Ulduar-25 Two-handed Tank Weapon?

[Mapex]

Options seem to revolve around the following:

Earthshaper
Lotrafen, Spear of the Damned
Rune Edge
Voldrethar, Dark Blade of Oblivion
Worldcarver

I'm thinking BIS would be Voldrethar for the gem slots, but Earthshaper if you need the hit. T8 has so much expertise as does most of the tanking items, so I don't see myself going for Worldcarver since I can't avoid the excess expertise (as a Frost tank who has very few parryable attacks in a given rotation).

[Deleted]

I honestly haven't looked at the ulduar tanking gear, but really, you're going to get 15% reduced chance to be parried without even trying?

Worldcarver is the obvious choice for a DK tank, it would be a shame (and a bizarre design decision) if that's not the case simply because your expertise would overcap without even enchanting or gemming it.

Earthshaper is OK because tanking gear at least pre-ulduar didn't have enough hit.

I don't see the merit of Voldrethar though. It's the BIS dps weapon, and just an average tanking weapon.

Incidently, some of the hunter polearms are probably okay, I just didn't even check because I assumed Worldcarver would be the obvious choice.

[Albert the fish]

http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/...26_9806_36.jpg
is a pretty nice addition to the list

[Mapex]

I honestly haven't looked at the ulduar tanking gear, but really, you're going to get 15% reduced chance to be parried without even trying?

Worldcarver is the obvious choice for a DK tank, it would be a shame (and a bizarre design decision) if that's not the case simply because your expertise would overcap without even enchanting or gemming it.

Earthshaper is OK because tanking gear at least pre-ulduar didn't have enough hit.

I don't see the merit of Voldrethar though. It's the BIS dps weapon, and just an average tanking weapon.

Incidently, some of the hunter polearms are probably okay, I just didn't even check because I assumed Worldcarver would be the obvious choice.

With the gear in the game there's no viable way of being hard expertise capped without suffering in more important stats first of all. Furthermore, past 26 expertise, each point of expertise is half as effective, so trying to get as close to the cap at the cost of stamina and damage, hit, and even haste for certain specs (like Frost). Let's not forget to mention how many of our abilities cannot be dodged or parried; as a Frost tank Obliterate and Blood Strike can get parried, but I hardly BS (for AOE tanking I use BB anyway) and Obliterate parries aren't a huge set back since it's a two rune ability; a Blood tank on the other hand would hate any part of a DS + 4xHS rotation being parried.

Worldcarver is a slightly lower DPS weapon, but it is an axe that benefits Orcs and Warriors. Fury warriors will get an insane benefit dual wielding them just as if they were dual wielding Jawbones compared to Betrayers. Really, the main reason Betrayerx2 won out is because it was an axe; the top end damage of it for instant attacks wasn't significantly higher than that of the Jawbone, and the Agility+AP, especially now, isn't as good as raw Strength. Two Earthshapers will be better than two Worldcarvers if Mace spec is decent with the buff to ArP, but two Voldrethars will probably not.

Earthshaper is a BIS for many people due to the Death's Bite style stats and the high DPS. Mace specialization for warriors makes it very attractive and I guess Human Paladins/Warriors find it even more attractive.

Voldrethar has a high damage range, exceeding the Earthshaper's if you gem it with Strength, and the potential to have the highest stamina of any weapon. Even more importantly, Warriors' Sword Specialization is nothing compared to Mace and Poleaxe specs, so honestly I see this weapon being open to all, especially DK tanks.

Hammer of Crushing Whispers is Ulduar-10, Albert, but yes it's similar to Earthshaper.

[Albert the fish]

i know it's 10man. still one of the better dk tank weapons available in Ulduar. better then most 25man weapons for that purpose. well, depending on what the socket bonus ends up being it is

[Heliades]

I feel like the sockets are very tank based as well. Yellow for defense gem and blue for stam gem. Most DPS classes wouldn't particularly like either of those sockets (in fact a DPS DK would just throw in two strength gems. :P)

[Mapex]

I feel like the sockets are very tank based as well. Yellow for defense gem and blue for stam gem. Most DPS classes wouldn't particularly like either of those sockets (in fact a DPS DK would just throw in two strength gems. :P)

*looks around*
I was going to put two 24 Stamina gems into mine, since I don't need the crit rating socket bonus or the yellow gem requirement :P

[ikit]

Does Worldcarver have 180 stam or 136?

[Mapex]

Does Worldcarver have 180 stam or 136?

Updated my OP with Wowhead links to the items. It's 136 Stamina.

[ikit]

Updated my OP with Wowhead links to the items. It's 136 Stamina.

ouch

[Steakums]

I'm still personally leaning on taking the first Worldcarver that drops, and i won't feel bad for any of our dps warriors they all have BoH atm, it's my turn for passing on all of them :P

I'm a lil saddened by the loss of stamina 180 down to 136 is a big hit but it's still more then ID and what not. Down the road I might pickup HoCW/ES and try it for tanking but it will depend on staying expertise capped. I find myself more and more sticking to Blood for Tanking (MT for guild) and not so much frost/unholy so keeping a high level of expertise is paramount for me.

