Tank track

A short course in tanking, healing and DPS in a group: how to think, what to set up first, and a calm road into dungeons.

What is a tank?

A tank makes the enemies hit YOU, not your group. An enemy that is attacking you: that is called aggro.

Threat is how angry an enemy is with you. It hits whoever it is angriest with. As a tank your attacks make a lot of threat, so keep hitting every enemy.

Taunt is one button that makes one enemy attack you for 6 seconds. After that it needs 8 seconds before you can press it again. Use it when an enemy hits someone else, and keep attacking that enemy: if you stop, it goes back after those 6 seconds. To grab a whole pack, use your attacks that hit many enemies at once (AoE), not taunt.

You walk in front and you set the speed. The group follows you.

Gear: the main stat of your tank spec. The game shows it under each spec as "Primary Stat". Protection Paladin and Protection Warrior need a shield: without one, their key buttons do not work. The gear step below says where to get one.

Switch to your tank spec: Talents & Spellbook -> Specialization -> Activate (free). Loot spec, the spec your loot is for: right-click your own portrait (the picture of your character next to your health bar) -> Loot Specialization.

Words you will hear

Pull: starting a fight with a pack.
Pack: a group of enemies that fight together.
Trash: the normal enemies between the bosses.
Boss: a big, strong enemy with its own tricks.
Aggro: an enemy is attacking you.
Threat: how angry an enemy is with you. It attacks whoever has the most.
Taunt: a tank button that makes one enemy attack you.
Cooldown: the wait before you can press a button again. "(1.5 min)" behind a button is that wait.
On cooldown (as in "press it on cooldown"): press it again as soon as it is ready.
Defensive: a button that makes you take less damage for a short time.
Active mitigation: a tank button you press again and again to take less damage. In the toolkit, [Block] marks one that uses your shield.
Interrupt (kick): a button that stops an enemy's spell while it is being cast.
CC (crowd control): taking an enemy out of the fight for a while, for example with a stun.
Debuff: a bad effect on someone, like a Poison.
Dispel: removing a debuff from someone.
Wipe: the whole group dies. You run back and try again.
OOM: out of mana. A healer with no mana cannot heal.
Frames: the health bars of your group on your screen.
DPS: the players who do the damage (in the Group Finder that role is called Damage). It also means damage per second.
Spec (specialization): the direction you pick inside your class, like Holy, Protection or Retribution for a Paladin.
HP (health): your hit points. At 0 you die.
Buff: a good effect on someone, like more stats or a heal that keeps ticking. Your own buffs show as icons at the top right.
Normal, Heroic, Mythic: how hard a dungeon or raid is, from easy to hard.
LFR (Raid Finder): the easiest way to raid. Sign up in the Group Finder -> Dungeons & Raids -> Raid Finder.
M+ (Mythic+): a Mythic dungeon with a Keystone. You race a timer, and every + level makes the enemies stronger.
Follower dungeon: a dungeon where computer characters (NPCs) fill the rest of your group.
Training dummy: a practice target in town that never dies. Hit it to practise your buttons.
Gear: the armor and weapons you wear.
Cast: a spell that takes a moment: a bar fills up first. Instant: a spell that works right away.
HoT (heal over time): a heal that keeps healing for a while.
Overheal: healing more than someone is missing. That extra is wasted mana.
Raid: a bigger group than a dungeon, against bigger bosses.
Instance: a place only your group enters, like a dungeon, raid or delve.
Bad stuff: harmful spots on the ground, like fire. Step out of them.
Keys: MH writes them short here, like the game does: s-3 is Shift+3, c- is Ctrl.

Switch role, step by step

Switch to your tank spec: Talents & Spellbook (bottom right) -> Specialization -> Activate
Gear with your tank spec's main stat (Protection Paladin and Warrior: a shield too). Talents & Spellbook -> Specialization shows it under each spec as "Primary Stat"; your character screen only lists the main stat of the spec you are in. No shield yet? At level 90: Auction House -> Armor -> Miscellaneous -> Shield, plus a one-handed weapon with your main stat (a two-hander does not go with a shield). Below level 90: queue as Damage, with your Loot Specialization on your tank spec (right-click your portrait). Dungeons can then give you tank gear, a shield too, but it is not certain. Set it back to Default afterwards.
Your taunt and your interrupt are on a key (the toolkit below names them): Talents & Spellbook -> Spellbook, drag each spell with the left mouse button onto your action bar
Read your spec's card once: the "How you play" button below, or press Enter, type /mh play, press Enter
Practised your buttons at the training dummies in Silvermoon (west side, by Falconwing Square; MH's Silvermoon City tab has a pin). The Normal Tank Dummy hits back.
One follower dungeon done (Group Finder, bottom right -> Dungeon Finder -> Follower Dungeons -> Find Group)
One normal dungeon done with real players: with friends or guildies if you can, otherwise a random group. Invite friends first (right-click their name in chat -> Invite, or type /inv and their name). Then Group Finder -> Dungeon Finder -> Random Dungeon (Midnight), tick the Tank or Healer icon, and press Find Group (in a group, the leader presses it). Not the leader? Tick your role in the Dungeon Finder beforehand, or wait: when the leader presses Find Group you get "Confirm your role:" - tick your role and click Accept

Your ticks are kept in this browser only. In the game, the Academy keeps its own.

