Frost DW tank runes

[Stormdash]

I'm currently reenergized about my DK tanking. I'm using a 2H frost spec and I've got it tricked out enough that my threat gen can keep stuff from looking at the more insane warlocks in my guild. Got it up over 36k unbuffed, which, for an alt, I'm happy with.

I've been thinking about trying DW tanking. Before 3.3 and the new rune, I had been figuring that the only way to do it was to make sure you had your defense cap and all just from your armor and trinkets (for instance, the trinket from the Ony's head quest) and just use DPS runes on two slow DPS weapons. That's no longer mandatory now with the new 1H defense/stam rune, but I'm wondering... is it still the way to go?

As in, would I be better off getting capped on my armor and using FC/RI or something as runes, or just building around the new rune as I would SSG?

The whole thing is an experiment if I do it -- I'm finding 2H Frost tanking fun and effective, blue posts aside.

[Apostolic]

Get capped with with out the runes so that you can switch out to Parry/Parry if you need the Avoidance. This should happen anyways if you are in Ulduar25 or ToC10/25 gear. I think at 1 point with Narubian/Narubian I was running close to 270 Defense.

DW Threat is crazy high, I have been pulling threat off of Heroic geared tanks and I am only in Ulduar 25 gear. I can not wait till I get full ToC gear.

[mhp]

The major thing people like about the new rune is not the def, but the 1% hp (2% if you have it on both weapons). If you don't need the HP, the parry rune, or even FC would be better. Unless you need the defense too, of course.

It's fairly flexible, depending on your gear & the content you do.

[Apostolic]

The major thing people like about the new rune is not the def, but the 1% hp (2% if you have it on both weapons). If you don't need the HP, the parry rune, or even FC would be better. Unless you need the defense too, of course.

It's fairly flexible, depending on your gear & the content you do.

At 50,000 Raid Buff it ends up being only being an extra 500 (1k 2hnd) health though. It was nerfed hardcore since the release of WotLK when it was 4% health.

IMHO it would be best at that point to be using the Parry Runes.

[hatchetman240]

At 50,000 Raid Buff it ends up being only being an extra 500 (1k 2hnd) health though. It was nerfed hardcore since the release of WotLK when it was 4% health.

IMHO it would be best at that point to be using the Parry Runes.

Unless you are pugging of course, then you want to stack hitpoints because "avoidance" is a word never mentioned by raid leaders looking for tanks. They only use the term "wutz yer unbuffd hitz!?" and you BETTER answer 40k.

[mhp]

IMHO it would be best at that point to be using the Parry Runes.

Parry also has stupid DRs.

[Apostolic]

Parry also has stupid DRs.

4% parry is ..... well ummm 4% parry

[harky]

As alluded to... the parry runes do not suffer DRs. You're still better off with the new rune in general though. Partially due to gear flexibility and partially due to effective health still being a strong factor in tank survivability. That might change (a lot) if Blizz keeps pulling tricks like Saurfang to encourage avoidance.

[Apostolic]

As alluded to... the parry runes do not suffer DRs. You're still better off with the new rune in general though. Partially due to gear flexibility and partially due to effective health still being a strong factor in tank survivability. That might change (a lot) if Blizz keeps pulling tricks like Saurfang to encourage avoidance.

Yeah, in tanking ICC10 I switched up to Parry/Parry for Saurfang. At my gear lvl it was only an 800 point loss in HP (which I made up by using the Naxx 4H Tank Sword)

I am not stating the Effective Health is not something you should not stack for. I am just saying that the added parry did help over having the extra 800 health. By all means DONT GEM FOR ANYTHING BUT STAM.

[Lhasa]

Gemming for parry suffers from diminishing returns, and on DKs parry suffers a lot.

The parry you get from Rune of Swordshattering does NOT suffer from DR, as it gives you a straight parry % (much like the defense you get from it Rune of Stoneskin Gargoyle)

[Apostolic]

Gemming for parry suffers from diminishing returns, and on DKs parry suffers a lot.

The parry you get from Rune of Swordshattering does NOT suffer from DR, as it gives you a straight parry % (much like the defense you get from it Rune of Stoneskin Gargoyle)

Yep, in my Ulduar gear I can go from 19% parry up to 23% parry with just the 2 parry runes.

I think the stat weight for ICC is like Stam at 3.3, Dodge at 1.0 and Parry at .8. I cant remember if that is Rating or Percent (Pretty sure its rating)

9% to miss, 24% Dodge, 23% parry for a grand total of 56% chance to miss (36% in ICC)

[Dhania]

At 50,000 Raid Buff it ends up being only being an extra 500 (1k 2hnd) health though. It was nerfed hardcore since the release of WotLK when it was 4% health.

IMHO it would be best at that point to be using the Parry Runes.

wat?

[Apostolic]

wat?

I could have sworn they nerfed it, maybe when it went live from alpha/beta..... cant remember.

[Dhania]

I could have sworn they nerfed it, maybe when it went live from alpha/beta..... cant remember.

It's always been 2%, and actually wasn't implemented until a few months after Wrath was released It's probably healthy that you've forgotten, though, as the only reason I still remember is because of an irrational dislike of the enchant.