Tanks are a crucial component in World of Warcraft, stepping into the fray to divert damage from the group. We’ve explored each tank specialization to assess their current performance, culminating in our War Within tank tier list.
The beta for The War Within introduced numerous adjustments across all specifications in WoW. Players who engaged during the Dragonflight expansion likely noticed significant changes to their main characters, especially with the introduction of new Hero Talents. With the new expansion now live and the situation stabilizing, we’re better equipped to evaluate which tank specs excel above the rest.
This ranking largely mirrors the performance order seen at the conclusion of the prior expansion, even though many specs have adopted fresher strategies. Below is our detailed analysis of each tank specialization in advance of The War Within’s release.
WoW: The War Within Tank Spec Tier List
| Tier | Class/Spec |
| S | Guardian Druid |
| A | Vengeance Demon Hunter, Blood Death Knight, Protection Warrior |
| B | Protection Paladin, Brewmaster Monk |
The initial weeks have brought some shifts in the tanking meta as Blizzard continues its balancing efforts. Guardian Druid has distinguished itself prominently, playing a critical role in the Race to World First in Nerub’ar Palace.
Meanwhile, other significant tank specs have seen minor adjustments to their effectiveness, though most have retained their standing since the initial launch of The War Within.
Our Tiers Explained
Our tier list utilizes a straightforward layout where tank specs of comparable ability are placed at the same level. In this instance, our tiers range from S to B, defined as follows:
- S-Tier: The top-tier options in the tank role
- A-Tier: Excellent tanks with a broad toolkit, though they possess one or two weaknesses
- B-Tier: Good tanks that might be less prepared for the current expansion or less efficient in drawing threat, self-sustain, or damage output.
S-Tier
Guardian Druid
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Outstanding damage reduction | Challenging threat generation |
| Extensive health pool | Limited crowd control |
| Strong damage output | |
| Excellent raid utility |
The only spec in S-Tier is the Guardian Druid. While there haven’t been extensive changes, several adjustments modify its gameplay, which might surprise existing Bear players. Notably, Astral Influence now only impacts spells, slightly hindering the spec’s damage output and threat maintenance.
On a positive note, accessing skills like Remove Corruption has become easier due to updates in the class talent tree.
Overall, Guardian Druid remains largely unchanged and continues to uphold its status as a dependable tank in this expansion. The spec’s superb damage reduction capabilities remain impressive, offering significant outgoing damage options.
Guardian Druid has access to the Druid of the Claw and Elune’s Chosen Hero Talent trees, with the latter currently being slightly more effective. Neither tree drastically alters the spec’s rotation, and while Claw may have a higher potential, the comfort provided by Elune’s Chosen brings subtle yet noticeable enhancements.
A-Tier
Vengeance Demon Hunter
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Exceptional mobility | Harsh penalties for non-ideal play |
| Diverse defensive toolkit | Utility options can disrupt rotation |
| Solid AoE capabilities for a tank | Hero Talent trees can be ineffective |
| Strong crowd control |
Vengeance Demon Hunter was a reliable tank in the last expansion, despite some temporary nerfs that impacted its effectiveness. The updates introduced with The War Within are mostly positive, although nerfs to talents like Illuminated Sigils may concern some players.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty justifying the spec’s position in this second tier. Chaos Brand will continue to be valuable in Mythic+ content and raids, while the new tier set offers a stable damage increase. The usual perks associated with Demon Hunters, such as exceptional mobility and robust crowd control, remain intact.
The Aldrachi Reaver Hero Talent tree has sparked debate, with many feeling it alters the class’s identity in a disjointed way. Fortunately, Fel-Scarred currently shines as the better choice, both thematically and in its contribution to the spec’s overall effectiveness—allowing for more creative build crafting compared to the more rigid Reaver tree.
Blood Death Knight
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Very high health pool | Challenging cooldown management |
| Excellent cooldown selection | Can be resource-starved |
| Diverse utility options | Limited mobility |
| Cheat Death ability in Purgatory |
Sharing A-Tier with the Vengeance Demon Hunter is the consistently strong Blood Death Knight. Surprisingly, Blood has experienced numerous changes, yet most do not drastically impact its viability. Instead, these adjustments, including talent tree rearrangements, have generally enhanced the spec.
