Guardian Bear: The facerolling Tank

[Treach]

I feel the new tanking changes for Guardian Bear has made him a faceroll. I am currently sustaining a little over 70% dodge most the time in fights making it just about soaking up and avoiding large spell attacks. HC Morchock last night, I took around 40% less melee damage than my DK counter tank.

Why?

Well, at 1st glance Bear's look like they have been shafted. Agility no longer gives dodge. And since Bear's can't block or parry this seems like a HUGE nerf. then you notice that old mastery spell Savage Defence has changed too, now it gives 45% dodge for 6 seconds. There's my missing dodge and then some! Hmmm, it now costs 60 rage, no problem, rage isn't a prob, wait, WHAT? Getting hit/avoiding attacks no longer gives rage? Hitting the enemy gives rage? OK then. So now I have to find a way of getting 60 rage every 6 seconds. Lets see how I manage this.

1. Gear reforging: If melee hits gain rage and you need rage for defence it follows that you want to stack for hit and expertise caps then pour on the crit and haste, like a dps. Sounds strange but it works.

2. Weapon: Get the fastest 2h you can find, 2.4 seemed fast enough, but the faster the better.

3. Cast sequence. Mangle (and Savage Defence) -> Lacerate -> Thrash to apply/reapply dot otherwise Swipe -> Lacerate.
3b. Group cast sequence: Mangle (and Savage Defence) -> Swipe -> Thrash-> Swipe.

Note, don;t worry that if you don;t have enough rage for SD with Mangle, you can cast as soon as you have rage (no gcd) and refreshing it increases the timer so you will catch up on yourself. Note. Refreshes stack (but don;t stack the dodge) and 3 refreshes sets off a cd on SI, so be a little careful there.

Note: Frenzied Regeneration works the same way as SD and can be used instead, the only time you can generate rage for both is when you are using Berserk. Worth casting them just after starting Berserk and just before it ends for max use.

Defence CD's

You're left with Barkskin and Survival Instincts. It's worth /castsequence ing them both with Renewal (talent) for getting yourself up that little bit faster after a boss special. (ie /castsequence reset=10 Barkskin, Renewal; )

Other abilities are obvious, Gap closers, interrupters and our lonely single taunt, Growl. I've got all my abilities working off 6 buttons (with modifiers)

Bear has changed, the mad berserker tank getting stronger from his enemies attacks has changed, and I'm not a fan of it.