Gem and Enchant Guide Discussion

[Digren]

This is was the discussion of the working copy of a new version of the guide. If you want to get advice, go to the gem and enchant sticky. If you want to give advice on the current guide, post it here.



Note that the following may be out of date from the sticky. It's kept here so I can more easily quote it. It's not possible to quote text with markup from a locked thread.



Gems and Enchants for Tankadins

There are two parts to this guide.
1. Digren's Item Enhancement Guide, featuring recommendations for which gems/enchants are best for each piece of gear and why.
2. Petrus' Master List of Enchants and Gems(add link to second post to make this part easier to locate?), featuring a complete list of all possible gem cuts and enchants that could be useful to a tankadin in any way/shape/form. All material costs are included in this post so you don't have to run off to wowhead to look them up.

Digren's Item Enhancement Guide

This guide is intended for both new and experienced tanks looking for the most-recommended gems and enchants for their gear. However, only you, the experienced tankadin, knows what's best for you given your gear and raid role. If you feel that a your situation deserves special-case gems and enchants, see Petrus' Master List(another link) for an all-inclusive list to choose from.

General Theory

In Burning Crusade, uncrittable was easy, almost automatic, before stepping foot in the first challenging instance. It was uncrushable that became the focus of gear guides and upgrade strategy pre-Kara. That's all changed in WotLK. The new defense requirement - 540 minimum defense, 689 minimum defense rating from gear - puts a heavy focus on achieving uncrittable before being put to the test. And while uncrushable was removed as a requirement, paladins retain the block cap as their unique method to achieve maximum mitigation.

Blizzard has thus changed the game for item enhancement. Rather than focusing solely on stamina for gems, a balanced approach including defense and dodge rating is quite viable. Greatly improved socket bonuses guide gem choices, leading to the "best in slot" gem differing by slot color. For enchants, defense rating may be the early favorite for many slots, with several other options available for slots lacking a strong "best" contender.

Stamina or Defense?
One thing that has not changed from BC is the ratio of stamina to defense on gems. Basically, Blizzard values defense rating at 150% of stamina when itemizing gem sockets. This yields a ratio of 8-to-12, 16-to-24, or 20-to-30 for defense-to-stamina on many choices.

This ratio can help guide both gem and enchant selection. Consider the BC enchants for bracers, for example. The top options were 12 stamina or 12 defense rating. Assuming you need defense rating from gems and enchants (and almost everyone did to some extent), the best of those is clearly the defense rating enchant. The opportunity cost for choosing defense rating as a bracer enchant was lower than choosing the stamina enchant, and then being forced to socket defense gems instead of stamina gems.

Basic Gear Strategy

There are high-quality gear guides on this site to help you craft your gear progression. However, questions about gear strategy come up often with gems and enchants, because, while most people "take what they can get" with regard to gear, most everyone has their choice of item enhancements.

What follows, then, is a basic guide for how to direct your progression.

1. Reach the defense minimum of 540 before raiding at 10/25. Never lose this.
2. Aim for the block cap, but it's not vital until deep into 25. Defense continues to be a great way to achieve this, but make reasonable choices to balance defense and avoidance stats with stamina and other effective health options.
3. Push up your effective health.
4. Start working on encounter-specific gear, such as a dedicated high-avoidance set or a dedicated effective health set. You shouldn't destroy old gear until its replacement is an upgrade to all stats; retain the old pieces to form the foundation of these custom sets.

This gem and enchant guide will help those of you working on steps 1 and 2; just pick the options I've highlighted in bold and you'll be on your way. Once you're block capped and working on effective health, it will be up to you to consider second- and third-choice enhancements, and start making reasonable exchanges, such as replacing avoidance enchants in some slots with stamina or armor options.

Gemming

Gems are available for almost any stat, but most paladins will favor defense and stamina as the primary options. There are more options for red slots due to the lack of a strong contender for "top" stat.

