Source
r/wownoob•
truecore

Returning Player, How Tank Get Threat

Question

Returning player after a few years, and I notice a lot of abilities changed, and a lot got removed. Most of it, I can wrap my head around . But for me, the one that has me stumped is tank threat generation. Used to be that there were abilities or stances that would boost your threat gen by a %, like Righteous Fury for Prot Paladins. Now I can't find anything that tells me how my threat is multiplied, just a mysterious "it is" when you're a tank (but is it really?). But what qualifies you as a tank and triggers the threat boost? Is it just the spec? Does it work when not in a group?

Edit: For Shadowlands, btw

Posted Jun 9, 2021, 10:44 AM UTC

7932
Roikos•

All Tanks generate 5 times their damage as threat. Those buffs you are asking for are now a baseline modifier for every tank spec. Sometimes they buff the threat in patches and this will be stated in the notes :)

70
truecoreOP•

Thanks for the answer, good to know its a 5x modifier. It's strange they don't have a tooltip or anything explaining this, and a lot of the online guides either aren't updated or don't address the change. I assumed it was rolled in, but without knowing into what I was worried.

Does that also mean that Arms warriors can't casually tank?

23
Roikos•

If you want to tank a complete dungeon in Arms: no that will not be possible without being in a big disadvantage compared do protection, because you are missing the Defensive Stance (the talent "Defensive Stance" you can take as arms is not the same as protections "Defensive Stance").

If you mean, you tank died and the boss has only a few percentages left: You can try to equip a sword and shield and tank him, but still you will take much more damage than a warrior in prot spec. And their is no threat modifier for arms, so your only hope is to taunt the boss and try you best to keep his attention ;)

You can swap between Prot and Arms anytime out of combat, so if you see a mob that you can't take in Arms, maybe pop Protection on and Shieldbash him in the ground :D

24
ObscureCulturalMeme•

I assumed it was rolled in, but without knowing into what I was worried.

Yep, once specializations became a formal choice (rather than "I put most of my talent points into the tank tree, therefore I'm a tank"), they baked a lot more of the mechanics into spec selection rather than visible player actions. When you choose a tanking spec, you simply generate more threat by decree.

A lot of confusion comes from the fact that the game gives no overt introduction to the concept of threat or threat mechanics. Veteran players remember installing Omen or other threat meters. New players learn it when they screw up in instanced content.

9
TheMiserableSail•

Tanking on dps specs has not been a thing in forever. You can just press a button and become protection so why would you ever want to do that?

-9
pentarion•

It happens quite regularly when patches progress a fair way past X.0 and the top ilvl is far above heroic dungeon level. You’ll see a lot of warriors or DKs rushing through as “tank” in dps spec. Happens every expac.

0
TheMiserableSail•

Yeah if you're counting content that you're able to solo at that point of course you can "tank" it as a dps spec.

2
ntrophi•

Are you in tank spec? You have a threat modifier, that's pretty much it now. No stances or auras that you need to remember, just being in tank spec automatically has you generating more threat. It does work when you're not in a group but I think the only time you'd ever really want it to is if you're doing a world boss not in a group and wanted to have it hit you.

10
Haagenti27•

I was wondering the same thing. Returned after wotlk so all changed and started a demon Hunter tank. I have a taunt and one skill with mentioning it creates great threat that's it. Somehow my regular dmg skills create enough treat. How is a secret to me. Maybe it's as you say, the spec just boosts threat in general.

9
ChesticleSweater•

As another user mentioned, the threat is 5x damage done. When you spec to vengeance, this takes effect, along with the stamina boosts etc.

Throw Glaive, as well as any sigils placed are multiplied to generate additional threat in combination with taunt. Infernal strike and immolation aura create lots of threat as well. If a mob is too spread out, use sigil of chains to group them, pop immolation aura/throw glaive/fel devastation and those enemies are stuck to you like glue. Oh and demon spikes create even more threat.

