So you want to tank?

Do you think you have what it takes?

I am not speaking about your character in-game, I'm talking about you. If you're used to the internet at all, you know that people overly criticize and may not be very eloquent while doing so. So what can you do? I have two recommendations; learn as much as possible and get tougher skin.

People who might criticize you usually do not know what they're talking about. It is your job to remind them that they don't. If people run their mouth over a choice you made, you need to be able to explain to them why you made that choice, or to be able to admit that you messed up.

In order for your ego to grow effectively on the internet, you need to protect it with a very thick and intimidating callus. People are going to throw slurs, insults, and talk belligerently as long as they're able to hide behind a user name and a monitor, yourself included perhaps. It's important to keep in mind that it's easy for people to say things on the internet that they might not normally say in person. Just ignore the idiocy and continue what you know is right. If all else fails, next time a raid boss spews fire that kills everything in front of them, point it at the offender.

Qualities of a superior tank include leadership qualities, know-how, and quick decision making. In order to gain respect among fellow players, you need to exert a certain amount of command (not too much). A happy balance is necessary, essentially you want to be able to give people directions, correct poor performance, and not simply scream and yell until you get your way. Though I do believe some people can only hear you when you yell at them. The know-how I have mentioned comes from knowing your class better than others but on top of that, you must also know their class better than they do. If you are able to instruct others and give them advice, it shows your knowledge and upon proper delivery, helps earn respect as well. Quick decision making is not an easy quality to acquire. The best way to gain it is by getting as much experience as possible, the more times you do something, and the more chances you will have to experience every aspect of it.

There are more qualities of being a great tank, but I cannot speak about them all. What is important is that you find the qualities that are necessary to communicate effectively with the group of people that you play with, and that's probably the best summarized advice I can offer.

tank my life

Good tanking is a skill often overlooked. Some even might consider tanks masochistic. Frequently tanks are subject to being the first to be blamed, and the last to be praised, and it is not until people are thrown into extraordinary circumstances where they are stuck playing with an exceptionally poor tank that they realize how skilled the better ones are.

For me, playing a character that specializes in tanking is more than just absorbing damage for a group ranging from 5 to 25 people; it’s about obtaining the best gear, researching or proving the best ways to gear, being dependable, knowledgeable, improving my reaction speed, finding and working with the best strategies for the overall success of the raid.

It’s been a long and arduous journey going from a newbie to an experienced/competitive player, but it’s been exhilarating the entire way.