to cleave or not to cleave

[Nirinia 0]

I know that the default answer is no with respects to tanking multiple mobs, however is it viable with weapons which have a chaining proc? Ie tf or the mace from zf. If it is then is there a minimum number of mobs needed for it to be worth swapping from tab targeting

 

[Wericia 1]

May i ask why the default answer would be no?
Your single target threat will drop by using cleave (somewhat less base threat gain divided by 2), but you'll deal alot more damage, making more threat in total with cleave than heroic strike. (total threat as in, you'll keep the other mob on you too.)

[Undertanker 88]

Cleave > Heroic Strike when 2 + targets.  Remember cleave still has a base threat before modifiers of 100 per target hit + damage done.  

So 2+ targets, revenge/shield slam + sunder main target while cleaving when possible.   Though rage is usually an issue here, in 5 mans I usually don't sunder in favor of cleave to help dps targets faster to speed up the run.

In 5 mans also, be sure to pool rage on the last mob in a pack and only use revenge/auto attack.  So on your next mob pool you have rage to open with a cleave, and then revenge/shield slam the 3rd mob that didn't get his with cleave.

[Agrillos 0]

If you got a high amount of crit (with world buffs f.e.) you'll apply deep wounds on multiple mobs which also helps. When you run into zul gurub and are tanking most of the stuff alone and have impale+world buff's you'll be able to spam cleave and make unreal amounts of threat on the mobs. Specific gearing also helps.

 

If you got enough rage it can also help on pulls to hit both mobs (more than one) initially, which kind of save's you a gcd/autohit-wait to build threat on the second mob.

Cleave definately isn't useless, but it's effectivity depends on your spec/gearing/buffs.

[femdead 0]

cleave is excellent as an opener or rage dump in dungeons, with good target selection you can apply a good amount of snap threat to 3 mobs as soon as mobs reach you with cleave + (ability), plus sometimes you can hit a mob slightly out of melee range (ie. running at the healer) by chaining a cleave onto it
 

[Overtime 6]

Depends how much rage you got to throw around. Generally I just tab sunders and revenges.