The best Unholy tanking build for lvl 80? (Calling for MTs!)

[GonzotheGreat198]

Here is the spec i'm going with http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=j0vZ0xZfg0I0bogeoRcsut
While this thread is about the best tanking build, you also need to look at what is the best build to be able to go from tanking to grinding/farming to dpsing without respeccing. While i know this isn't one of the best builds for this, it works out perfectly for me. I don't take BCB for one glaring reason, in my rotation, i make 1 maybe 2 autoattacks, otherwise im either cycling rune or blasting with runic power. Without those multiple auto attacks, i see BCB as a was of talents point

[Gamehenge]

Very close to an optimal specc, if you're still struggling with single target threat the ONLY way to get better would be to take out the magic defence talents + AMZ and 1 point out of virulence and go with necrosis and Desecration.

Now I know necrosis sucks ass/boring as hell, but however, its the last option for single target threat.


Funny part is how close your tanking specc is to my PvP specc

Yah i'm having no issue with threat really on a single target anymore in this spec. Also i picked up a weapon upgrade which helps as well. My aoe i fine too as i adjusted my rune strike macros to where it's only on IT/PS/BS instead of everything, that way i can control my RP a lot better in aoe situations and get my unholy blights off quicker. Hehe i also made a giant rune strike button so it's very obvious when it's procced and i can quickly use it when needed.

I'm having tons of fun with amz too, the thing is super useful. my healers love the 15k buffer of hp they don't have to heal too. I'm definitely not missing the ghoul at all, if it's threat added to mine then maybe, but since it does not, really it's just a big liability since it dies quickly and has so many ai quirks that can be a hassle for groups.

Gonzo the only thing i really have issue with in your spec is that imp IT is really nice as it further reduces enemy attack speed, which means you're taking less dmg. People say that 5/5/5 is what all tanks need but really in my opinion it should be 5/8/5

[czokalapik]

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=j0xMZ...gMI00ogcV0csut
Best Unholy tank spec i tried so far, self buffed (Horn) about 2,1k AP, ~8% melee crit sustaining 21% dodge, 29% parry on blade barrier, 28,3k hp, about 24k+ armor (frost presence) - all normal/rep/hero gear.

I have 3k single TPS, and attacking only 1 target almost 2k aoe TPS, coulg get better, but never had to be.

People say that 5/5/5 is what all tanks need but really in my opinion it should be 5/8/5

And in my opinion 5/11/12 (Lichborne, Morbidity, Viciouz Strikes, Unholy Command)

[burn]

http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
is wat im using, for now, when later patches come il adjust
now i left out ghoul cause in raid/instance they die quick due to bos aoe etc so i cba getting it
also butchery in the blood tree just for ease, so i can keep my horn up easier witouth having to spend time waiting for a DnD cooldown

its far from perfect but it works very wel for me
(btw use glyph of DnD, it wil reduce ur overal damage taken by like 20%!!)

[Profane]

P.S. You said that this spec http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=040911050406
is the best tanking, but I disagree. You wasted your talent points on Bladed Armor instead of Anti-Magic stuff. The glyphs on that page, however, are really the best tanking glyphs.

You can get Bladed armor with anti-magic zone, and frankly bladed armor is far superior, amz is a pretty gimmick and nothing more than that, bladed armor on the other hand gives you increased dps/tps and scales with frost presence.

You can tank heroics in your dps spec as long as you are wearing crit immune gear(dps is a form of mitigation as in the faster stuff dies the less damage it does), as for raids then the damage is so much that the reduction from antimagic shield is trivial. Might be useful as an offtank in 10mans but for such a small niche its a waste of a talent.

[Uuker]

Hmm, such a variety of different specs. Interesting.

I want to speak about Wandering Plague talent for tanking.
Yes, it sounds like it's great for AoE tanking.
But look - it will proc on the same rate as your melee crit rating. But what's your crit rating when you're tanking? It's something less then 10%. So is it really worth the points?
Next, Desecration. I think about taking only 3 or 4 points in this talent, as 5 may be too much. 80% or 60% proc chance is high after all. What do you think about that?

Also, this topic is about full hardcore only-tanking builds. So do not post the ones you use when you tank-o-DPS, or the talent build which helps you to farm dailies.

P.S. After reading your posts and doing some calculations, I changed my spec to this one: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=j0xZhg0zZfgMI0bkxecocout

[Nyanmaru]

Scourge Strike Glyph >>> Desecration
I found myself using Plague Strike only 1-3 times during encounters without movement.

