favorite but i have to say i dont have it any more difficult on a druid than on a pally. from a healing standpoint, healing the drood is a lot easier than healing the pally.

[Kicksome]

I dropped my druid tank because AOE tanking was such a pain. It just takes a little more work and you have to pay a bit more attention.

Although having a druid is a lot of fun.

[Aradar]

Thanks for the feedback. Guess this will be my next project when I get the time...

[daviddoran]

Druids are more complex, but have more clutch abilities IMO. If you get a runner that either runs past, or runs toward your casters, u can charge at it, or taunt it. AoE taunt helps too, cause sometimes straight DMG isnt enough to pull aggro off of a healer.

Druid tanks in general have much higher HP and Armor, which can change how you heal. You don't have to panic as much if the tank takes a big hit, but you do have to heal for more, meaning bigger punchy heals, and keeping HoTs up help more. I haven't played mine past 68-69 but I imagine it's not too different, and probably better once I get full tanking gear, rather than just quest rewards.

Honestly, I can't decide if I want to level my Druid tank or my DK tank after I get my pally tank to 80. I'm even pondering doing a warrior tank too...

[Redbeard]

Druid stats have been changing constantly through the patches after WOTLK. We are taking a 10% stamina nerf in 3.1 as well as a big armor hit. Their stated goal is to bring druid hp / armor close to the values of other classes.

Just keep it in mind.

Druid tanks are pretty simple to play, swipe spam ftw =)

Druids are more complex, but have more clutch abilities IMO. If you get a runner that either runs past, or runs toward your casters, u can charge at it, or taunt it. AoE taunt helps too, cause sometimes straight DMG isnt enough to pull aggro off of a healer.

Druid tanks in general have much higher HP and Armor, which can change how you heal. You don't have to panic as much if the tank takes a big hit, but you do have to heal for more, meaning bigger punchy heals, and keeping HoTs up help more. I haven't played mine past 68-69 but I imagine it's not too different, and probably better once I get full tanking gear, rather than just quest rewards.

Honestly, I can't decide if I want to level my Druid tank or my DK tank after I get my pally tank to 80. I'm even pondering doing a warrior tank too...

[rekkless]

I'm running a bear tank, 3 frost mages and a resto shaman (running them boomking, 3x frost (2 arcane sub 1 fire sub) and elemental shaman when they hit 80 for raiding.

Tanking is DEFINITELY a challenge its all about setting the initial pull up right, i've found i want druid to the side and in front of the groups so that if they start to run away they're still in front.

[Lokked]

When I multiboxed, I used a druid to tank for my 4 shamans in some Heroics at 70, back when swipe was only 3 target max.

With the new changes, tanking mobs is even easier. As with any tanking class, you want all mobs in front of you. The reasons are different from druid to pally/warrior, but the necessity is still the same.

Unless you get adds, it is trivial to position mobs properly:
Faerie Fire to pull,
When they get to you, take 2 steps backwards.
Swipe like a maniac (throwing in Demo Roar and Glyphed Maul).