So, let’s say you show up for your normal raid night only to find that your big, bad, armor-clad tank has been replaced by a cuddly panda monk - in purple leather armor, no less.
The first step you must take is one that should be familiar to gamers everywhere: Don’t Panic (Imagine those words are rendered in big friendly letters)
Next, you have to remember the tanking stance for monks is called Brewmaster, a la Jackie Chan in “Drunken Master.” You remember that movie, right? (Really? Wow. Seriously, you should rent it this weekend. It’s awesome.) As a result, monk tanks move more than other tanks. This can be disconcerting for melee DPS and healers who rely on circle of healing effects. Once again, I refer you to Step One: Don’t Panic!
Why do monk tanks have to move so much? Well, some say it’s because we’re so soused that we can’t even stand up straight - but that’s a dirty lie! Any Pandaren worth his stout can handle the booze. No, we move so much because a lot of our survival comes from these Healing Spheres that only the tank can see. (They’re like Pink Elekks - but with an 14k to 20k healing effect.)
Unfortunately, these lovely green gems of life spawn randomly around the monk tank. Sometimes, all it takes is a jump to the left. (Or a step to the ri-hi-hi-hi-hiiight.) Of course, sometimes a healing sphere will spawn right in a boss’ um … nether regions … which means the monk has to get right up in … shudder … well, you get the idea. In any event, if the monk wants to live, the monk must move.
And here our troubles begin.
Let’s say, for example, that I need to strafe to my right to grab a sphere. Once I do, another sphere drops – also to the right. Which means if I want to grab it, I take another step to the right. But then I might see that a sphere dropped to the left of where I was, so it’s back I go … and round and round and round.
“But Flint,” I hear the imaginary voice in my head ask, “do you REALLY need to grab that sphere? Is it worth it to disrupt the melee DPS and possibly waste the mana of your healer who has to cast yet another Circle of Healing, Healing Rain, etc?”
Well, imaginary head voice, let me ask you this: Would you be better off with a living tank or a dead one?
Yes, a good monk tank will try to minimize the movement so as not to leave the lovely circles of healing. A good monk will also try not to turn the boss. But if the choice is between getting the tank’s health back up after a nasty spell or letting the melee DPS get off a few more hits … well, I hope you realize what the priority is here. (No, Jazzi, that’s the wrong answer…)
What can be done to help minimize the loss of DPS and mana? Well, I suppose that depends on how responsive your group is. Perhaps your raid leader would prefer that you simply say “left” “left” “right” or something in Vent. Maybe your Vent has too much chatter and that won’t work. I don’t know – but I do know that while a good monk tank goes out of his or her way to avoid moving too much, a GREAT monk will make sure the raid is aware of this new style of tanking before pulling the first boss.
And if you don’t talk to your raid about monk tanks are, who will?
Happy hunting!
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