WoW Season of Discovery Tank tier list

With World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery changing so much about the original Classic formula, different classes and specs have risen to the top.

Additionally, entirely new classes now have the chance to Tank for the very first time, thanks to the powers granted by the Rune Engraving system. Shamans, Warlocks and Rogues can take the lead in dungeons and raids, but how do they stack up against traditional Tanking classes?

As is the case with all of these lists, a lot will come down to personal preference regarding suitable playstyles. That said, there is a reasonably objective way to rank single-target and AoE threat generation, as well as more general survivability.

Without further ado, here is our complete tier list for all Tank classes in Season of Discovery.

All Tank classes for Season of Discovery ranked

Before reading the ranking, it’s important to note that the new powers in each class should make all of them at least viable for the game’s most challenging content. The list orders classes relative to each other and reflects their performance in the new level 25 raid and dungeons more generally.

Season of Discovery Tank tier list explained

Warrior (S-Tier)

Arguably, the weakest element of the Warrior Tank was its threat generation, and Season of Discovery has addressed this in spades. The Furious Thunder Leg Rune slot allows for 50% increased threat, while the Victory Rush Rune instantly heals for 10% in the Gloves slot.

There are also a ton of spectacular damage buff Runes that offer great utility for specific encounters and damage checks. Consumed By Rage is an unbelievable combo buff, but it’s likely not getting much usage over Furious Thunder for dedicated Tanks. Considering how strong Prot Warriors can be in the base game, they have only become stronger with the addiction of Runes. Still, the best Tanks in the game.

Warlock (S-Tier)

Warlocks, Shamans and Rogues are all new to Tanking, but Warlocks are by far the superior choice for those who want to focus on the role. While Rune Engravings have provided significant benefits to all three, the first phase is locked at 25, with three armor engraving slots. These initial limitations have affected the latter two significantly but Warlocks look very impressive early on.

The main reason for their strength is the Glove slot Rune Metamorphosis. This allows players to transform into a demon, increasing armor by 500%, threat by 50%, and mana gained from Life Tap by 100%. Combine this with Master Channeler (removes the channeling requirement for Drain Life), and their damage output is impressive. Their AOE is arguably also the most impressive in the game and the class could be the most well-rounded overall.

Paladin (A-Tier)

In the eternal debate of Prot Paladin vs. Prot Warrior, the latter is the clear winner in Season of Discovery. That said, both are reliably strong choices. Retribution Paladins will be delighted with the extra damage on offer, but Tank spec is also getting some love. The most basic buff is the Aegis Rune in the Chest slot, increasing Block value by 30% with a stacking increase up to five times.

Divine Sacrifice is a great emergency choice in the Leg slot, redirecting 30% of party damage to the Paladin until it reaches 10% health. Following this, the effect is broken, and the Paladin benefits from 10% increased damage and healing for 10 seconds. The Hand of Reckoning Rune provides much-needed threat, while Crusader Strike could provide excellent utility in certain mana-intensive situations.

Druid (A-Tier)

Druids have always been solid Tanks in Classic WoW, but their new powers heading into Season of Discovery elevate them above some of the other classes. Their real strength has always been survivability, and this is only helped further by the new Survival of the Fittest Rune, which reduces all incoming damage by 10%, increasing to 20% in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form.

Lacerate in the Glove Rune slot does a great job of increasing threat with additional bleed damage that stacks up to five times. They also have the nice utility of being able to build into further healing or damage, depending on the scenario. Druids are a good, if not outstanding, Tank option overall at this stage.

Shaman (B-Tier)

Though the Shaman Tank will need to wait for later phases to realize its true potential, there is still much to like here. The Way of Earth Rune in the Leg slot is the big play here, increasing health, reducing incoming damage, taunting and providing critical hit resistance while Rockbiter Weapon is active.

A lot of the Tank rotation for Shamans predictably relies on the intelligent use of Totems, particularly Earthbind, alongside the new Runes. Additional utility, like the Molten Blast Rune, for extra threat in conjunction with using Flame Shock as widely as possible.

Rogue (C-Tier):

Though Rogues do have some excellent abilities that allow them to Tank effectively, they are the weakest option in the first phase of Season of Discovery. Evasion is obviously a massive ability for reducing incoming damage, and hitting rotations between abilities like Sinister Strike, Eviscerate and Slice and Dice are all critical for successful encounters.

The big Rune is Just A Flesh Wound, which reduces physical damage by 20% while Blade Dance is active, so keeping the latter in the Leg Slot is hugely important. Main Gauche is the final Rune of choice, increasing parry chance by a respectable 10%. Though there is a lot to like here, the maintenance and rotations are the most complex of all, for arguably the least reward when compared to other Tanks.

That’s the complete ranking of each Tanking class in Season of Discovery. As the game progresses through its phases, this will undoubtedly change, and we could see the new Tanks rise further up the list.