Brewmaster tanks in World of Warcraft aren’t as bad as their reputation – at least that’s what the Game Director thinks.
If you’re currently spending a lot of time in the group finder of World of Warcraft: Legion or just tackling numerous dungeons with guild mates, you know them all: tanks. Whether it’s a Death Knight, Protection Paladin, Bear Druid, Warrior, or Demon Hunter. But one tank you hardly ever see: the Brewmaster Monk.
Ion Hazzikostas mentioned in the live stream that Brewmaster Monks are very good tanks. If you look at the numbers, they rank well in direct comparisons, sometimes even at the top. It’s only the perception of the community that they can’t be used as tanks.
As an example, Hazzikostas mentions a healer friend who was out with a Brewmaster Monk. “I can never fully heal him!” was the frequent complaint. When asked if the monk tank would die, the response was simply: “No. But I can never fully heal him!”
The reason for this is the unique mechanics of the monk, delaying damage. When an enemy deals several million damage points, the monk only takes a part of it, the rest is spread over several seconds. This ensures constant and easier-to-heal damage – however, it also leads to the perception that you can never ‘fully heal’ a monk – a thorn in the side of many healers.
Hazzikostas calls on players: “Give Brewmaster tanks a chance. You will be pleasantly surprised.”
Cortyn says: It’s a difficult situation; once the community has an opinion, it doesn’t change easily. No wonder the developers don’t want to buff the Brewmaster further, “until the community realizes how strong he is” – because then everyone will play him, which in turn leads to a nerf. What experiences have you had with Brewmaster tanks? Have you even encountered any of them in Legion?