Tank mindset

Your job: keep the enemies hitting you, not your group, and set the speed of the run - not do the most damage.

One steady pull beats a perfect button order with a dead group. Say pulls out loud if it helps: "pulling in 3".

How you see a big hit coming

In a boss fight the game warns you itself: icons count down on the Boss Abilities timeline, and big warnings appear in the middle of your screen. Both are on by default (Esc -> Options -> Gameplay -> Gameplay Enhancements -> Boss Warnings).

When an enemy casts a spell, a bar fills up under its health bar (and under its portrait, its small picture, if it is your target). The spell lands the moment the bar is full. So interrupt, step away or press a defensive while the bar is still filling - as soon as you see it is fine. A full bar is too late. A bar with a shield cannot be interrupted.

A glowing bar means an important cast. No glow does not mean it is safe.

Before you pull, read the boss: Shift+J (Adventure Guide) -> the boss -> Abilities, or type /mh bosswin. The MH window closes when the fight starts, so read it first.

Physical or magic? In the Adventure Guide, open the boss -> Overview -> Tanks or Healers. It names the damage of a big attack: "Physical" is physical damage; a school such as Fire or Shadow means magic.

Anxiety ladder (recommended order)

1. Elites (stronger enemies) out in the world, with a friend
2. Delves (smaller instance - Delves tab)
3. Follower dungeon: NPCs fill the rest of the group (level 80-90). Group Finder -> Dungeon Finder -> Follower Dungeons
4. Normal dungeon with people you trust
5. Heroic / LFR when comfortable

Stay on each step until it feels boring, not terrifying. Then move up.

The buttons of each spec

Open your spec. This is the toolkit the Academy shows in the game, with the same coloured labels, like [Block] or [Heal].

The site cannot see your character, so it lists every button of the spec, talents you may not have picked included. In the game you only see the ones you have, each with the key it is on.

Blood Death Knight

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Self-heal] Death Strike — Heals you from the hit you just took — your main sustain.
[Armor] Marrowrend — Reduces physical damage — keep it up during heavy melee.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Dark Command — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Mind Freeze — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Asphyxiate — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Self-heal] Vampiric Blood (1.5 min) — A burst of self-healing when you drop low.
[Damage reduction] Icebound Fortitude (2 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.
[Anti-magic] Anti-Magic Shell (1 min) — Use it against heavy magic damage or a big incoming spell.
[Damage reduction] Dancing Rune Weapon (2 min) — Press it before a big hit or at the start of a big pull, not when your health is already low. One at a time. Your card (/mh play -> Stay alive) says which one is small (press it often) and which is big (keep it for the hardest hit).

How you play Blood →

Vengeance Demon Hunter

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Armor] Demon Spikes — Reduces physical damage — keep it up during heavy melee.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Torment — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Disrupt — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Chaos Nova — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Damage reduction] Fiery Brand (1 min) — A small one: press it often, before a big hit or at the start of a big pull. One at a time.
[Self-heal] Fel Devastation (40s) — A burst of self-healing when you drop low.
[Damage reduction] Metamorphosis (2 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.
[Raid] Darkness (5 min) — Helps the whole group — pop it for raid-wide damage.

How you play Vengeance →

Guardian Druid

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Armor] Ironfur — Reduces physical damage — keep it up during heavy melee.
[Self-heal] Frenzied Regeneration — Heals you from the hit you just took — your main sustain.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Growl — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Skull Bash — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Mighty Bash — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Thrash
Swipe

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Damage reduction] Barkskin (45s) — A small one: press it often, before a big hit or at the start of a big pull. One at a time.
[Damage reduction] Survival Instincts (3 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.

What you can dispel

Remove Corruption — removes Curse, Poison from a friendly target.

How you play Guardian →

Brewmaster Monk

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Brew] Purifying Brew — Clears the damage stored by Stagger before it bursts.
[Absorb] Celestial Brew — A shield that eats damage — refresh it before it falls off.
[Absorb] Celestial Infusion — A shield that eats damage — refresh it before it falls off.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Provoke — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Spear Hand Strike — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Leg Sweep — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Damage reduction] Fortifying Brew (6 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.

What you can dispel

Detox — removes Poison, Disease from a friendly target.

