Gear mechanics of paladins as tanks
From WoWWiki
The success of a tank depends highly upon his gear. Fortunately, gear for tanking Paladins is mostly the same as gear for tanking Death Knights and Warriors, so it is not difficult to find.
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Basics of Tanking
The job of a tank can basically be divided into two things:
- Produce a sufficient level of threat so that the mobs keep attacking him;
- Stay alive with enough mitigation and large amount of health.
These are also the basic factors concerned when choosing tankadin gear.
Gear Mechanics: Threat Generation
Strength is the primary stat a tankadin needs for threat production. The amount of strength needed depends on your group's DPS.
Other stats that improve threat production include stamina, expertise rating, hit rating, block chance and block value. (Hit rating also affects Righteous Defense.) Haste rating is mostly useless because of skill cooldowns.
Tankadins no longer need to stack Intellect or mp5 in order to have mana, and there is no level 80 tank gear that has either one.
Gear Mechanics: Survivability
Becoming uncrittable is the foremost concern for level 80 tankadins gearing up for raids. Paladins need at least 540 defense (base 400 + 140 defense), to be uncrittable by raid bosses, and 535 defense to be uncrittable in heroics. 4.92 Defense Rating gives 1 Defense. 540 defense can be achieve by wearing enough gear with defense rating. A naked level 80 Paladin has 400 defense, and will need ((540-400)*4.92) = 689 defense rating to reach 540 defense.
After becoming uncrittable, the next priority is more health and armor, and then block and avoidance.
Lastly, some items have block value (not block rating) on them. When we block an attack, a certain fixed amount of damage is "blocked". This amount is the sum of "block" on your shield and block value from other items, as well as contribution from strength. Block value is good to have but not strictly necessary unless when AOE tanking. Raid bosses usually hit for several thousand damage, so blocking a few hundred is not going to help much. On the other hand, when AOE tanking trash mobs, you are getting more frequent but weaker hits. In such case, damage prevented by block becomes quite significant. Therefore, some tankadins would keep a set with high avoidance and stamina for boss encounters and another with high block value (and block rating) for trash mobs. Blizzard did however announce that in the next expansion blocking will reduce damage by a percentage rather than flat value.
Easily Attainable Pre-Heroic Tanking Gear
Gearing up your tankadin is much easier in WotLK than TBC. There is a great Blacksmithing set and with the new Championing system grinding reps is extremely easy and has some very good tanking rewards as well. Below is a list of some easy to obtain yet good tanking gear. If you still need enchants or gems (to meet 535 defense or certain HP for heroics), see the next section.
Head:
[Tempered Saronite Helm] (blacksmith crafted) or [Helm of the Ley-Guardian] (Oculus) or [Tempered Titansteel Helm] (blacksmith crafted)
Neck:
[Betrayer's Choker] (quest reward) with [Thick Sun Crystal] or [Amulet of Deflected Blows] (Utgarde Pinnacle)
Shoulders:
[Tempered Saronite Shoulders] (blacksmith crafted)
Back:
[Cloak of Peaceful Resolutions] (The Wyrmrest Accord honored)
Chest:
[Tempered Saronite Breastplate] (blacksmith crafted) or [Silver-Plated Battlechest] (Utgarde Pinnacle quest) or [Breastplate of the Solemn Council] (The Wyrmrest Accord revered)
Wrists:
[Tempered Saronite Bracers] (blacksmith crafted)
Hands:
[Tempered Saronite Gauntlets] or [Daunting Handguards] (both blacksmith crafted) or [Fireproven Gauntlets] (Kirin Tor exalted)
Belt:
[Tempered Saronite Belt] (blacksmith crafted) or [Waistguard of the Risen Knight]
Leggings:
[Tempered Saronite Legplates] or [Daunting Legplates] (both blacksmith crafted)
Feet:
[Tempered Saronite Boots] (blacksmith crafted) or [Toxin-Tempered Sabatons] (Knights of the Ebon Blade revered) or [Sabatons of Draconic Vigor] (The Wyrmrest Accord revered)
Rings:
[Solid Platinum Band] (quest reward) or [Staunch Signet] (quest reward) or [Gal'darah's Signet] (Gundrak) or [Dragonflight Great-Ring] (The Oculus)
Trinkets:
[Regal Protectorate] (quest reward) until [Seal of the Pantheon] (Halls of Lightning)
Weapon:
[Hammer of Quiet Mourning] (quest reward) or [Eternally Folded Blade] (Halls of Lightning)
Shield:
[Saronite Bulwark] or [Titansteel Shield Wall] (both blacksmith crafted)
Libram:
[Libram of Zeal] until [Libram of Repentance] (Badge of Justice reward) until [Venture Co. Libram of Protection] (Venture Coin reward)
It is also worth noting [Armored Titanium Goggles]. These are engineer only items and require a [Frozen Orb], but a Frozen Orb can be bought on the Auction House, or if you can run some heroics you may get one. This head piece is comparable to the Tier 7 10-Man, and so can be used in the early end-game.
