4.2 Tank Stages and Cataclysm Gear Guide

[yappo]

Ok, the failsafe gearing guide is in a state good enough to make it worth linking to from the level 3 tank definition.

[Digren]

Here's what I have put together, drawing from lists for levels 1 and 2:

Heroic ready failsafe list

Neck: [Mountain's Mouth] : Guardians of Hyjal (Honored)

Why this piece, when there are both a Justice Point piece and a JC crafted piece available at iLvl 346? I would consider that a heroic-ready failsafe list could rely on more than 4000 Justice Points, given that you can have 4000 points when you ding 85 and then presumably must spend some number of days at 85 running normals before you are "heroic ready".

[Digren]

Here's what I have put together, drawing from lists for levels 1 and 2:

Heroic ready failsafe list

Back: [Shroud of the Dead] : Ramkahen - Honored

I've generally left off crit/mastery and haste/mastery items, primarily to keep the list shorter, but I'll add them where they make sense. I've put this on the list. I've also added a few that I found to be upgrades during my own leveling, like Pauldrons of Unholy Rituals on the stage 1 list.

[Digren]

Wrists: [Dunwald's Finest Bindings] : Twilight Highlands (Quest)

Meh. I've put this on the stage 2 list because there otherwise were no failsafe options. I can't believe this is the best guaranteed-drop wrist pre raids.

[Digren]

Trinket #1: [Harrison's Insignia of Panache] : Uldum (Quest)

So here's an interesting thought. I finished this quest yesterday, and rather than the above item, I chose [Schnotzz's Medallion of Command].

Strength is a second-tier threat stat, which provides 25% of the parry of parry rating. In other words, a strength/mastery trinket is dual threat/survivability, with poor threat and most of the survivability random. it's the equivalent of:
59 parry rating
some amount of attack power
mastery proc

On the other hand, Agility is a worst threat stat but provides 58% of the dodge of dodge rating. Thus, the agility/mastery trinket is the equivalent of:
135 dodge rating
some amount of crit rating
mastery proc

...and in my opinion that makes it better than the strength trinket for a survivability set.

Edit: Updated numbers for level 85 based on Theck's input.

[Njall]

You're just a stinkin' Schnotzzi sympathizer.

That said, I'll be getting the Panache medallion - if only for the utility of using it in both tanking and ret equipment sets. You are probably right though.

[Kelaan]

I'll be getting the Panache medallion - if only for the utility of using it in both tanking and ret equipment sets. You are probably right though.

I'm in the same boat. I want to get my ret gear as good as I can while not sacrificing too much tankability, and that will likely mean picking ret-friendly quest rewards since I'll be using money and JP on tank gear.

[Digren]

Here's what I have put together, drawing from lists for levels 1 and 2

I've filled out the stage two list based on this, but building one specific set will wait until somebody, somewhere, as a character modeler/profiler working at level 85. Wowhead or Magelo, I'm looking at you!

[Digren]

I'll be getting the Panache medallion - if only for the utility of using it in both tanking and ret equipment sets. You are probably right though.

I'm in the same boat. I want to get my ret gear as good as I can while not sacrificing too much tankability, and that will likely mean picking ret-friendly quest rewards since I'll be using money and JP on tank gear.

Ahh. I don't have a ret set, and building my tank threat set is always secondary to my survivability set. DPS can hold off if my threat is low (Note: there's no indication yet that my threat is low), but there's not much anyone can do if I'm dying.

[Njall]

Ahh. I don't have a ret set, and building my tank threat set is always secondary to my survivability set. DPS can hold off if my threat is low (Note: there's no indication yet that my threat is low), but there's not much anyone can do if I'm dying.

True. But I don't have the time anymore to lovingly run instances till I get every darn piece I need for both sets (Essence of Gossamer, I REMEMBER you... I remember you not EVER dropping). So, if I have something that helps me out by multitasking, I'll take it.

Which reminds me, I have to build my elementium dragonling tonight. You are still, however, a Stinking Schnotzzi sympathizer. I hate those guys.