How you play Brewmaster →

Protection Paladin

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Block] Shield of the Righteous — Keep it up almost all the time while enemies are hitting you, and always before big physical hits.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Hand of Reckoning — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Rebuke — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Hammer of Justice — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Damage reduction] Ardent Defender (1.5 min) — A small one: press it often, before a big hit or at the start of a big pull. One at a time.
[Damage reduction] Guardian of Ancient Kings (3 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.
[Damage reduction] Sentinel (2 min) — A small one: press it often, before a big hit or at the start of a big pull. One at a time.
[Anti-magic] Blessing of Spellwarding — Use it against heavy magic damage or a big incoming spell.
[Immunity] Divine Shield (5 min) — Panic button: 8 sec immune to almost all damage. Press it just before a hit that would kill you. Health already low and no big hit coming? Then Lay on Hands instead. Pick one: after one, the other does not work on you for 30 sec (nor do Blessing of Protection and Blessing of Spellwarding). While it is up, enemies hit someone else, unless you have the Final Stand talent: then they stay on you. Without Final Stand, be ready to taunt when it ends.

What you can dispel

Cleanse Toxins — removes Poison, Disease from a friendly target.
Cleanse — removes Magic from a friendly target.

How you play Protection →

Protection Warrior

Your active mitigation (keep these up)

[Block] Shield Block — Keep it up almost all the time while enemies are hitting you, and always before big physical hits.
[Absorb] Ignore Pain — A shield that eats damage — refresh it before it falls off.

Your taunt, your interrupt and your AoE

Taunt — makes one enemy attack you. Press it when an enemy hits someone else.
Pummel — stops an enemy spell while it is being cast. Watch the bar that fills up under its health bar.
Shockwave — stuns: the enemy cannot do anything for a few seconds, so it also stops a spell. Use it when your interrupt is still on cooldown.

AoE: hits several enemies at once. Start every pull with these, so the whole pack attacks you.

Your personal defensives (press before the big hit)

[Damage reduction] Demoralizing Shout (45s) — A small one: press it often, before a big hit or at the start of a big pull. One at a time.
[Damage reduction] Shield Wall (3 min) — A big one: keep it for the hardest hit, and press it just before that hit, not when your health is already low. One at a time.
[Raid] Rallying Cry (3 min) — Helps the whole group — pop it for raid-wide damage.
[Anti-magic] Spell Reflection (25s) — Use it against heavy magic damage or a big incoming spell.

How you play Protection →

During a pull (first 10 seconds)

1. Grab the pack: hit them all with your attacks that hit many enemies at once (AoE). Taunt only the one that runs to someone else.
2. Turn enemies so they face away from the group when you can: some enemies hit everything in front of them, and otherwise that hits your group too.
3. Press a defensive before the big damage or at the start of a big pull - not when you are already low. One at a time; keep a big one back for the hardest hit.
4. Interrupt the cast that hurts most (often a heal or a big hit).

You do not need to press every button at once.

When it goes wrong

A wipe is data, not a verdict. Ask: "Was I too far ahead?" or "Did I press a defensive before the big hit?"

Catch your breath, eat and drink, try again.

Your first normal dungeon (after a follower one)

Go with friends or guildies if you can; otherwise a random group is fine. Invite friends first: right-click their name in chat -> Invite, or type /inv and their name. Then the group leader presses Find Group.

Before Find Group, tick the Tank icon (healers: the Healer icon). With no role ticked, the button does not work. Not the leader? When the leader presses Find Group you get "Confirm your role:": tick your role and click Accept.

Go slow on pulls - two small packs beat one huge pull of many packs at once.

Watch the healer's mana; pause between pulls. It is OK to ask for CC or "no big pull yet".

Raids and LFR (later)

LFR is the gentle raid intro: forgiving, many healers. Focus on the boss's big attacks and on standing in the right place.

Mythic raid tanking is not the next step - comfort in heroic/LFR first.

Party chat

Click a line (or its copy icon) and press Ctrl+C. Press Enter: the chat opens on Say, which only people near you see. To reach your group, first type /p and a space; in a Group Finder dungeon type /i instead. Then Ctrl+V to paste and Enter to send. Put the name of the enemy's spell where it says [spell name].

Still learning tank - go slow please.
Pulling in 3...
Need a breather for mana.
Interrupt on [spell name] - I have it next.
One more try - I know that pull now.

Learning heal or DPS too?

The DPS track is the gentlest second role - your buttons, interrupts and where you stand, with no group depending on you. Healing is the bigger jump, but you already read pulls, and that is half of it.

Pick one main role in dungeons for a while and practise the other in delves or out in the world. Switching roles in the same M+ group of strangers doubles the stress; mastery in one first builds confidence for the second.

In the game the Academy knows your character. It ticks the steps it can see, shows only the spells you have, puts your own key behind every button and turns a button red when it is not on a key yet. Type /mh academy.

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