Easily Attainable Pre-Raid Tanking Gear
Once you have the above set you should dive into heroics. There are many great gear upgrades, including some epics, that will get you well on your way to tanking Naxxramas successfully. The final boss of each heroic drops an epic item equivalent to 10-man Naxxramas gear.
Head:
[Ground Tremor Helm] (Gundrak Heroic) or [Armored Titanium Goggles] (Engineer crafted)
Enchant: [Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector] (Argent Crusade Revered)
Neck:
[Chained Military Gorget] (25xEmblem of Heroism) or [Titanium Earthguard Chain] (Jewelcraft Created)
Shoulders:
[Pauldrons of Reconnaissance] (Halls of Stone) or [Iron Dwarf Smith Pauldrons] (Halls of Lightning Heroic) or [Pauldrons of the Colossus] (Gundrak Heroic)
Enchant: [Lesser Inscription of the Pinnacle] (The Sons of Hodir Honored) or [Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle] (The Sons of Hodir Exalted) or [Greater Inscription of the Knight] (Scryers Exalted) or [Greater Inscription of Warding] (Aldor Exalted) or [Heavy Borean Armor Kit] (crafted) or [Greater Inscription of the Gladiator] (PvP reward)
Back:
[Cloak of Peaceful Resolutions] (The Wyrmrest Accord honored) or [Cloak of the Enemy] (Nexus Heroic)
Enchant: [Enchant Cloak - Titanweave] or [Enchant Cloak - Major Agility]
Chest:
[Breastplate of the Solemn Council] (The Wyrmrest Accord Revered)
Enchant: [Enchant Chest - Powerful Stats] or [Enchant Chest - Super Health] or [Enchant Chest - Greater Defense]
Wrists:
[Bracers of the Herald] (Ahn'kahet Heroic)
Enchant: [Enchant Bracer - Major Stamina] (Release 3.0.8)
Hands:
[Gauntlets of the Water Revenant] (Violet Hold Heroic) or [Fireproven Gauntlets] (Kirin Tor Exalted)
Enchant: [Enchant Gloves - Armsman]
Belt:
[Skadi's Iron Belt] (Utgarde Pinnacle Heroic) or [Waistguard of Living Iron] (40xEmblem of Heroism)
Leggings:
[Bolstered Legplates] (Violet Hold Heroic) or [Special Issue Legplates] (Argent Crusade Honored)
Enchant: [Frosthide Leg Armor] or [Jormungar Leg Armor]
Feet:
[Sabatons of Draconic Vigor] (The Wyrmrest Accord revered)
Enchant: [Enchant Boots - Greater Fortitude]
Rings:
[Gal'darah's Signet] (Gundrak) or [Woeful Band] (Halls of Stone Heroic) or [Band of Torture] (The Oculus Heroic) or [Keystone Great-Ring] (Drak'Tharon Heroic)
Note: Rings should be chosen based on your need of defense. If you are capped with only one ring equipped then get the Keystone Great-Ring. If not, then use the rings that get you capped.
