Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Librarian Husky. Tanks are in a special situation because we can’t simply analyze their performance based on raid testing and DPS output. For a more updated perspective, it’s important to consider the current status of tanks in various scenarios. Tanks function on a few more factors beyond just damage, so their performance must be evaluated in contexts like Mythic Plus, popularity in beta, and other relevant aspects.

Blood Death Knight Analysis

Blood Death Knights are currently in a somewhat monotonous situation because Death Bringer is practically their only viable hero talent at the moment. This is due to the significant nerfs Sun Lane received, coupled with the already clunky rotation that forces you to use one of your cooldowns, Vampiric Blood, as part of your regular rotation. Furthermore, it is even more RNG-based with the chances of proccing Vampiric Strike and summoning a Blood Beast, both of which are outside of your control. Therefore, Death Bringer stands out as a much more stable choice in this regard.

Blood Death Knight Playstyle and Defensiveness

The 45-second window and 45-second cycle create a very clean and simple rotation for Blood Death Knights, which typically occurs once per pull in Mythic Plus. This smooth playstyle aligns well with your rotation and enhances it, especially with Exterminate, which grants a couple of free Bone Marrow Rends each time. Additionally, it offers the best defensiveness for you with Rune Carved Plates, provided it’s not bugged and is actually functioning, offering a 10% damage reduction.

Challenges in Higher Keys

This defensiveness is crucial for Blood Death Knights because one of the more dangerous aspects of playing Blood has often kept it from being the meta tank choice—the amount of damage they take. As you start pushing higher and higher keys, your HP can drop significantly, leading to situations where Blood Death Knights are almost one-shot. What has saved you in the past, particularly towards the end of Shadowlands, is your high parry rate and the ability to reduce the chances of being one-shot.

Damage Output and Cooldown Management

For Blood Death Knights, your damage output is solid. While you’re not the highest damage-dealing tank at the moment, you’re also not the lowest. Moreover, with the addition of Ripper Mark, you have an extensive array of cooldown choices, further enhancing your performance and survivability.

Blood Death Knight Cooldowns and Power Options

For additional power on demand, whether for damage or tankiness, Blood Death Knights have an array of cooldowns at their disposal. These include Dancing Rune Weapon, Vampiric Blood, Anti-Magic Shell, Bone Storm, Tombstone, Reaper Marks, Consumption, Abomination Limb, Lichborne, Anti-Magic Zone, Icebound Fortitude, and more. This gives Blood Death Knights the most options for cooldowns among tanks, making them highly versatile when seeking more power, particularly in defensive situations.

Popularity and Performance in Mythic Plus

Blood Death Knights have been one of the most popular tanks in Mythic Plus during the beta, alongside Protection Warriors and Vengeance Demon Hunters. Despite having just one hero talent, it is quite strong, and as a baseline, Blood Death Knights are strong overall. The recent change to Death Strike, where it no longer removes all the damage you took in the last five seconds, means that spamming multiple Death Strikes in a row is less effective. However, even with this change, Blood Death Knights are performing well, particularly with their added utility options like Vestigial Shell for a pseudo spread Anti-Magic Shell or the easier-to-use Mass Grip from Gorefiend’s Grasp.

Competition and Potential Challenges

The main challenge for Blood Death Knights at the moment is the strong performance of Frost Death Knights, especially in Mythic Plus. This could lead to competition within the class, making it harder for Blood Death Knights to remain as popular or as meta-defining as they currently are. The competition within the class might influence which spec becomes more popular in different content types.

Protection Warrior’s Strengths and Options

Protection Warrior , unlike Blood Death Knight, has the option to choose between Colossus or Mountain for Mythic Plus. You can opt for Mountain to maximize AOE damage, reminiscent of the old BFA days of spamming Thunder Clap, now enhanced as Thunder Blast. This approach significantly boosts your damage output. Alternatively, you can choose a more straightforward path by playing Colossus, which doesn’t match the AOE damage of Thunder Clap but offers much more powerful Revenge damage. In terms of hero talent variety, Protection Warrior surpasses Death Knight, though your spec tree is more limited in terms of talent options.

Limitations in Utility and Talent Variety

As a Protection Warrior , one of your main challenges is the limited variety in your talent tree. You have fewer options to swap in and out compared to other classes. Additionally, Warriors bring less utility to Mythic Plus keys, especially in comparison to other tanks. This limitation is particularly evident in your general talent tree, where your utility options are not as extensive.

