Tank like a girl, the series: The Prot Warrior
(Inspired by http://www.tanklikeagirl.com/)
I think my journey to tankhood was a little different than the others of this series. To start with, I was never a healer. The first character I ever rolled was a little dwarf warrior, specifically with the intention of tanking. Why? Because I joined WoW to play with my friends, and my friends said they needed more tanks. From the start, I was trying to fulfill the needs of others, and not myself.
Leveling my warrior was hard -- partly because I was new and didn't really understand the game; partly because warriors have no self-healing capability; and partly because my friends never bothered to help me out. In fact, by the time I had reached level cap, they had pretty much all gotten bored of playing, so I was on my own.
My first attempts at tanking for strangers (first in PUGs, then in a PVP guild I joined later) went pretty badly. It was confusing, and difficult, and no matter what I seemed to do I always failed. I think the capping incident on my tanking career was one time when I agreed to tank heroic Sethekk Halls for my druid friend, who needed to complete her flight form quest, along with three other druids who needed the same thing.
That dungeon was an unqualified disaster. We wiped on every single pull -- not only that, sometimes TWICE on each pull! In retrospect, I wasn't entirely to blame -- due to our group makeup we didn't have any form of CC in a dungeon that really needed it. Still, I can't help but feel that a more skilled tank might have been able to pull them through. I felt my failure keenly. I became convinced that whatever I would do, I would never be good enough to be a tank. I put down the shield and swore I'd never tank again.
Over the next two years, I rolled and played entirely caster DPS classes. I enjoyed it a great deal and felt very comfortable in that role, both alliance and horde-side. As a caster DPS, even in raid situations, all you have to do is what you're told. Other people are responsible for understanding the strategy, coordinating the positions, and calling the shots. If you fail, you only lose yourself; you don't have to take responsibility for anyone else.
Only in the past few months did I start seriously considering tanking again. I moved my character from her old server (and its dying guild) to find a more supportive community of female wow players. They encouraged me to try again. This time I did the research, found out what talents to use and what gear I needed to get, and set myself on a course to become a real tank.
At first it was hard. Cruel comments from some people I PUGged with almost convinced me to give up. But I stuck with it, and as my gear and reflexes improved I found that it was easier than easier. Gradually I came to realize that I really liked tanking. For the first time when playing WoW in a group situation, I was in control. I set the pace, I decided when and where things would happen. I didn't have to please others, or compromise, wait for other people's opinions or tempers to feel like indulging me. Instead, my warrior charged right in there and did what she was born to do.
Do I think it's strange for such a small woman to be taking such big hits? No, not at all. Lore-wise, I always thought of my warrior as being a member of the Sisterhood of Steel, the "Rosie the Riveter" of the WoW world who can turn their flesh to steel in battle. She is a dwarf, after all; and the very mountains are in her bones. One should not underestimate dwarf women; strong-boned and strong-willed, anyone trying to call them short or weak had better look to their kneecaps!
I think my journey to tankhood was a little different than the others of this series. To start with, I was never a healer. The first character I ever rolled was a little dwarf warrior, specifically with the intention of tanking. Why? Because I joined WoW to play with my friends, and my friends said they needed more tanks. From the start, I was trying to fulfill the needs of others, and not myself.
Leveling my warrior was hard -- partly because I was new and didn't really understand the game; partly because warriors have no self-healing capability; and partly because my friends never bothered to help me out. In fact, by the time I had reached level cap, they had pretty much all gotten bored of playing, so I was on my own.
My first attempts at tanking for strangers (first in PUGs, then in a PVP guild I joined later) went pretty badly. It was confusing, and difficult, and no matter what I seemed to do I always failed. I think the capping incident on my tanking career was one time when I agreed to tank heroic Sethekk Halls for my druid friend, who needed to complete her flight form quest, along with three other druids who needed the same thing.
That dungeon was an unqualified disaster. We wiped on every single pull -- not only that, sometimes TWICE on each pull! In retrospect, I wasn't entirely to blame -- due to our group makeup we didn't have any form of CC in a dungeon that really needed it. Still, I can't help but feel that a more skilled tank might have been able to pull them through. I felt my failure keenly. I became convinced that whatever I would do, I would never be good enough to be a tank. I put down the shield and swore I'd never tank again.
Over the next two years, I rolled and played entirely caster DPS classes. I enjoyed it a great deal and felt very comfortable in that role, both alliance and horde-side. As a caster DPS, even in raid situations, all you have to do is what you're told. Other people are responsible for understanding the strategy, coordinating the positions, and calling the shots. If you fail, you only lose yourself; you don't have to take responsibility for anyone else.
Only in the past few months did I start seriously considering tanking again. I moved my character from her old server (and its dying guild) to find a more supportive community of female wow players. They encouraged me to try again. This time I did the research, found out what talents to use and what gear I needed to get, and set myself on a course to become a real tank.
At first it was hard. Cruel comments from some people I PUGged with almost convinced me to give up. But I stuck with it, and as my gear and reflexes improved I found that it was easier than easier. Gradually I came to realize that I really liked tanking. For the first time when playing WoW in a group situation, I was in control. I set the pace, I decided when and where things would happen. I didn't have to please others, or compromise, wait for other people's opinions or tempers to feel like indulging me. Instead, my warrior charged right in there and did what she was born to do.
Do I think it's strange for such a small woman to be taking such big hits? No, not at all. Lore-wise, I always thought of my warrior as being a member of the Sisterhood of Steel, the "Rosie the Riveter" of the WoW world who can turn their flesh to steel in battle. She is a dwarf, after all; and the very mountains are in her bones. One should not underestimate dwarf women; strong-boned and strong-willed, anyone trying to call them short or weak had better look to their kneecaps!