Fresh Lv80 Prot Warrior - Need Help Gearing!

[Alfirin]

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...ashi&n=Alfirin

Hey everyone! I've just recently hit Lv80 and am having trouble getting into heroics / easymode raids (Naxx10) to improve my gear.

Not only that, I'm having a heck of a tough time hitting defense cap even when I gem for it without losing too much Stamina.

I've gotten the gloves, belt and leggings from TotC normal (don't think my armories updated) but other than that I don't really know where to start.

Any advice?

[Taen]

Don't worry about losing "too much stamina," I and many other started tanking heroics at 20k health and did just fine.

Get rid of the heirloom weapon, try picking up Eternally Folded Blade in regular HoL from the second boss.

In addition to this, if you have the finances, you could buy Titansteel Shield Wall, Tempered Titansteel Helm, and / or Tempered Titansteel Treads.

Don't be afraid to gem for defense! Until you hit that point of uncrittability, it's the most important stat to stack. You absolutely have to be crit-immune.

Enchant for defense too, that can be very helpful.

[gagoono]

http://www.tankspot.com/forums/f97/4...rior-tank.html

This is a good guide for starting out as a tank.

[Daez]

While its true that most of us started with 20k, the majority of the population doesn't want tanks with that low of stamina.

For starters, stop being lazy and work your professions. You should have mining maxxed and jewelcrafting high enough to get jewelcrafting only jewels and trinkets. Also, stop being lazy and get your gear enchanted. Yes it sucks that tanks have to constantly get their gear enchanted, but welcome to being a tank.

http://www.wowhead.com/?profile=17763756

This set up is built to maximize health for the gear you have (which is what most people look at) while ignoring avoidance. The resilience + defense gives you 6.74% chance to not be hit with critical strikes (which makes you crit immune). The avoidance kind of sucks, but at least the healer won't be bored. All of the gear is obtainable outside of heroics with the axe being the hardest to obtain.

[wolfwood888]

For starters, get 2 processions, your armory profile doesn't show any currently, It doesn't matter what you get, just don't get herbalism or skinning any of the others are fine. Spec wise, you should shoot for somthing along the lines of 15/3/51 +2, for the love of god pick up toughness >.>. If your going more then 5 in the arms tree get deep wounds. Drop the glyph of cleaving, and pick up something usefull, like revenge, or a 2 min shield wall, or vig. Gear wise pick up a titan steel shield wall from your local blacksmith, if you don't have the money do dailies. Trinket wise grab the black heart and the essence of gossamer, or the black heart and the def trinket off of loken in normal HoL if you are still under cap. Pick up the ring and the cloak for your first 2 badge purchases, the ring because of tje large amount of defense, the cloak simply because it has the most longevity of all the pieces in my opinion. I am a mostly 232+ geared prot tank, and I still have not found a better cloak, and I got that shortly after I turned 80, get it love it, replace it with the 245 cloak from Jaraxxus probably. Go for the H ToC helm, and the H shoulders, and pick up the neck and ring too, and the boots from normal ToC. With that this is the badge pick order I would go with,
1. 25 valor ring
2. 25 valor cloak
3. 8.5 chest
4. 28 conquest belt (if yoru too lazy or cheap to get the ulduar black smithing one)
5. 19 conquest neck
6. 28 conquest gloves
7. 40 valor boots (again if your too lazy or cheap to get the ulduar ones)
Enchant wise get 30 stam/resil on your shoulders, def on your cloak/shield/chest. If you are STILL struggling for def cap get a couple of the crafted saronite pieces, ton of def, I would suggest the bracers and the belt probably.
As for a spec use something along the lines of
http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warr...yo5p,ROa,10747
Put the last 2 points into either cruelty or drop the glyph of revenge or devastate, personal preference really, and pick up the 2 minute shield wall.

