Is it necessary for me to absorb every detail until my vision blurs, committing each encounter and trash pack mechanic to memory? Icecrown Citadel seems like an enormous challenge, and I believe I could grasp it better by getting hands-on experience instead of laboriously memorizing everything in advance. However, I fear nobody wishes to endure wipe after wipe as we all learn the ropes together.
As for my gear, it's as good as it gets before stepping into Icecrown Citadel. I'm seeking guidance on effective ways to learn without exasperating my fellow raiders or having to pre-learn hours of intricate mechanics. Are there any fellow tankers here who didn't experience Wrath of the Lich King originally? How did you navigate these challenges?
Here's a quick rundown of the boss strategies:
Marrowgar - Keep both tanks in one spot and sidestep Bonestorm circles.
Lady Deathwhisper - Gather adds and bring them to the boss. Maintain maximum threat during Phase 2 while taunting adds, and keep away from ghosts and Death and Decay.
The Gunship Battle - One tank jumps over and tanks Saurfang at the ship's edge to keep healers in range, while the other picks up adds from the portal.
Lord Marrowgar - Taunt immediately when the other tank gets the debuff and use cooldowns when the boss's energy exceeds 60.
Festergut - Tank until you have 9 stacks of the debuff, then perform a tank swap. Be cautious not to overaggro, as a 10th stack can wipe the raid. Start using cooldowns when the boss has 2 stacks of his buff.
Rotface - The add tank kites in circles and alerts when the add reaches 5 stacks. The boss is a straightforward tank and spank.
Professor Putricide - Keep the boss near puddles and green adds. In Phase 2, move the boss away from the orange bubbles. In Phase 3, tank together and swap at 2 stacks, then at 3, 4, and so on. Tank in the abomination to soak puddles with 1 and slow adds with 2. Stand near the boss/adds to efficiently use 1 and 3.
Blood Council - Tanking Valanar and Taldaram is primarily tank and spank. Switch to the active target to maintain threat. Keleseth tanking is more challenging - generate threat initially, then collect dark cores as he becomes active. Avoid losing orbs to cleave damage.
Blood-Queen Lana'thel - A relatively straightforward fight. Stand in one spot and use cooldowns during the Pact to ease healing.
Valithria Dreamwalker - Just tank the adds. Zombies should be kited by a DK or hunter, prioritizing adds from small to big.
Sindragosa - A simple tank and spank encounter. Use cooldowns for her breath attack. During the air phase, run to your camp. When she lands, immediately turn her around. In Phase 3, perform a tank swap at 4-5 stacks and reset them behind the ice block.
The Lich King - In Phase 1, one tank holds the Lich King and faces him toward the other tank, so the adds spawn on the other tank. The add tank needs to pick up the big ones and ghouls. Use cooldowns during enrage. In the intermission phase, tank the ghosts facing away from the raid. In Phase 2, perform a tank swap after Soul Reaper, drop Defile away from the raid, and stun the Valkyries. In Phase 3, one tank is on the boss, while the other soaks the flying ghosts with a cooldown.
As for trash, there's nothing exceptional, except for the two dead dogs in the Plague Quarter. Precious and Stinky should have a tank swap at 7-8 stacks of debuffs, and use cooldowns at that point. The tacticians in the Blood Quarter can hit hard and stun you, so be cautious. The rest of the trash is about grouping them together and eliminating them.
Regarding your tanking class, if you play as a Death Knight or Paladin, I might have a few additional insights.
For context, I have experience with 11/12 Heroic 10-man and 9/12 Heroic 25-man raids, tanking with both Death Knight and Paladin.
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