Impact of Mythic Plus Meta on Protection Warriors

Another challenge facing Protection Warriors is the potential rise of triple caster DPS compositions in Mythic Plus, which poses a direct threat to your effectiveness. As a Protection Warrior , you synergize better with melee compositions due to Battle Shout, which enhances melee specs. Despite these challenges, Protection Warriors have been performing exceptionally well in Mythic Plus and remain one of the most popular tanks, alongside Blood Death Knights and Vengeance Demon Hunters.

Improvements and Adjustments for Protection Warriors in “The War Within”

In “The War Within,” Protection Warriors received several improvements, although not major changes to their spec tree. One notable enhancement is the removal of the damage reduction from Defensive Stance, allowing it to provide a proper 15% damage reduction at all times without sacrificing damage output. Additionally, playing with Mountain in Mythic Plus offers a higher skill ceiling, especially with the changes to caster enemies. Spell Reflection has gained more value by default, and Intervene is now more powerful with Storm Shield, providing a strong absorb shield for magical damage on a 30-second cooldown.

Cooldown Management and Tanking Efficiency

Compared to Blood Death Knights , Protection Warriors don’t have as many large cooldowns to rotate. However, their cooldowns tend to be on shorter timers and are available more frequently. Abilities like Shield Block, Demoralizing Shout, and Avatar are essential, along with rotating Intervene and Spell Reflection effectively. The bigger cooldowns, such as Shield Wall and Last Stand, don’t offer as many buttons to press as a Blood Death Knight’s abilities, but that’s because Protection Warriors are currently the tankiest in terms of damage mitigation.

Mitigating Damage in Mythic Plus

It’s important to remember that the most consistent damage taken by tanks in Mythic Plus comes from the sheer volume of auto attacks during trash pulls. Protection Warriors excel in mitigating this type of damage, making them highly effective in these scenarios. While their toolkit may seem limited compared to other tanks, the effectiveness of their available abilities ensures that they remain one of the most durable tanks in the current meta.

Protection Warrior’s Strengths and Weaknesses

You might notice that a Protection Warrior may show only 385,000 HPS compared to a Blood DK’s 1.5 million HPS. This difference is due to the fact that Protection Warriors block a significant amount of damage, resulting in a much smoother damage intake thanks to the power of Shield Block. However, this also highlights their weakness—when faced with heavy, unblockable damage, such as DoTs, they must rely on Ignore Pain to mitigate it, which makes them more vulnerable and at greater risk of dying.

Damage Output and Class Competition

After recent buffs, Protection Warriors are doing decent damage with Colossus, while Mountain is performing very well due to its AOE capabilities. Thus, damage output is not a problem for a Protection Warrior . Additionally, you may face less competition within your class since Frost DK is currently outperforming both Fury and Arms, potentially giving you a more secure spot as a raid tank, unlike the situation for Blood DKs.

Guardian Druid’s Surprising Performance

Interestingly, Guardian Druids , or “Arcano Bears” as they have been renamed for the occasion, are performing surprisingly well in Mythic Plus, particularly when playing as Elune’s Chosen. This Arcane-focused flavor of Guardian Druid results in a significant portion of their damage coming from Arcane-flavored abilities, making them a strong contender in the current meta.

Guardian Druid’s Playstyle and Talent Choices

After multiple attempts at buffing, Guardian Druids can still utilize the Druid of the Claw, but the popular choice at the moment is Alune’s Chosen. Guardian Druids are reasonably popular in Mythic Plus, though not quite at the level of Protection Warriors or Blood Death Knights . One of the advantages of Guardian Druids is the ability to choose between two distinct playstyles: going all-in with Incarnation, maximizing its power together with Astral Insight from Alune’s Chosen hero talent, or opting for a more consistent style by switching to Light of Alune, which sacrifices some power in your big cooldown for more steady performance.

Mythic Plus Strategy and Cooldown Management

This choice is crucial because it influences how Mythic Plus runs are shaped, especially in the current season of “The War Within.” The increased danger of trash mobs and the difficulty of interrupting their casts due to changes in crowd control mechanics might make large pulls more challenging. In such cases, the focus shifts to determining which tanks have the strongest 2-minute or 3-minute cooldowns and how to align your route in Mythic Plus to maximize the effectiveness of these cooldowns. This strategic consideration could be the key to succeeding in this more challenging Mythic Plus environment.

