Tanking with 2 Handers?

[erdirck]

I decided to level as ret and heard about people tanking with 2 handers for leveling until 80. I have 3 sets of gear, well 4, (FR set), holy, prot, ret...

Anyway, if I did tank with a 2 hander, what kind of gear should I be wearing? My tank gear obviously but should I be stacking dodge?

Also, wouldn't it just be better as a ret spec to tank in tank gear with a sword and board? How much of a difference is it?

[Kellann]

Some PvP gear? Gives the uncrit and HP pool along with some inflated armor values...

Honestly if you're doing proper leveled instances as ret in old ret-raid gear you'll be fine, just don't think that you can do outleveled instances like that.

The question at the end of the day though - how much do you like making your healer cry?

[erdirck]

my tank gear is tier 5/ZA/badge gear

[majiben]

The extra mitigation from blocking and the armor is too good to pass up while tanking as ret. The people who are doing it for kicks and it is not recommended as your defualt choice.

[aureon]

i wonder why this thread seems to pop up on a regular basis.
basically, you can't lose 6k armor and think you're good to go. and over 75 there's a shiny SHIELD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

[Elsie]

i wonder why this thread seems to pop up on a regular basis.
basically, you can't lose 6k armor and think you're good to go. and over 75 there's a shiny SHIELD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

It worked well for kitten recovery in tier 5 content.

I tanked a couple starter dungeons in wotlk as ret in ret gear, but tank is a relative term. Everyone in the party was t6 or better, so stuff kind of died or was stunned before anything happened. Four people doing 1600-2500 dps on non-heroic trash is lulz.

[baleogthefierce]

I've been leveling as full ret spec, and whenever my guildies needed a tank for an instance I would just throw on full protection gear and use my 2h for tanking. Even with absolutely no CC, it didn't give my healers too much trouble. Granted that is full t6 protection gear with a t6 healer behind me...

Once I hit 76 though I started using sword and board to take advantage of ShoR, and I haven't looked back

[baleogthefierce]

i wonder why this thread seems to pop up on a regular basis.
basically, you can't lose 6k armor and think you're good to go. and over 75 there's a shiny SHIELD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

yeah regardless of success 2h tanking in leveling dungeons, there's no way this will fly in 80s and heroics, especially with consistent blocking being such an integral part of paladin damage mitigation

[caboom]

You absolutely cannot tank with a 2h w/o getting one of these : http://www.wowhead.com/?item=21538

On the most serious note i can come up with atm : just leave it to the damn DKs tanking with a 2h is their thing.

[baleogthefierce]

You absolutely cannot tank with a 2h w/o getting one of these : http://www.wowhead.com/?item=21538

On the most serious note i can come up with atm : just leave it to the damn DKs tanking with a 2h is their thing.

until we get dual-spec from Blizzard, it's my thing too

[Thels]

If you're ret specced and didn't hit 75 yet, there's a pretty good chance that you need a 2hander to keep the aggro. These instances are relatively easy enough that it shouldn't be a problem. It's probably much more of a problem if you don't keep the aggro and the mobs start hitting the clothies.

If you take too much damage, try placing repentance on one of the mobs. Be sure to mark it, so nobody else accidentally breaks it. The one additional CC should make up for the extra damage you receive.

On 75+ with SotR you shouldn't have the threat problem anymore, so go Sword and Board all the way.