Defense, Dodge, or Parry?
In general, stacking defense rating is the best choice well-past the minimum, up to the block cap. For gear, the best choice is the piece with the highest overall avoidance and/or mitigation, depending on your use of the piece and your role in the raid. But for gems, you might have your pick of defense rating, dodge rating, or parry rating to fill sockets in avoidance gear. Which is the best choice? Detailed analysis of diminishing returns has led to a rule-of-thumb that maximizes avoidance:

1. Stack up to 700 defense rating (uncrittable)
2. Stack defense rating and block rating until 102.4%
3. Stack dodge rating until dodge rating = defense rating
4. Stack parry rating until 200 rating (assuming dodge = defense = ~700)
5. Add dodge, defense, and parry ratings at a ratio of 10:10:2

Remember that this includes all defense rating, dodge rating, and parry rating from gear. If you, like many tanks, have an abundance of parry rating from death knight-oriented plate, you'll never want to gem for parry.

Red Gem Slot

• [Shifting Twilight Opal : +8 Agility and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Regal Twilight Opal] : +8 Dodge Rating and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Stalwart Monarch Topaz] : +8 Dodge Rating and +8 Defense Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Subtle Scarlet Ruby] : +16 Dodge Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Delicate Stormjewel] : +20 Agility : BoP Acquired (Fishing Daily) Unique (Stormjewel)
• [Bold Stormjewel] : +20 Strength : BoP Acquired (Fishing Daily) Unique (Stormjewel)
  
  Digren says, "Red offers gems for strength, agility, dodge, and parry. Parry is a universally poor choice for gems, and the remaining options allow customization of avoidance, mitigation, and threat:
  
  • Choose agility over dodge rating for some mitigation and threat, at the cost of some avoidance.
  • Choose the pure agility/dodge/defense gems over a combo stamina gem for avoidance at the cost of (effective and real) health.
  • Consider the new epic strength gem for a threat set. This would be ideal on a pair of gloves with a red gem slot also enhanced with a +threat enchant."

Blue Gem Slot

• [Solid Sky Sapphire] : +24 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
  
  Digren says, "Put a Solid Sky Sapphire in every blue gem slot."

Yellow Gem Slot

• [Enduring Forest Emerald] : +8 Defense Rating and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Stalwart Monarch Topaz] : +8 Dodge Rating and +8 Defense Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Thick Autumn's Glow] : +16 Defense Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
  
  Digren says, "With the need to stack defense and/or pure avoidance, some may chose stalwart or thick options for yellow slots. Most should choose the combo stamina gems for a refined balance of avoidance and effective health."

Meta Gem Slot

• [Eternal Earthsiege Diamond] : +21 Defense Rating and +5% Shield Block Value : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Austere Earthsiege Diamond] : +32 Stamina and +2% Increased Armor Value from Items : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Effulgent Skyflare Diamond] : +32 Stamina and Reduce Spell Damage Taken by 2% : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
  
  Digren says, "While both may be viable options, the eternal gem enhances our best feature - our ability to block. Its defense helps reach uncrittable and the block cap. The austere gem provides stamina and effective health and is a close second.
  
  "The stamina and spell-damage-reduction gem has been fixed for 3.1. Given the amount of spell damage tossed about in Ulduar, a well-prepared tank relied upon for spell-intensive fights should have it on an second helm."

Any Gem Slot

• [Thick Dragon's Eye] : +27 Defense Rating : BoP Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Subtle Dragon's Eye] : +27 Dodge Rating : BoP Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
• [Solid Dragon's Eye] : +41 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
  
  Digren says, "Jewelcrafter tanks have these great options to choose from. Definitely start with one or more defense rating gems, then, if you wish, migrate to stamina (for effective health) or dodge (for avoidance) as your gear and situation allows."

Enchanting

Whether attained through enchanting, some other trade skill, or via purchased kits, the options for enchanting are much more varied than with gems. Unfortunately the strategy is less flexible, as the general rule is "if there's a WotLK enchant for defense rating, use it." Slots without a strong contender for best enchant have greater flexiblity, such as the continued option for threat enhancement in the hand slot, or the trade off for mobility on boots.

Head Enchant

• [Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector] : +37 Stamina and +20 Defense Rating : Purchased (The Argent Crusade at Revered)
  
  Digren says, "There are no other options. Grind the faction and get this."

