The Best Tanks in The War Within

The best Tanks in The War Within requires versatility, resilience, and strategic gameplay. New Hero Talents have improved tank classes and added new dynamics for high-level content.

Here are the top tank classes in patch 10.2.7 for Raids and Mythic+ dungeons rankings, highlighting their strengths and unique abilities.

Want to know The War Within Best Classes Meta Tier List? You can check it out in our Class Tier List.

Key Takeaways

• Understand the Tier List Hierarchy to make informed decisions about Meta Tanks.
• Tanks in S & A Tier are excellent choices for both raids and Mythic+ dungeons, offering efficient progression and challenge. B Tier tanks are competent but may require specific conditions to shine. C & D Tier tanks have limitations and are challenging to play.

Table of content

Understanding the Tier List System

The criteria for the tank tier list are based on tank durability, group synergy, mobility, damage, self-healing, and party cooldowns.

• S-Tier (Top): These tanks received significant upgrades in The War Within, making them the best choices for raids and Mythic+. Their combination of durability, utility, and overall performance places them at the top.
• A-Tier (Highly Effective): Great for most situations, A-tier tanks perform well in many scenarios but might lack the absolute power of S-tier tanks. They still remain highly effective and versatile.
• B-Tier (Competent, but Limited): These tanks can do well but need specific conditions to shine. They might lack versatility or raw power compared to higher-tier tanks.
• C-Tier (Underperformers): These tanks often fall behind others because they have less effective abilities or limited utility.
• D-Tier (Challenging to Play): These are the tank classes with the lowest ratings. They don't perform well, and even the upcoming changes in The War Within won't help them much.

Best Tank Class Rankings

Introducing The War Within Tanks tier list, based on the upcoming release and defining the current tank class meta, divided into raids and Mythic+.

Best Tanks for Raids

Best Tanks for Mythic+ Dungeons

Now let's check out each one, their Hero Talents, strengths, and weaknesses.

Blood Death Knight

Blood Death Knight: Considering the current Hero Talents, Blood Death Knights are great picks for most content. They are easy to play and will be in high demand for any activity. Amazing DK tank, let's take a closer look.

Hero Talents: Two new Hero Talents - Deathbringer and San'layn, and a new tier set.

• 2-Piece Tier Set: Reduces damage taken by 2% when you have one or more Bone Shield charges. Losing a charge has a chance to reduce damage by an extra 1%, up to 3% for 6 seconds.
• 4-Piece Tier Set: Increases your damage by 1% per active Bone Shield charge. Taking damage while below 6 charges can generate 1-2 Bone Shield charges.

These changes make Blood Death Knights one of the best tanks this season, boosting their durability, self-sustain, and damage. They also get a new utility from the general Death Knight talent tree called Vestigial Shell, great for 5-man content. Their key spell, Gorefiend's Grasp, is now better positioned in the new talent tree and can be enhanced by Tightening Grasp, adding a 3-second silence if chosen.

Blood Death Knight in Raids

Blood Death Knights are S-tier in raids. They are great at absorbing and reducing damage. Their new talents and tier sets make them very tough, helping them survive against difficult raid bosses.

They have useful spells like Anti-Magic Zone, Death Grip, and Raise Ally, which give strong support to their raid teams. Their top tier is well-deserved.

Blood Death Knight in Mythic+ Dungeons

Blood Death Knights are still very effective in Mythic+ dungeons and are A-tier. Their self-healing and damage reduction are excellent, but the fast-paced action and need for quick movements can be challenging. They might be slightly less effective in M+ because of this. However, their new Hero Talents, like Vestigial Shell and the improved Gorefiend's Grasp, keep them strong. To get the best out of them, you'll need to play strategically.

Blood Death Knights are top-tier tanks in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons. They absorb and mitigate damage well, making them essential for tough raid bosses. Their utility spells also offer great support in dungeons. This new version is better and stronger than in Dragonflight.

Protection Paladin

Protection Paladin: They are not far behind the Blood Death Knight in the rankings, making them a strong and valuable choice. Let's check out their advantages.

