Newbie tank seeking advice

[Glwys]

Hey all, I'm looking to make my OS, which is prot, my MS. I've only recently started building this set up, and I'm seeking advice on my gear, as well as some constructive criticism.
I don't plan on jumping into Heroics immediately, as I want to go through the regular 5 mans to get a feel for em first. Also most of this gear is quest rewards with a few pieces from 5 mans.

I do understand the prots rotation, so I'm not concerned about, just my gearing.

Here's a link to my armory:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...r/glwys/simple

and my questions are:
1. Am I reforging right?
a. If not, what do I need to fix?
2. Parry and Dodge: What should I go for?
3. Hit and expertise, from what I gathered from reading other peole's threads, these really aren't needed at this point in the game, correct?
4. Anything else you want to add to a newbie tank? Advice, tips, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Spectral]

1. No, not at all - Reforge Mastery wherever possible, Avoidance wherever not.
2. Both, in as equal of quantities as possible.
3. Ignore them altogether. Their main use right now is reforging to other things.
4. I'll log in later for that, just realized I have to run! Take the above as gospel!

[deneweth]

Gem/reforge for mastery, it gives the most damage reduction per point. If it already has mastery, reforge for parry or dodge whicher is lower. Gem for socket bonuses unless its a threat stat bonus. Use pure yellow mastery gems, green mastery/stam gems in blue sockets, and orange mastery/parry gems in red sockets.

Ignore threat stats, you won't need them if you do the rotation correctly. If you do need threat expertise is better until you have 0% chance to be dodged by whatever level you're facing (87s in 5 mans and 88 in raid). Save hit gear in case you *have* to interrupt.

[Ibramgaunt]

Well let'S answer in orfer =D

1: well theres not a lot of reforge on your gear, but heres the deal: you usually aim for some hit/expertise , usually, you'll be good with what you have on your gear (even if you reforge those stats) using the SoT glyph + the expertise (-40% by reforging it to avoidance) and you,ll have enough to hold aggro easily. So basicly, you reforge your hit/expertise to avoidance (dodge or parry, whichever is the lowest on your gear at the moment) but only if you already have some of them, don't run with 1% hit and 3 expertise haha

2: as said in number 1, go for the one is the lowest on your gear atm, you want the highest possible score on both, because there is diminishing returns

3: answered in number 1 as well

4: your meta gem, get the 2% armor one imho, reducing physical damage taken is really good, but the one you have at the moment is still good, I don't have any numbers to know which one is the best, but when I was tanking with my pally that's the one I had because it gave me so much armor

[Glwys]

Thanks for the replies guys! Time to go update my gear.

[Sandbar]

Rather than restate what people have said above I'll point you to the gear enchancement guide on the maintankadin forum, I am a bit of a newbie tank as well and (just hit 84) I've found that post to be really helpful in choosing what stats to go for and what to gem and reforge into.

EDIIT: well dam, seems I haven't posted enough times to be able to post links, but if you do a google search for maintankadin and goto their forums you'll find it. It's the best gear enhancement guide I've come across.

[Spectral]

Rather than restate what people have said above I'll point you to the gear enchancement guide on the maintankadin forum, I am a bit of a newbie tank as well and (just hit 84) I've found that post to be really helpful in choosing what stats to go for and what to gem and reforge into.

EDIIT: well dam, seems I haven't posted enough times to be able to post links, but if you do a google search for maintankadin and goto their forums you'll find it. It's the best gear enhancement guide I've come across.

Here it is -

http://maintankadin.failsafedesign.c...rb_v=viewtopic

Good tip!

[conaan]

hit and expertise are wasted stats, avoiding them whenever possible for avoidance and/or mitigation stats is really what you should be doing for over 75% of the content availible.

if you feel you can survive fine, then go ahead and get some threat stats. although considering there are multiple ways to get more aggro out in the beginning of a fight and the fact that vengeance covers the rest of the fight, you really are in no need for threat stats.

[davep]

hit and expertise are wasted stats, avoiding them whenever possible for avoidance and/or mitigation stats is really what you should be doing for over 75% of the content availible.

if you feel you can survive fine, then go ahead and get some threat stats. although considering there are multiple ways to get more aggro out in the beginning of a fight and the fact that vengeance covers the rest of the fight, you really are in no need for threat stats.

hit and expertise aren't threat stats for pally tanks, i've gone from over 8% hit and over 26 expertise (with glyph) to 0.97% hit and 12 expertise (with glyph) and haven't noticed any difference in threat gain. I know they should be but there really isn't a difference at all with our without the caps. So there really is no need to get them, unless you are easily getting over the 102.4% avoidance cap which is impossible this tier of gear.

[Soulbender]

I beg to differ somewhat. While a high vengeance stack will stick aggro to you like glue, you must get it in the first time.
That's not gonna be easy with 0% hit and trigger happy dps ^^

TLDR : if pugging or playing with dps overgearing you, save some +hit/exp to get initial aggro. If guild group, 1-2 sec is enough, even with 0% whatever. (pop wings and DP + shield strike if needed)

Good luck holding aggro from algaloth with 360 ilvl DPS if you have 0% hit/ exp, for example. *Bosses* are level _88_. On trash, ofc, you could reforge full spirit, slap 318 greens and still get aggro, no problem there.

[Deleted]

TLDR : if pugging or playing with dps overgearing you, save some +hit/exp to get initial aggro. If guild group, 1-2 sec is enough, even with 0% whatever. (pop wings and DP + shield strike if needed)

That's what taunts and misdirects are for. I tank all raid bosses in the game atm with less than 1% hit and only the expertise from glyph. All you need is for your first SoR to hit, if it gets avoided just taunt and use it again until it hits. Prot pallies don't have to worry very much about avoidance streaks on the pull because our strongest attack (Shield of the Righteous) can be spamed until it connects, missing with it does not lose the Holy Power.