Noob Warrior Question - Wanna tankFollow

Hi all. I pretty much just started a warrior alt, and want to build it up to tank instances.

From what i can gather, Shield Slam is a big threat generator, so obviously I'm shooting for that. Earliest I can get it is at lvl 40 going full into Prot tree.

However, I also want Improved Thunder Clap for better AoE threat generation.

So....should I go into Arms first, get Improved Thunder Clap, and then go down Prot for Shield Slam? Then, I would have Shield Slam at lvl 48.

Or....should I go down Prot tree, get Shield Slam at lvl 40, and then go down Arms tree for Improved Thunder Clap?

Just looking for advice.

I was thinking of getting Improved Thunder Clap first since I believe controlling all mobs to be more critical that a super single mob threat generator (i.e. Shield Slam). Especially at the lower level instances where people are still learning to play. Of course, I don't know squat, so that is why I'm asking for advice.

Thanks

Doing either is a bad idea, and I'll tell you why. Going prot at such low levels will ruin your warrior playing experience. It sucks, it's slow, it makes you a sitting duck against anything but another warrior and a rogue, oh, and it's slow. I suggest you go either deep arms, or deep fury with some backing arms talents (like Improved Thunderclap).

Now, I can see you going, "but why SL, I want to tank, so why would I spec for dps?". Here's the catch, using some common logic, tanking as a arms/fury warrior in defensive stances presents a greater challenge than tanking as protection warrior in defensive stances. You have less armor, you have less talents to assist threat generation, and you lack some really great skills such as Shield Slam.

We can all see this sucks, right? On the contrary, tanking this way is harder, but it's a much better way to learn to tank. It's a real spartan way to tank; you have no special aids (besides Imp TC), no skills that boost your threat generation, no inherent threat generator coefficient which may tip the scales in your favor. It forces you to work with the bare minimum, specifically with the full rage cost of Sunder, Revenge, shorter duration and one less block with Shield Block, and a single interrupt (Shield Bash). Learning to do it this way, the hard, dirty, gritty way, will makes you learn what you can do, ways to get around certain problems, and help you to learn the art of improvising on the spot when things go wrong. It's invaluable experience for when you eventually go full protection, because by then you know your stuff, and you see greather possibilites for you new skills, when you can work them in, and what you can do with them.

Well, my two cents anyway.

Filling up to Imp Thunderclap, Cruelty / Imp Demo Shout, and getting Tac Mastery & Imp Bloodrage will still only take you up to level 30 - Gnomeregan time. You'll learn a bit of tanking in Deadmines, Stockades, BFD, RFK. You pick up shield spec between Gnomey and Uldaman, and you're well on your way to the Land of Tanking Happiness.

Just level as Arms.

All of the pre-60 Dungeons can be done in off-spec. Healing classes can heal in their DPS spec(s) and Tanking classes can tank in their DPS spec(s).

I'm a decidedly average tank at this point (my alt's level 60.) But the advice I'd give on tanking (better warriors feel free to comment):

#1 Be Aware. You won't save teammates if you don't know they're being attacked. Always watch for group members who are under attack and save them if applicable. Although this is part of where I'm a lackluster tank - I always try to save them, and sometimes it's best to let them deal with the situation on their own (kiting+DPS, improving their own CC, or perhaps by moving the mob I'm currently tanking it reduces DPS because the rogues have to move around to keep hitting it.)

#2 Save Taunt. Save taunt for when aggro is pulled. If you blow it before aggro is pulled you could set yourself up for a long period where you can't pull a mob off your friend. As a warrior you do still have some handy tools, should this situation arise: Mocking Blow, Challenging Shout, or when mobs are pulled sufficiently far away Intimidating Shout.

#3 Sunder. Sunder Armor will be your main source of single target threat generation. But in sub-60 PUGs, I find that often you can get away with more damage-tilted abilities like Imp Thunderclap or Revenge and still hold aggro just fine. You sort of have to feel out groups for how much you can get away with this; with good DPSers you'll probably want more Sundering to keep up with their threat (although sometimes mobs die so fast that it doesn't matter).

#4 Pull mobs away. Also, when you taunt mobs off players it's a good idea to pull them away from ranged DPS and healers. This will (a) make it more obvious when something's attacking those guys, (b) give you (and them) time to react, and (c) when the mob aggros it won't instantly start hitting those guys -- it'll have to run over first.

I've levelled Prot to 45 now, and although it was kindof slow, questing is fun because I rarely need to stop and regain health, I don't take much damage, even against 3 yellow mobs. THat being said, the fights do take a while. Most of my levelling has been done in instances with PUGs, and although it IS slow, tanking is the hardest group role in the game (I've healed and done DPS/CC as well) and ti takes practice to make you good.

In my opinion, the rough time tanking through to 70 will leave you better prepared for tanking in outlands.

In terms of the spec question, the advice given to me was get shield slam, and then immediately go into arms for the boost iin parry and then for imp. thunderclap.