Some new classes have joined the fray when it comes to tanking, thanks to the new rune system in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery. The meta as we know it shifts each phase of SOD. This SOD Tank Tier list will outline where each class lands as a formidable tank for dungeons and raids. The information given is based on Phase 1 of WoW Classic: SOD, which involves a level cap of 25 and raiding the Blackfathom Deeps.
Note: As the WoW Classic season continues to be discovered, these Hardcore Gamer tier lists will be updated and classes will often shift around, especially at the beginning of each phase as the level bracket slowly rises to 60. This list is built on current expectations of how each class will perform in a raid or dungeon scenario.
Why Trust Hardcore Gamer’s WoW Tier Lists?
With experience since original vanilla wow days back in 2004 and 2005, private servers, and WoW Classic, the Hardcore Gamer team then attended Blizzcon 2023 to further experience what WoW Classic: SOD had to offer. Hands-on time with the demo on the Blizzcon floor allowed the team to test out several classes and specializations. Researching the new runes available for each class allows additional theory crafting to the process to build this expected Tank tier list.
WoW: SOD Tank Tier List Ranking Criteria
It is important to outline the main factors we took into consideration when building this Season of Discovery Tank tier list. The factors applied are based on each class’s ability in the Blackfathom Deeps raid. Below the factors considered are in order of importance when weighing each factor:
Season of Discovery Tank Tier List Overall Ranking
To jump to a specific tier or class, click on the table below.
WarriorPaladinWarlockDruidShamanRogue
Best Tanks in WoW SOD
Difficulty
Mitigation
Warriors excel as tanks with a focus on high mitigation through talents like Shield Specialization, granting a 5% increased chance to block attacks with a shield. The Improved Shield Block talent not only enhances damage mitigation but also generates additional rage on successful blocks. Last Stand enhances survivability by temporarily increasing maximum health, providing a crucial buffer in challenging situations. Points invested in Toughness contribute to increased armor, further reducing overall damage taken.
The Warrior’s ability to generate threat is commendable, particularly with tools like Devastate and Sunder Armor. The flexibility in Rune choices, such as opting for Warbringer or Blood Frenzy, allows for adaptability based on playstyle and group dynamics. Additionally, the Consumed by Rage Rune provides a significant damage boost when reaching 80 rage, enhancing threat generation and DPS during critical moments in combat.
However, Warrior tanking comes with challenges. The class is heavily gear-dependent, meaning the effectiveness of a Warrior tank is closely tied to the quality of their equipment. Managing rage can be complex, especially in the early stages of a fight, impacting the Warrior’s ability to balance survivability and threat generation. Warriors may encounter difficulties in generating threat on multiple enemies simultaneously, particularly without talents like Defiance.
Good Tanks in WoW SOD
Paladins in the Season of Discovery enjoy substantial buffs and improvements, positioning them favorably as tanking contenders. Talents such as Redoubt and Shield Specialization significantly enhance their survivability by increasing block chance and the damage absorbed through blocks.
Improved Righteous Fury not only augments threat generation, vital for maintaining aggro, but also adds an extra layer of toughness to the tank. Blessing of Kings serves as a versatile blessing, amplifying various attributes for both the Paladin and the party. The introduction of the Rune Hand of Reckoning not only acts as a taunt but substantially boosts threat generation from Righteous Fury and introduces a unique mana regeneration mechanic when healed.
The powerful new Rune, Avenger Shield, stands out as a multi-target ability, dealing substantial damage and providing crowd control, further solidifying the Paladin’s tanking capabilities. The synergy with Righteous Fury’s mana regeneration upon healing, along with damage reduction when health is low, enhances the Paladin’s sustainability.
The need for high mitigation at level 25 may be debated, leading to considerations regarding the optimal balance of offense and defense. Despite the crowd control utility offered by Avenger Shield, its limitation to three targets could pose challenges in encounters with larger groups of enemies. Resource management becomes a focal point, as Paladins must delicately balance threat generation with mana conservation, necessitating coordination with healers.
While Paladin tanking in the Season of Discovery boasts considerable strengths, players must strategically navigate talent selections based on party dynamics and encounter-specific demands to fully capitalize on the class’s versatile toolkit.
Warlock tanking in WoW Classic Season of Discovery offers several advantages. The 15% extra stamina from Demonic Embrace enhances survivability, contributing to increased durability in tanking roles. Improved Voidwalker provides a notable defensive boost, particularly with the improved sacrifice spell, potentially offering significant shield value.
