Night Elf or Dwarf TankFollow

If you just started playing, and don't understand the importance of each stat, you really shouldn't even bother worrying about building level 80 specs just yet. A lot of people who read these and other forums see a tanking spec and get a misunderstanding of it's intentions. Those are usually meant for raiding, but that doesn't mean that those talents are what you should, or even have to get while leveling. A leveling tank spec can have a lot more freedom of use for talent points to accommodate solo play than a raiding spec does. So I would concentrate more on learning about what stats do and which stats are more important for which circumstances.

As far as your question, it isn't going to make you or break you either way. One is just as good as the other. Both are just as affective for raid tanking, racial abilities aren't going to be a determining factor in if you get invited to raids or not.

But if you really want my opinion on the matter, Human is the way to go, over both night elf and dwarf.

Edited, Apr 3rd 2009 4:49pm by SynnTastic

Go with any race you like best visually. Racials aren't going to make a big difference for tanking.

The biggest difference that different races mean when tanking is their visual appearance. Gnomes can get very exotic looks with their haircuts and all.

Dwarf: Short, doesn't block the view for casters and hunters.
Gnome: Shorter than dwarf.
Human: Has increased reputation gains, so makes reputation rewards a little easier to get.
Night Elf: It... has... ehm... wisp, so you get back to your instance faster after a wipe.
Draenei: Large. But larger tanks look good for the stereotype and all.

There's a few actual stat bonuses but those aren't going to break your game any day. Just so you know:
Dwarf and Human: Expertise.
Night Elf: Dodge.
Draenei: Hit.

Human

For PvE tanking most of those racial stats just mean gearing/gemming a little less of this and a little more of that.

5% hp probably outweighs the amount of gear/gem/enchants it covers with the racial compared to the others. Specially if you are dedicated enough to go blacksmith/jc for stat boosting. But if you can't make it without racial traits and profession bonuses, then the problem is certainly not your racial or your profession bonuses.

For PvP it may be a totally different story. I can see the advantage for a warrior of having the fury talent and the escape artist in addition to the pvp trinket. But tanks... meh.

Human > gnome


*hint: You're missing something. Probably too short to see it.

Stoneform also removes any bleed, poison and disease effect in addition to the 10% extra armor which makes it great against DKs and Rogues. And as a tank I always use stoneform whenever it's ready. It adds up to my migitation. Dwarves also have a racial on maces and guns. 5 expertise on one,- and two-handed maces, and a 1% extra crit chance on guns. And they can find treasure!

Dwarf is the way to go!

Night Elves get 2% innate misses against them with all physical attacks and nature spells. That's pretty powerful.

Humans, in my opinion, have great racials because of the expertise, anti-fear, and rep gains.

Every Man for Himself makes me pretty hot just in general. Aside from the obvious applications in PvP so that I don't have to wear a 2 minute trinket, I personally find a ton of uses for it just in general as I tank. It's a second reliable fear break, I can bring myself out of stuns with it...all in all, it's ridiculously good. The expertise definitely doesn't hurt either.