Recruiter's Notes

I've been working in recruitment for Healer Problem for over five years now. It's often an unthankful and frustrating job, but after spending so much time on the field, I’ve gotten used to the routine. Even when plain dumb and frustrating situations keep popping up, I’ve learned how to cope with them.

I can’t even begin to imagine how frustrating it must be for some people who need to find a guild just once a season, or sometimes even less frequently. On the other end of the spectrum, I know others who join a guild only to see it collapse the next day.

I’ve been meaning to start jotting down notes about my daily work with Healer Problem, but I never really had the time or space. Now, we finally have space, so I should make the effort. Hopefully, someone might find my notes helpful. Just a quick disclaimer: most of my experience is within the context of Healer Problem, which is a midcore scene, not a professional or highly competitive raiding environment. I imagine things are quite different there. I also will leave perspective of communities and pugs outside of the scope.

Today, I’d like to chat about finding a raid spot as a tank, since I’ve received yet another application from a tank: this makes two this week. I want to be clear: I have nothing against tanks. They’re an essential role, and finding a good tank can sometimes be more challenging than other roles. That said, since Blizzard made tanking less of a challenge in Cataclysm by removing the difficulty of rolling a tank, and because they heavily rewarded this role in pugs, many players now see tanking as the most desirable and easiest way to get through content.

Before those changes, before switching specs was as simple as clicking a button, before the gold penalty for changing specs disappeared, and before tanks could self-heal (except for Blizzard's favorite, paladins), finding a tank for a simple five-man was quite tough, especially on lower levels, where tanks were expected to be able to function in the open world as well. Blizzard addressed the tank shortage by making tanks do as much damage as DPS classes and allowing them to heal themselves as well as healers, and suddenly, tanks became very common. But the reality is, raids still only have two tank spots.

So, when a tank approaches me in the middle of a season wanting to join a mythic raid team, I can't help but inwardly facepalm a little.

For those who aren’t involved in recruitment every day or are looking for a guild every month, but are interested in starting to raid as a tank, let’s break down what can go wrong when looking for a raid spot as a tank, and how to do it the right way!

The most reliable way to find a solid tank spot is to start looking for a guild towards the end of the season, when dedicated teams are doing their housekeeping and beginning to prepare for the next season. A few weeks before the new patch, you might find guild openings for the upcoming season, and tank spots are generally less scarce during that time. Getting into a guild early gives you a great opportunity to assess the team and explore other options if needed.

So, what if you're already mid-season?

If the season is already underway and you're set on raiding as a tank, it can be pretty tough to find a spot. Most guilds that raid, especially progression mythic groups, are usually already prepared before the patch goes live. They've likely trialed their tanks in previous season content, so options are limited.

First, let’s consider why you’re playing a tank in the first place and why you want to raid in that role. Many players choose tanking because:

- It offers the most survivability, along with damage output comparable to DPS, making solo content easier.

- It has quick queue times; tank queues in LFG typically pop instantly or within five minutes, while DPS might wait 20-30 minutes for an invite.

These are often the main reasons. Not everyone who plays a tank necessarily loves the role or their chosen spec, and many just do it because it’s convenient.

Now, think about why you want to raid mythic as a tank:

- Is it because you want some raid gear for your tank in the world?

- Is it because you want to see endgame content?

- Or because you’ve always played a tank and want to explore the rest of the game that way?

Have you decided which is more important to you: tanking or raiding? The answer is probably both, but it’s good to clarify your priorities. That will define which of the following options will suit you best.

You could join a newly forming guild or team with an unstable roster, where tank spots aren’t yet secured. Keep in mind, this option comes with some risk: new guilds often don’t last beyond a season. But you might get lucky! A better option could be joining a new team within an established, lasting guild, though that might be less likely since seasoned guilds usually prepare their new teams in advance. For example, Healer Problem did this with our new Journey Crew team.

Another choice is joining a guild as a social member and waiting for a tank spot to open during the season, or applying at the end of the season if the team plans to regroup. This pathway allows you to get a feel for the guild from the inside: experience the social vibe, see how stable the guild is, meet other players, especially raid leaders, and introduce yourself. The downside is, the spot might not open. But if it does, being ready with a well-proven character through casual raids, dungeon runs with guildies, or pug logs will increase your chances.

You can also list yourself as looking for a guild and regularly browse for openings. This is, in my opinion, one of the most reliable methods mid-season since you’ll be recruited directly for the role you want. The downsides are that you are risking a guild collapse: loosing a tank mid season is not a good sign - but hey! - anything can happen! Finding the right opening can also take quite some time.

If raiding is more important to you than tanking, but you still want to explore this role deeper in raiding environment consider taking an offspec. It’s generally easier to join a team as a damage dealer than as a tank. From a recruiter’s perspective, a damage dealer with an offspec is often a more attractive choice than one without. Some guilds may not always have their tanks available, but they also might not want to rotate in a third tank. Playing as a damage dealer allows you to raid, gain valuable season experience, and eventually step into a tank role if needed. If one of the main tanks drops out, you’ll likely be among the first the raid leaders approach since they already know your play style, your personality, and your performance this season. Of course, this assumes you’re skilled at tanking, but I’ll leave that topic aside for now.

If you’re not particularly passionate about tanking and only playing it because it’s easy to solo and pug, if tanking is more of a short-term crush rather than a serious passion, a seasonal meta in keys, when you capped the Mythic Plus rating and you’re mainly looking to see endgame content now, rather than specifically playing a tank the whole time, then you might want to consider rolling a different role for raiding or start a dedicated raiding toon. At this point, your choice is essentially between playing tank or not raiding at all this season. Don’t waste your time, nor that of the team, by applying with an unreliable tank who might cause headaches when a new one is needed next season.