Going Prot...

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[O-W]

Sooooo... I've managed to accumulate a pretty solid prot set over several tiers or raiding.   I'm lacking some new boots, bracers and a trinket at the moment, but all of those will be easily taken care of soon I hope (boots from heroic FoS, 245 crafted bracers, and may use my Death's Verdict for the trinket to get some extra threat).

My goal is heroic tanking only.  I've been sitting in 15 minute plus queues as dps, and going prot should cut that down.  I don't really want to tank raids as I like dps'ing too much

Here is the build and glyph combo I'm looking at:

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LVMh0fZhZVfxrx0didfzsGo:MNhmMo

I think it should be optimized for AoE threat with lots of survivability.  The biggest things I'm unsure about are the glyphs.  Shockwave cooldown reduction seems pretty useful.  The thunderclap one seems a little underwhelming, but useful if TC is going to be a main AoE ability.

Comments?  I'll try to log off in my prot gear tonight to get some feedback in that regard.

[Guntur]

Glyph of Sunder Armor: Sunder a second target for threat!

Glyph of Blocking: Procs all the time. Moar Block!

Glyph of Thunder Clap: Larger area for you semi spammable AoE threat!

Glyph of Devastate: Devastate applies two stacks of Sunder Armor! That's alot of sunder fast.

Glyph of Charge and Bloodrage are my fillers.

[O-W]

Thanks for the suggestions Guntur

I logged out in my prot gear last night and would apperciate any input: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Whisperwind&n=Orcist

I still need new boots.  I'm using an expertise dps trinket to make up for shortcomings there - I guess I may want to get a stam trinket.  I also have the 232 trinket from Ick in heroic PoS I could sub in.  Need a few enchants as well, but those I think I have a handle on.

[Rothana]

I don't do warrior talents, but I can comment on your gear.

I think you're doing fine overall with the goal in mind of tanking heroics.  You mitigation is quite good, your base health is decent.   There are a few gem choices that are not optimal, but they aren't bad.  You are a little over on Expertise for the "soft cap" but that cap doesn't really apply to tanks anyway, so going over only helps, not hurts.

If you can work it into your travels, the Black Heart out of Regular 5 man ToC* is an amazing trinket.  Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much about going out of your way for other gear, what you have is fine.  I'd imagine you'll get triumph badge upgrades along the way for whatever you don't find in dungeons.  Now that you're (close to) a more typical prot spec, I'd imagine you'll have a bit easier time holding aggro.  From what I understand though, Warriors have to work the hardest in groups compared to other tank classes, so practice practice!


*Mirth also wants a trinket out of regular ToC, so a farming run offer would probably be on the table if you were so inclined.

[arras]

I can't comment on the tank/prot stuff, but if you need a healer to make the random dungeon queue up extra instantaneous, my shaman Famea is getting pretty decent at keeping not dead

[Meradithea]

Wash I missed you logging out in tank gear. A few thoughts on talents though.

Prot tree looks pretty solid with a few things I would look at. Last Stand is great even for just tanking heriocs. any extra one point oh shit button improvements is always a good way to spend even if at the cost of say a percent dodge from anticipation or better yet improved revenge. Imp revenge stuns pretty much dont count when you need them to and do work when you dont need them to and then you may rage starve yourself. I typically dont spend in imp revenge but it can be a handy tank tool specially for learning how to tank it can help slow things down a bit.

I would also max out imp thunderclap as you will be using it quite often its kind of a meduim aggro stomp that super slows incomming attacks when fully talented. the faster the cooldown and more the threat the better your AE tanking will be. Which really is always good.

Guntur really hit the glyphs right and proper. Sunder and Devistate together really let your put them sunders up fast and put em on the mobs neighbors. tabbing through and devistate and shield slam/cleave can really get AE aggro rolling pretty well with a thunder clap and then a shockwave for stopping casts attacks and all other sort of stuff in a frontal cone.

