Mythic+ Tank Rankings: A Tier List for Dragonflight (Patch 10.2. / Season 3)

This tier list is NOT FINAL; it will change and will be updated as often as necessary prior and during Mythic+. There are often moments of tier set and class tuning, as well as talent changes and secondary stat scaling that will impact the placement of the specs.

I am Petko, a competitive Mythic+ player, known to be pushing the boundaries of High Mythic+ with several World first and Europe first rankings among past seasons on multiple classes. I have worked hard on preparing for Season 3 of Dragonflight, spending numerous hours per day examining each and every class and spec in a dungeon environment. This Tier list will continue to be updated as much as it requires over the course of Dragonflight and it will also focus on what the "meta" will look like as it stabilizes. Along the way, this Tier list will also be supported by various professional Mythic+ players with high credibility in the community, theorycrafters across all specializations, and my own empirical evidence.

To begin with, this Tier list will exclusively focus on the third Season of Mythic+ in Dragonflight. There will be no Warcraft Logs rankings added nor simulation data for the majority of the classes and specs. As a result, this Tier list will be solely based on empirical evidence of the current state of the classes' performance in Mythic+ from my own point of view and the point of view of the group of players testing those classes who are among the best representatives of the class in the community. Moreover, this Tier list will take into consideration every impactful class change and tier set tuning before and after the start of the season.

It is important to note that opinions might vary and that is completely okay, but remember to be respectful when providing feedback as the sole purpose of this tier-list is to help the WoW community with their choice of main or alt each season.

This tier list is entirely based on several factors, such as tank durability, group composition synergy, mobility, damage profile, self-sustain and external party-wide cooldowns.

It is important to understand that this Tier list is NOT permanent , and it will be due to change with upcoming changes and tunings over the course of the season. I have always advocated the "bring the player, not the class" motto, meaning: value the player's skill more than the class itself. This Tier list should NOT discourage you from playing whatever you enjoy the most if having fun is your main drive when you play Mythic+. The list will be updated as much as it requires before and after the start of each season.

This tier list is based on the assumption that you have your 4-piece tier-set present at all times. Places can vary drastically if this measure is not taken into consideration, as our main purpose is to showcase which specializations will become the best months before the season hits its peak.

Below you can find the full rankings for Tank specializations in Dragonflight Mythic+. We encourage you to further read and understand why some classes are placed lower or higher than expected, with several factors taken into consideration.

All tanks are looking great in Season 3, as the gap between each of them is significantly smaller compared to last season. Regardless of what you play, you will be doing fine, with the only noticeable difference occurring in the higher-end keys.

1. Vengeance Demon Hunter (S-Tier)
2. Blood Death Knight (Hidden OP)
3. Protection Paladin (A-Tier)
4. Protection Warrior (A-Tier)
5. Brewmaster Monk (B-Tier)
6. Guardian Druid (C-Tier)

Data-Driven (Season 3) Mythic+ Tier List

Get the latest data driven tier list for Patch 10.2

View Rankings

If you are interested in our other rankings for Mythic+ in Dragonflight, please click the links below.

Patch 10.2 update: Vengeance Demon Hunter received a complete rework going forward to Season 3, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus activates when you attack a target afflicted by Sigil of Flame; your damage, healing, and Stamina are increased by 2% for 8 sec, stacking up to 5 times. In addition, the 4p effect allows for Sigil of Flame's periodic damage to have a chance to flare up, shattering an additional Soul Fragment from a target and dealing additional damage. Each 40 Fury you spend reduces its cooldown by 1 sec.

The recent changes to Vengeance Demon Hunter have made them extremely "tanky", thanks to the removal of the 5-target cap on Fiery Brand. Additionally, Fel Devastation baseline cooldown has been reduced by 20 sec, further enhancing their defensive capabilities. The combination of the specialization's strong survivability and great utility make Vengeance Demon Hunter one of the best tanks options for Mythic+ in Season 3. And if the DPS meta favors magic damage, don't forget that Chaos Brand will provide a noticeable damage boost for the entire group. Overall, with the most recent buffs, Vengeance Demon Hunter is shaping up to be one of the best tanks in Season 3.

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Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Chaos Brand	5% extra Magical damage
Core	Darkness	% chance to avoid all damage from an attack.
Core	Sigil of Silence	Silences all enemies affected by the Sigil for a short period of time.
Optional	Sigil of Chains	All enemies affected by the Sigil are pulled to its center and snared.
Optional	Chaos Nova	AoE stun effect.
Optional	Imprison	Single-target out of combat crowd-control.
Optional	Consume Magic	Remove 1 beneficial Magic effect.
Optional	Sigil of Misery	AoE disturb effect.