[Steakums]

I feel like the sockets are very tank based as well. Yellow for defense gem and blue for stam gem. Most DPS classes wouldn't particularly like either of those sockets (in fact a DPS DK would just throw in two strength gems. :P)

Why at this tier of gearing should u need to use 1 defense gem? If anything and you desired the socket bonus would you not use Expertise/Hit or Hit? Myself if i had to socket it I'd prolly lean towards 24stam and a 41 stam depending on the rest of my gear.

[Elektrik]

You know what sucks? Dual specs and runeforges. I have Worldcarver (best tanking weapon in Ulduar IMO), which is now my best DPS weapon AND tanking weapon. I'm usually DPS, but i tank 3 or 4 fights in Ulduar. I have to use my Jawbone for tanking because I'm not going to make them summon me back every time I need to tank.


Kinda dumb.

[Mapex]

You know what sucks? Dual specs and runeforges. I have Worldcarver (best tanking weapon in Ulduar IMO), which is now my best DPS weapon AND tanking weapon. I'm usually DPS, but i tank 3 or 4 fights in Ulduar. I have to use my Jawbone for tanking because I'm not going to make them summon me back every time I need to tank.


Kinda dumb.

Better than having to have a tank weapon and a DPS weapon, both of which you need to keep upgrading and then enchanting Blade Ward/Berserking onto, costing many Abyss crystals each time.

Besides, 30 minute hearth, Summoning Portals/Stones, and Death Gate make reforging easy mode.

[Elektrik]

Better than having to have a tank weapon and a DPS weapon, both of which you need to keep upgrading and then enchanting Blade Ward/Berserking onto, costing many Abyss crystals each time

Money is easy. Jumping into tank spec is easy. Jumping into tank gear is easy. Saying "brb, i need a summon if I'm going to tank this single add" is stupid.

[Lucky_]

*looks around*
I was going to put two 24 Stamina gems into mine, since I don't need the crit rating socket bonus or the yellow gem requirement :P

Slotting stamina instead of dodge or hit into yellow gem slots makes every half decent DK tank cry, especially if it ends up losing crit, which is a great threat stat.

Say it with me. This isn't TBC anymore. Tank DPS and threat matters.

[Elektrik]

Say it with me. This isn't TBC anymore. Tank DPS and threat matters.

What? Tank threat matters much less than it ever has before.

[Mapex]

Slotting stamina instead of dodge or hit into yellow gem slots makes every half decent DK tank cry, especially if it ends up losing crit, which is a great threat stat.

Say it with me. This isn't TBC anymore. Tank DPS and threat matters.

Dodge/Parry/Expertise are red, so we'll forget about the fact that avoidance suffers too painful of DR and focus on their mismatching color.

Ideally you'll put a green gem, 12 stam + 8 defense or 12 stam + 8 hit. But the 6 crit rating means nothing to me as a Frost tank who crits up the ass anyway, and I'm defense capped and with Ulduar gear I can be easily hit capped. Might as well just throw in a 24 stamina. Or I can do what any DPS DK would do and place two 16 Strength gems into the weapon and claim that they are for threat + a minor parry boost. Either way, I'd get more of a benefit doing 2x16 Strength gems for threat/damage or 2x24 Stamina gems for survivability than I would trying to gimp the gems for the sake of the socket bonus.

Say it with me. This isn't TBC anymore. Many socket bonuses don't matter.

[Lucky_]

What? Tank threat matters much less than it ever has before.

We'll talk again when you enter ulduar.

P.S. was referring to ORANGE gems obviously. Should've been "and" as well as expertise and hit. Sleepy after a long workday and ul10 raid at 30 minute notice.

Decent crit is very good for DK tank in ulduar. DnD and blood boil are important as they let you cut down amount of "recommended" tanks by at least one on several bosses, and you NEED for it to crit to hold aggro vs DPS going all out in decent gear.
And let's not even start on oblit/SS/etc main attacks for any tank with all the extra damage we get on crits with them from talents. Or runic strike.

[Mapex]

Decent crit is very good for DK tank in ulduar. DnD and blood boil are important as they let you cut down amount of "recommended" tanks by at least one on several bosses, and you NEED for it to crit to hold aggro vs DPS going all out in decent gear.
And let's not even start on oblit/SS/etc main attacks for any tank with all the extra damage we get on crits with them from talents. Or runic strike.

As stated I am a Frost tank, so I have no problem critting, I just want my crits to do more damage if focusing on threat, or I'd want another ~600 HP buffer while tanking. Killing Machine Howling Blast crits give me more than enough aggro that I can choose not to use Blood runes at all if I really wanted to.