TBC Anniversary Tank Tier List for Phase 1

TBC Anniversary Tank Tier List Quick Summary:

• Protection Warrior is the best main tank due to cooldowns, smooth damage intake, and predictable threat.
• Protection Paladin shows its strengths on trash, dungeons, and cleave fights with unmatched AoE control and raid utility.
• Feral Druid offers massive health, strong threat, and off-tank flexibility, but needs gear and is not for beginners.
• A particular Tank’s strength depends more on mechanics and tools than raw stats or late-game scaling.

For an easier start, no matter what role you choose, the smartest choice would be to Get TBC Anniversary Gold at Skycoach. This is your chance to skip the grind at any stage of the game and get straight into action.

How We Defined the Best Tank Classes

The idea behind these rankings is simple: I want you to see how each spec performs in practice. Yes, any of them can do Karazhan runs or any other content during Phase 1 in TBC. But the reality is different, and a particular spec can do it better. Not on paper and not at full Tier 4, okay? Just because of the abilities and mechanics they have. See how we defined the best Tank classes in TBC Anniversary:

• Survivability: This is obviously the most important factor since it directly reflects the idea of why a Tank is needed in your party. A Tank that technically survives but scares Healers every pull can’t be in a top tier. I compared all three specs in terms of how smoothly they intake the damage, as well as mitigate passives, and what tools they have to survive when things go wrong.
• Threat: That’s very Phase 1 specific here. Tanks that need a long ramp or perfect play to hold threat slow the raid down. Your spec’s rotation should also be as forgiving as possible. DPS shouldn’t be waiting too much for you, as that would be a problem.
• Utility: Any specialization has a ton of things to help a party with. AoE control, taunts, buffs, debuffs, and all other QoL tools are what separate this role from any other in the game. You don’t need to do a lot of damage and focus on cleaner trash pulls instead, and that’s the example of what is expected from you.

Note: I’ve compared and ranked all the Tank specs, placing them in tiers from S to C. This is a more subjective opinion for sure, and you may disagree with it. Also, everything can change as the developers release future patches with buffs and nerfs. Save this article to your bookmarks and always know about the top ranked Tanks in TBC Classic Anniversary.

If you’re also curious about other roles, check out the DPS tier list or Healer tier list made specifically for TBC Anniversary. I’m also putting together a full class tier list, along with a YouTube video, to make everything easier to follow.

Current Tank Rankings for TBC Anniversary

Before it gets any further, keep in mind that all the specs can clear any content in Phase 1. Our tier list is more like a snapshot of what plays better right now, before everyone has perfect gear and before later phases shift the balance. Check out the current Tank rankings for TBC Anniversary:

We’ll go over each spec in more detail further in this guide. Yet feel free to take any of the specs from these WoW TBC Anniversary Tank rankings to try out. Don’t chase the meta blindly, as the difference between them is actually barely noticeable. Especially if you’re not sweating too much during the seasonal content and playing for fun during free time.

S-Tier Explained

S-Tier represents the strongest Tanks you can currently pick in TBC Anniversary. So far, only Protection Warrior sits in this tier, and for a good reason. This is arguably the most obvious choice for Phase 1 to conquer all three raids awaiting you. The same goes for dungeons if you’re a fan of those.

Protection Warrior

Protection Warrior is the best Tank in TBC Anniversary for any PvE content due to its survivability and overall defensive tools. You’ve got plenty of stuff starting from Shield Block, which is already a lot in Phase 1, as well as Shield Wall, and more. It smooths damage, helps control crushing blows, and gives healers a predictable rhythm. You don’t get those scary “oh no” spikes as often. That matters more than raw health early on.

Personally, I adore Prot Warrior as much as you can imagine, and that has been like this throughout many years of playing WoW, no matter the expansion. When something goes wrong, and it always does, it’s the only one who can stabilize the pull instead of praying. That safety net is a big deal in fights like Gruul or early Magtheridon attempts.

