Multiple tank sets...

[Amgyn]

I know that some people out there have different tank sets for different situations...

eg: a EH set, a mitigation set, a block set, a threat set, an unhittable set, a DPS-tanking set etc.

Does a tank really need to have all those? or is this for the high end type guilds?

I try to balance all the above, but mostly focus on my EH and threat... what do you reccomend for somebody who doesn't want to fill his bags with the same gear enchanted and gemmed 3 different ways... ?

[gherkin]

Best bet is to never pass on gear and never throw anything away. For the rest of this expansion its a moot point but in Cataclysm they may throw an Anubarak25 at you where suddenly a block-stacking set is extremely good.

Most high end tanks can actually tell the difference in "feel" between swapping one or two items out, and do so regularly depending on the encounter. For example, the soak tank on Lanathel wants health since dodge and parry are useless, but the actual tank wants avoidance armor to lessen the damage they both take.

[Iselian]

Absolutely true. I still carry my block set around, even though I've not touched Anub'arak in who knows how long. On one hand, you never know when you'll use it (new healer in the 5man? Block sets make those a joke as well). The other is that all fights are not created equal. Sindy has a ton of magic damage going around, so something as simple as going double stam trinkets can give your healers some more breathing room. On BQ, where the majority of a main tank's damage taken is physical, double-armor can really minimize the damage taken.

Truth be told, I stopped caring so much about pure-avoidance sets around tier 9, and let mine fall apart. But block, armor-heavy, stam-heavy, and threat sets, you bet.

[Alianthos]

Absolutely true. I still carry my block set around, even though I've not touched Anub'arak in who knows how long. On one hand, you never know when you'll use it (new healer in the 5man? Block sets make those a joke as well). The other is that all fights are not created equal. Sindy has a ton of magic damage going around, so something as simple as going double stam trinkets can give your healers some more breathing room. On BQ, where the majority of a main tank's damage taken is physical, double-armor can really minimize the damage taken.

Truth be told, I stopped caring so much about pure-avoidance sets around tier 9, and let mine fall apart. But block, armor-heavy, stam-heavy, and threat sets, you bet.

This. But.. no threast set, tbh. If you're at the point where you have enough items to make differents sets, you should know how to keep aggro =)

[Deleted]

"Sets".

I have (had) backup items with extra +defense to be able to swap in polar gear for Sindragosa.

Having a "set" with block value can be fun, but you'll never use it for raiding.

As for threat, you're better of swapping talents or glyphs, but carrying an old (a sidegrade) weapon itemized with expertise and enchanted accuracy may be a good idea.

Trinkets is a different story, though. You want several setups of trinkets. You want pretty much every trinket at ilvl 245 and higher, even when tanking ICC HCs.

edit: that being said, some gimmick fights require a different set, like Anub in TotC or Sindragosa in ICC.