Aggro Table (Threat Table) in WoW

The aggro table, also called the threat table or threat list, is the hidden list every enemy in World of Warcraft keeps of all the players and pets it is fighting, sorted by how much threat each has generated. The enemy attacks whoever it currently targets until someone else climbs far enough above them on that list. Tanking is the job of staying at the top of it.

One table per enemy

The most common misunderstanding is that a group has one aggro table. It doesn't: each enemy keeps its own. In a pull of five enemies there are five separate tables, and the tank can be first on four of them while a mage who hit the fifth with a single spell is first on that one.

That is why damage dealers are told to attack the tank's target. Single-target damage only adds to one enemy's table, while area damage, cleaves and healing add to many tables at once.

What you do	Which tables it reaches
Single-target damage	Only the enemy you hit
Area damage or cleave	Every enemy hit
Healing (0.5 threat per point of effective healing)	Split between all enemies that are in combat with you
Buffs on allies	A fixed amount, split between enemies in combat with you
Taunt	Only the taunted enemy

Pets have their own entries. A hunter's or warlock's pet can hold an enemy on its own, or pull it off the tank if its taunt is left on auto-cast; see auto-cast toggle.

When the enemy switches targets

Passing the current target on the table is not enough. To take aggro you must exceed the current target's threat by:

• 10% (110%) if you are in melee range of the enemy;
• 30% (130%) if you are at range.

This margin is the threat cap. It makes the top of the table "sticky": an enemy doesn't flip between two players who are almost tied. It also explains why stepping into melee range as a caster is dangerous: you lose 20 percentage points of safety margin instantly.

What else moves you on the table

Effect	What it does to the table	Examples
Taunt	Sets your threat equal to the current top and forces the enemy to attack you	Warrior Taunt, Druid Growl, Paladin Hand of Reckoning, Death Knight Dark Command
Threat drop	Lowers your threat or removes you from the table	Feign Death, Vanish, Fade, Invisibility
Threat transfer	Sends your threat to another player for a few seconds	Misdirection (4 s), Tricks of the Trade (6 s)
Threat modifiers	Multiply everything you generate	Classic Defensive Stance and Bear Form ×1.3; retail tank specializations have a large built-in multiplier
Leaving combat or a reset	Clears the table completely	Wipes, enemies that leash back home

Boss fights add their own exceptions. Many bosses use abilities that ignore the table for a moment, such as hitting a random player, fixating on one target or applying a debuff that forces a taunt swap. When the ability ends, the boss goes back to the top of its table.

How to see the aggro table

The game never shows the full table, but it does expose your own position. Since patch 3.0.2 (2008) retail has an official threat API, and Classic clients have had the same API since patch 1.13.5 (July 2020). Three ways to read it:

• Default threat glow. Your portrait and the target frame change colour: yellow means you have more threat than the current target but haven't taken aggro yet, orange means you are being attacked but someone else has more threat, red means you have aggro and are at the top. Details: aggro warning.
• Threat meter addons. They show every group member's percentage of the tank's threat on your target; see threat meter.
• Nameplates. Many retail tanks rely on threat-coloured nameplates to spot which enemy in a pack has slipped off them.

Classic vs retail

	Classic Era, Anniversary, Hardcore	Retail (Midnight)
Tank threat	Modest multipliers (×1.3 for Defensive Stance and Bear Form); damage dealers can overtake the tank easily	Tank specializations multiply threat heavily, so the tank stays far ahead
What damage dealers watch	Their % of the tank's threat on every pull	Mostly the first seconds of a pull and taunt swaps
Healer risk	High: healing threat lands on every enemy in combat with the healer	Lower, but a healer can still pull loose enemies at the start of a pull

Tips for each role

• Tanks: tag every enemy in a pack early, even with weak attacks, so you appear on every table before the healer does.
• Damage dealers: wait for the tank's first few attacks, then attack the marked target; keep below 110% in melee and 130% at range.
• Healers: avoid big heals in the first seconds of a pull; each point of healing reaches every enemy's table.
• Pet classes: turn off taunt auto-cast in groups with a tank.

FAQ

Is aggro table the same as threat table?

Yes. Aggro table, threat table and threat list are names for the same per-enemy list.

Why did the boss attack me when I wasn't top of the meter?

Either you passed the 110%/130% margin on that particular enemy, or the boss used an ability that ignores the table, such as a random-target attack.

Does a taunt put me 10% above the tank?

No. A taunt sets your threat equal to the highest on the table and forces the enemy onto you; you then need to keep generating threat to stay there.

Related WoW terms

• Threat & aggro glossary · Aggro range · HPS
• Assist and main assist