Metamorphosis, a transformative ability, grants the Warlock demon-like attributes, including increased armor, reduced critical hit chance, heightened threat generation, and improved life tap efficiency. The added functionality of certain abilities during Metamorphosis adds versatility to the tanking toolkit. Demonic Tactics and Demonic Grace talents increase both the Warlock’s and their pet’s critical damage, dodge chance, and crit chance, further bolstering survivability. The inclusion of an AOE taunt in Demonic Howl provides a unique and valuable tool for Warlock tanks.
However, Warlock tanking faces challenges as an unconventional class in this role. Limited testing in various raid scenarios may leave uncertainty about the class’s overall viability as a tank. Traditional resource management for Warlocks relies on mana, and the altered resource dynamics during Metamorphosis, with increased Mana gain from life tap, may pose challenges in longer encounters.
Decent Tanks in WoW SOD
Druid tanking at level 25 in WoW Classic Season of Discovery presents a compelling mix of versatility and survivability. With the ability to switch between different forms, Druids showcase adaptability in various scenarios. Talents like Thick Hide contribute significantly to their tankiness by increasing armor from items, while Lacerate proves to be an effective tool for building consistent threat with its stacking bleed effect. Survival of the Fittest enhances defensive capabilities, reducing the chance of critical hits, lowering damage taken, and boosting armor. Additionally, Druids could provide party support through talents like Wild Strikes, granting a Wind Fury effect.
On the downside, Druids have limitations in their AoE threat capabilities, making them more adept at single-target threat generation. The absence of traditional crowd control abilities and limited interrupts, due to shared cooldowns between Rune Skull Bash and your Feral Charge, can pose challenges in controlling multiple enemies and interrupting spells effectively. Moreover, Druids heavily rely on gear with high armor values and stamina, making gear optimization crucial for their tanking performance.
Despite these challenges, the class offers a unique playstyle with a higher skill cap, demanding proficiency in form switching and ability management to excel as a tank in various situations.
Shaman tanking in WoW Classic Season of Discovery presents a unique blend of abilities that can make them formidable tanks in certain situations. The Earth Shock Taunt through the Rune Way of Earth provides an extra layer of threat generation and crowd control, while the Molten Blast Rune serves as both damage and threat generation, aiding in maintaining aggro. The Shield Mastery Rune is a key aspect of their survivability, offering mana regeneration and increased armor when blocking. Combined with the passive bonuses from Way of Earth and Toughness, Shaman tanks have tools to generate threat and withstand incoming damage.
However, their reliance on leather gear at level 25 may lead to lower stamina and durability issues, posing a challenge in absorbing damage effectively. Additionally, the debate between prioritizing Dodge or Block introduces a strategic dilemma, and their mana management, while supported by Shield Mastery, may not match the efficiency of other tank classes.
There may be potential difficulties in AoE threat generation that would hinder their performance in certain encounters. The effectiveness of Shaman tanks could be context-dependent, with their strengths shining in specific scenarios but potentially being overshadowed by other tank classes in more demanding end-game content. The overall viability of Shaman tanks in WoW Classic Season of Discovery hinges on careful consideration of encounter dynamics, group composition, and the availability of appropriate gear.
Worst Tanks in WoW SOD
Rogue tanking at Level 25 in WoW Classic Season of Discovery offers notable advantages. The build excels in avoidance, boasting high Dodge and Parry rates through the Main Gauche and Blade Dance Runes. This allows Rogues to deftly evade a significant portion of incoming attacks, contributing to their overall survivability. Additionally, the Just a Flesh Wound Rune provides a substantial 20% reduction in physical damage while Blade Dance is active, enhancing their ability to withstand melee assaults.
The Rogue’s threat generation capabilities, coupled with an emergency taunt in the form of Evasion, further solidify their control over enemies, making them effective tanks against melee adversaries.
However, Rogue tanking comes with its share of drawbacks. The build lacks robust tools for handling magical damage or reflecting spells, leaving Rogues vulnerable when facing enemies with strong casting abilities. Furthermore, their reliance on active abilities for survival makes them susceptible to crowd control, as incapacitation or stunning effects can disrupt access to crucial defensive tools like Evasion and Blade Dance.
The largest drawback to Rogue Tanks is the absence of dedicated cooldowns for mitigating magic damage leaves Rogues less equipped to handle bosses or enemies with potent spellcasting abilities, underscoring the need to carefully consider their role in group or raid compositions.
