Low level tanking

[yekeyeke]

So i`ve decided to level up a new toon and i decided it would be a pally lvling via tanking
So i have a simple question :

Does it worth spending 11 points in Retri for Seal of Command or i should stick to prot. tree ?

Thanks in advance

[Tao]

I'd probably jump straight into the protection tree.
There're just a lot of really good options for tanking.
Improved Righteous Fury, Toughness, and Anticipation are all really good.
Also, Blessing of Sanctuary is pretty important.

[Saethwyr]

at that level it really doesn't matter whether you are prot specced or retri, SoC will be great for damage and threat.

personally as long as you have a sword and shield and decent HP there is really no problem with retri tanking.

about level 30 is when you should start thinking about tanking talents, and by 40 you should definitely respec and get Holy Shield you become unstoppable with that.

if it was me starting a prot tank though i would focus on prot the whole way just for giving healers an easier time of it, its best to be prepared

[fex]

If you don't mind respeccing a few times, then I recommend going Retribution until around level 35/40. Up until that point, nothing in the prot tree is really going to make a huge difference on your ability to tank: it's pretty much all just going to be up to how you gear/chant/gem. Plus, SoC is excellent for AoE threat, and there are a lot of AoE pulls in low-level instances. Not to mention that in low level dungeons, you're likely to be carrying the DPS, anyway.

Keep in mind that until you can get BoSanc/SA, you're going to be chugging mana like crazy, and stopping to drink after every pull is a huge buzzkill. I highly recommend stocking up on mana pots and just blowing one every time you OOM: and don't forget to be judging wisdom, not light.

Around 35-40, you should respec back into prot to start picking up all the good stuff. By level 42, you should be able to access three key talents: BoSanc, Holy Shield, and Spiritual Attunement. At that point in time, you pretty much just want to stick to the prot tree until you've worked your way down to HotR.

Once you've got HotR, I'd recommend you start working your way back down into Ret again to pick up SoC. For leveling and 5-mans, the AoE threat really does come in handy.

Then, finally, once you hit 80 and are ready to start raiding, respec to your final build.

[AverageJoe42]

The short answer: No
The long answer: No

[yekeyeke]

Yeah , just dinged lvl 30 and now i have BoSanc so what`s next ? 5% parry imp. judgements and HotC and SoCommand until i get Vengeance !?

---------- Post added 2010-08-13 at 03:16 PM ----------

Thanks for the answer Fex i was popping w/e kind of mana pots i have + Arcane Torrent on cd. I hope it will be better now with BoSanc

[Deleted]

my advice? stick with ret till you get around level 45-ish, then respec to prot. seal of command combined with the major SoC glyph will keep your mana at a decent station until you can spec 2/2 spiritual attunement and holy shield. reckoning is great as well.

till level 45, spec like this: http://www.wowarmory.com/talent-calc...01320130000000

at 45, switch to this:

http://www.wowarmory.com/talent-calc...00000000000000

at this point, you need to pick up any +def gear you can. put points in ardent defender once you reach 60 or something and have at least (level*5+70) defense skill. EG: if you are 60, you would need at least 370 defense skill.

[BitHead23]

I recently leveled a pally to 55 almost purely by tanking instances (alt account, so no Heirlooms either). I started off going up Ret to snag SoC. While I was at it, I took Vindication and PoJ. That's more a matter of taste than anything, but it's handy being able to rush up to the next group quickly before everyone unloads, and lowering mobs' attack power can't hurt. After that I started going up the Prot tree as usual (ie: mostly up the right side), finally getting BoSanct at 46 and Holy Shield at 55.

All told, it worked very well. SoC (with frequent target-switching on bigger groups) is great aggro for a level range where you're low on options. There's only so much you can do with Judgement and Hand of Reckoning, and overusing Consecrate just means more downtime to drink. Mana management was challenging at times, particularly with the longer wait for BoSanct, but the SoC glyph helped out noticeably. By the time I picked up Holy Shield I appreciated it, but I didn't find myself in dire need of it before then. There's plenty of tanking talents in low Ret, so it's not like you're hurting your survivability to any great extent. I never once had someone call me on 'tanking in a DPS spec'... not that I gave them any reason to complain. Of course, it was common to lead in DPS as well, but I'm used to that on most of my tanks in LFD.

I'm sure you could do fine going straight up Prot instead, but I don't really see the advantage. I'd probably respec at 60 to go straight Prot and pick up Hammer of the Righteous, but any sooner than that seems like a wash at best.

[Ashcrack]

I recently leveled a paladin I went ret for SoC then got the glyph for it, the x mana back one, then went down prot never oomed whilst tanking which is my main concern at low levels with paladin tanks, I also had the spell power heirloom trinkets worked out well for me.

[calinass]

Ret till 34-36..whenever you get seal of wisdom. Then tanking just seems so fun once you hit 50 and 60 is a blast. 71 is awesome and 75 is ezmode