In my tanking Gear I have about 24-25% Crit Chance raidbuffed (5% LotP + 5% from blood tree + 3% from ele-sham or Paladin), so that's about 25% more disease dmg.

About your spec:
Gargoyle is pointless in a MT spec.
Black Ice or Glacier Rot are superior to Icy Reach.
On a Pale Horse is also useless in Raids (just count the stuns you eat as tank, yeah, there are none from raid bosses, Trash is pointless)
AMZ + Magic Supression are worthless too, sure you get a 100% AMS and AMZ can absorb a bosses hit but there is no boss where this is necessary, sure it's a nice to have vs. Sapphiron or Malygos but you should not be the one that gimps his single target TpS to account for other people's failures.
Same goes for Unholy Command, if you haven't got threat issues, then why do you need the shorter CD?
BCB procs of Rune Strikes + white hits so does Necrosis.
Necrosis is superior to Outbreak in terms of sustained DpS + TpS so don't spec into outbreak.
Dirge is highly recommended, you can't have too much Runepower as unholy tank, I find myself lacking a lot of RP whilst tanking.
Why do you consider to get "sometimes" 5% Dmg increase from desecration if you can get permanent 4% Dmg increase from 2hand Spec?

[Uuker]

Scourge Strike Glyph >>> Desecration
I found myself using Plague Strike only 1-3 times during encounters without movement.

In my tanking Gear I have about 24-25% Crit Chance raidbuffed (5% LotP + 5% from blood tree + 3% from ele-sham or Paladin), so that's about 25% more disease dmg.

About your spec:
Gargoyle is pointless in a MT spec.
Black Ice or Glacier Rot are superior to Icy Reach.
On a Pale Horse is also useless in Raids (just count the stuns you eat as tank, yeah, there are none from raid bosses, Trash is pointless)
AMZ + Magic Supression are worthless too, sure you get a 100% AMS and AMZ can absorb a bosses hit but there is no boss where this is necessary, sure it's a nice to have vs. Sapphiron or Malygos but you should not be the one that gimps his single target TpS to account for other people's failures.
Same goes for Unholy Command, if you haven't got threat issues, then why do you need the shorter CD?
BCB procs of Rune Strikes + white hits so does Necrosis.
Necrosis is superior to Outbreak in terms of sustained DpS + TpS so don't spec into outbreak.
Dirge is highly recommended, you can't have too much Runepower as unholy tank, I find myself lacking a lot of RP whilst tanking.
Why do you consider to get "sometimes" 5% Dmg increase from desecration if you can get permanent 4% Dmg increase from 2hand Spec?

After reading your post I changed my spec to this: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=j0xMZ...g0hLcoge0ocout . What do you think about it now?

[Nyanmaru]

for a full time raiding environment I'd consider putting 1 point from AMZ to Necrosis but that would be a minor change.
I know AMZ sounds quite nice, but I really don't see the use of it, Tap is for Bone-Shield, so you'd have to sacrifice a SS to get the AMZ up just to be crippled by 1,5 blows of a Raid Boss.

But I guess it's quite viable as another "oh crap" button if your healers tend to die *g* and therefore more worthy than ~2% more white dmg via Necrosis.

So yeah, I'd agree with that spec as a very good unholy MT Spec

[Jiai]

Not flaming anyone, but i just want to add / say a few things.

@Uuker: With 3 targets and 10% crit, Wandering plague is a 30% damage bonus on diseases. And with more targets, it is even higher. It is not the ultimate talent, but it is not that bad.

@Nye: Is the 2h spec a up on all damage ?

[Nyanmaru]

Not flaming anyone, but i just want to add / say a few things.

@Uuker: With 3 targets and 10% crit, Wandering plague is a 30% damage bonus on diseases. And with more targets, it is even higher. It is not the ultimate talent, but it is not that bad.

@Nye: Is the 2h spec a up on all damage ?

As long as you wield a 2h it ups all your damage (checked being naked with DnD + UB and a grey 2hander in Ebon Hold slapping the dolls)

[PBitt]

Well some abilites are very obvious choices, the avoidance ones for example. The rest however is up to you. There is no right spec and the damage output each one does and its usefulness is situational. You should be able to pick which abilities you want to use based on your playstyle and your experience. If you are focusing on 5 mans its different then focusing on a raid spec and whether you want something like say summon gargoyle over making the group run faster with the aura well neither one of those affect your tanking, concerning threat and avoidacne, so whatever one yout think would be more helpful is what you should put a point in.

[Jiai]

As long as you wield a 2h it ups all your damage (checked being naked with DnD + UB and a grey 2hander in Ebon Hold slapping the dolls)

Very interesting, thanks a lot !