Strategic Use of Cooldowns in Mythic Plus

Aligning 2-minute or 3-minute cooldowns with large pulls is crucial for maximizing the power of specific specs. This strategy has been effective in past seasons, whether it was using Vengeance Demon Hunter’s Metamorphosis or Guardian Druid’s Incarnation, as well as synchronizing other powerful cooldowns like Breath of Sindragosa, Combustion, and Power Infusion. This method often shapes the meta, as it allows for the most effective use of available abilities during challenging content.

Guardian Druid’s Flexibility in Cooldown Management

Guardian Druid is in a strong position because, based on the beta for “The War Within,” it appears that it will be much harder to rely on powerful cooldowns and large pulls due to the increased danger from trash mobs. Guardian Druids have the flexibility to downscale these powerful cooldowns or even avoid them entirely, choosing instead to focus on more consistent damage and shorter cooldowns. This flexibility is a significant advantage in Mythic Plus, as other tanks, like Protection Warriors , are locked into their cycle of activating Avatar and empowered Thunderclaps, while Blood Death Knights rely on a 45-second cycle with Deathbringer. Guardian Druids can choose their approach, which could be a valuable asset in this Mythic Plus season.

Current State of Tank Damage

In terms of damage output, Guardian Druids are performing well, alongside almost all other tanks this season. The overall tank damage is solid, with no particular tank standing out as weak. This balanced state allows Guardian Druids to focus on their strategic strengths and adapt to different scenarios within Mythic Plus.

Guardian Druid’s Current Value and Class Competition

Guardian Druids have an additional advantage that could make them even more valuable: the current state of Feral Druids and Balance Druids is not particularly strong. Their main competitor within the Druid class is Restoration Druid, which isn’t the clear-cut number one choice for Mythic Plus and even less so for raids. This increases the value of bringing a Guardian Druid , especially in raids where there are fewer reasons to bring Feral or Balance Druids, and there are plenty of options for finding a good healer composition without a Restoration Druid. This puts Guardian Druids in a strong position for securing a tank spot in raids.

Guardian Druid’s Limitations

Despite their strengths, Guardian Druids still have notable limitations. Their general talent tree remains subpar, and their rotation is considered simplistic, even if you switch to Alune’s Chosen and become an Arcano Bear. Whether you’re playing as an Arcano Bear or not, you’re still pressing the same few buttons, which makes the rotation feel somewhat brain-dead. However, from a power perspective, Guardian Druids are performing well despite these issues.

Vengeance Demon Hunter’s Power and Hero Talents

Speaking of power, Vengeance Demon Hunters are currently in an excellent position. They are the best at the moment in terms of the viability of their hero talents. In contrast, Blood Death Knights have practically none, and Guardian Druids have only a few. This makes Vengeance Demon Hunters a top choice in the current meta.

Mythic Plus Strategies for Vengeance Demon Hunter and Protection Warrior

In Mythic Plus, while Protection Warriors have the flexibility to play with two viable hero talents, Vengeance Demon Hunters can also effectively use both of their hero talents. However, after numerous buffs to Fel Bombardment, especially in terms of AOE, it has become the default choice for Mythic Plus. Despite nerfs to Burning Blade, Fel Bombardment remains the easier and smoother option to execute compared to alternatives like Alraic Reaver.

Vengeance Demon Hunter’s Strengths and Meta Position

One of the key aspects shaping the Mythic Plus meta is whether it revolves around large cooldowns or more consistent pulls. Vengeance Demon Hunter leans more towards being cooldown-dependent. Interestingly, in the S-tier, we see two opposites: Blood Death Knights are much more consistent, with their gameplay centered around Deathbringer, 45-second windows, and short cooldowns that can be used pull after pull. In contrast, Vengeance Demon Hunters, especially when playing with Fel Bombardment, concentrate their power in Metamorphosis.

Power Dynamics and Cooldown Usage

Fel Bombardment focuses its strength in the big cooldown of Metamorphosis. While you do benefit from mini Metamorphosis windows when using Fel Devastation due to the Demonic talent, your greatest power lies in the full Metamorphosis cooldown. This is because Fel Bombardment and all related talents—like the explosion damage from Demon Surge and the ability to reset cooldowns on Sigil of Flame and Fel Devastation—are built around maximizing the impact of Metamorphosis.

