Gevlon, about that tank shortage.

Dear Mr Goblin,

We take a great deal of interest in your undergeared project, both with your success, and your difficulties. Like many casual guilds, you have a problem - specifically a lack of tanks.  This is the bane of DPS everywhere, from the levelling instance to the progression raid.  Some would even go as far to claim that it takes 4 players to form a 10 man raid; 2 tanks, 2 heals and the rest just come.  The advice we presume to give, you already know. However, there are times that an outside view may prove a usefull reminder.

You have been successfull in recruiting self selected experts in the game, that understand the raids, and have at least a theoretical, but still in depth understanding of their chosen role.  While I don't have in-depth knowledge of your partners, I strongly suspect that they are not first time players.  With the players you have, you are successfully exploiting the training provided by others.

Tanks are a special breed, and are a desirable member of any guild, social, casual or hardcore.  They also are have the biggest need for a community, more than any other role, and especially when first learning.  A DPS may underperform, and in many groups, no one will notice.  An underperforming heals is likely to be matched to overgeared tank - that doesnt need healing, or at least with overgeared DPS - so the tank has little need for healing. In either case, the positive reinforcement from a successfull group will encourage both DPS and heals to continue in their role, and hopefully gain both confidence and skill.  The hardest issue for the learning tank however, is not the need to beat the environment, but to wrest threat from their 'helpful' gogogoing, agro stealing, add pulling, ever so tolerant DPS.


In your project you (rightfully) have high standards.  So do those you seek to recruit.  Your options involve:

• Advertise on your blog.  As far as tanks are concerned, this is prone to chance. (But since when do goblins believe in chance).
• PUG early raids and recruit. If you can't get the tanks to come to you, go to them.
• Train a tank.  I don't suggest that you seek undergraduate tanks on their first toons, but at the same time, informing prospective tanks that you are willing to work with them while they re-skill.  For a training tank, re-run old content.  5 man skills are close, but not the same as raid skills.
• Take a non-traditional tank.  A Felguard or Voidwalker may no longer be the Sarth 3D tank of choice, but they still can tank the odd mob or two.
• Become a tank.  If you wish to guarantee a tank whenever you are online, roll one.
• Financial incentives.  You already provide starter kits - 100g + basic bags, but any one of my banking alts makes more than this a day.  You have proposed a boosting service before, as well as used incentives to join a progression guild.  This method will also guarantee the availablity of a suitable tank.

Regards
Foolich of (Oceanic) Caelestraz.