Hero Talents: Protection Paladins got new Hero Talents Templar and Lightsmith, also a new tier set. The 2-piece bonus increases the damage of Shield of the Righteous by 10% and grants 3% damage reduction. Additionally, the 4-piece bonus enables Holy Power abilities to increase the damage and healing during your next Avenging Wrath by 0.5%, which can stack. These updates make Protection Paladins even stronger and more versatile in battles.

Protection Paladin in Raids

In raids, Protection Paladin shines as one of the top-tier tanks S-tier. The recent reworks and Hero Talents like Templar and Lightsmith have significantly boosted their defensive capabilities and utility. They excel at mitigating damage with abilities like Shield of the Righteous and providing essential support through Devotion Aura, which grants a 3% group-wide damage reduction. Their ability to heal allies with Lay on Hands and provide combat resurrection with Intercession makes them invaluable in high-pressure raid situations.

Protection Paladin in Mythic+ Dungeons

In Mythic+ dungeons, Protection Paladin is in the A-tier. They offer great utility and survivability, but the fast-paced environment of Mythic+ needs more mobility and flexibility. Protection Paladins have useful spells like Blessing of Spellwarding for magic damage immunity and Blessing of Protection for physical immunity, which are crucial in some fights. However, their advanced playstyle and need for precise cooldown management can be tough for new players.

Protection Paladin is a top choice for raid tanking in The War Within due to their strong defenses and great utility. However, they are harder to play than most tanks. Beginners should be careful choosing Protection Paladin as it is an advanced tank.

Guardian Druid

Guardian Druid: Guardian Druids show the resilience and adaptability of the druid class. They excel in Mythic+ dungeons and are also a decent option for raids.

Hero Talents: Guardian Druids have received new Hero Talents Elune's Chosen and Druid of the Claw, also a revamped tier set that enhances their tanking abilities. These updates boost their durability and damage output, making them more versatile in combat.

Tier Set Bonuses:

• 2-piece Bonus: Increases Thrash and Moonfire damage by 1% for 8 seconds, stacking up to 3 times, enhancing both damage and survivability.
• 4-piece Bonus: Increases Arcane and Bleed damage by 5%, improving effectiveness against multiple enemies in Mythic+ dungeons.

Guardian Druid in Raids

In raid, Guardian Druids are reliable but have some limitations. Their core abilities offer good defense and survivability, but their Hero Talents and talent positions are often seen as weak. The talents are mostly passive and don't significantly impact gameplay. That's why they are in B Tier.

Guardian Druid in Mythic+ Dungeons

In Mythic+ dungeons, Guardian Druids shine brightly, earning an S Tier ranking. With new talents like Elune's Chosen and Druid of the Claw, plus a tier set that boosts their damage and reduces damage taken, Guardian Druids can perform well against multiple enemies. Their ability to handle large groups of enemies with impressive durability makes them a preferred choice for the best class in TWW.

Guardian Druids show different performance levels depending on the content. They are S-tier in Mythic+ for handling fast-paced combat with many enemies. However, they are B-tier in raids, needing better talents and positioning to improve their raid performance. Choose wisely.

Protection Warrior

Protection Warrior: It's also a good class, especially in raid conditions. Let's look at its strengths and weaknesses.

Hero Talents: Protection Warriors got some minor changes, two new Hero Talents - Colossus and Mountain Thane, and a new tier set. These updates make them very durable tanks in The War Within expansion.

Tier Set Bonuses:

• 2-piece: When Shield Slam's cooldown is reset by Strategist, you gain Expert Strategist, increasing Shield Slam's damage by 5% and reducing all damage taken by 3% for 6 seconds.
• 4-piece: Shield Slam critical strikes increase the damage of Thunder Clap and Revenge by 10% for 8 seconds.

Protection Warrior has excelled in Beta testing, showing impressive damage and durability. Spell Reflection is very useful in Season 1 raids, boosting their rankings.

