While there is only one raid available to players in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands currently, it hasn't stopped players from figuring out the optimal party composition for mythic progression. Tanking in World of Warcraft has always been a tricky business that few choose to endure – especially when some tanking specs are significantly better than others.
There are some clear primary choices when it comes to the best tanking spec in Shadowlands, but the role is versatile in that parties often need two or more to effectively take down bosses. Being an off-tank is reserved for most of the underperforming specs with unique toolkits – but even these specs face little trouble in heroic difficulty dungeons and raids.
6 6. Protection Warrior
Protection Warriors in Shadowlands have taken some significant hits – pun intended. It is one of the few tanking specs that have a truly difficult time maintaining threat on multiple enemies, they have a hard time getting around the battlefield, and they aren't great at keeping themselves above zero health when the going gets rough. Plus, Blizzard has had a truly difficult time in the past sorting out how warriors can effectively generate rage for their abilities, and it's still not perfect in Shadowlands.
The fact that Protection Warriors need to kite enemies constantly as part of their tanking style indicates their weakness. Many improvements were made to the class and spec in Shadowlands, but ultimately a Protection Warrior is best in non-mythic dungeons and as an off-tank in mythic progression.
5 5. Blood Death Knight
Blood Death Knights are a unique tanking spec as they are particularly effective against magic but weak to physical damage. The ability Anti-Magic Zone significantly reduces magical damage done to allies in a target area, for example, as well as a variety of other abilities unique to the spec. Blood Death Knights have a hard time maintaining threat, similar to Protection Warriors, but the problem is not so severe.
Raise Ally is an exceedingly useful combat resurrection ability and Blood Death Knights have a number of abilities that target multiple enemies – such as Gorefiend's Grasp. The Blood spec changes the ability Death Grip slightly by making the targeted enemy attack the player in addition to being pulled.
While the Blood Death Knight has many unique tools in its belt, it ultimately falters when faced with too many enemies to maintain, and it is one of the most immobile classes in all of World of Warcraft. It's a good situational spec and performs well as a secondary tank in the party.
4 4. Guardian Druid
Druids in World of Warcraft are extremely versatile – they're able to fill any role, as tank, healer, or damage – but unfortunately don't excel at any one thing. They're a good all-around class with some unique abilities that will help a raid along, and while they have the capacity to be the main tank for a group, it can be difficult to sustain damage output over a long period of time.
The best abilities a Guardian Druid has available are its personal defensive abilities and its unique cooldowns. Barkskin, Survival Instincts, and Ironfur are three amazing damage mitigation abilities that unfortunately have long cooldowns. The Guardian Druid, similar to the Blood Death Knight, is one of few classes in the game with a combat resurrection spell: Rebirth.
Guardian Druids are probably the best choice for an off-tank, as their external abilities can support the main tank extremely effectively. Ultimately, druids can do anything every other class can do, but this broad utility comes at the cost of effectiveness.
3 3. Brewmaster Monk
The Brewmaster Monk is one of the first specs listed here that easily works as a main tank. The spec has a slew of abilities that help out the group as a whole and it is one of the most damage-resistant specs in World of Warcraft thanks to its passive Stagger. Based on the Monk's agility stat, Stagger turns every attack against the monk into damage-over-time, making healing and self-sustaining the Brewmaster Monk a walk in the park.
The Brewmaster Monk has access to Leg Sweep, a mass stun on a relatively short cooldown, and has a toolkit full of helpful abilities for the rest of the party. Ring of Peace is an extremely effective crowd control spell, while Mystic Touch and Tiger's Lust are single-target abilities that can boost the party's DPS and mobility.
2 2. Protection Paladin
Protection Paladins are the only class in the game with a strict immunity spell, and a toolkit bursting with powerful cooldowns and combat utility abilities makes the spec one of the best in the game for tanking. However, Protection Paladins need to keep a careful watch on their cooldowns, as they suddenly become very vulnerable when waiting for these abilities to be ready again.
Protection Paladins have a variety of interrupting and combat control abilities – Avenger's Shield stuns and silences up to 3 enemies, while Rebuke is a straight-up spellcasting interrupt and silence for a single target. Divine Shield is the only ability in World of Warcraft that provides flat-out immunity from damage, and they're a must-have for any party composition for their Devotion Aura, which reduces all damage by 3% for the entire party – they're a top main tank, and also a top off tank for that passive alone.
1 1. Vengeance Demon Hunter
The Vengeance Demon Hunter is the most recent addition to the roster of tanks, and it's also far and away the most effective – some even claim that Blizzard is playing favorites with this class, as they are just as effective at dealing damage when tanking as some DPS classes. Their abilities are unmatched and cover a swathe of potential problems a party might face in mythic progression.
The passive Demonic Wards is a flat-out damage reduction unique to Demon Hunters, and they are the only class in the game that can cheat death with the Last Resort ability (Holy Priests will stay alive for 15 seconds after death, but they still die). Vengeance Demon Hunters have access to a few Sigils that can change the tide of a battle – Sigil of Chains, for example, pulls enemies towards the center of the target area and slows them for 6 seconds, which perfectly combines with AOE spells to wipe out huge numbers of mobs all at once.
When paired with the Demon Hunter's unparalleled mobility and its other unmentioned tools, it is easily the best pick for the main tank in mythic progression – it's so good, players should keep an eye out for rumored incoming nerfs.