Returning player from WotLK but played on and off through most of the expansions after. I’ve always been a casual player and was always DPS, not really getting involved with raids, healing and tanking.
I’m interested in trying to tank casually (then see where it goes from there) but not sure if it is more beneficial for me to start a new character or use one of the level boosts I have never used since cataclysm then practice straight at a higher level.
Currently I have a paladin at level 34 leveling through dungeon finder. Note: I only have heirlooms to level 60 then will need to quest/buy for decent items.
You’re probably at the point where if you just take the level boost you will be overwhelmed by the abilities and play style, since you haven’t had any time to practice with that spec beforehand, but I can’t be sure. Leveling boosts are great if you’re an experienced player, but I would strongly advise against them as a new/returning player.
This applies to you especially if you don’t have any real tanking experience. I would recommend leveling as a tank from level 1 and see where it goes from there. Tanking is not necessarily more difficult, although I would say that the basics are more difficult to learn, whereas picking a dps is very easy, but getting good is usually not.
Just be prepared to know the routes and getting comfortable to what you can and can’t handle. You’ll probably be flamed in groups if you’ll act clueless or do something wrong, as it is usually the tanks’ responsibility to lead the group. But once you get decent at it, the complaints should cease.
I would recommend leveling a character, perhaps your paladin.
During leveling, while doing dungeons, you can get some basic tanking practice in, while random people are still (more) tolerant about mistakes, that can get less so at max level.
Dungeon groups are often also fast to find, as a tank (nice bonus).
That said, it’s not uncommon for leveling dungeons to be fairly easy (especially with loom gear). You may find that you never really get put to the test at low level. But even in those situations, at least you’re learning to lead a group through a dungeon. Learning not to lose your healer, keeping an eye on his mana so you know when to slow down, etc.
If you already own the BfA expansion, then you have access to Class Trials as well. I’d higly recommend making use of that feature, to help you make up your mind.
You can use this to create a few instant level-110 tank characters of different classes (without using up your boost). These characters will self-destruct after a few hours of playtime, and they can’t do dungeons, but they will allow you to step into the shoes of a well geared level 110 Blood DK, Prot Paladin, Prot Warrior, Bear Druid and/or DH, with their entire spell toolkit unlocked. Play around with them a bit and see which of the play styles appeals to you the most.
Note: While making a Class Trial character, not all specs are available, i’m not sure if the tankspecs are or not, but once you’ve zoned into the game world just smash your hearthstone immediately and you’ll then have access to all specs.
Thanks for the response. I missed a lot of dungeons out because how casual I was a player and mainly just quested. Looking forward to completing the missed dungeons from the first time around. Always been interested in leveling a paladin and liking it so far. (Currently have a 87 warrior and 86 druid)
I’ve mainly been a solo player as well but I’m going to try my best to socialise, going guilds and hopefully dungeon with them casually to practice
Ahyea, nice. You’ll have a decent idea of the different playstyles already then.
Yea, that’s a solid way to see a lot of dungeons and improve a lot over time, if you can find a guild/group of nice people.
If you’re leveling in a pre-BFA zone, you could also just ask the other players in zone-wide general chat ( /1 ), if any of them want to do a dungeon.
People that are leveling in the same zone are likely of a similar level (eligible for the same dungeons) and with you as a tank they’d have considerably faster queue times. Doesn’t necessarily have the same long-term benefits as a good guild group would bring to the table, but it doesn’t cost as much effort either.