[Alianthos]

^ What he says

Level up mining and Jewelcrafting altogether ! It's not that bad, with some music

[Amgyn]

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...ridon&n=Hossam


I was in the same boat as you... sorta.. i hit 80, and stopped playing for about 4 months here is what i did....

fill as many pieces with the titansteel gear... especially the shield, helm and boots.... also the 'daunting' pieces for hands and legs aren't that bad.... enchant the shield with the +20 defense.

wyrmrest accord reputation for a chest piece.

farm 5man TOC (you did that)
farm HoL for the sword. do the dailies of the tournament for 9 days, to get the tanking axe if you would rather...

at this point you should be able to handle some heroics... do the daily every day, as well as the regular dungeon daily.

start with Utgarde keep, Violet hold and the nexus... easiest 3 i find.


after you get enough badges follow the path above.

[Amgyn]

forgot to add, if you want a good tanking weapon too, make sure you do heroic UP as well...

[Heywes]

^ What he says

Level up mining and Jewelcrafting altogether ! It's not that bad, with some music

That is the worst hell i have been through yet!!!

2500g or so to max them together. But i did power level them to 450 at level 70 in about 3 days
It was worth it, but with ever ease the pain.

But yeah, level them together and its not as bad, also will give you some good bonus's .

[Alianthos]

That is the worst hell i have been through yet!!!

2500g or so to max them together. But i did power level them to 450 at level 70 in about 3 days
It was worth it, but with ever ease the pain.

But yeah, level them together and its not as bad, also will give you some good bonus's .

Yes it costed me about the same. Thing is, you cant never be really sure to prospect gems you really need to up JC, so in the end you finish at the AH, buying everything there...

But it's goddamm worthy. +1500 hp or so (+60 stam mining, and +30*3 with JC if you still use rare gems). It's huge.

[Amgyn]

question as new tank...

once i hit the 540 defense mark, should i still get gear with +defense? or opt for gear with other stats?

on some sites it says keep getting better gear even if your defense goes over 540 and just remove your defense gems (i only really have 1 +def gem right now)...

not sure what to do... as i am at 540 defense and my gear is low enough such that any real upgrade will buff that defense over 540....

[dethtroll]

TO: Original Poster----
ummm. u r def capped- i guess im not seein what the issue is?
or have you jsut upgraded since you made the post?
GL!

[dethtroll]

question as new tank...

once i hit the 540 defense mark, should i still get gear with +defense? or opt for gear with other stats?

on some sites it says keep getting better gear even if your defense goes over 540 and just remove your defense gems (i only really have 1 +def gem right now)...

not sure what to do... as i am at 540 defense and my gear is low enough such that any real upgrade will buff that defense over 540....

everyone is going to have an opinion on this- and here is mine - i'm slowly replacing my def gems with stam/dodge or the likes- im around 550 def right now- but remember that defense stat isn't just "crit immune" it raises block dodge and parry also!- so dont be scared to have a DEF stat over 540- but don't gem for it- plus all the gear that you as a tank (99% of it at least) will be obtaining will have DEF stat on it- so "gearing for defense" is kind of a moot point- because the gear you go for will have def on it and you can't really change that (until cataclysm- because defense is goin away) jsut play your class- - learn- ask questions- have a blast doing it- and dont let the elitist jerks get you down - there are some of us out here that ACTUALLY arent here to flame- we are here to help
thanks and happy hunting

[Amgyn]

thanks for the help dethtroll..... ill keep that in mind (that defense comes almost automatically)


a second question... why do people ignore socket bonus and go for full stamina instead? is it really that much more important?

[Amgyn]

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...ridon&n=Hossam

I'm collecting conquest emblems (at 40 now), but im not sure what to buy next... upgrade helmet to t8 or upgrade pants... whats my next step here?

also with this gear, do you guys think i can tank naxx?

i'm constantly having problems holding aggro in AOE groups, and i am kinda afraid of entering naxx because of it... since people just zerg aoe everything.

what am i doing wrong? should i respec or reglyph?

i do this rotation:

h.throw, charge, tclap, shockwave, demo shout, tclap and tab through targets to sheild slam/HS and more tclaps.

and i can usually hold onto 3 mobs this way... but for some reason, if its 4+ mobs they all "CHANGE TARGET"

help!

