So, is prot viable for solo compared to ret now?..

[aureon]

prot won't be viable as half as ret for solo leveling in wotlk.
yeah, you can aoetank faster.
but there's not enough mobs to aoetank, when the expansion is starting

[jedimatt]

My experience so far:

2 levels as prot: kill things way faster than before the patch, survivability is pretty insane, mana is still an issue, even with BoSanc

2 levels as ret: kill things insanely fast, survivability is good but can't take on as many mobs in a row as prot, end most fights with almost full health and full mana

I was ret, went to prot, then went back to ret. It is just too fast to pass up right now. Plus, if any world PvP happens, I generally destroy them if it's 1v1.

(edit)if it matters, I'm 66, not 63. Damn armory won't update. >_<

[Vioarr]

prot won't be viable as half as ret for solo leveling in wotlk.
yeah, you can aoetank faster.
but there's not enough mobs to aoetank, when the expansion is starting

This was my thought; sure leveling in AoE style in Outlands worked for me, but that was well after the expansion had been out and people had been 70 for a while. I have a feeling that mobs are going to be camped by people doing quests, etc.

[Ankiseth]

Prot in ret gear isn't bad...

I don't get why people inherently have to wear full tank gear when leveling. I'd wear my ret gear regardless.

[Levantine]

Is Protection viable for solo play? Yes, yes it is.

Is Protection viable compared to Retribution? Not by any stretch of the imagination.