Protection Warrior in Raids

In raids, Protection Warriors rank A-Tier. Their impressive damage profile, enhanced by new Hero Talents, makes them a reliable choice for tanking challenging raid bosses. Their capacity to absorb and mitigate damage is crucial for handling tough raid encounters. However, their limited utility and mob control can be a drawback in raids where adaptability is key.

Protection Warrior in Mythic+ Dungeons

In Mythic+ dungeons, Protection Warriors fall to B-Tier. While their damage output remains strong, the demands of Mythic+ dungeons require greater mobility and crowd-control capabilities. The challenges of higher-level Mythic+ often expose the limitations of Protection Warriors, particularly in handling unblockable mechanics and providing sufficient utility to support the group.

Protection Paladins have become good choices for Raid compositions due to a significant rework through Hero Talents, though they can be less effective in other activities.

Vengeance Demon Hunter

Vengeance Demon Hunter: They got weak improvements in the Hero Talent trees. The upgrades mainly boost DPS rather than tanking, limiting build variety.

Hero Talents: Vengeance Demon Hunter got some changes and two new Hero Talents: Aldrachi Reaver and Fel-Scarred, plus a new tier set. The 2-piece set makes Soul Cleave do 15% more damage and has a 35% chance to shatter a Lesser Soul Fragment from a target. The 4-piece set activates when consuming a Soul Fragment, boosting the damage and healing of your next Fel Devastation by 2%, stacking up to 30%.

Vengeance Demon Hunter in Raids and Mythic+ Dungeons

The Vengeance Demon Hunter is in the C tier for both raids and Mythic+.

They lost their great tier set from Season 4 of Dragonflight and the useful Illuminated Sigils, which gave extra charges of Sigil of Misery or Sigil of Silence. Despite this, they still have the most stops among all tank specs. Their offensive and defensive profiles are decent but not as strong as in previous seasons.

If the DPS meta favors magic damage, Vengeance Demon Hunters might be more useful due to Chaos Brand, which boosts group damage. More changes are expected to refine their raid role.

In Mythic+ dungeons, Vengeance Demon Hunter's crowd control stands out. However, their offense and defense balance isn't as strong as top-tier tanks. They offer good DPS and survivability but need buffs to compete with the best in Mythic+.

Brewmaster Monk

Brewmaster Monk: Brewmaster Monks are struggling in Raids and Mythic+ Dungeons. Their stagger mechanic, key to reducing damage, isn't working well, lowering their effectiveness.

Hero Talents: Despite receiving new Hero Talents - Master of Harmony and Shado-Pan, and tier-set bonuses in Patch 11.0, Brewmaster Monks still lack meaningful defensive options, making them less viable compared to other tank specs.

Brewmaster Monk in Raids and Mythic+ Dungeons

The Brewmaster Monks is in the D-tier for both raids and Mythic+.

In raids, Brewmaster Monks struggle due to their weak stagger mechanic and lack of strong defensive Hero Talents. Even with new tier-set bonuses, their weaknesses remain. While Mystic Touch and Leg Sweep provide some support, it's not enough to boost their overall performance.

In Mythic+ dungeons, Brewmaster Monks face similar challenges. While their damage profile is high, and they offer good mob control, their defensive shortcomings and reliance on physical damage-oriented teams limit their effectiveness. The new Hero Talents and tier-set bonuses help, but not enough to move them out of the D-tier for Mythic+.

Final Thoughts

In The War Within, tanking has evolved with new Hero Talents. These changes bring enhancements and challenges, reshaping the tank class meta.

For example, Blood Death Knights gain durability and damage from Deathbringer and San'layn. Protection Paladins get major defensive boosts from Templar and Lightsmith, making them strong in raids.

In TWW, there will be many challenges on the path to perfection. If you get stuck, it's normal. Even picking a metaclass might not always help. That's why we're here to help you. Stay with us for updates.

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Change Log

• 23.09.2020 - published.
• 20.07.2024 - guide updated for The War Within expansion.