Wash did you mention yoiu had an expertise trinket? expertise is a good tertiary tank stat as it reduces the amount of parry gib you will get from bosses and elites. you dont need to worry about being capped like raid tanks but it isnt a bad option till you get better. Another nice tank trinket is the 50 badge triumph armor trinket.

The points spent in arms to get deep wounds I prefer to spend in cruelty for more base crit % for threat instead of the deep wounds but I know that the deeps wounds is supposed to make tanking easier. You prolly want to start with the deep wounds and maybe try the cruelty later as you get some experiance. just to compare. Goodluck wash and I hope you enjoy yourself tanking.

[O-W]

THanks Mera - I logged back into my prot gear this morning in case you happen to be back on.

Regarding devastate glyph and sunder glyph - do they work together?  i.e. if you have both glyphs does devastate apply sunders to two mobs?  or would I need to charge in, devastate the first mob, then sunder it to get sunder on the second mob?

[Guntur]

Your devastate with those glyps will put two stacks of sunder on your target, in addition it will sunder one nearby mob every time you hit it.

Example: Pulling Skull and X. Charge skull, Devastate/Thunderclap/Devastate. (Skull should have 4 stacks of suner, X should have 2 stacks)

[Zenthalas]

As an alternative setup, this is how I've built Einen...
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LAM0zbZhZVItRx0didIzsGo:dNzmMo

Namely, I'd free up points from Deep Wounds and apply elsewhere (i.e. Last Stand and finish off Focused Rage).  Applying DoTs as a tank means permanently breaking crowd control, which I don't like.  Sure, it doesn't happen a lot, but I don't do serious damage when tanking anyway, and I don't have aggro problems, so I feel it is a waste of 3 points. 
I'm also a fan of Anger Management, as it helps maintain your level of rage from pull-to-pull, but that's purely opinionated.


As for glyphs, I stayed away from the Sunder stuff.  I like to have control of the situation.  I go with Blocking, Charge (Major and Minor), and Shockwave.  Blocking is awesome for threat (shield slam and damage shield) and it helps shave off some damage on AOE pulls.  Charge is awesome for taking control of a room.  I love fighting out in the open in that first room of HOR, namely from the charge glyphs.  I can charge further and more often thanks to them. 

Just some food for thought.

[O-W]

My dps tendancies are what have me with points in deep wounds.  I just like seeing those ticks go off

Another question, I'm using a level 232 sword at the moment for tanking (Rhimefang's claw - 77 stam, 27 def, 31 dodge, 21 parry).  

I could make a swap to a one handed mace with a level of 219 (+69 Stamina,  defense rating 21,  dodge rating 26,  parry rating by 24)

The reason I ask, is that I would gain 5 expertise from the mace due to dwarf racials, which would trade off to perhaps not using my expertise trinket and picking up someting like Black Heart for more stam.

Am I overvaluing expertise for tanking, or does this decision make sense?


Edit:  I'm having a lot of fun tanking so far!  My only real complaint is the LFD gives me HoR 1/4 of the time and I can't/won't tank that one yet.

[Guntur]

Another question, I'm using a level 232 sword at the moment for tanking (Rhimefang's claw - 77 stam, 27 def, 31 dodge, 21 parry).  

I could make a swap to a one handed mace with a level of 219 (+69 Stamina,  defense rating 21,  dodge rating 26,  parry rating by 24)

Looks like you'd lose 80 health, 6 defense, 5 dodge, and gain 3 parry and 5 expertise from the weapons. Adding the black heart would gain you 1, 100 health and a 7k armor proc. If you are defense capped with the mace and it allows you tow swap trinkets to the Black Heart then I say definitely go with the Black Heart. Throw a cheap Titanium Weapon Chain on there for some hit raiting and you are set!

[Anni]

OMG!!!!!

Pick me! I want to heal your tanking ass,O.

[Bink]

I want to gear up just a little more with my pally ret set and dps for him.... every "well-behaved" dps needs to know what it feels like on the other side