Revisiting the Three Core Principles

In September 2008 I wrote a short outline on three constants which would carry over into the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. View its entirety here. It's time to revisit that entry and see if it has really held up over time.

Three Core Principles of Tanking

1. Gearing is important.
   We're as gear-dependent as ever. Lots of choices for the non-raid, non-heroic players and it really helps.
2. Tanking is tanking.
   Yep, we're still tankin' bosses and holding trash. In fact, we now excel at tanking multiple creatures.
3. Damage is threat. Threat isn't always damage.
   This is and always will remain true. However, significant portions of our threat come directly from damage (even though it is not a 1:1 ratio anymore).