Vengeance Demon Hunter in Mythic Plus

While in Metamorphosis, Vengeance Demon Hunters align well with strategies similar to Guardian Druids ’ big pulls around Incarnation. For Vengeance, the focus is on maximizing damage during Metamorphosis, particularly when using Fel Bombardment. Their damage output is high, positioning them among the top tanks in Mythic Plus in terms of DPS. Despite having moments where their health might drop, similar to Blood Death Knights , they maintain consistent damage reduction through a mix of avoidance from general talents, high parry chance with Illuminated Sigils, natural dodge, and frequent cooldown usage.

Active Mitigation and Cooldown Management

Vengeance Demon Hunters are similar to Protection Warriors in their reliance on active mitigation, requiring the chaining or overlapping of abilities like Immolation Aura, Fel Devastation, and Fiery Brand to maintain a high level of tankiness. Unlike Blood Death Knights , who rely on fewer but larger cooldowns, Vengeance Demon Hunters focus on short, quick bursts of mitigation. This approach makes them resilient but in a different way from the long-duration cooldowns of a Blood DK.

Competition and Popularity

It’s worth noting that Havoc Demon Hunters are also performing well, which could lead to competition within the class. However, Vengeance Demon Hunters appear to be pulling ahead, particularly in Mythic Plus compositions, where their combination of high damage and effective mitigation makes them a strong choice for tanking.

Vengeance Demon Hunter vs. Protection Warrior in Group Compositions

When comparing Vengeance Demon Hunter to Protection Warrior , a key difference is the type of group composition each favors. While Protection Warriors bring Battle Shout, which benefits melee-heavy compositions, Vengeance Demon Hunters offer a magical damage debuff, making them more favorable for caster-heavy groups. This dynamic is worth noting because, historically, when Vengeance Demon Hunters were popular, caster compositions also became more prevalent. If Vengeance becomes the meta tank, it could naturally advantage casters, particularly in Mythic Plus.

Challenges Facing Protection Paladins

In contrast to the rise of Vengeance Demon Hunters, Protection Paladins are currently facing several challenges. In the opinion of many experts, including myself and other respected analysts, Protection Paladins were hit hardest by the tank changes implemented in the first season of “The War Within.” The changes, such as the increase in maximum HP to 8-10 million without corresponding buffs to some defensive abilities—especially those scaling with attack power rather than health—have significantly impacted Paladin performance. Additionally, the nerfing of key cooldowns, including Righteous Protector, which reduces the cooldown of Avenging Wrath and Guardian of Ancient Kings, has further weakened the spec. The reduction in duration for Eye of Tyr to only six seconds has also been detrimental. Moreover, dysfunctional hero talents are exacerbating the struggles of Protection Paladins in the current meta.

Challenges with Protection Paladin’s Talents

Protection Paladins currently find themselves forced into using Lightsmith, not because it’s overwhelmingly powerful, but because Templar is poorly tuned for the spec. Templar introduces strange mechanics, such as replacing an actual defensive ability by triggering the entire Templar ability through Light’s Guidance, which works off of Eye of Tyr. The optimal way to use this talent is to align Eye of Tyr to proc Arms of Light inside Sentinel, but this is problematic as these abilities are intended for defensive use, not just to trigger a hero talent.

Issues with Holy Power Generators and Talents

A significant issue with Protection Paladin talents is the reliance on Holy Power generator abilities, like Hammer of Wrath and Judgment, to synergize with various talents. While this works well for specs that heavily utilize generator abilities, Protection Paladins have been at a disadvantage since Blizzard removed Holy Power generation from Avenger’s Shield. For example, talents like Blessing of the Forge, which summons weapons casting spells when using Holy Power abilities, become ineffective when using Avenger’s Shield, as it no longer generates Holy Power. This change has left Protection Paladins feeling weakened, especially compared to other tanks.

Current State of Protection Paladin Damage

Additionally, Protection Paladin damage is relatively low compared to other tanks. While most tanks are performing adequately in terms of damage output, Protection Paladins lag behind, further contributing to the challenges they face in the current meta. These issues, combined with the impact of the tank reworks, have left Protection Paladins in a difficult position, struggling to keep up with other tank classes.

Protection Paladin’s Current Struggles

If Vengeance Demon Hunter is currently one of the highest-performing tanks, Protection Paladin finds itself at the opposite end of the spectrum. In the beta, Protection Paladins have felt particularly weak, becoming the least played tank in Mythic Plus by a significant margin. The recent changes to tanks have impacted them the most, with hero talents that are not particularly exciting and seem to lack a clear focus. Additionally, their core cooldowns, especially Eye of Tyr, have been weakened, further diminishing their effectiveness. To compound matters, one of the top healers in Mythic Plus right now appears to be Holy Paladin, making Protection Paladin an even less appealing option.

