#05 - Crotch Encounters!

And Here are the magic scripts you'll want to enter into your chat window! You could use an addon that does this for you as well, but if you like being minimalist, just run these once and you'll never have to worry about it again!
 
Script 1:

/script SetCVar("cameraDistanceMax",50)

Script 2:

/script SetCVar("cameraDistanceMaxFactor","3.4")

Just copy and paste these into your chat window like you would normally type into, hit enter, and you're done.  Except now you'll notice how far you can zoom out now and see much more of your surroundings, where the safe spots are, where the adds are spawning from, or position your camera on the opposite side of a boss if you're tanking with your back to a wall.  This is one of the simplest solutions and tanking secrets as to how tanks seem to know everything that's going on around them.

Now, even if you're not tanking, YOU can be empowered to know all and see all!

#04 - Blow it off... with cooldowns!

This will likely be the last Segment of the year. So let's make it through this burn-phase of the holidays with some cooldowns!

I mention an Addon called Power Auras. This addon has been around for a while. Even though there are basic Auras built into the default UI now, to alert you when you get an "On Chance" ability that happens, Power Auras allows you to decide what same or additional information you want to know, how it alerts you and where it alerts you. Maybe you want a big red identifier when your health drops below 40%, or maybe some easier to see indicators when other classes cast special abilities on you. Or maybe you would rather have them off to the side instead of right on your character.

By setting up your own custom auras you can make it phenomenally easier to know when to use your cooldowns in an emergency, but can also help you pace out your cooldowns to use 1 after another in succession, increasing your longevity over a greater duration, especially when you're receiving mitigation or reduction buffs from other players.

Most tanking cooldowns have a 3 minute duration or less. With this kind of availability you can use at least 1 of them nearly every group of trash mobs in dungeons or raids and really decrease your dmg taken (and healing required to keep you alive) so your healer can start healing those guys over there standing in the fire ;) .
In addition to Self alerts via visuals or audio indicators (or both), you can also have Power Auras alert you to Primary or Focused target buffs or debuffs, number of stacks, or a countdown for how long of a timer remains on it.

Allow me to wrap up with another addon which requires Zero setup, works with ANY class or role, extremely handy way to augment Power Auras or use by itself: In-line Auras.
This Places a small ticker, tracker and/or timer on any of your action buttons that have a HoT, DoT or use some kind of resource to build up an ability (like Combo Points or Holy Power). It will countdown your HoT/DoT ticks, tell you your stacks *right on the spell icon*. The advantage here is that there's no additional GUI hogging up your screen and you get the same information as other DoT/HoT trackers out there. One quick glance at your action bars and you know what's up!

#03 - Line of Sight

If you've ever watched the Death Star try to get in Firing Range, then you already have a basic understanding of what Line of Sight is (LOS). The Rebel Base has aggrod the Empire and the Death Star just wants to eat it for lunch but that other darn planet is just in the way! Ok, maybe that is a galactic stretch of an analogy.

Whether you've got the means to take it to them, or drag them to you, or silence any enemy healers at ranged, there's still plenty of situational things that can happen where being able to manipulate mob positions based on your terrain can be quite advantageous and give you that edge other tanks may lack. Remember to communicate to your group about a LOS pull., DPS love to begin, often when you're not quite ready,

There isn't always terrain or an object to force these mob types into a location. If you're in this scenario always bring the Melee mobs as close as you can to the Caster/Ranged mob. However, next time you have a chance and there's a stairway, wall, corner or some other kind of structure that can't be cast through, give it a go. Use the Los!