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Mechanics of Feral Tanks

Bears rely heavily on large health pools, dodge, armor, and absorption. Basically, we're tough and meaty; we can suck up hits that make the tin-can tanks cry, and not even blink at them.

Mastery

Bears make use of a passive feral skill called Savage Defense, which absorbs 35% of the next physical attack. Each point of Mastery adds 4% damage absorption to Savage Defense.

Stats

• Agility - Grants dodge, crit, and AP, all in one nice tidy package.
• Critical strike - Increases your damage, giving you better threat per rage. More importantly, every crit has a 50% chance of proccing Savage Defense.
• Dodge - On its own, or via Agility, allows you to dodge incoming hits entirely.
• Expertise rating - Counters the target's dodge and parry. The cap for both is currently 26 points, or 780 rating.
• Haste - Increases melee swing speed, more chances for critical strikes and other hit-based procs.
• Hit rating - Counters misses. Melee hit cap is currently 8%. Blizzard plans to scale this upward with higher bosses, requiring more hit to cap.
• Mastery - Buffs Savage Defense by 4% per point, increasing damage absorption.
• Stamina - Health.
• Strength - 2 AP per point. It's not typically a stat to choose for, but bears may have to consider it on non-leather tanking gear.

Talent Builds

Level 80 build
Level 85 build

Talent Discussion

On the level 85 build, you get basically everything you want to get, minus one point. In the build above I've shorted Stampede. It's fully possible to pull that point from somewhere else depending on the need of the moment, and your gear and skills. You might want to look at Fury Swipes or Feral Aggression to be short on, or Perseverance (Resto tree) if you're not expecting magic damage.

Predatory Strikes, Nurturing Instinct, and Blood in the Water are all cat talents.

King of the Jungle and Primal Madness are sub-optimal for PvE tanking. Enrage is not safe for a bear to use in combat without the 4T10 set bonus, and the remaining use of Primal Madness is very small.

Prime Glyphs

Berserk
Lacerate
Mangle

Major Glyphs

Faerie Fire
Feral Charge
Frenzied Regeneration
Maul

Minor Glyphs

Challenging Roar

Meta Gems

Austere
Fleet

JC Gems

Solid Chimera's Eye
Fractured Chimera's Eye
Precise Chimera's Eye

Best non-JC Gems

Shifting Demonseye
Adept Ember Topaz
Puissant Dream Emerald
Regal Dream Emerald

Second-choice Gems

Solid Ocean Sapphire
Delicate Inferno Ruby
Fractured Amberjewel
Keen Ember Topaz

Economy Gems

Perfect Shifting Nightstone
Shifting Nightstone
Perfect Adept Hessonite
Adept Hessonite
Perfect Puissant Jasper
Puissant Jasper
Perfect Regal Jasper
Regal Jasper

Enchants

• Head

Arcanum of the Earthen Ring Earthen Ring (revered)
Heavy Savage Armor Kit

• Shoulders

Inscription of the Earth Prince Inscription only
Swiftsteel Inscription Inscription Only
Greater Inscription of Unbreakable Quartz Therazane (exalted)
Lesser Inscription of Unbreakable Quartz Therazane (honored)
Heavy Savage Armor Kit

• Back

Protection
Swordguard Embroidery Tailoring only
Greater Critical Strike
Critical Strike
Major Agility

• Chest

Greater Stamina
Stamina
Peerless Stats
Heavy Savage Armor Kit
Mighty Stats

• Wrists

Draconic Embossment - Stamina Leatherworking only
Draconic Embossment - Agility Leatherworking only
Greater Critical Strike
Greater Speed
Dodge
Precision
Greater Expertise
Major Stamina

• Hands

Quickflip Deflection Plates Engineering only
Greater Mastery
Greater Expertise
Mastery
Heavy Savage Armor Kit

• Waist

Grounded Plasma Shield Engineering only - beware of side effects

• Legs

Charscale Leg Reinforcements Leatherworking only
Charscale Leg Armor
Twilight Leg Armor
Heavy Savage Armor Kit

• Feet

Assassin's Step
Lavawalker
Major Agility
Mastery
Earthen Vitality
Heavy Savage Armor Kit

• Finger

Greater Stamina Enchanting only
Agility Enchanting only

Rotation

Analysis by Astrylian, founder of Rawr.

Analysis of the analysis by Eao.

An actual rotation will likely have to wait for experience at endgame. However, the basic priority list:

• Mangle
• Demoralizing Roar if needed
• Lacerate
• Thrash
• Pulverize with 3 stacks of Lacerate
• Feral Faerie Fire

Lacerate is the main filler. Maul is used when you have rage to spare and a bleed on the target(s) from Lacerate or Thrash.

Sources
Eao's Excursions
WoW Insider Feral Tanking 101
Elitist Jerks Feral-Bear

Coming soon: This, but prettier and more complete-ish

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