07-30-2006, 07:53 AM
Quote:Do you have any specific fights in mind? I'm not sure I entirely buy that premise, mainly because there are also reasons why Bears would be worse at surviving spike damage - mainly lower mitigation, no crit immunity, and no access to shield block (the skill, not the passive trait). On top of that, warriors have more proactive things they can do in response to spike damage - Last Stand, the class trinket that has a similiar effect, and Shield Wall. I'm not aware of any similiar abilities for Druids.
For a current example, one of the hateful strike tanks on Patchwerk. I'll never participate in this fight myself but I hear that Hateful Strike can't crit and can't crush but does a boatload of physical damage. While a Warrior will avoid it completely more often thanks to Parry, a Druid tank will take less damage both absolutely and as a percentage of their life bar when it does connect.
In terms of surviving single hits a Druid's armour and high life total makes crits about as dangerous as crushes are to a warrior (presuming AQ gear for both, a uniquely favorable situation for the Druid as it's the only time where Druids have even close to equivalent epic itemisation). Shield block can push crushes off the hit table but can't always completely avoid the risk of crushing blows (eg. both charges have been used on normal hits when the boss's special timer rolls around).
Consumable use and Last Stand are certainly useful (basically an extra instant heal each). Shield Wall is better still. The closest Druids have is precasting a HOT and barkskin - useful and useable more often but nowhere near the same percentage stopped.