Shoulders Enchant

• [Master's Inscription of the Pinnacle] : +52 Dodge Rating and +15 Defense Rating : BoP Crafted (Inscription)
• [Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle] : +20 Dodge Rating and +15 Defense Rating : Purchased (The Sons of Hodir at Exalted)
• [Lesser Inscription of the Pinnacle] : +15 Dodge Rating and +10 Defense Rating : Purchased (The Sons of Hodir at Honored)
  
  Digren says, "Inscribers, get your self-only buff here. The rest of us will grind out the incremental upgrades. Remember that Relics of Ulduar can be used for Sons of Hodir reputation, so reaching honored is pretty trivial."

Back Enchant

• [Enchant Cloak - Titanweave] : +16 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Cloak - Greater Agility] : +22 Agility : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Cloak - Mighty Armor] : +225 Armor : Crafted (Enchanting)
  
  Digren says, "The relatively new defense enchants take what used to be a weak enchant slot and make it quite good. As has been repeatedly pointed out, Greater Agility offers slightly more pure avoidance for those above the block cap. Some people, in some gear sets, may choose Mighty Armor to maximize mitigation."

Chest Enchant

• [Enchant Chest - Greater Defense] : +22 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Chest - Powerful Stats] : +10 All Stats : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Chest - Superior Health] : +275 Health : Crafted (Enchanting)
  
  Digren says, "Again, the new defense enchants surpass all the other options."

Wrists Enchant

• [Fur Lining - Stamina] : +90 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Leatherworking)
• [Enchant Bracer - Major Stamina] : +40 Stamina : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Socket Bracer] : Prismatic Socket : BoP Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants
• [Enchant Bracer - Major Defense] : +12 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Bracer - Greater Stats] : +6 All Stats : Crafted (Enchanting)
  
  Digren says, "Unless you're a leatherworker, +40 stamina is king. If you're not willing to invest in that for your current gear, your gear probably lacks defense and the BC defense enchant is a reasonable choice."

Hands Enchant

• [Reticulated Armor Webbing] : +800 Armor : BoP Crafted (Engineering)
• [Heavy Borean Armor Kit] : +18 Stamina : Crafted (Leatherworking)
• [Enchant Gloves - Armsman] : +2% Threat and +10 Parry Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Socket Gloves] : Prismatic Socket : BoP Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants
• [Enchant Gloves - Major Agility] : +20 Agility : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Glove Reinforcements] : +240 Armor : Crafted (Leatherworking)
  
  Digren says, "The few of us that remain engineers will enjoy our armor bonus. For the rest of you, consider the armor kit for a stamina boost or maybe agility for avoidance, and switch to +threat as DPS players scale up their gear. (A second pair of gloves gemmed and enchanted for threat is a good idea.)"

Waist Enchant

• [Eternal Belt Buckle] : Prismatic Socket : Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants
  
  Digren says, "This prismatic socket stacks with the engineering-only waist enchants. Sadly, those enchants are near useless in main tank gear and not worth listing. Please note that you can put any gem in a prismatic socket, not just a prismatic gem! And of course, the gem counts toward any meta activation requirement."

Legs Enchant

• [Jormungar Leg Reinforcements] : +22 Agility and +55 Stamina : Crafted (Leatherworking)
• [Frosthide Leg Armor] : +22 Agility and +55 Stamina : Crafted (Leatherworking)
• [Jormungar Leg Armor] : +15 Agility and +45 Stamina : Crafted (Leatherworking)
  
  Digren says, "Leatherworkers get a leg up with their BoP pattern, but everyone gets the same with Frosthide as the best, if expensive, leg enchant."

Feet Enchant

• [Enchant Boots - Tuskarr's Vitality] : +15 Stamina and +8% Run Speed : Crafted (Enchanting)
• Enchant Boots - Greater Fortitude : +22 Stamina : Crafted (Enchanting)
  
  Digren says, "As usual, controversy will erupt between those that choose Pursuit of Justice and the stamina enchant, and those that put the speed on their feet. Either are reasonable based on your choice of spec."

Fingers Enchant

• [Enchant Ring - Stamina] : +24 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Enchanting)
  
  Digren says, "Enchanters get their self benefit here, with a much better stamina enchant to replace the now-defunct spell power options available in BC."

