Tank Tier List in The War Within
With The War Within (TWW) Season 2 live in World of Warcraft (WoW), tanks are back in Mythic+ dungeons and raids. From taking big hits to herding stray mobs and shielding allies from nasty mechanics, choosing the right tank spec for your playstyle is key in the current meta. In this updated guide, we’ll rank every tank spec by durability, damage, self-sustain and overall utility to help you decide which tank is best for your group in Season 2.
Using their performance in the game in Mythic+ dungeons and raids, we will assess the top tank specs in WoW in this tier ranking. We will address elements including durability, damage output, self-sustainability, and general utility. This guide will provide you all the knowledge you need to select the appropriate class regardless of your level of experience with tanks or just starting in The War Within.
S-Tier Tanks in The War Within
In the S-Tier, you’ll find tank specs that are good at nearly everything: survivability, utility, damage and ease of play. For Season 2, one spec stands above the rest:
Protection Paladin
Protection Paladins have great personal defense and group support. They can heal themselves and others, mitigate big damage spikes and provide clutch immunities. They’re the most balanced tank in Season 2. Whether Mythic+ or raid, Prot Paladins bring stability, damage and life-saving utility.
Strengths:
- Top-tier self-sustain (Word of Glory, Shield of the Righteous).
- Powerful defensive cooldowns (Ardent Defender, Guardian of Ancient Kings).
- Great utility (Blessing of Protection, Blessing of Spellwarding, Lay on Hands).
- Good damage in single-target and AoE.
In both Mythic+ and raid, Protection Paladin is the most well-rounded and reliable tank in the game. They can mitigate damage, support the team and do significant damage making them the top tank pick for The War Within Season 2.
A-Tier Tanks in The War Within
The A-Tier tanks are close behind the S-tier. While they might be slightly lacking in versatility or cooldown coverage, they’re still very capable in Mythic+ and raid content.
Vengeance Demon Hunter
Vengeance excels at speed-running dungeons and grouping mobs for efficient AoE. Its damage output in Mythic+ is top tier and the Demon Hunter’s signature mobility helps to outmaneuver nasty mechanics.
Strengths:
- Super mobility (Infernal Strike, double jump, glide).
- High damage potential, especially in AoE pulls.
- Great self-sustain via Soul Fragments & Frailty.
- Strong utility (Sigil of Silence, Sigil of Chains, Darkness).
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Vengeance Demon Hunter has improved in Season 2 and is one of the best for high-damage tanking with great mobility. With Infernal Strike, double jump and glide, it’s the most mobile tank and can reposition and engage fights quickly. It also has one of the highest AoE damage outputs so it’s a beast in Mythic+ dungeons.
Blood Death Knight
Blood DKs are good because of their heavy self-sustain and utility. Although slow, Death Grip and Mass Grip give them unique crowd-control tools that shine in Mythic+ and raid.
Strengths:
- Unbeatable self-healing (Death Strike, various cooldowns).
- Great enemy control (Death Grip, Gorefiend’s Grasp).
- Raid utility: Anti-Magic Zone, combat resurrection.
- Good for soaking big hits in raids.
Blood Death Knight is an outstanding self-sustaining tank with the most healing of all tank specs. They can heal through Death Strike making them almost unkillable in many fights. Plus Death Grip and Gorefiend’s Grasp allow Blood DK to control enemy positioning like no other tank.
Brewmaster Monk
Brewmasters offset heavy incoming damage by delaying some of it, making them great at avoiding lethal spikes. The playstyle can be more difficult to master but skilled Monks are very durable and bring strong utility tools to help control fights.
Strengths:
- Stagger mechanic reduces incoming damage.
- High mobility (Roll, Chi Torpedo, Transcendence).
- Crowd control and group utility (Ring of Peace, Leg Sweep, Mystic Touch debuff).
- Good damage and decent AoE burst after recent buffs.
Brewmaster Monk has unique playstyle with Stagger mechanic which smooths out incoming damage and prevents sudden deaths. It has high mobility, decent damage and crowd control tools like Ring of Peace and Leg Sweep. This makes Brewmaster a great option for experienced players who can master its damage mitigation.
B-Tier Tanks in The War Within
Not as strong as A or S-Tier but still playable in all content if played well. Their strengths require more careful play or group support to reach full potential.
Guardian Druid
Guardian Druids soak physical hits great but can feel pressure against sustained or magic damage. They can do Mythic+ and raid tanking with proper cooldown usage and healer support.