[Pnns]

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...ridon&n=Hossam

I'm collecting conquest emblems (at 40 now), but im not sure what to buy next... upgrade helmet to t8 or upgrade pants... whats my next step here?

also with this gear, do you guys think i can tank naxx?

i'm constantly having problems holding aggro in AOE groups, and i am kinda afraid of entering naxx because of it... since people just zerg aoe everything.

what am i doing wrong? should i respec or reglyph?

i do this rotation:

h.throw, charge, tclap, shockwave, demo shout, tclap and tab through targets to sheild slam/HS and more tclaps.

and i can usually hold onto 3 mobs this way... but for some reason, if its 4+ mobs they all "CHANGE TARGET"

help!

As for the aggro issue, you spec'd all the way to impale but didn't pick up deep wounds. With Incite and Impale, it's a really high chance to get a deep wounds debuff on a single TC. Not sure why you haven't maxed toughness. With maxed shield spec, not really any reason to spec into focused rage. Your avoidance will have you overflowing with rage. Cruelty is pretty useless, I would use those points elsewhere.

As for the upgrade, I would look into picking up the valor ring first. Make sure you enchant ALL gear and use the best gems you can. I usually pre judge a pug player by the effort they put into preperation. Tanks and healers should always get the best they can get.
Everything else looks ok for some 10 man nax. Good luck.

[Amgyn]

As for the aggro issue, you spec'd all the way to impale but didn't pick up deep wounds. With Incite and Impale, it's a really high chance to get a deep wounds debuff on a single TC. Not sure why you haven't maxed toughness. With maxed shield spec, not really any reason to spec into focused rage. Your avoidance will have you overflowing with rage. Cruelty is pretty useless, I would use those points elsewhere.

As for the upgrade, I would look into picking up the valor ring first. Make sure you enchant ALL gear and use the best gems you can. I usually pre judge a pug player by the effort they put into preperation. Tanks and healers should always get the best they can get.
Everything else looks ok for some 10 man nax. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice, sadly i grabbed the t8.5 headpiece instead last night before reading your post this morning....

i'll respec like you said.. im not sure what i was thinking with some of those talent choices, i think i just went with instinct

anyway, ill be doing what you said tonite and respeccing into those skills (deep wounds, max toughness, drop focused rage and cruelty)

thanks!

[Amgyn]

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...ridon&n=Hossam

ok switched talents around.. got a couple pieces of gear... since i dropped focused rage i noticed that im getting the 'not enough rage' spam... which sucks at the start of a fight, but im usually 100 rage after about 2-3 seconds..

anyway.. my next question would be.....

how do you get a high level of initial aggro on a boss?
is: "queue HS -> charge -> shield slam -> conc -> tclap ->regular rotation" the norm? how do i increase the threat generated by this rotation? just get better gear for higher damage?

do you just need your dps to not be brain dead button mashers?

[Pnns]

I don't even que for heroic strikes until I have a healthy income of rage, like around the time the boss swings at me the second time (~5 seconds). For burst threat, I do heroic throw, charge, tc, shield block then shield slam (burst threat), then go into a dev rotation making sure only to cast dev if revenge, ss, tc, sw, and conc blow are on cd. Glyph of dev helps by stacking 2 sunders at a time, could stack them up real quick while the raid is still getting into position. I can't ever think of a time where I was too low on rage to cast anything.

Snap aggro is huge for us since most casters have to amp up the damage by applying dots. Even rogues have to build up combo points. We need that lead so they can go all out nuke asap. My guild rarely has a hunter or rogue in our raids, so I can't benefit from ToTT or MD, but I can still hold threat against our top dps of 9k and below.

The rage will always be full at this point unless your working in those heroic strikes. If charge isn't enough rage to start the fight, don't forget you have bloodrage. Pop that before you charge.

[Amgyn]

Thanks again for the advice.. im still finding it challenging holding aggro... but i am using ss, tc and conc blow a lot more than i used to ... so its better than before...


the new challenge now i am facing is keeping mobs infront of me... for example in TOC...

if i am facing the 3 melee classes rogue/shaman/warrior ... its deadly to me once one of them is hitting my side/back.. but if i try to herd them to be infront of me its just chaos... they run thru me/to the side and takes a few seconds to move....

how do you keep the mob infront of you quickly...