Melee Weapon Enchant

• [Enchant Weapon - Blade Ward] : Sometimes Increase Parry Rating by 200 for 10 sec and Inflict 600 to 800 Damage on Next Parry : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Weapon - Accuracy] : +25 Hit Rating and Critical Strike Rating and Blue Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Weapon - Exceptional Agility] : +26 Agility and Green Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Enchant Weapon - Potency] : +20 Strength and Green Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Titanium Weapon Chain] : +28 Hit Rating, Reduce the Duration of Disarm Effects by 50%, and White Glow : Crafted (Blacksmithing)
  
  Digren says, "I'm not a big fan of procs, especially ones with hidden cooldowns that mean they won't be available when you need them. But, I know that a wide variety of otherwise respectable tanks prefer them, and at least this one was crafted to WotLK scale.
  
  "If you don't like procs, Blizzard's desire to create variety in tank enchants means we have a selection of marginal choices. Thus, stats such as strength and hit rating that are usually excluded from a "best in slot" list are included for this slot. Exceptional Agility is the best option for guaranteed avoidance; Potency is best for mitigation. For threat enchants, recent analysis shows hit rating to be the second-best paladin threat stat. While there are better enchant options for other slots, Accuracy is quite viable here. Little trash and very few bosses disarm, making the weapon chain a distant fifth choice."

Shield Enchant

• [Enchant Shield - Defense] : +20 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
• [Titanium Plating] : +40 Block Value : Crafted (Blacksmithing)
  
  Digren says, "The defense enchant is the best bet for becoming uncrittable and staying there. Consider the block value enchant for a second shield for situational use."

[majiben]

I disagree with many of your omissions.

For cloaks you left out +22 agility which is slightly more pure avoidance than +16 defense and a small amount of armor.

For chest you didn't include +275 hp despite including +18 stamina which at best gives 230hp and 7 SP. I may not like the hp enchants myself but I find it hard to justify including +18 stamina if you leave out the hp enchants.

For you hands you left out +15 str which provides more average damage reduction than +10 parry rating for heroics and early raid bosses. Some tps/dps too.

For wrists you left out +6 stats as a temp enchant for tanks without defense issues but still not willing to spend hundreds on +40 stam.

I'll make mentions that some people will want to see mongoose on the list too but I'm not one of them.

[Petrus]

I'd also have to say that the Titanium Weapon Chain should probably be on there, if not Accuracy. The chain is a popular choice among all tanks and really is there for those people who don't know an enchanter with Potency, don't have the BC-era mats for it, don't want to buy them, or some combination thereof.

I'd go with 26 agi over it, but if you're a miner and have the bars laying around then it's certainly a low-cost choice for many. The 50% disarm thing is also nice for those who don't have PoJ in their spec.

[Digren]

I disagree with many of your omissions.

For cloaks you left out +22 agility which is slightly more pure avoidance than +16 defense and a small amount of armor.

Corrected.

For chest you didn't include +275 hp despite including +18 stamina which at best gives 230hp and 7 SP. I may not like the hp enchants myself but I find it hard to justify including +18 stamina if you leave out the hp enchants.

Corrected.

For you hands you left out +15 str which provides more average damage reduction than +10 parry rating for heroics and early raid bosses. Some tps/dps too.

Armsmen is on the list for the threat, not for the incidental parry. New tanks may need this if they try to PuG with better-geared DPS, and experienced tanks can use it in a few specific fights, spreading to more fights in Uludar.

I don't think it's a good idea to encourage new tanks to gem or enchant for strength. I know I include it for the weapon slot as one of the viable choices - perhaps that's a mistake. But it certainly shouldn't be picked over the armor kit for new tanks. I think it's best left to Petrus' list.

For wrists you left out +6 stats as a temp enchant for tanks without defense issues but still not willing to spend hundreds on +40 stam.

Corrected.

I'll make mentions that some people will want to see mongoose on the list too but I'm not one of them.

Someone else can make a list that includes Mongoose. It won't appear on mine.