You can also choose talents for vengeance that create additional defense as well as threat. (I believe wowhead has a talent build labeled “full defensive”, where damage done isn’t as good as a hybrid build, but works quite well if you have plenty of DPS teammates)

13
woozypomp•

Others have said these points already but still good to say it differently in case it makes a difference. Here is my approach when running mythic+ and about to pull a pack:

  1. Tag every mob that you want to kill during this pull. Sometimes you want to do 3 packs at a time so you want to have them all start running in. If dps are mean, they will be impatient and start dpsing right away and cause you to lose aggro from first pack. Good dps will wait for everything to group before going for big dam. If you’re running low keys just take it slow, time waste from team dying isn’t worth time save from taking multiple packs. If running higher keys, you should expect your team knows better and if not, just say “wait for me to group them” or “pulling multiple packs. Wait for them to group”

  2. Spam your AOE move even if it’s not max dps rotation. It’s more important to do constant damage to everything in the group as opposed to doing a lot of damage. Your 5X threat multiplier will get you aggro.

  3. When a mob inevitably walks away or loses aggro, now you use your single target taunt to bring them back. I specifically don’t use it on pull for this reason unless you’re fighting single target.

  4. Go ham dps

Throughout all of this you should be paying attention to interrupts and other mechanics you need to take care of.

Also, getting a nice nameplate addon that changes color for when you have aggro, starting to lose aggro, and don’t have aggro is a must have in my opinion

8
ctzun•

Taunt abilities will put you to the top of aggro list but you need to follow it up with a regular damage ability to stay there or prevent the mob from going back to second target on the list.

Make sure to use your aoe abilities for gaining threat on grouped mobs, consecrate, swipe, death and decay, thunderstomp, immolation aura. Infernal strike, firebreath and etc.depending on class.

Icyveins has talents builds for all the tanks and divides abilities by mythic plus or raiding specs. In addition it lists enchants and consumables for the specs. Every bit can help at lower gear levels and you need a little extra to get by.

4
Dimeolas7•

Welcome home...check icyveins and there are some good tank sites as well. You may wish to grab one of the tank addons and such but Icy will clue you in as I am not tanking this expansion. The basic principles havent changed. Play wack a mole with their nuts and keep their attention. If high dps dealer or heavy heals try to entice them away from you whack a little harder.

Have fun.

3
Dabmansp•

Taunting usually is reserved now for trading aggro with the other tank in raids. Don't really use it much otherwise.

2
xxxguzxxx•

Literally just aoe and use the taunt button thats it

2
Bakemono30•

Threat is based on dmg done for DPS and 5x multiplier for tank specs. If you want to tank in DPS spec, you have to ensure you’re the top DPS OR you are playing with classes that can and use misdirection on you.

I commonly 2h tank with my warrior in normal/heroic dungeons and keep aggro on me because I’m well over geared for the dungeon (224 ilvl). BUT as soon as I see a 220+ ilvl player in my group I will switch to tank spec as they will more than likely do more DPS than me; and the sole reason to 2h for me is to just clear the weekly dungeon or calling quest and be done. Usual clear time for most dungeons at my ilvl is around 7 min. It’s wicked fast in 2h mode.

2
Haagenti27•

Thank you very much for the explanation. I was wondering why I can hold aggro on all mobs without knowing anything but now I know why haha.

2
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1
dcatvn•

If you tanked in vanilla and bc, then tanking is a piece of cake for you now. You just have to learn the dungeon mechanisms. I was tanking with my blood dk and I didn’t even bother to learn all the abilities but the aggro was never once lost. Just learn 2 things your aoe and single target, you don’t even have to taunt at all of your dps knows what they are doing.

1
CaptainZaysh•

How is tankky formed?

0
EPIKX3RO•

Tank just dps with mitigation now

-16
ctox23b•

this statement is just wrong.

tank is the leading role, dictates the pace of a dungeon and in raids can improve group dps with good positioning. and has to have knowledge of the fights so he knows which mobs hit the Hardest and he needs to know when to use defensives.

7
EPIKX3RO•

Responding to how they build threat. They just dps, then mitigate. U described the role of the tank, and his responsablity to the group consist

0†
onlypositivity•

just dps, then mitigate

This is what tanks have in every MUD, and in every MMO with tanks.

DPS is a bit higher now but that was what tanks have always done.

1†
EPIKX3RO•

U gain threat by dpsing. You don't need to hit buttons to increase ur threat generation. Like in swtor, ur threat in increases by 5x everytime u hit taunt on the target, so if u have a threat of 10, when u hit taunt, it turns to 50 on the target allowing you to then focus on another target. Where in wow, you just need to equally spread the wealth of whoop ass to increase threat.

In wow, taunt is a set amount, forcing target to attack you for so long, while you build threat

-5