I continue my series of posts for tanking information with a quick guide to some information that many other bloggers probably don't discuss. This is for all tanks, but specifically druids.

The main skills a tank requires is being able to hold threat and not get your team into more than it can handle. A close third is knowing when to using your cool downs to help your healer. 3 things

Logic: If you don't know an instance and your gear is lacking, it is probably best to take it slow. Use your resources, a hunter to help pull in tight spots. A dk to pull a caster closer to you, and/or line of sight. Line of sight is very important(if you don't know, LOS as its called, is when u attack then move away from the target putting a wall or such in front of you and the target, this is usually used against magic targets and helps to make them move so you don't pull pats or other groups.) Try to use your cool downs as you go, especially barkskin and just relax. I can remember not being relaxed and freaking out every time a mob would run by me. If you have a hunter in the group and you see a target run by you on a pull, within a few seconds see a target above your head, the hunter is decent enough to misdirect the target back to you. Doesn't always happen, maybe you will have to taunt the target, But dont lose your composure. Relax and have fun.

Macros:I use a couple macros to make my tanking life easier

#showtooltip
/assist [target=mouseover]
/cast Growl

This particular beauty allows me growl at whatever my mouse is hovering over, very useful for that mob you see going out of the corner of your eye.

Got a dps who likes to ignore markes or what ur attacking. Try

#showtooltip
/cast [target=mouseover,harm] Growl

If you hover over the dps on grid or in game frames and click this macro, it will taunt what hes targeting. Very helpful in pug groups.

I also use one like the first one for FFF, just to help me pull quickly and easily.

Addons: For raids you have to have GRID. If a player lights up in red, most likely they have aggro. Very important to be able to know that fact esp when doing trash or anything with multiple mobs. If you see a target on that in red then you know you need to get over their, or use one of those macros.

Deadly boss mods, is awesome to have for all the timers and raid warnings it gives.

And last but not least for essential tanking is omen/wows threat meter. It is awesome to know who has hate on what, whether its another tank or anything. I recommend this for all classes and types.

simpleraidtarget icons is an addon that allows you to very very very simply put on icons above baddies heads. Basically with one button or shift click they can put an icon above their head.


Tanking is ultimately all about how quick you react to situations. You to be super quick and decisive. As content continues to grow, more and more tank and spank will become dead and more interesting fights will come. I am sure I will be adding more thoughts to this as we go.

My addon list:

Grid, click, dbm, omen, outfitter, pit bull, domino's, cartographer, add on control panel, miks scrolling battle text, recount, sell junk, simpleraidtarget icons.

For this post, most of the research of class dynamics and tanking mechanisms I did myself. I am sure that there is hundreds more addon's and macros that can make it even easier, this just happens to be what I use, I don't claim to be an addon master or even close. Fyurae has spent a decent amount of time with addons in her years and pretty much gave me what she thought I could use, I added one or 2 here and there.

san
(in a side note, this post was put up before I could edit grammar and completely finish it)