[Digren]

I'd also have to say that the Titanium Weapon Chain should probably be on there, if not Accuracy. The chain is a popular choice among all tanks and really is there for those people who don't know an enchanter with Potency, don't have the BC-era mats for it, don't want to buy them, or some combination thereof.

I'd go with 26 agi over it, but if you're a miner and have the bars laying around then it's certainly a low-cost choice for many. The 50% disarm thing is also nice for those who don't have PoJ in their spec.

I had the chain on my original list, and even had it on one of my weapons. But I've followed a few discussions about its uses. Very few mobs - and very, very few bosses - disarm. And the added parry is quite a bit less than the dodge from the agility enchant, something that likely remains true to very pretty large values of dodge rating. I don't think anyone would or should seriously consider the weapon chain on anything past leveling gear, so I don't know that it belongs on a maintankadin guide.

[rocket]

looks good, even faster to read than the older one.

i presume you will get a lot of "but my guild/server/etc doesnt have/need this level of stuff"...however i like that it summarizes end-game enchants. i'd personally keep levelling/i-got-no-money enchants/gems out of it.

[Jellypop]

you left out enchants like hit rating and expertise,

also accuracy and weapon chain ...

[majiben]

Hit and expertise enchants are left out for a good reason. They give poor threat and have no mitigation.

[Petrus]

Your point is fair, Digren, but I was referring to the 28 hit rating chain. Either way, good enough reason to leave it off.

As an engineer, I like that you put the hand-mounted pyro rocket there but... I honestly don't see a real reason to put it on a glove over 18 stam or armsman (or even 15 str). It doesn't have a real quantifiable use like the others and since we have TWO ranged pulls now (with Hand of Reckoning), I see almost no reason to take it.

Also, as a minor formatting thing, I always tend to list enchants in character sheet slot order, and I think it would be easier to follow if done that way. That way, while your enchant listing may be anatomically correctly ordered, I'd look for hands before waist instead of after, and rings after feet instead of before legs.

Head
Neck
Shoulder
Cloak
Chest
Wrist

Hands
Waist
Legs
Feet
Rings

Weapon
Shield

[majiben]

Typo under the red gems, you wrote thread but meant threat.

[Mavrix]

You included Stalwart Monarch Topaz, but omitted Champion's Monarch Topaz. I'd recommend adding it, even if you don't particularly personally want to use it.

[Digren]

Your point is fair, Digren, but I was referring to the 28 hit rating chain. Either way, good enough reason to leave it off.

As an engineer, I like that you put the hand-mounted pyro rocket there but... I honestly don't see a real reason to put it on a glove over 18 stam or armsman (or even 15 str). It doesn't have a real quantifiable use like the others and since we have TWO ranged pulls now (with Hand of Reckoning), I see almost no reason to take it.

Fair enough. It is a useless hold over. Removed.

Also, as a minor formatting thing, I always tend to list enchants in character sheet slot order, and I think it would be easier to follow if done that way. That way, while your enchant listing may be anatomically correctly ordered, I'd look for hands before waist instead of after, and rings after feet instead of before legs.

Head
Neck
Shoulder
Cloak
Chest
Wrist

Hands
Waist
Legs
Feet
Rings

Weapon
Shield

Corrected.

[Digren]

Dammit the quote and edit buttons need to be moved this <-----------------------------------------> far apart.

[Digren]

Typo under the red gems, you wrote thread but meant threat.

Corrected.

[Digren]

You included Stalwart Monarch Topaz, but omitted Champion's Monarch Topaz. I'd recommend adding it, even if you don't particularly personally want to use it.

When, exactly, should the general tankadin be choosing to gem or enchant for strength? There's a lot of strength on every piece of gear we get. Someone crafting a specialty set like maximum block value or solo DPS might consider strength gems, yes, and Petrus' master list will likely continue to list strength options, but I stripped most of the strength options from the "best" guide.

The holdover is the strength enchant to weapon. If we need to recommend strength to the general tank, let's focus on that enchant.

Should Potency be on this list?

Pros:
It's the mitigation and threat option
?

Cons:
It's an old enchant, which may be harder to find, and with lower iLvl (or whatever Blizzard uses on enchants)
?