Which tier is best?

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

Partially misleading title is partially misleading.

I just recently won a trophy from Toc25 and I was wondering which buying a piece for which slot I should buy the piece for.

Here is my armoury page.
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Khaz'goroth&n=Betherian

Don't comment on my shield, I have been rather unlucky when it comes to them.

Note: Pauldrons of the Silver Defender should be in my shoulder slot.

I'm also stumped on whether I should break my 4 set bonus or not by equipping the new shoulders.

[Kairu]

I'd say at least keep the 4 piece in your bags encase its a cooldown fight. When its a healer fight (IE: Twins) You probably won't need the time reduction on bubble-wall.

Also, I guess since you're all 232 tier anyway, it doesn't really matter which tier piece you upgrade, as long as its one of the ones that you use in all sets.

[Prentice]

If you have the 4pc, keep it. I am amazed that you don't have Clutch of Fortification. Seeing as you aren't even defense capped for raids, that would probably be the first thing you should spend your badges on. I would definitely replace Signet of Winter before any other piece of gear

Armory might be bugged. It appears that you just recently equipped that chestpiece and haven't gotten the chance to enchant it yet. 22 Defense on your chest would put you at 541 Defense. Armory is only showing one of the two sockets in your chestpiece, so I'm really not sure what the issue is.

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

It appears that this armoury page is showing me while I was in the process of gemming the item. I am currently def capped and I put a parry/stam gem (anything better I could put in there?) in there.

I'd say at least keep the 4 piece in your bags encase its a cooldown fight. When its a healer fight (IE: Twins) You probably won't need the time reduction on bubble-wall.

What would be a fight that I would need the 4 set bonus in?

[shetan]

4 piece is very lack luster. I...again...I...do not see any fight in which it is useful. There are better single itemized pieces out there that provide a better opportunity for overall static mitigation/avoidance.


NOW, before I get flamed again by people saying you can use it for X fight in this situation, and Y fight for this situation and Z fight for this situation as each of those helps your healers. So what happens when that bubble wears off just because you assumed you're safe as 90 secs isn't that long of a CD and you suddenly DO need to use it. The end result of you not having it available in that clutch situation as that's why we have a shield wall, causes you to die and causes a wipe as the fight you're on requires 2 tanks.

There are so many debates about this that it's quite sickening. My personal advice to you is to gear properly, NOT around a 4p bonus. The bonus is just that...a bonus. What I mean is, take the shoulders for example. If you suddenly find yourself with a similar item but has like, 40 more health, offers dodge and parry instead of dodge and exp and losing the 4p bonus...well, I would take the offset item as the passive avoidance is, at least to me, better in the longer run.

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

Ok, so I'll just use the trophy to upgrade my gloves or something.

[Kairu]

Meh, Real tanks Divine shield+Taunt!

[Cardolan]

It appears that this armoury page is showing me while I was in the process of gemming the item. I am currently def capped and I put a parry/stam gem (anything better I could put in there?) in there.

Red socket = 10 agility, 15 stamina (Shifting Dreadstone)
Yellow socket = 10 defense, 15 stamina (Enduring Eye of Zul)
Blue socket = 30 stamina (Solid Majestic Zircon)

That's provided that the socket bonus is stamina (which, aside from the set shoulders, it is for pretty much every ToC item). If it has a non-stamina bonus, and isn't a blue socket, you're probably better off just throwing 30 stamina gems into the sockets instead.

Upgrade your gloves first, they're by far the best of the T9 set pieces. I personally use 4 piece T9 - 245 gloves, legs and chest, 232 shoulders. The only fight I've ever really noticed the benefit from the reduced cooldown/Forbearance is Northrend Beasts, and even then it's not usually a necessity.