Tank Hard!

Comment from jtone
Time January 2, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Does anyone know of a guide to PvP as a protection warrior? My protection warrior has hit 64 and I’d like do a bit of a push for honor and badges. What can I do to be an asset to my battleground group? Mostly I use this toon to tank and I’m not willing to respec every time I want to PvP.

Comment from Bizzam
Time January 2, 2008 at 3:07 pm

If you’re mainly concerned with battlegrounds, then it’s quite simple. Gear is very important. Get your PVP gear, as well as crit gear. Pick up a couple of good 1 handers (I use [item]The Decapitator[/item] and [item]Fool’s Bane[/item]). Get as much crit as possible (I’m pushing 32% in berserker stance), wade into the fray and just Devastate spam like crazy. Don’t forget to use your interrupts on spell casters, and feel free to utilize your other tools as well, such as Intimidating Shout, Whirlwind, Hamstring, etc.
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Part of being successful with this spec is choosing your targets. Pick the squishies, although I don’t recommend frost mages as you’ll find yourself frozen in place more often than not. Rogues are particularly susceptible to your attacks.
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If you find yourself in a 1 on 1 with another melee, just switch to sword and board and go defensive. Your goal here is to just outlast them.
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I find a response to your question is getting longer and longer, perhaps I will devote a post to Prot spec PVP in the near future.

Comment from hybuir
Time January 2, 2008 at 3:32 pm

This is very interesting play. Even more interesting is that much honor, jeebus! Even more interesting is 1.5h queue times, on Cyclone I wait no more than 30s. /flex

Comment from Rochelle
Time January 3, 2008 at 9:36 am

Whenever I would go to BGs as prot I would run around in my block value set. I would take hardly any melee damage as long as I wasn’t stunned and I could pop some big shield slams to get the attention of the caster who saw me and thought, ‘lol prot warrior’. I also think that when I run around with a shield on, many of the good players on the other team realize that although they could kill me eventually, it is way too much of a hassle so they leave me alone or at least leave me until last.
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For me the best part about being prot for pvp is indirect. Until recently my guild only had 1 dps warrior so as soon as he got an item the next time it dropped it was up for grabs. Its awesome. It feels like nobody in BGs wear much resilience so I put on all my pve gear and hit like a Mac truck… on steroids… that is shipping steriods across state lines. It is a pure example of gear > skill and I know it, but I can’t help but giggle when I two shot some poor clothie who is just there for his daily.

Comment from littletank
Time January 3, 2008 at 2:04 pm

I find the irony in the hole Alliance not playing AV. it is a highly touchy subject but in many ways this game is geared to the horde, point in case is the fact that many of you are horde for one racial reason or another. I chose Alliance because that is were my friends are. had I known haw many 12 year olds play the alliance I would have gone horde just to be with adults (or so it would seem). any how it has gotten that the only way to win a AV is to go in on a premaid, or don’t go at all. thus the result you get, and if malganis comes in as a premaid most people bail. I have to admit I do not see blizzards logic in putting a pvp server against a pve server they wont let you take a pve toon to a pvp server for some reason, I mean come on use some of that same logic hear. I am pve and I know the diff when playing against the two, it is very noticeable.
As for prot in pvp it is handy in AB you can keep them off the flag long enough for peoples to come save you. In AV well we all know that is where tanks shine. EotS and WG a tank and a hunter pacing you out is unstoppable. As for the dps end we suck but is you hamstring, devastate (at least 5 times), rend , demo shout, and T-clap some one that are easy pray for any damage dealing class behind you lol. That is what I do is I don’t respec arm’s. Arm’s with 3 pcs of season 1 all the kara dps gear (i.e. rings, cape….) and Gorhal OMG people run. Know I know I don’t have the best dps set but still I come in at least in the top 10 for damage and a lot of times top 10 for healing lol. so any how any one can pvp.

Comment from littletank
Time January 3, 2008 at 2:25 pm

ok how do you edit you bobo’s lol. i was at work and in a rush and made some cool type-o’s lol.
thanks :)
LT

Comment from Hepher
Time January 4, 2008 at 10:56 am

I usually try and find a healer (either from guild or my friends list) and ask them to come along. If they can stay about 30 yards away and heal, usually the alliance don’t pay attention to my buddy until they are about dead. It helps to stay with a group of people instead of trying to go out and solo kill in a BG.

Comment from Bizzam
Time January 4, 2008 at 11:08 am

I don’t have a high powered Shield Block set, and the times I have tried to go the Shield Slam route did okay, but I’ve found I can do much better with Devastate spam =)

Comment from anglachel
Time January 4, 2008 at 12:49 pm

AB and AV are the best BGs for a prot warrior imho. As long as you are good at calling for help you can hold 2-3 enemies easily until help arrives.

I also love killing warlocks, since they give everyone else so much trouble, but i can intercept, conc blow and damage away.

Yesterday i surprised myself holding BS with maybe 3 other people against wave after wave of 7+ horde and not being killed once… gotta love pvp healers