Tanking Too Much Part 1

It is entirely possible to tank too much. No, I'm not talking about how much time you spend in heroics, or where you are in your guild's tank pecking order. I'm not even referring to the carpal tunnel you suffer in both wrists as you juggle cooldowns and stack threat like a pro.

Tanking is thought of as a hammer, a blunt intstrument. All mobs need to be tanked--therefore, they're all nails that need to be hammered down. We don't always have the subtle spell rotations or fine number juggling that our DPS and healer comrades contend with. We get in there, and we generate threat. We see trash mobs, we charge forth (for Gnomeregan!) and insult or annoy the hell outta them. We see a boss, and we put ourselves between its ugly, disgusting mug and the rest of our friends. Seems pretty straightforward, right?

Not necessarily. Raid tanks should probably start thinking of themselves more as scalpels--and different kinds of scalpels, for that matter. This is true for tanking trash and tanking bosses.

What is "tanking too much?" It is the fallacy that tanks need to be building max threat on all mobs at all times, regardless of what is happening with the rest of the raid, and regardless of what the other tanks are doing. Tanks who tank too much are living in the here and now. They see mobs, they tank mobs--they miss the forest for the trees. They don't see the other things that they can do to help the raid, not necessarily by having max TPS.

It's a bit akin to Disc healing priests--they're not supposed to be judged by their numbers, but rather by those timely shields, those quick reacions that mean the difference between life and death. The essence of tanking too much is tanking everything the same way, assuming that you must be building threat on them every minute the same way, regardless of who the other tanks are, what their skills are, and what the fight calls for. Having the highest TPS or the highest amount of "damage in" on the meters doesn't always make for the best tank. The best tanks are team players and not the stars of the show, and use their skills when appropriate and to the highest potential.

All of this requires situational awareness and a willingness to take on alternative roles. A lot of tanks take the easy way out when they're not main tank, and just whack at the boss or coast through the trash when they're not "on duty." All tanks need to be more aware than anyone else in the raid. They should always have an eye on the rest of the raid, as well as the trash mobs ahead, behind, and to the sides, and what is happening everywhere during a boss fight. Being toe-to-toe can make this difficult, but with proper camera settings and a willingness to work at it, tanks can become effective watchdogs and emergency tanks.

Tanking too much can be broken down into two areas: trash and bosses. I'll talk a bit about both with some examples of things I've found helpful.