Blood Death Knight has the hidden OP label since we don't have any news on the new upcoming 2-h Legendary weapon. Depending on the tunning and its performance, the specializations might or might not change placements. If we were to rank them right now, it would be A+.

Patch 10.2 update: Blood Death Knight received massive changes going forward to the next season, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus triggers when consuming Runic Power, giving you a chance to cause your next Heart Strike to apply Ashen Decay, reducing damage dealt to you by 10% and increasing your damage dealt to afflicted targets by 20% for 8 sec. In addition, the 4-p effect allows Soul Reaper's execute damage and Abomination Limb's damage to apply Ashen Decay to enemy targets, and Heart Strike and Blood Boil's direct damage extends Ashen Decay by 1 sec.

Blood Death Knight is feeling fantastic in Season 3, with one of the high-damage profile and a tank spec that has excellent survivability, combined with the highest self-sustain in the game. The most exciting part is that Blood Death Knight is the only tank to benefit from the 2-H strength Legendary. No details have been released about the Legendary yet, so depending on its tuning and unique effect, the class rankings could fluctuate. However, for now, it is a top pick. Could Blood Death Knight be the secret OP spec for Season 3? Only time will tell.

There are several bugs surrounding the spec that must be cleared out before having a 100% judgment on its performance. Overall, there aren't any direct details to seek improvement on.

Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Anti-Magic Zone	Provides extra durability against heavy magical damage.
Core	Death Grip	Repositions an enemy of your choice.
Core	Raise Ally	Combat-resurrection.
Optional	Abomination Limb	Every 1 sec an enemy is pulled close to you.
Optional	Gorefiend's Grasp	Mass-grip.
Optional	Insidious Chill	Reduces the auto-attack speed of your target by 5% stacking up 4 times.
Optional	Control Undead	Mind-control an undead enemy to fight on your side. This ability can also Mind-control Incorporeal (similar to Priest's Dominate Mind) to gain the full benefit of the affix.
Optional	Asphyxiate	5 sec single-target stun.

Patch 10.2 update: Protection Paladin received minor changes leading up to the next season, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus will enable Judgment to grant a stack of Sanctification, reducing your damage taken by 2% per stack. Upon reaching 5 stacks, your next cast of Consecration is empowered, increasing its damage and healing by 200% and its radius by 30%. Sanctification's stacks are reset when your empowered Consecration ends. In addition, the 4-p effect triggers once you are within an empowered Consecration, your abilities have a chance to deal 40% bonus damage or healing as Fire.

Protection Paladin currently is one of the strongest tank specializations available in Mythic+. It boasts an impressive damage profile and unmatched group-wide utility, making it a highly sought-after choice. Additionally, its durability has improved since the last season, as its positioning was overtaken by the incredibly "tank" Guardian Druid, in the second part of Season 2. Moreover, this specialization is one of the few tanks with exceptional off-healing abilities, making it a valuable asset when fulfilling extreme HPS Mythic+ requirements.

Playing around Consecration is simply an underlying issue that has been going on for a while for Protection Paladin, starting with Season 3, the problem will only run deeper since their tier set is directly attached to that spell.

Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Avenger's Shield	Extra interrupt option that has a follow-up silence effect.
Core	Devotion Aura	Permanent 3% group/raid-wide damage reduction aura.
Core	Retribution Aura	In case you already have Devotion Aura from another Paladin, you can choose the Retribution Aura to help your party/raid do more Damage and Healing.
Core	Hammer of Justice	A powerful single-target 6 sec stun effect.
Core	Lay on Hands	Heals a member of your party/raid to full health.
Core	Intercession	Combat-resurrection
Optional	Blessing of Spellwarding	Granting magical damage immunity for 10 sec on a chosen ally.
Optional	Blessing of Sacrifice	Helps a single member of your raid in a critical situation. This can be further improved by talenting Sacrifice of the Just.
Optional	Blessing of Protection	Physical immunity, which can help you with some boss encounters.
Optional	Blessing of Freedom	Immunity to movement impairing effects.
Optional	Repentance / Blinding Light	You have the option between single-target crowd-control effect or a powerful mass AoE stop.
Optional	Cleanse Toxins	Removes all Poison and Disease effects from the target.
Optional	Turn Evil	Be able to fear any Undead, Aberration or Demon, which is an additional form of crowd control.

Patch 10.2 update: Protection Warrior received minor changes leading up to the nexy season, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus triggers when spending Rage, having a chance to cause your next Shield Slam to consume your Bleeds on a target, instantly dealing 40% of the remaining damage of your Deep Wounds and Rend and 100% of Thunderous Roar's and reducing your damage taken by 10% for 5 sec. In addition, the 4-piece effect allows for each Bleed effect consumed from a target to reduce your damage taken by an additional 2%. When Shield Slam consumes a Bleed, the cooldown of Thunder Clap is reset and the cooldown of Thunderous Roar is reduced by 3 sec.