Vestigial Shell, located in the tenth talent row, notably bolsters magical resistance and extends Anti-Magic Shell to allies. Additional utilities elevate the Blood DK further, providing an extensive toolkit for the diverse threats present in dungeons.
Most Blood DKs will probably favor the San’layn Hero Talent tree for its additional utility. However, Deathbringer shouldn’t be overlooked, especially with the current effectiveness of Reaper’s Mark, which also activates frequently as a passive, minimizing the need for extra integration into the rotation.
Protection Warrior
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Strong physical damage resistance | Average damage output |
| Notable mobility for a tank | Challenging for novice players |
| Good utility in raid and dungeon scenarios | Weak against magical attacks |
| Potentially high armor value |
Positioned in A-Tier, Protection Warrior offers numerous advantages in this initial season of The War Within. Notably, Spell Reflection has become increasingly relevant due to the rising Magic damage threats. Although the spec hasn’t undergone vast changes, its talent tree restructuring has generally resulted in positive outcomes.
However, some traditional limitations persist, ensuring the spec remains outside the lowest tier. Success as a Protection Warrior depends significantly on managing defensive cooldowns efficiently. Failure to do so could result in dire outcomes, particularly due to limited personal healing options and vulnerabilities against unblockable damage. Still, it remains a competent tank and will find ample opportunities outside top-level competitive content.
Protection Warriors boast impressive Hero Talent choices, like Colossus and Mountain Thane, each offering distinctive benefits. While Colossus enhances burst damage, it’s Mountain Thane that stands out as the preferable choice due to its Storm Shield utility, which acts as a complete damage absorb while inflicting substantial Nature damage.
B-Tier
Protection Paladin
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Exceptional mitigation | Consecration complicates high-mobility fights |
| Top-tier emergency cooldowns | Limited mobility options |
| Strong healing abilities | Strict rotation |
| Crucial cleansing capabilities |
Protection Paladins deliver a plethora of beneficial tools. Their remarkable ability to handle Magic damage makes them a valuable addition to any group. Their crowd control and cleansing abilities rank among the best, with skills like Hammer of Justice, Repentance, and Blinding Light enhancing their value.
Despite these strengths, several weaknesses prevent them from achieving a higher ranking. Their relatively low health pool is notably one of the weakest among tank options, coupled with limited mobility that can present challenges during specific Mythic+ encounters.
Regarding Hero Talents, Lightsmith struggles to carve out a distinct identity, leaving Templar as the only viable option for Protection Paladins. The Templar tree is thematically appealing and significantly bolsters the spec’s toolkit, particularly through the damage-dealing and resistance-enhancing Eye of Tyr.
Brewmaster Monk
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Excellent raid capabilities | Highly vulnerable |
| Great mobility | Complex keybinding requirements |
| Strong utility for Mythic+ | Lacks self-sustain |
| Mystic Touch for group damage enhancement | Damage output can be subpar |
Changes to the Monk tree are more revolutionary than specific updates for Brewmaster itself, but they currently synergize well to create an engaging specialization. General buffs to talents have been beneficial, adding utility options like dispelling Enrage through Paralysis, along with damage enhancements like Touch of Death.
Stagger continues to alleviate the healer’s workload, particularly with buffs from Shuffle and health regain from Celestial Fortune. Brewmasters possess unrivaled mobility among tanks, but substantial drawbacks hinder the spec’s effectiveness. With self-sustain reliant on a limited selection of abilities, a Brewmaster can struggle without a competent healer. The limited health pool and challenging gameplay for those unable to execute rotations add to the complexity.
Master of Harmony appears to be the more integrated Hero Talent choice over Shado-Pan at this moment. While Shado-Pan has appealing features, it feels disjointed and lacks cohesive direction.
That concludes our comprehensive tank tier list. If tanking doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry—our breakdowns for both Healers and DPS are available as well.
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