Tank and Healer "Shortage"

It’s taking far longer than normal to fill a group for most instances lately. Most seem to believe the problem is mages stealing all the DPS spots for spellcleave runs, but in reality it’s almost impossible to find a willing tank or healer.

Despite a large number of warriors actually levelling in prot spec, many players are rigidly glued to their desired role, and too stubborn to play other roles. The “DPS” warriors utterly refuse to tank, even to make way for guildies to join them, and the “DPS” shamans and druids are creating further issues. The number of times I’ve seen warriors in /4 saying “LFM _____ tank last spot!” when they themselves could take on the role is far beyond silly now.

It feels like almost every dungeon I run, the first person to join my group is a druid who has to be heavily persuaded to tank, or a shaman who is really adamant that he won’t be healing our run.

I don’t know if this is “retail culture” but everyone needs to start being more flexible so that dungeon runs can go ahead. Maybe I should’ve mained druid after all, because as a rogue I can do nothing about it.

EDIT: While I don’t expect the healer classes to ONLY heal, I do expect people to fill the role the group needs. If you want to be a shaman DPS, that’s great, but if your group can only find a mage to fill the last spot, would it hurt to heal?

EDIT2:
As some of you are willing to believe I’m just some hardline, useless, pure DPS class who is crying about others not wanting to tank/heal while apparently I refuse to do the same, I feel the need to clarify my class history.

TBC -> MoP: Paladin, played all 3 specs at various points depending on group needs but mostly Ret
WoD -> Legion: Monk, again, all three specs to begin with until I ended up as MW healer for a Mythic progression guild (where I stayed for a couple months before quitting again due to it taking too much time)
Kronos 2: Warrior, wanted to tank, mostly tanked up to and at 60. DPS’d on occasion but usually I would just leave the group due to gear competition, it’s not like a DPS spot can’t easily be replaced.
Classic: Initially rolled a dudu called Moofart for the exact reason of playing all three roles, but I also made a rogue alt which I ended up enjoying more and sticking with. Druid is my alt now and rogue is my main

EDIT3:
I just tanked RFK as a rogue, and I will continue to tank. Since a pure DPS like me respecced into avoidance talents, can the healer classes start healing? Thanks.

28 Likes

No they don’t. They don’t have to play something they don’t want to.

40 Likes

I am one of those Warriors, when I played Vanilla I was constantly forced to tank when all I wanted was to DPS! I will refuse to tank most of Classic unless I have no other option.
I hated tanking, but Fury DPS was so much fun that I accepted the role every other instance / raid.

So yes… I am that Warrior.

15 Likes

There’s really no argument for a shaman to DPS if the group desperately needs a healer and a mage wants to join. If the shaman heals, the run can begin, and the mage can bring more DPS to the group. If you let the shaman play as he wants, you could be waiting another hour to find a less stubborn player.

If I could tank or heal as rogue, I’d certainly take on the role, but I’d like to try a pure DPS class for a change since I always play hybrids.

4 Likes

Then I’ll kick them and replace them with someone who’s not as selfish. Done that, doing it, will keep doing it.

22 Likes

Yeah, I think it’s kind of rude to join a group as a warrior and not tank. Even if there’s a group that already has a tank in it, there are tons of other groups out there in need of a tank. Similiar issue with healing, but it’s not as severe. I think a lot of warriors don’t want to tank because shiddy DPSers can make the run so frustrating - constantly messing up your pulls, over-aggroing, running AWAY from the tank when they have aggro, and such.

edit Poor healers can also make the run frustrating, such as only healing you when you’re very low, instead of keeping you up. And of course clueless priests who think bubble is a substitute for healing - leaving you with little rage and them with little mana.

4 Likes

Unless you out-level the dungeon and have superb gear, you will be a burden as a warrior DPS and I will replace you with literally any other DD that whispers me.

Keep that in mind the next time you say “I don’t wanna tank” on your warrior.

21 Likes

That’s fine, I won’t “Burden” you with my presence. I am not here to please anyone but myself and have fun. I know exactly what I am doing with my Non Tanking Warrior.
I had my fill of tanking in Vanilla, and I won’t sourpuss a rejection for a group invite.

31 Likes

Thats why I made a full tank to play and main with.

I want to feel valued and not one of the other million dps around. :stuck_out_tongue:

6 Likes

and then there is the tanks/healers who actually answers but is like:

Tank/healer: is it melee or spell cleave???

me: just a normal run m8?

Tank/healer: **** that i dont want to waste my time…

me: :open_mouth:

22 Likes

It’s probably because of these cleave runs and fast runs. I see people begging for a tank for their fast run and I wouldn’t tank or heal it. It’s what put people off tanking in the first place.

Levelling dungeons are supposed to be a steady introduction, not end game speed running with crazy dps who would rather stand around spamming lfg for a tank ‘fast run’, than let him do the pulls and set the pace.

30 Likes

As someone with experience in all ends and corners of grouping, vanilla dungeons, leveling and whatnot, I can assure you that the issue is that they just don’t know how to tank. Yes, spamming SA, not using Rend, Shield Bashing vital spells, spamming Demo Shout in AoE situations, stance-dancing for Thunder Clap, and tabbing between mobs are all things most “DPS warriors” are incapable of.

Take it as an insult, as a generalization - take it as whatever you want. 15 years of experience and over 100 characters leveled have time and again proven this to me. There is a reason why warriors have such a stereotype attached to them.

8 Likes

reroll a healer mate

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I have bad news for you mate. You will hardly see the inside of any raid with this attitude. Being a warrior implies you can offtank when asked for and have the gear sets both for dps and tanking

21 Likes

I put a reply somewhere in a same topic like this. I don’t mind tanking as long as people are polite and understand that I lose aggro when DPS goes berserk on a mob after I pulled it.

The BfA layer needs to be shrugged of players first.

12 Likes

^this. 2/3 of my time in WoW has been with the warrior class. If you cannot understand this quote above and imprint it in your brain, then you’ve rolled the wrong class.

9 Likes

Yup, I’m 43 and got the shield from SM Cath ready to tank anything if needed. My spec is Arms.

3 Likes

You’re right, there are some total garbage tanks out there. Played with one through BFD yesterday and I think he only sundered twice. Otherwise it was only Rend and Heroic Strike. But are you frustrated that bad tanks do not want to tank?

edit (Also, I’ve yet to play with a group where my sheep hasn’t been attacked)

1 Like

So that poor shaman is stuborn because he doesnt want to play healer for once and wanna play as dps since he joined your group as dps, but that OP who play rogue and cry about no healers and tank is pretty fine right? Dont be stuborn and go play druid so u can fill all roles… Jeeez

22 Likes

Probably because healing is boring and people might think tanking is too stressful I thought I would see loads of rogue’s everywhere but all I see is Mage’s and Warlocks seem to be really popular.

3 Likes