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Just when you thought that the Shaman tank was dead I’m here to tell you that they are very much alive and well tanking Northrend Heroics. Looking for a tank for a heroic dungeon can sometimes be a painful process and it never hurts to have an extra tank around. Shaman can actually put together a gear set that, while it may be not hit the heroic defense cap or have a ton of avoidance, will be sufficient to survive heroics with the right dps and healers by their side. There have also been videos made of Shaman tanking in Ulduar and other raids but I don’t understand the reasoning behind having a Shaman raid tanking other than the sheer novelty of it.

Let’s take a look at some gear you can get fairly easily if you’d like to give tanking a try as a Shaman:

Helm:
Deadly Gladiator’s Linked Helm (49,600 Honor or 58 Emblems of Conquest)
Meta Gem: Austere Earthsiege Diamond
Enchant: Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector

Neck: Shard of the Crystal Forest (19 Emblems of Conquest)

Shoulders: Deadly Gladiator’s Linked Spaulders (31,600 Honor or 46 Emblems of Conquest)
Enchant: Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle

Back: Platinum Mesh Cloak (25 Emblems of Valor)
Enchant: Titanweave

Chest: Deadly Gladiator’s Linked Armor (49,600 Honor or 58 Emblems of Conquest)
Enchant: Defense

Wrist: Titan-Forged Wristguards of Triumph (15 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor)
Enchant: Major Stamina

Hands: Deadly Gladiator’s Linked Gauntlets (31,600 Honor or 46 Emblems of Conquest)
Enchant: Armsman

Legs: Deadly Gladiator’s Linked Leggings (49,600 Honor or 58 Emblems of Conquest)
Enchant: Frosthide Leg Armor

Feet: Titan-Forged Sabatons of Triumph (15 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor)
Enchant: Greater Fortitude

Ring: Mark of the Relentless (Heroic Trial of the Champion)

Ring: Signet of the Impregnable Fortress (25 Emblems of Valor)

Trinket: The Black Heart (Trial of the Champion)

Trinket: Essence of Gossamer (Heroic Azjol-Nerub)

Weapon: Aledar’s Battlestar (Heroic Trial of the Champion)
Enchant: Mongoose

Shield: Crygil’s Discarded Plate Panel (35 Emblems of Heroism)
Alternative: Royal Crest of Lordaeron
(Heroic Culling of Stratholme)

Totem: Totem of Splintering (15 Emblems of Heroism)

There are always other choices for gear that you can make, but this is a list of some of the easier to get pieces to build your Shaman tanking set.

For pulling mobs, Lighting Bolt, Chain Lightning and Lava Burst will help you pull and build aggro. While in melee range you will be using Frost Shock on every cooldown and always have Lighting Shield up.

If you need to taunt, you will use Stoneclaw Totem, Spirit Wolves on non-raid bosses, and also Earth Elemental when you are in trouble. Stoneclaw totem can also be used for damage mitigation to allow you a few seconds to heal.

Healing Wave should be used to help heal yourself to take some pressure off your healer and it can also maintain threat. Hex can be used both for Crowd Control on multiple mob pulls or when you have no other taunt abilities available and need to save a party member’s life.

This is just a beginner’s introduction to Shaman tanking but hopefully it will help get you started.