Best tank class in WoW Forever

The short answer

Paladin if you want the easiest tank for dungeons, the best on packs and able to level well on its own. Warrior if you want the classic main tank for raids. Druid if you want a tank that can also deal damage, heal or travel faster than anyone.

All three can tank everything in the game. The difference is how they hold threat, how they survive and what they do when they are not tanking.

Paladin: the new tank

How it holds threat: Consecration on the ground hits every mob around you, Holy Shield deals damage on every block, and the new Holy Strike talents (Iron Creed, Shieldsworn) add threat and damage reduction.

How it survives: Righteous Fury with Improved Righteous Fury cuts all damage taken by 9%, Reckoning turns blocks into extra attacks, and Templar's Bulwark is a shield worth your whole health bar for 8 seconds. It can also heal itself and has Divine Shield and Lay on Hands.

Best for: dungeons and packs of adds, and players who also want to level fast as Retribution. Protection build.

Warrior: the classic main tank

How it holds threat: Shield Slam for huge single-target threat, Revenge, Sunder Armor and Thunder Clap for groups, and Taunt and Challenging Shout when something gets loose.

How it survives: high armor, Shield Block and Shield Wall, which our build brings back 11 minutes sooner, plus Last Stand. It has no self-heals, so it depends on its healer.

Best for: raid bosses that hit hard, and players who like managing Rage. It is the slowest class to level, so many players level as Arms or Fury and switch at 60. Protection build.

Druid: the flexible tank

How it holds threat: Maul and Swipe in Bear Form, the new Primal Bite for big threat and Lacerate stacks.

How it survives: the most armor in the game thanks to Bear Form and Thick Hide, and more health with Heart of the Wild. It cannot use a shield, so it does not block.

Best for: off-tanking in raids and players who want to switch roles: our hybrid build tanks and deals cat damage without changing talents, and the Druid can heal too. Feral build.

Shaman in early dungeons

An Enhancement Shaman can tank the first dungeons: with Rockbiter Weapon active, the Spirit Weapons talent raises threat by 30% and gives a chance to parry. It is a good way to find groups while leveling, but it is not a raid tank.

Which race for a tank

Alliance: Dwarf for Stoneform, which now cuts physical damage taken, and the hit from Artisan's Precision, so your threat abilities land. Night Elf is the Druid tank's other option.

Horde: Tauren for Endurance (+5% health) and War Stomp to stop a pack. It is the natural pick for Warrior and Druid tanks. The Paladin's only Horde race is the Undead.

Tips for new tanks

Mark the pull before you start, and decide which mob goes first. Let the group know you are pulling. Hold threat on one target before you start on the next, and use your defensive cooldowns early, not when you are almost dead.

Our dungeons guide explains which classes to look for in your group, and the raids guide covers the first three raids.