So, hey, Cataclysm brought tactics, crowd control and caution back from the dead! Hurrah for proper tank work, with marks and interrupts and dancing around angry flayer claws. But, uh, all these new crowd control moves can be a little confusing. In fact, even the older ones are a bit dusty after spending the whole of Wrath loitering, unused, on people’s action bars. So here’s the list:
DRUID
Cyclone. This is only a six-second effect with diminishing returns, so you’re not going to be using it as a fight-long CC effect. The target is immune to damage for the duration, however, so at least it won’t break when your boomkin goes Hurricane-happy.
Entangling Roots. This spell doesn’t incapacitate a mob: if they have ranged moves, they will use them, and if any of your party runs too close, even melee mobs will take a swipe, irrespective of that person’s threat. Make sure you mark a melee mob for roots, and pull the rest of the pack away from it.
Hibernate. The mob is incapacitated with this spell, so you just need to make sure no damage is going to hit it and wake it up. The limited types of mob this can be cast against is important to keep in mind: while Hibernate shines in Grim Batol, it’s useless in those instances that operate a strict no-beast-no-dragon employment policy (Throne of the Tides, for example).
HUNTER
Wyvern Sting. A straightforward incapacitate effect. What you need to keep in mind is that this skill is a talent in the survival tree, so your hunter won’t necessarily be specced into it.
Freezing Trap. The hunter’s trademark CC (usually indicated with the blue square when you’re marking, by the by). Trapping has been made much easier for hunters with their Trap Launcher, which propels their trap wherever they want. A trap doesn’t work directly like Wyvern Sting, though: there’s an instant between the trap hitting the ground and the mob freezing in place. This is important to know as a tank because the trap won’t necessarily go off in time if you pull as the hunter fires the trap – the mob may leg it out of the way.
MAGE
Polymorph. Probably the best known CC skill, usually marked with moon and often referred to as sheep – even though mages turn mobs into anything from cats to tortoises. A Polymorphed target wanders, as the tooltip states. This doesn’t mean it’s going to meander all over the battlefield, but a Poly’d target can occasionally edge into the range of Thunderclap, so watch out. Additionally, Polymorph heals its target to full. This is important in Grim Batol, where you’ll want to avoid asking your mage to sheep a target you’ve already burned to low health on a dragon.
Frost Nova. Another short-duration skill like Cyclone. I’m mentioning it because it has the potential to be the bane of your existence as a tank. Nova applies the same root effect as a druid’s Entangling Roots, which means the mob will go for whoever it can reach if a mage freezes it a couple feet away from you. This can be hard to see in the middle of a crowd – it looks like they’re all on you, but ho, that rogue is taking damage. A mage’s instinctual reaction to pulling aggro can be to Frost Nova as well, and if a mob’s rooted, it won’t run back to you when you taunt. Beware.
PALADIN
Repentance. Another straightforward skill. It can be cast on pretty much everything other than elementals, so it’s very versatile. Only retribution paladins will be specced into it, however.
PRIEST
Mind Control. There are some very neat tricks a priest can play with Mind Control. If they pull with it, for example, the other mobs have a habit of beating the CCed target to death so you don’t have to. They’re nice like that. Mind Control also affords the priest use of the target’s different spells. Using it on a high-damage target won’t just take that damage off you, it’ll turn that damage around and aim it at the mobs. The downside of Mind Control is that it incapacitates the priest. If your party needs to dodge fire, goo or whirlwinds, asking your priest to MC can be problematic.
Shackle. Incapacitates the target neatly, but only works on the undead.
Psychic Scream. Glyphed, this is essentially a short-term AoE stun that breaks with damage. Unglyphed, it has everything running every which way. It’s important to know the difference. The long CD also makes this ineffective as a proper CC skill.
ROGUE
Sap. This cannot be used on a target that is in combat, so make sure you give your rogue time to stealth over there and apply the effect before you pull. It can’t be reapplied after the pull, either, so if you see Sap break make sure you pick it up. Sap’s range isn’t as horrendously short as it once was, but the rogue still needs to get moderately close to use it. If you have the choice, try to mark targets close to the front for Sap, rather than those hiding behind layers of friends.
Blind. This is only a ten-second effect, but you may see your rogue using it when another form of CC wears off. The target wanders like a sheeped mob. Glyphed, Blind will actually remove DoTs from the mob, so it can be very helpful in re-CCing mobs that have been freed with an accidental DoT (hello, Thunderclap and Rend).
SHAMAN
Hex. Works just like sheep on mobs (unable to attack, but wandering about – in this case, probably ribbiting), with the added bonus that Hex can take a few hits before breaking. Can is an important part of that statement, mind you. Hex might be a bit more durable, but it’s not going to hold up for too long.
Bind Elemental. The shaman’s newer ability, Bind Elemental looks like it’s a root effect when cast, but it actually incapacitates. It’s in the name, but I’ll say it anyway – only works on elementals!
WARLOCK
Banish. A very strong CC that works on elementals and demons. Banish incapacitates the mob and makes it immune to damage, so it can’t be broken. Your warlock can remove it by recasting.
Seduction. This is a tricky move to use as it involves the warlock’s succubus. She needs to be summoned, then needs to run into range to seduce. While seduce is active, the succubus is stuck in place and can be killed by splash damage if you tank the mobs right up near her. She is channelling, so damage will also reduce the duration of the CC.
Fear. Thanks to this glyph, Fear is now a strong CC choice for a warlock. It incapacitates the mob for the duration, and will break through damage.
P.S. Too much 'incapacitate' hurts the typist's brain, oh yes.