Brewmaster Monk’s Average Performance

In contrast, Brewmaster Monk is currently performing at an average, albeit somewhat anonymous, level. They are primarily focused around the Shadow Pan talent rather than Master of Harmony. This talent works well for Brewmaster, particularly in Mythic Plus, where larger pulls allow for more damage and more frequent procs of Flurry Strikes. This, combined with stacking agility up to 20% and cooldown reduction from Weapons of Order with Efficient Training, provides Brewmaster with a reliable, nearly permanent, 10% damage reduction similar to Blood DK’s defensive capabilities. Additionally, the final buff from Wisdom of the Wall continues Brewmaster Monk’s tradition of having some of the highest damage output among tanks.

Brewmaster Monk’s Ongoing Challenges

However, despite their strong damage potential, Brewmaster Monks continue to struggle with self-healing, an issue that has persisted into “The War Within.” While they excel in damage and offer strong defensive capabilities through talents like Shadow Pan, their lack of reliable self-healing remains a significant drawback, especially when compared to other tanks.

The Challenges of Playing Brewmaster Monk and Protection Paladin

As a Brewmaster Monk, you are currently the most healer-reliant tank, even more so than a Protection Warrior , who arguably does a better job of self-sustainability. Brewmaster Monks are also among the most challenging tanks to play. While we can create a tier list based on power, the difficulty level of each tank spec is also crucial. For instance, Guardian Druids are significantly easier to play than Vengeance Demon Hunters, even if Vengeance currently performs better. Similarly, Protection Paladins, due to the nerfing of their major cooldowns, must navigate their cooldown usage with far more caution compared to, say, a Blood Death Knight , who has a plethora of cooldowns at their disposal.

The Complexity of Brewmaster Monk’s Playstyle

Brewmaster Monks require a higher level of skill due to the need to manage abilities like Stagger, Purify, and Cleanse. This complexity makes playing a Brewmaster Monk more demanding than playing your average tank. A mistake with a Brewmaster can often be far more punishing compared to other tanks. Perhaps this is because Brewmasters haven’t undergone as many changes, and therefore don’t seem as promising. While Blood Death Knights have seen improvements from their hero talents and base power, and Protection Warriors and Guardian Druids have benefited from changes like Alune’s Chosen and updated Arcane-synergizing talents, Brewmaster Monks remain largely the same.

Stagnation of Brewmaster Monk Talents

Even though Brewmaster Monk talents like Shado-Pan are effective, they remain ultimately passive and unchanged. This stagnation makes Brewmasters appear less innovative or promising in comparison to other tanks, who have received more dynamic updates and improvements. As a result, while Brewmaster Monks are still strong, their lack of evolution might make them seem less exciting in the current meta.

Brewmaster Monk’s Talent Simplicity and Class Positioning

Flurry Strikes is a passive talent that procs automatically based on the damage you’re dealing, requiring little to no active management. Similarly, Wisdom of the Wall also triggers automatically, meaning that piloting this hero talent requires minimal thought. Despite this simplicity, there is a positive aspect for Brewmaster Monks: the relative position of their other specs within the class.

Class Competition and Brewmaster Monk’s Advantages

At the moment, Windwalker Monk is not expected to be a top-tier spec in Mythic Plus or in raids, and Mistweaver Monk is similarly not positioned as a premier healer. This lack of competition within the class gives Brewmaster Monk more room to navigate in terms of popularity. When compared to other tanks, Brewmaster Monk is in a favorable spot. Blood Death Knights compete with Frost, Vengeance Demon Hunters with Havoc, Protection Warriors with Fury, Guardian Druids with Restoration, and Protection Paladins with Holy—all of which are strong specs in their respective roles. Brewmaster Monks, lacking strong competition within their class, benefit from this dynamic.

Stability and Lack of Major Changes

Brewmaster Monk’s position is quite similar to where it was in the last expansion. The spec hasn’t undergone many major changes, and while this has resulted in a stable but somewhat stagnant position, it also means that Brewmaster Monks haven’t seen a significant improvement or decline. This stability might be a double-edged sword, as the lack of evolution could make the spec seem less appealing compared to others that have received more dynamic updates. However, it also means that Brewmaster Monks remain a solid, if unremarkable, choice in the current meta.

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