To tank or not to tank
My WoW prime-time is the weekend. Especially given work last week I didn’t play much during the week. This usually means I tank bunches of instances on weekends, and on raid weekends I tank as well. This is just fine, because I enjoy tanking. However, lately I do enjoy my breaks to play other classes.
Game-wise, healing is still the greatest challenge for me. I probably miss the snap reactions of a healer, though I didn’t do so badly on my paladin. Then, reaction can’t be the problem, in 5-man tanking you need to respond quickly as well. DPS is problematic for me, as I have this weird ambition complex that I need to be superb at my game, which is one reason I ditched my former main, a warlock. She just wasn’t that superb, because cloth itemization for non-tailors is difficult. Which is just a lame excuse, though, as my better half is the best warlock I know, but is engineer, not tailor.
My other DPSers are currently my failed healing experiment who is now a boomkin, and a rogue. I was dumb enough to try and be a dreamstate HT healer with the druid for 5-mans. Can’t recommend the experience. Druid healing aggro is awful. I went to Kara as tree once, and that actually was quite enjoyable. I rarely get to DPS, and with the boomkin I feel I am only scratching the surface of what a skilled druid can do.
- I forget the trees.
- I forget CC options like Cyclone.
- Duh, right, I could use Force of Nature, for those cute widdle trees.
- I am slow to pick up off-healing when the healer is struggling.
A list of shame, clearly.
On the other hand, there’s my rogue. Leveled through Outland as Mutilate rogue, freshly respecd to combat swords, she is the one character that I am having such a total blast with. It’s just fun, and my DPS is really impressive, considering her state of gear. Good times.
Summary: melee DPS is the most fun, casting is hard, let’s go shopping.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 am
Dude, melee DPS in 5 mans is totally hard, all that running around and positioning and stuff. I like standing in one place and casting. I do not think my kitty DPS is likely to be impressive, ever. Especially since waiting the extra second for 60 energy to Shred instead of using Mangle when I have 40 energy drives me nuts. Way too impatient.
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June 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
@The Other Half - Of course you are impatient, big surprise.
But I understand, because as Mutilate rogue, I had to wait for 60 energy, and with my combat swords spec my main attack uses 40 energy, which is just the right pace for me.
And yesterday in MgT when you can’t just stand there and cast (on Delrissa and Kael), being a caster is just ugh. I must be too simple-minded to be a good caster DPS person.
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June 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
@The Other Half - Pick up Shredding Attacks. I noticed you didn’t have it in your spec, and it reduces the energy cost of Shred. Plus, reduces the rage cost of Lacerate!
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June 23rd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
@Jules - Ooh! Redoing my spec is on my list of to-dos, that sounds like a nice improvement for sure.
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