Originally Posted by raffy
Quick Fixes:
-- We need a new tank weapon (missing from 2.4).
-- We need Expertise (mostly addressed in 2.4).
-- We need Lacerate scaling (somewhat/sorta addressed in 2.4).
-- We need properly itemized gear outside of the core pieces of gear (somewhat addressed in 2.4)
(t6 belt, t6 bracer, t6 boots, new ring -- still wearing kara ring, badge of tenacity, wildfury)
Long-term Fixes:
-- Fix Swipe.
-- We need to get to armor cap with less gear so we have more options in other slots and/or the armor cap needs raised to 75% to 90%.
-- The crushing blow mechanic needs rethought (I believe this will be fixed somewhat in next expansion -- Blizzard is making less and less bosses crush, and we still have the full avoidance possibility)
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I am not experienced in T6 content, my personal experience only extends to T5, it does seem strange that your threat generation seems so lacklustre when compared to your peers, (Not a personal dig just highlighting differences) where as in the mid T5 progression guild I am in Druids have far superior threat generation. (For example Void Reaver, who while easy is a good 'threat race', is very trivial when tanked by 2 Druids, compared to the 4 tanks we use to take, Note the previous Feral Druid wasn't very good).
Having said that, I agree that we need a new Tank weapon, anyone trying to say the Hyjal staff is an adequete tanking staff is incorrect. Maybe so if weapon switching was not an option however.
Expertise is lacking on Leather (Nonexistant?), I have the Broach of Deftness personally (Hate Dodge/Parry/Missing), but 5 Expertise doesn't cut the mustard.
As for Swipe vs. Lacerate, I'm satisfied with both of them in the light of 2.4, not entirely happy but it could be worse.
In regards to Crushing Blows, I do not believe that Tanking has enough...depth? Not sure if that is the right word, Right now as a Feral Tank
with a focus on Main Tanking stats are Defence/Res to 2.6%, Armor - capped when MTing, Stamina - not terribly useful after a point reached around T4-T5, Agility(Dodge) - this is the 'last' stat that is effectively capped, (I know 102.4% avoidance)
Hit Rating and Expertise are not a major concern, Haste is purely for increasing Damage, Crit comes with Agility. Threat comes with the upgrades (Tanking gear [read: Tier] comes itemised like DPS gear, once at the Armor cap Tanking gear quickly becomes very similar to DPS gear [Due to stacking Agility, possibly Stamina])
The problem is twofold in my opinion:
#1 The effective armor cap is reachable in Teir 4. By effective I mean that the far majority of the time Inspiration and the Shaman Armor buff (25%) will be active when Main Tanking (usually OTing to).
FIX: Extend the armor cap through to 80-90%. The amount of armor needed would massive, however this means scaling is possible (realistically only 42-45K armor is possible buffed, correct me if I am wrong).
Or replace 4T4 bonus. Add another bonus.
#2 The second problem is that Druids are just not as adaptive as Warriors. We are in essense a one trick horse. Once you have enough Stamina, capped or nearly for Armor all there is left to stack is Dodge (normally through AGI) and increasing Threat generation.
FIX: Add another mechanism for reducing incoming damage, for example giving Strength a bonus to mitigation of Spell Damage,or the ability for some form Block. [Poor example but it gives another stat value when tanking]
EDIT: Generally speaking, giving us Lacerate was dumb. Swipe was so much better (and still is) anyway. A better ability would of been some kind of active avoidance/mitigation on a short cooldown or a reactive ability like Revenge.
Perhaps that is a better idea than mine, same effect however.
This has sort of been thought up on the fly, and is based on my personal experience, however it would correct some of the issues I believe Blizzard have not thought out. (Personally I don't think they beleive the Armor Cap was reachable so easily)