Bolshka's Warrior Tanking 101: Add-Ons; The interface to make the fashion

Bolshka:
Like many tanks you'll find, I find no shame in the use of add-ons. My interface resembles something like a cluttered HUD of a F14. You needn't go THAT crazy with things, but there are two add-ons that stand out as must-haves for any aspiring tank: Omen and Tank Alert.

The first must-have add-on is Omen, complimented by Threat. Omen is one of the most comprehensive threat meters available, Threat is the accompanying library of data that Omen uses to track things accurately.

While it is still in beta and requires constant updates, the maintenance is worth the trouble. A good threat meter allows you to keep tabs on where your party members lie on the mob's hate list. This allows for coordination in throttling DPS so that it will not overwhelm the tank's threat. A tank's control over their target(s) is they key to succeeding in any party or raid.

A good threat meter like Omen also will track your threat-per-second (TPS) rating. A good tank shirks ranking on DPS in favor of TPS, if (s)he isn't top on the list then there is a problem somewhere that needs hammering out.

The second must-have addon for tanking is Tank Alert. This is a simple bit of code that simply announces on your screen when someone is getting whacked other than YOU.

Most of your fights will have your back to the rest of your party, which makes it difficult to know when they are in danger. Tank Alert announces who is getting whacked and by what, giving you that much-needed heads up on when to switch targets and fly to the rescue with an Intervene!

Another wonderful addon is Outfitter. This lovely work of code allows you to save outfits and switch them automatically. Gear can automatically be switched out based on Druid form, Warrior stance, traveling to specific zones (AD insignia, anyone?), or even when mounting (carrot or riding crop).

For example, I have four outfits set up and hotkeyed for Bolshka:
• Dual Wield: Pure DPS gear, all leather and spikes and such. The closest a cow can get to being a Rogue
• Almost Tank: Mixture of DPS and Tanking gear, great for light encounters where more damage is needed.
• Soaking Tank: Full tanking gear that is HEAVY on stamina. Geared to soak damage rather than fending it off. The industry standard of tanking!
• Avoidance Tank: Full tanking gear that emphasizes dodge/parry/block, avoiding damage instead of soaking it. Great for spike damage encounters.

This is a wonderful, lightweight addon that has a great interface built right into your character sheet. You can find it on Curse games: Wow Addons

Have you checked yous lately is it from a good site /
not like the one in the other post

Hey there! Good to see someone actually reads all my diatribe.

The addons I use are still largely in circulation - particularly Omen, which has replaced KTM. Omen has recently been overhauled, so make certain that you get the most recent version along with it's complimentary library, Threat2.0.

Sadly, TankAlert is now defunct.

Outfitter has seen a facelift as well and is a WONDERFUL addon. Check it out

Most of my addons come from either files.wowace.com or Curse Gaming. As always, be careful what you download and always scan 'em before you install. Do NOT use third party software to "automatically install" your addons!