Matching gem slots in WotLK

[Petrus]

With the upcoming gear changes, a lot of us are going to have to rethink our gemming because of the loss of some defense skill. Personally, my main tanking set is going to have to re-itemize 70 points of defense rating in order to maintain uncrittability.

However, this got me thinking. I'll probably still use Solid gems in blue sockets, but I'm one of those 15-stam-gems-everywhere type of people. I figure that if I'm not uncrittable, yellow sockets are going to have to be Enduring gems.

This brings me to red sockets. Currently, we have several options for matching the slot:

Glowing: Spell Damage/Stamina
Shifting: Agility/Stamina (The dodge/stam is arguably better than this at the rare gem level)
Regal: Dodge/Stamina (There is currently no epic version of this gem, so Shifting is often used in its place)
Subtle: Dodge

Now, this changes with 3.0. Strength/Stamina gems (Sovereign) become another option for our red slots when trying to match sockets. Ultimately, the questions are thus: Str/Stam or SP/Stam for threat, and after that (Sovereign/Glowing) or Agi/Stam? Perhaps pure dodge? Because many of us will be resocketing some gear, this will likely be on the minds of at least a few tankadins come the 3.0 PTRs.

This also may be a very relevant question at 80: Will we have enough defense to even have the option of socketing for straight stamina, or will we be 'forced' to match sockets because we need some more defense here or there? Will one option or the other come out markedly ahead for min/maxing our gear?

Edit: We will also have the option of using 'Champion" cut orange gems, which are Strength/Defense gems, for red sockets.

[Snake-Aes]

This brings me to red sockets. Currently, we have several options for matching the slot:

Glowing: Spell Damage/Stamina
Shifting: Agility/Stamina (The dodge/stam is arguably better than this at the rare gem level)
Regal: Dodge/Stamina (There is currently no epic version of this gem, so Shifting is often used in its place)
Subtle: Dodge

str/stam does trump every option in there. If you need pure defense rating there's a few gems(regal tanzanite? regal nightseye? idk) that have stam + def.
Otherwise just break the socket bonus and throw a quick lionseye there

[Sabindeus]

i already matched my sockets where it made sense to do so.

[Rasmfrackn]

http://www.wowhead.com/?item=30587 for everyone!

Heroic crypts... shudder...

[DeadMilliken]

paladin threat:

STR > Spelldmg on ever slot EXCEPT weapon.
(*After all, you don't exactly see any +200str 1hd weapons while you do see +400spelldmg weapons)

Last time I looked at the formulas, STR = Spelldmg on the co-effs.

STR beats spelldmg in threat by:
#1
Effecting your white damage (*and therefore your Hammer of the Righteous holy dmg)

#2
Increasing your mitigation (1str = .5 block value)

#3
There are far more opportunities as a paladin to scale STR/AP via talents and abilites (*including other class buffs), than Spelldamage could ever hope for.

[Petrus]

So Sovereign gems are overriding Glowing gems, which I suppose is to be expected. However, if we're matching sockets, how does a Sovereign gem compare to a Shifting gem for itemization and avoidance vs. threat/mitigation? Is there any situation where Shifting would be a better choice than Sovereign? If necessary, assume Blue sockets are Solid gems and Yellow sockets are Enduring gems.

[Dorvan]

So Sovereign gems are overriding Glowing gems, which I suppose is to be expected. However, if we're matching sockets, how does a Sovereign gem compare to a Shifting gem for itemization and avoidance vs. threat/mitigation? Is there any situation where Shifting would be a better choice than Sovereign? If necessary, assume Blue sockets are Solid gems and Yellow sockets are Enduring gems.

Sovereign is strictly superior to Shifting, because it provides more threat (10 AP > 6 SP, to take current epic level gems for example) and additionally supplies some block value, whereas SP has no mitigation function. As soon as WotLK a Tankadin should not under any circumstances put a shifting gem in their tanking gear.

[Petrus]

Sovereign is strictly superior to Shifting, because it provides more threat (10 AP > 6 SP, to take current epic level gems for example) and additionally supplies some block value, whereas SP has no mitigation function. As soon as WotLK a Tankadin should not under any circumstances put a shifting gem in their tanking gear.

I think you're mistaking Shifting (Agi/Stam) for Glowing (SP/Stam) here. My question was moreso if the Agi is still worth it for the avoidance in any situation or if we should consider Sovereign (Str/Stam) to be our general-purpose red slot gem now.

[Snake-Aes]

5 str > 5 agi any time of the day in Wrath. It's just that good.

[Scotthew]

#2
Increasing your mitigation (1str = .5 block value)

Did they change the ratio of Strength to Block Value with WotLK? To my knowledge 20 strength equates to 1 block value, which is a pretty horrible conversion.

[Chunes]

yes it's something like 2str->1BV

[Petrus]

They did change it, which is why Strength is so good. Every 2 Strength adds 1 BV, which adds to ShoR hits. Strength of course also still increases AP which now affects many more abilities than before.

[Dorvan]

Sovereign is strictly superior to Shifting, because it provides more threat (10 AP > 6 SP, to take current epic level gems for example) and additionally supplies some block value, whereas SP has no mitigation function. As soon as WotLK a Tankadin should not under any circumstances put a shifting gem in their tanking gear.

I think you're mistaking Shifting (Agi/Stam) for Glowing (SP/Stam) here. My question was moreso if the Agi is still worth it for the avoidance in any situation or if we should consider Sovereign (Str/Stam) to be our general-purpose red slot gem now.

durrr.....ignore me

[Blutreich]

Strength does trump spell power hardcore. Spell power is better for holy shield damage. Strength beats spell power on all the spells that have duel coefs. Only strength helps white damage HotR ShoR and block value.
Also str gets a nice multiplier B]

Remember as well as gemming str, you want to put a chant of str not SP on ur wep.

[Petrus]

Remember as well as gemming str, you want to put a chant of str not SP on ur wep.

This is an interesting point. After 3.0 Potency > Major Spellpower? Or does our 40 SP enchant still win?