Protection Warrior will perform exceptionally well in the early stages of Season 3 with an impressive damage profile. On top of that, they are also considered one of the most durable tanks going forward to the next season. Spell Reflection is proving to be an extremely useful tool in the Season 3 dungeon pool, which will positively influence their rankings. Additionally, looking at how strong melee characters are, Battle Shout is looking a lot more appealing. Overall, Protection Warrior has a great offensive and defensive profile, making it a promising choice.

As always, Protection Warriors may suffer if anything cannot be blocked or reflected. Although their utility has never been considered the best, they make up for it with their raw power in terms of damage and survivability.

Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Rallying Cry	Temporary increasing the health of your raid/party.
Core	Battle Shout	Extra 5% attack power.
Optional	Spell Reflection	Usable in niche situations.
Optional	Intimidating Shout	AoE disturb effect capped at 5 targets.
Optional	Storm Bolt	4 sec single-target stun.
Optional	Shockwave	AoE Stun

Patch 10.2 update: Brewmaster Monk received some changes going forward to the next season, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus enables Breath of Fire to deal 40% bonus damage as Shadowflame and causes you to heal for 50% of your Fire damage dealt. In addition, the 4p effect allows for attacks against targets afflicted by Breath of Fire to have a chance to deal 15% extra damage as Shadowflame, and each Celestial Brew to also grant a Stagger absorb for 100% of the Shadowflame damage you have dealt, causing damage delayed by Stagger to instead be prevented.

Although an improved version from last season, the Brewmaster Monk class will remain relatively squishy compared to other tank classes. However, their damage output is one of the highest, if not the highest, in the game. This makes them a great fit for lower to mid-level keys. Just keep in mind as you progress through higher-level keys, you may encounter more survivability issues. Overall, the utility package of Brewmaster Monk is great, providing all the necessary tools to tackle any issue in Mythic+. Whether or not the Brewmaster Monk will become a competitive spec or remain in a mediocre state will depend on further Season 3 tuning.

The only way this spec can improve rankings is by further buffs on behalf of their survivability.

Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Mystic Touch	5% extra Physical damage for your raid.
Core	Generous Pour	Extra damage reduction against area-of-effect damage.
Core	Close to Heart	Increased healing from all sources for all allies within 10 yards.
Core	Leg Sweep	3 sec stun effect.
Optional	Tiger's Lust	Removes all roots and snares.
Optional	Ring of Peace	It can be used to help your tank kite and as a AoE disturb effect.
Optional	Detox	Removes all Poison and Disease effects from the target.
Optional	Paralysis	Single-target disturb effect.

Patch 10.2 update: Guardian Druid received massive changes leading to the next season, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece bonus allows you the Rage you spend during Rage of the Sleeper to fuel the growth of Dream Thorns, which wreath you in their protection after Rage of the Sleeper expires, absorbing 25% of damage dealt to you while the thorns remain. In addition, the 4-p effect grants you for each 40 Rage you spend while Rage of the Sleeper is active to extend its duration 1 sec, up to 5 sec. Your Dream Thorns becoem Blazing Thorns, causing 100% of damage absorbed to be reflected at the attacker.

Even though the new tier set is not as powerful as the old Season 2 set bonus, Guardian Druid will still perform well in all key levels. Despite not being as dominant leading up to Season 3, the spec possess decent damage and amazing utility, making them an all-around well-rounded tank that can transition well into the next season.

Guardian Druid received one of the worst trade-offs regarding tier sets among all tank specializations. Unfortunately, this trade-off will ultimately hinder their performance in Mythic+. The only solution, therefore, is to completely rework the tier set or buff the current version significantly.

Functionality	Spells	Notes
Core	Mark of the Wild	Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%.
Core	Entangling Roots	Single-target root effect.
Optional	After the Wildfire	Extra off-healing.
Optional	Innervate	Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec.
Optional	Stampeding Roar	Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec.
Optional	Remove Corruption	Removes all Curse and Poison effects from a friendly target.
Optional	Soothe	Dispelling all Enrage Effects from an enemy target.
Optional	Hibernate	Single-target crowd-control effects against beasts and dragonkins. It also works on Incorporeal.
Optional	Incapacitating Roar / Mighty Bash	You have the choice between AoE disturb effect or a single-target stun.
Optional	Typhoon	Aoe knockback.
Optional	Mass Entanglement / Ursol's Vortex	You have the choice between AoE root effect or AoE wind-of-vortex, pulling all the mobs to one location.