Midnight Tank Tier List for Season 2: Raid and Mythic+
Tank rankings as of 12 October 2026 (Midnight 12.1, Season 2), with patch 12.1.5 landing on 13 October. Mythic+ placements: Icy Veins (24 September), Method (5 October) and wow.gg (10 October). Raid placements: Icy Veins, week 3 update of 29 August.
Blood Death Knight is the tank to beat in both raid and Mythic+: S tier on Icy Veins in both, S on Method, and first among tanks by damage on wow.gg. Protection Paladin is the other S tier raid tank. Guardian Druid, Brewmaster Monk and Protection Warrior are A tier in raid, and Vengeance Demon Hunter is B in raid but a competitive Mythic+ tank. Our April page said the reverse for several specs: it called Brewmaster the Mythic+ leader and Blood the awkward one. That has flipped.
| Tank | Icy Veins M+ | Method M+ | wow.gg avg damage | wow.gg best key | Icy Veins raid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Death Knight | S | S | 234K | +23 | S |
| Protection Paladin | A | B | 195K | +22 | S |
| Guardian Druid | A+ | A | 200K | +23 | A |
| Brewmaster Monk | A+ | B | 172K | +22 | A |
| Protection Warrior | A | B | 191K | +22 | A |
| Vengeance Demon Hunter | A | A | 195K | +22 | B |
Icy Veins says that every tank is fully viable defensively and that all six can complete about 99% of keys. The wow.gg numbers are the damage the top 100 players deal as tanks, not survival.
Raid Tanks: Utility Decides
Icy Veins’ raid list is about what each tank brings to the raid, because the defensive gap between tanks is small. Its week 3 update, after every boss of The Venomous Abyss had been defeated, said the meta had settled with Blood Death Knights and Protection Paladins in the spotlight.
- Blood Death Knight (S). The “grip-bot”: several encounters in the raid need Death Grip to solve core mechanics, and Icy Veins says some teams may even bring two. Damage has been improved substantially.
- Protection Paladin (S). A talent reshuffle made it stronger defensively with more single-target damage. It is the pick for raid teams that do not need their tanks to cover unique buffs or debuffs, and it is also good in Mythic+.
- Guardian Druid (A). Its Apex talent was reworked for Season 2 to make damage more consistent. It brings Mark of the Wild, a Versatility buff, but Balance Druid is now good enough to compete for that slot.
- Brewmaster Monk (A). A likely lock for many raid teams because it provides the Mystic Touch debuff, with Mistweaver weak and Windwalker pushed toward AoE.
- Protection Warrior (A). Competitive for teams that do not need unique buffs. It becomes a staple if Arms and Fury turn out undesirable in raid.
- Vengeance Demon Hunter (B). Mainly brought for Chaos Brand, and Havoc and Devourer are performing well enough that a Vengeance slot is rarely needed. A Blood Death Knight covers a mass Grip better.
Icy Veins’ own warning: a low tier does not mean you should skip a tank. Bring the better player, unless your raid needs Mystic Touch, Chaos Brand or Death Grip.
Mythic+ Tanks: What Changed for Season 2
- Blood (S). New tier set and large damage buffs; Icy Veins calls it one of the most durable tanks with the highest damage output of any tank. In August Icy Veins thought it slightly overtuned and expected further changes. It is the only tank with no unique party-wide buff, but Death Grip helps with stationary ranged and caster mobs.
- Guardian (A+). Complete Apex talent revamp, and it must spend Rage more carefully. Icy Veins’ text calls its damage one of the lowest among tanks, while wow.gg’s top-100 average puts it second (200K), so the damage depends on who plays it. It reached +23.
- Brewmaster (A+ on Icy Veins, B on Method). Celestial Brew and Celestial Infusion absorbs +25%, Vital Flame heals more, Staggering Strikes reduces Stagger by 25% more, and its tier set raises damage. Durability against the best-performing tanks remains its weak point, so on 6 October Blizzard raised baseline durability: Quick Sip now purifies 8% of current Stagger for every 3 seconds of Stagger duration gained (5% before), and the dodge from Pretense of Instability rose from 5% to 10%, lasting 8 seconds. Its core spot has always been physical groups.
- Protection Paladin (A). Icy Veins says it had the biggest set of changes among tanks, with talents moved around the spec tree, and calls it one of the most durable tanks with incredibly high damage and a strong group utility kit.
- Vengeance (A). Minor changes: healing adjustments to Soul Cleave, Fel Devastation and Feast of Souls, and Sigil of Chains became a baseline spell. Icy Veins says its defensives will not have 100% uptime, and middling durability keeps it from a higher placement.
- Protection Warrior (A). Largely unchanged in relative power, and 12.1.5 raises Execute damage by 30% and reduces the Rage cost of Execute and Revenge by 10.
For the longer spec-by-spec guide see Midnight Best Tank, and for the group view our Season 2 Mythic+ tier list.
What Our April Tank Page Said, and What Changed
The page at this address was written in April for Season 1, before patch 12.0.5. In short: it called Brewmaster the best Mythic+ tank, said Blood felt awkward in keys, called Protection Warrior one of the safest raid tanks and Guardian a strong tank with threat problems. We could not source those opinions, so we compare outcomes only.
| Tank | April page | October, Mythic+ (Icy Veins / Method) | October, raid (Icy Veins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewmaster Monk | Best Mythic+ tank | A+ / B | A |
| Blood Death Knight | Strong in raid, awkward in keys | S / S | S |
| Protection Warrior | One of the safest raid picks | A / B | A |
| Protection Paladin | Great in mid keys, fragile at the top | A / B | S |
| Guardian Druid | Strong but clunky at pull start | A+ / A | A |
| Vengeance Demon Hunter | Close to polished, inconsistent | A / A | B |
The old page said no tank was unplayable, and that part still holds: Icy Veins says every tank is 100% viable defensively.
Which Tank Should You Play?
| You want | Play | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The strongest tank for both raid and keys | Blood Death Knight | S in Icy Veins raid and M+, S on Method |
| A raid tank that does not cover a unique buff | Protection Paladin | S in Icy Veins raid |
| To bring Mystic Touch | Brewmaster Monk | Icy Veins raid list |
| To bring Chaos Brand while tanking | Vengeance Demon Hunter | Icy Veins raid list |
| To bring Mark of the Wild | Guardian Druid | Icy Veins lists |
| A physical-damage tank with block | Protection Warrior | Icy Veins spec guide; buffed in 12.1.5 |
New to tanking? Read our tank guide first.
Tank Tier List FAQ
What is the best tank in Midnight Season 2?
Blood Death Knight. It is S tier in Icy Veins’ raid and Mythic+ lists and on Method, and first among tanks by damage on wow.gg. Protection Paladin is the other S tier raid tank.
Is Brewmaster still the best Mythic+ tank?
No. It is A+ on Icy Veins and B on Method. It remains a raid staple for Mystic Touch.
Does the tank tier matter for finishing keys?
Not for finishing. Icy Veins says all six tanks can complete about 99% of keys. It matters for the highest keys and for what the group needs.
Which tank changes in patch 12.1.5?
Protection Warrior: Execute damage +30% and a 10 Rage cost reduction on Execute and Revenge. No other tank change is listed in Blizzard’s 12.1.5 notes.
When will this list update?
After the first week of data from patch 12.1.5. Icy Veins’ raid tank list is dated 29 August and its Mythic+ list 24 September, so both may already be due for a pass.