The S4 shuffle

[jnames]

My Guild is currently getting our members geared and experienced for T5 content, but I am currently at the point where I have almost every piece of gear I can use for the near future from ZA, Kara, Badges, Heroics, etc. So I figure the next big upgrade could come from S3 and eventually S4 gear. Has anyone else been grinding arena points for tanking gear? If so how do you recommend going about it? I have decent PvE holy and ret sets (kara/heroics/ZA level) and have considered holy prot.

Thanks,
Justin

[PsiVen]

The Gavel and Shields are the only good tanking gear, really, and you'd need to build on your PvP set to work on that. Holy is the most PvE-gear friendly to start with, but you'd pretty much have to play in 5s. For lower brackets I'd go ret.

[Akushi]

If your avoidance is already really good for t5 content as ZA and Badge gear is more aimed at helping into t6 you can cut back on the Neck+Rings and get the guardians for a boost in stm/Spell dmg

but like he Said the Gavel and Shield from s4 are the only real viable option for tanking from pvp body armor as what people "think is a prot set" is a shockadin set

if you want to have a nice off heal set for when you're bored and aren't allowed to AFK a boss fight, the pvp gear is okay but not very good for long mana intensive fights as it lacks crucial regen stats to make up high stm+resil for pvp

(but i don't ever heal haha i hate healing so i may be wrong)

[jnames]

Sorry, I should have made myself clearer. The only pvp gear i was considering was the gavel and the shield. I have all my badge gear (at least for the near future until I get into some t5 to balance some stats out). I figured holy would be the best way to go since I do have such a good pve holy set, but I just wanted to get some input.

[fizikz]

s3/s4 gavel/shield require a rating... and s2 mace/shield are honor...why're you doing arenas? O.o

[Akushi]

Maybe he saw the 266 spell dmg on the gavel and decided OMFG I WANT THAT NOW.

Anyway yea if you are super unlucky in ZA and never got a punisher then the s3/s4 gavels are worth the effort, maybe you don't have a full time ZA group you run with, but honestly if you have the healing gear and a good 2v2/3v3 group then you'll have these in 4-7 weeks depending on your groups skill and luck.

If i didn't hate healing so much i'd prob arena for the s4 mace, even though i have the Amani Punisher, i've recently become a spell dmg junkie you see... and i've gotten the Guardian's neck till i decided to bite the bullet and go from Exalted Scryers to Aldor for the procs when i sneeze neck.

[jnames]

Yeah I have the punisher, and the pauldrons, bulwark, tuskguard, signet and all the healing gear from ZA and some of the dps gear. I am running out of gear to get, and thanks to all the ZA gear my spell damage is gimped if I want to max my EH (nearly 16.5k unbuffed hp and 17.5k armor), so yes, I saw the S4 gavel's spell damage and said OOH I WANT THAT! Heck, even the S3 gavel would be a nice damage upgrade. I have some guildies that want to do casual arena as well, so i thought WTH. It just seems I have run out of options for getting better gear until I can get us into T5 and I am addicted to getting more gear. I am going to spec holy prot for our 5s tonight and I will report on how well it goes and whether or not it seems viable to get a casual group to a high enough rating to pick up some of these rewards.

[Jerey-Darkspear]

My Guild is currently getting our members geared and experienced for T5 content, but I am currently at the point where I have almost every piece of gear I can use for the near future from ZA, Kara, Badges, Heroics, etc. So I figure the next big upgrade could come from S3 and eventually S4 gear. Has anyone else been grinding arena points for tanking gear? If so how do you recommend going about it? I have decent PvE holy and ret sets (kara/heroics/ZA level) and have considered holy prot.

Thanks,
Justin

Best way to get experienced for T5 content is by doing T5 content. Why not take a shot at Lurker, Void Reaver, and Solarion? Then, if you're feeling frisky, maybe venture into MH/BT and try the first couple bosses there.

[Minarva]

I used the S3 shield when S3 was up and running, and i expect to use the S4 shield unless Illidan decides to be nice. I have a full S3 set that is now 3 parts S4. This gear does great even up in Sunwell, where the extra survival is always nice and the high AoE can allow high mana returns anyway. All in all, arenaing is a nice way to improve gear.

[Minarva]

I used the S3 shield when S3 was up and running, and i expect to use the S4 shield unless Illidan decides to be nice. I have a full S3 set that is now 3 parts S4. This gear does great even up in Sunwell, where the extra survival is always nice and the high AoE can allow high mana returns anyway. All in all, arenaing is a nice way to improve gear.