Although I play my tank like somebody’s mum, I do like to read up about it and have some idea of what I’m doing.   I’ve read a few guides to tanking, but there is a bit in the middle that’s missing!  What I mean is that there is plenty on written on the very basics of tanking (i.e. your job is to attract aggro and  take damage, to protect the group and provide a single main target for the healer) .  Then there is a lot written for people who already know how to tank but want to  fine tune the details in the endgame (Elitist Jerks, I’m looking at you).    But for people who understand the very basics, but are not at (or never going to get to) end game, there isn’t so much advice.  I am muddling my way through, and it’s leading to some mistakes.

I’ve had a few comments about my lack of damage.  I tend to be between the healers and the others in damage, at the same level.    Other people with warrior alts have pointed out that they normally are high up the list, if not topping it.   I wasn’t terribly worried about my lack of damage, as I had been mainly concentrating on taking damage, not dishing it out.  In fact, I’d expected to be just where I was on the table, below the dpsers, who are the damage dealers.   But possibly I should be doing more damage to get more threat.   At the moment, I am not dying in instances, so I must have about enough protection for the healers to keep up.   I maybe need to think about sacrificing some protection for damage dealing – for instance, replacing stamina with strength.

I’ve found out that if I’m a higher level than my group mates it’s easy to keep aggro.   If I’m a lower level, I keep losing it.   That’s probably because at a lower level I do less damage, and keep missing.

I’m also learning about the pace of these dungeons.   As I said earlier, the days of planning and mana breaks have gone.  I’m now charging ahead, trying to get the first hits in.   I’m still not fast enough as sometimes I’m running over to the mobs while they’re running back to a ranged player.   My taunt is single target, so it’s a pain getting a group of them to focus on me after they’ve gone for one of the other players.   Speed definitely helps, and if I can get in quickly enough I have a couple of aoe skills that I can use while keeping the group together.  That works well for me, but not so well for other players who are trying to crowd control them.   Oops.

Finally, no matter how much I read and learn, I think I’m always going to struggle because I use my keyboard and mouse like somebody’s mum, if not somebody’s gran.   I’ll call it granny typing.   I slip about when I try to use the number keys and get the wrong ones.   The mouse seems to stick and the buttons are too small to press.  I’m not sure if they’ve worked or not when I’ve pressed them.  There is too much on the screen and I can’t see what’s going on.   I can’t work out who’s attacking who, or not immediately.   I find it difficult to pick out the mobs from the players.   Tab targeting gets me the wrong mobs, and clicking on the mob targets a player instead.  This is one of the reasons I usually avoid mêlée classes, because I find it easier to be able to stand back at range.   And it’s one of the reasons I like healing – because the players are easier to target than the mobs!