Let’s go over a quick list of the key defensive tools Prot Warriors got:

1. Shield Block stays huge in Phase 1, and that’s the ability you can never go wrong with. It helps control crushing blows and makes damage far more predictable for Healers.
2. Shield Wall is still the strongest emergency cooldown in early TBC. When used correctly, it can save otherwise dead pulls.
3. Last Stand gives a simple but powerful 30% HP buffer that buys Healers time during spikes or mistakes.
4. Defensive Stance reduces incoming damage at all times, not just during cooldown windows. Also generates threat to help you hold aggro longer.

Are Prot Warriors perfect? No. AoE threat still takes work, and they don’t scale forever. But in Phase 1, they’re complete. They mitigate well, they hold threat, and they have tools for every bad situation. Go for it if you’re looking to be a main Tank in your party. You won’t find a better option currently anyway. BLOG20

A-Tier Explained

As for the competitors (there are only two of them, actually) sitting in the A-Tier, they’re still strong. Don’t get me wrong, both Prot Pals and Feral Druids can be great Tanks in the right hands. They don’t lag behind Prot Warrior and can actually be even stronger if you know what you’re doing. Yet in most cases, they’re Off-Tanks rather than the main ones.

Protection Paladin

Protection Paladin is a top tank in TBC Classic from a “make the raid smoother” perspective. It sits right behind Warrior in Phase 1, and in some situations, it honestly feels just as important. Not because it replaces the main tank role, but because it solves problems no other Tank can. The reason for this is AoE control, and the way this spec can handle trash pulls, caster packs, and moments where DPS get a little too excited.

I actually think that Prot Pals can become super strong once gear starts filling in. Yet I don’t think it can ever take the position of the main Tank. There’s only one strong reason behind it: when damage spikes hit, you mostly rely on your Healer’s reaction.

The most notable Protection Pal’s abilities include:

1. Consecration gives constant, reliable AoE threat with almost no setup.
2. Avenger’s Shield is one of the best pull tools in the game. Long range, hits multiple targets, and front loads threat instantly.
3. Righteous Defense lets you fix mistakes fast by snapping multiple mobs back to you.
4. Holy Shield adds block chance and threat at the same time, which feels great on fast hitting enemies.

They’re strong, no doubts here. But you lack true panic cooldowns like the ones Prot Warriors have, and I’m talking about Shield Wall or Last Stand. That’s why they usually sit in the Off-Tank or control role early on instead of being the default main tank.

Feral Druid

We’ve finally made it to the last spec on this tier list. But don’t let me fool you, since Feral Druid is also in the A-Tier, and for a good reason. Yes, he can never be a main Tank, yet you bring a bit of everything to the raid. You soak a ton of damage and can hit back when there’s a moment. All that comes with threat-generating abilities we’ll cover later here.

The first thing that hits your attention is the amount of HP this spec has. Dire Bear Form, armor scaling, and Stamina stacking… You’re basically unkillable on your own, and a good Healer only makes it better.

Since we’ve mentioned how well Feral Druids stack threat, let’s go over it:

1. Mangle is a simple ability you’re using to make an enemy take extra Bleed damage, and it also scales cleanly with gear.
2. Lacerate stacks add steady threat over time and also cause Bleed.
3. Maul works in a straightforward way, but can help you keep threat consistently.
4. Swipe scaling with attack power makes multi-target tanking far more doable than in Vanilla.

There’s also flexibility, and that matters more than people admit. A Feral is never just a tank. On fights where you only need one main tank, the Bear goes Cat, and suddenly you’re contributing real damage. Same spec. Same gear pool. No respec tax.

Does all that make Feral Druid the best tank in The Burning Crusade Anniversary so far? No, and the reasons are obvious here. You have no tools to save yourself when things go bad, and your Healer is out of reach. Crushing blows can also be spikier since you don’t block. There’s also the early gearing problem. Coming out of Vanilla, Feral gear is rough. Warriors walk into Karazhan already comfortable. Bears need a few key pieces before they really start being immortal.

Read our other TBC Classic Anniversary guides:

• Leveling Guide
• Gearing Guide
• PvP Classes Tier List
• Gold Farming Guide

F.A.Q.