Trinkets:
[Seal of the Pantheon] (Halls of Lightning) and [Essence of Gossamer] (Azjol'Nerub Heroic)
Weapon: [Red Sword of Courage] (Utgarde Pinnacle Heroic)
Enchant: [Titanium Weapon Chain]
Shield:
[Royal Crest of Lordaeron] (Culling of Stratholme Heroic) or [Titansteel Shield Wall] (Blacksmith Created) or [Crygil's Discarded Plate Panel] (35xEmblem of Heroism)
Enchant: [Enchant Shield - Major Stamina] or [Enchant Shield - Defense]
Libram:
[Venture Co. Libram of Protection] (Venture Coin Reward) or [Libram of Obstruction] (15xEmblem of Heroism)
Gems:
Red: [Bold Scarlet Ruby] or [Bold Bloodstone]; [Solid Sky Sapphire] or [Solid Chalcedony] if the socket bonus is no good)
Yellow: [Thick Autumn's Glow] or [Thick Sun Crystal]; [Enduring Forest Emerald] or [Enduring Dark Jade]; [Solid Sky Sapphire] or [Solid Chalcedony] if the socket bonus is no good)
Blue: [Solid Sky Sapphire] or [Solid Chalcedony]; [Enduring Forest Emerald] or [Enduring Dark Jade]
Meta: [Eternal Earthsiege Diamond]; [Austere Earthsiege Diamond]; [Effulgent Skyflare Diamond]
Other Tips
- During certain raid encounters, high resistance of specific schools of magic is needed. (e.g. Hydross the Unstable) Therefore, you need to replace the usual equipment with high-resistance gear. Some fights in 5-man instances also benefit from resistance gear, although it is not strictly necessary. Please see the related link for a list of resistance gear.
Wish-List after Patch 3.2
With the changes in Patch 3.2, this raiding gear can be purchased with [Emblem of Conquest] that will drop from 5-man heroics. The costs are not yet final.
Head:
[Conqueror's Aegis Faceguard] (58x[Emblem of Conquest])
Neck:
[Shard of the Crystal Forest] (19x[Emblem of Conquest])
Shoulders:
[Valorous Redemption Shoulderguards] (60x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 60x[Emblem of Conquest])
Back:
[Platinum Mesh Cloak] (25x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 25x[Emblem of Conquest])
Chest:
[Conqueror's Aegis Breastplate] (58x[Emblem of Conquest])
Wrists:
[Bracers of Dalaran's Parapets] (60x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 60x[Emblem of Conquest])
Hands:
[Gauntlets of the Royal Watch] (28x[Emblem of Conquest])
Belt:
[Shieldwarder Girdle] (28x[Emblem of Conquest])
Leggings:
[Wyrmguard Legplates] (39x[Emblem of Conquest]) or, if you want so much the set bonus, [Valorous Redemption Legguards] (75x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 75x[Emblem of Conquest])
Feet:
[Kyzoc's Ground Stompers] (40x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 40x[Emblem of Conquest])
Rings:
[Signet of the Impregnable Fortress] (25x[Emblem of Valor] bought with 25x[Emblem of Conquest])
Useful links
Maintankadin Forum: Gear Section A good place to discuss anything about tankadin gear
Beginning Level 80 Plate Tank Gear Frequently updated listing of plate tank gear, that can be obtained without dungeon boss drops.
Advanced Level 80 Plate Tank Gear Frequently updated listing of plate tank gear, that can be obtained from dungeons (via boss drops, badges, etc.).
List: Tanking Gear Uncrushability Value (TBC) A handy list of avoidance/blocking provided by tanking gear
Resistance Gear (TBC) A complete list of resistance gear
Warcrafter.net Sandbox A useful tool for planning your gear!