[Digren]

I wonder if the 0.2 slower speed on Cookie's Tenderizer would warrant its inclusion under both threat and surv threat for "Tank Level 2" weapons.

Probably. It performs right on par with 359 normal-mode raid weapons.

Here's my recommendations on weapons:

TLDR Summary:

• Weapon performance can roughly be determined by sorting in this order:
  
  1. ilvl and speed (+0.2 speed is worth ~ 13 ilvls)
  2. Primary and Secondary stats (STR>AGI, Hit/Exp>Crit/Haste)
• DPS weapons aren't really anything special anymore, they're no better or worse than an equal-ilvl tank weapon with similar primary/secondary stats.
• Slow spellpower weapons lag tanking weapons by about 26 ilvls at best, fast spellpower weapons are far worse.
• Rule of Thumb: Within an ilvl category, pick items based on the secondary stats you like. For upgrades, slower and higher ilvl is almost always better.

Also a couple of observations/comments about the list(s):

• Killshades probably shouldn't be included in the level 2 list, as they require at least one Heroic clear (and more likely, several until you win an orb).
• [Twilight Dragonscale Cloak] is probably worth listing on the level 4 list, as it's very comparable to [Wrap of the Great Turtle]. The crafted item has 41 more stamina, the epic has +15 dodge, +15 mastery, and +15 parry from Strength. Since Hyjal has little else to offer past Honored, using the crafted item lets you put that rep grind on the back burner so you can focus on Wildhammer/Ramkahen.

A lot of the commentary, etc., including links to your analysis are still lacking, but I have Cookie's on the correct lists now.

I was really hoping/expecting that they would add chaos orbs to the JP vendor by the time I hit level 85. Damn. I'm disappointed in engineering again when I really want to be excited about all the cool toys.

I've added the cloak to the stage four list.

[Digren]

Ok, the failsafe gearing guide is in a state good enough to make it worth linking to from the level 3 tank definition.

Done

[Digren]

Which reminds me, I have to build my elementium dragonling tonight. You are still, however, a Stinking Schnotzzi sympathizer. I hate those guys.

When I finished Uldum (including helping Mr. Schnotzz "check out" thank you very much), I farmed last night just long enough to have the mats for my Dragonling. He's pretty.

What happened to Belloc? He was just gone from the first quest building when I returned from status smashing, when the building exploded. This wasn't explained, was it? Will he come back in a future expansion?

Edit: I really like the Uldum story line, with one exception: When Schnotzz "took me out back" and pointed the big rocket gun at me, I hated that the script made me cower in fear. Instead I would have liked to say "Hey, nice weapon. Guess what, I have one too." and whipped out my Goblin Rocket Launcher, or my rocket launcher tinker. No goblin is going to scare me with engineering tech. I've been a goblin engineer since Schnotzz was in his fashionist little diapers.

[Njall]

What happened to Belloc? He was just gone from the first quest building when I returned from status smashing, when the building exploded. This wasn't explained, was it? Will he come back in a future expansion?

Considering he's the head of the Reliquary, I'm thinking he'll show up again. Probably about the same time we seen Brann. Where IS Brann?!?! Damnit. He was supposed to be in Uldum but it looks like they gave that job to Harrison... who's a troll expert. What is a troll expert like him doing in Uldum? That's like expecting a Hittite specialist to competently interpret Qin Dynasty statuary.

Sigh, I guess we'll have to go looking for m'man Bronzebeard. Again.

[Digren]

Where IS Brann?!?! Damnit. He was supposed to be in Uldum but it looks like they gave that job to Harrison... who's a troll expert. What is a troll expert like him doing in Uldum? That's like expecting a Hittite specialist to competently interpret Qin Dynasty statuary.

Sigh, I guess we'll have to go looking for m'man Bronzebeard. Again.

Spoiler in the extra small font.



Didn't you finish Uldum? Brann jumped out of the artifact just after he used it to kill Schnotzz. Then he taunted Harrison and you for being slower than him, yet again.