Strengths:
- Massive health pool and armor-based mitigation.
- Good cooldowns (Survival Instincts) for big hits.
- Useful group utility (Stampeding Roar, Mark of the Wild, battle rez).
- Improved damage output in latest patch.
Guardian Druid is one of the tankiest specs in the game with massive health pool and armor-based mitigation. It shines in physical damage-heavy fights but struggles against consistent magic damage and lacks utility of higher-tier tanks. With Patch 11.1 buffs, it’s still a bit behind other tanks due to its reliance on external healing in high-end content.
Protection Warrior
Prot Warriors got big damage buffs and are now near the top in terms of damage among tanks. They are still heavily dependent on external healing due to limited self-sustainability. But their strong toolkit against physical hits and recent talent changes make them a great option if coordinated with the group.
Strengths:
- Great physical mitigation (Shield Block, Ignore Pain).
- High damage after recent reworks.
- Raid buffs (Battle Shout, Rallying Cry) are highly valued.
- Good mobility (Charge, Heroic Leap, Intervene).
Prot Warriors got big damage buffs in Season 2 and are now one of the highest damaged tanks in the game. Shield Block and Ignore Pain provide great mitigation against physical damage but they are dependent on external healing due to lack of self-healing. In Mythic+ they struggle against consistent magic damage or large group pulls.
B-tier tanks are playable in both Mythic+ and raid but require more cooldown usage and healer support to compete with the higher-tier tanks.
Key Factors in Choosing a Tank in The War Within
When choosing your tank spec for Season 2, consider more than just raw power. Group composition, personal preference and encounter-specific mechanics can all impact which tank works best.
- Durability – Durability is one of the most important factor when choosing a tank in Season 2. Prot Paladin, Blood DK and Guardian Druid absorb the most damage, making them great for raids and Mythic+.
- Mobility & Positioning – Mobility is key in Mythic+ where fast movement can help avoid deadly mechanics. Vengeance DH and Brewmaster Monk are the most mobile, while Guardian Druid and Blood DK are much slower.
- Utility & Group Support – Utility and group support plays a big role in a tank’s value. Prot Paladin and Blood DK have lifesaving defensive cooldowns, Vengeance DH and Brewmaster Monk have strong crowd control to manage large enemy packs.
- Damage Output – Damage output is getting more important in The War Within, higher damage means faster dungeon runs. Prot Warrior and Vengeance DH have the highest damage output, making them valuable in Mythic+.
Each of these factors should be considered before choosing a tank specialization, as they impact overall performance and group synergy.
Choosing the Best Tank for The War Within
All tank specs in The War Within Patch 11.1 can do Mythic+ and raids. Pick the one whose strengths match your group’s needs and whose playstyle you like most. Here’s a quick summary:
- Want it all? Prot Paladin is the best tank overall, with great self-sustain, utility and defensive capabilities. Best choice for players who want a complete tanking package in Mythic+ and raids.
- Want high self-sustain or unique control? Blood DK is the best for self-sustaining, perfect for players who like to control their own survival. It’s healing mechanics allow it to survive deadly encounters without relying on a healer.
- Mobility & AoE your style? Vengeance DH is for players who want mobility and AoE damage. It’s great in Mythic+ and can handle large pulls with ease.
- Tactical, damage-smoothing play? Brewmaster Monk is for skilled players who can manage Stagger well. It has great mitigation, solid damage and mobility but requires good cooldown management to be at its best.
- Raw physical mitigation with big group buffs? Guardian Druid and Prot Warrior are still playable but require more effort to compete with the higher-tier tanks. Guardian Druid has high durability, Prot Warrior has strong physical mitigation and high damage but both are outshined by tanks with more self-sustain and utility.
As the season goes on and balancing changes are rolled out, the meta will shift—but for now, these rankings are the most up-to-date for Season 2. Practice your rotation, learn each encounter mechanics and coordinate with your healer and DPS. With the right strategy, any tank can conquer The War Within!
Related Blog Articles
- Dungeons Tier List: The Best Choices in The War Within – A ranking of the best dungeons to farm gear and rewards.
- Heroic Queen Ansurek: Raid Strategy and Updates – Learn how to tackle Queen Ansurek with the best tanking strategies.
- October 10th Hotfixes: Tank Adjustments Detailed – Overview of patch adjustments for tank classes to stay up-to-date.
- The War Within Weekly Update: Key Highlights – Catch up on weekly news, including tank-related hotfixes and updates.
