Introduction- Bambi

[Darlantan]

Hip you're such a jerk!

[Hip]

CHAINSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bambi]

Hey guys, sorry for the big delay. Been running around doing errands and such, spending a day off doing nothing but work, as for the answers to all your questions,

I will start with Hips:

I started playing a bear because 1, I thought A.) who doesnt want to be a bear? Bears are all RAWR, imma eat your picnic basket but also fun and cuddly if you meet the right ones (I see my self as the more cuddly type, but I would not suggest tempting me with food) This was when I first started playing however and knew nothing of theorycrafting and what not. As I played on, Ive leveled all other tanking classes, I have a 85 pally, 85 Blood DK and an 85 Warrior as well and Druids are the only really "offensive tank" imo, while DKs do some legit DPS, Druids are the only true hybrids and thats what I love about them, the duality of the class.

I would consider druids to be more off-tank but with the capabilty of Main tanking, the cool thing about druids is the gear factor, we can use our tank gear to dps and vice versa.

I have tanked with all of them actually and I think each one brings alittle something special to the comp, Pallys bring alot of mitigation and "Oh shit" buttons, Blood DK was my last partner and we worked well together, Lots of DPS in this tank comp, which DKS are currently OP for this tier so I dont know what that will be like come next xpac. Warriors are probably my least favorite only because we are kinda of alike in a since, but that doesnt mean that I cant work well with one, I whole heartedly feel that in a tanking partnership its more the players than the classes. Does that answer this question? (I kinda ramble)

I use 2 things, Omen, and Tidy Plates, Omen shows where I am according to threat above the DPS/Healers, and the tidy plates show me what I currently have threat on, Green = Myself or the other tank (Also displays names of highest threat target) Yellow = Someones getting high on threat (also displays name of said person) and Red = Someone has threat that shouldnt and I need to taunt.

I use a few things for this I use ALOT of power auras, (Demo Roar with timer, Pulverize with timer, lacerate stacks and timer, Savage defense with timer, FFF on target Rip, Rake, Savage Roar) all have a power aura, I also use a nifty addon one of my friends created called Druid Friend, I works in a way that I shows the cd left on all my cds, SI, BS, FR, trinkets and so forth, but what I really love about it is it shows how much Savage defense I have, so say I get a crit on a mob and I get a SD shield for 14500, It will display that and tick down as my shield runs out, something else thats cool about it is it adds other shield values into this as well, PW:S, Holy pally shield and so forth which is really cool.

Infected wounds is a lack luster talent, I was an offtank so if it was a one tank fight I would go dps, and the other tank specs have the same equivelent talent or spell. I went for a more hybrid build because thats the utility bears bring is dps, we arent JUST bears, we are bearcats (yes this is a real animal) http://www.wild-fact.../asian-bearcat/ Perseverence is also one of those types of talents, that while very good, on fights where there where a ton of magic dmg, I was mostly dps (like i said DKS are OP)

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As for head enchant and meta gem, Those change on a fight to fight basis, I have 37 of each meta gem and about 24 of each head enchant, I switch them around quite frequently. For example, H Warmaster Vs. Heroic Hagara---Stam and higher armor for warmaster (all physical dmg) Higher Dodge, crit and AP for Hagara (more magic based dmg, only physical dmg is melee and Focused Assault. As for fights like Yor'Sahj I would prolly use 81stam, 2% less spell dmg taken.

Now onto Darlantan:

I will admit that my spec is VERY hybridy, Brutal inpact is for warmaster and Heroic Spine ONLY (Sappers where a real problem in my last group and shorter cooldown on a second charge while tanking bloods was nice) and occasion old content, (Alysrazor and Heroic Rag to be exact) I will be changing that actually. Blood in the water is nice for bears for fights like Heroic Spine (amalg tank, able to due crazy dps on tendons) Warmaster (Since there are large gaps where one person is tanking and you are able to go cat, Heroic Madness (Druids tanks spend 80% of the time on this fight in cat form) Hagara (Feedback and Ice phase)

As for the Agi/Hit and not Agi/Stam, 37Stam= 629 Health, that 25 points of Hit, brought me to 8%, which thus increased 1. SD uptime, amount of crits to hit, and proc SD and increased dmg in both cat and bear form. So yes, I could switch out hit for stam, I dont think it would make or break someone either way.

Hope this answered youre questions, if you have any others, please feel free to ask! Im an open book.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Bambi

[Darlantan]

...You had me at RAWR. ^.^

And I think I'm going to check out Druid Friend as soon as I have a chance!

I do like the fact that you have solid reasons for all of your choices, and I certainly agree on wanting the cat talents for Hagara, Spine, Warmaster (to a lesser extent) & Madness (where I feel like it is actually more like 90% cat form!)

Further to Hip's question, I have cheated with Infected Wounds myself, letting Thunderclap (and one time, a hunter pet )take care of that for most encounters. I ultimately settled on investing the points to ensure debuff coverage, but the rationale is solid in many situations, particularly with farm status fights.

My final observation for now: I think we both really like parentheses.

[Sol]

There is nothing that needs to be "slowed" this tier so Infected wounds is a waste of talent points.

[Bambi]

A parentheses Is a smiley face with no eyes...

[Darlantan]

I use it for attack speed debuff coverage since thunderclap is not always ready to hand.

[Ashin]

Thanks for a thoughtful response to all those questions Bambi. =)

[Hip]

I use it for attack speed debuff coverage since thunderclap is not always ready to hand.

right, thats what I was looking for. I can certainly accept being in an OT situation and letting a different tank apply the debuff, but overall the attack speed debuff cannot be ignored.

I am satisfied by Bambi's answers except for the unwarranted slander of warriors, a transgression that may not soon be forgiven.

HOWEVER, Bambs appears to think like a tank (save perhaps the cuddly comment (CHAINSAWWWAA!). Anyone who is willing to level all 4 tanking classes must certainly be committed and have at least some skill or at least enough self hatred to get punched by mobs all day erday.

[Ashin]

People who level all four tanks are a rare and spooky breed imo.