3.2 Enchant/Gem Guide

Last Updated on Monday, 09 November 2009 16:24 Written by Digren Sunday, 13 September 2009 20:25

Tankadin 3.2 Item Enhancement

The gates of the coliseum have opened, and the heroes of Azeroth stride forth, testing their might and courage before the inevitable showdown with the Lich King. With the new challenges come new changes, as adjustments in avoidance have disrupted long-standing rules for item enhancement. This guide has been adjusted to accommodate the reality of post-3.2 tanking, based on my experience and that of other Maintankadins as discussed on this site.

Remember, only you, the experienced tankadin, knows what's best for you given your gear and raid role.

With so many changes since our heroes first stepped into Northrend, the Heroic/Naxx gem and enchant guide is hopelessly outdated. Tankadins, regardless of your tier, keep reading for an all-around guide.

General Theory

Arguably the most basic requirement to survive as a tank - to not take critical hits - is unchanged. Defense of at least 540 - defense rating of 689 - remains a minimum requirement, and all item decisions must consider this. Even if the best choice for your gear strategy and raid role is to stack stamina or armor, you must defer to defense rating to keep the minimum. There have been many discussions on this topic.

Block Capping?

- Chest - Greater Defense to Chest - Superior Health (1.0092)
- Defense/stamina gem to pure stamina gem, sacrificing 6 avoidance socket bonus (1.0667)
- Defense/stamina gem to pure stamina gem, sacrificing 6 stamina socket bonus (1.1111)
- Shield - Defense to the BC-era Shield - Major Stamina (1.1111)
- Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle to Greater Inscription of the Gladiator (1.1667)
- Agility/stamina gem to pure stamina gem, sacrificing 6 avoidance socket bonus (1.100)
- Gloves - Major Agility to Heavy Borean Armor Kit (1.1857)
- Agility/stamina gem to pure stamina gem, sacrificing 6 stamina socket bonus (1.186)

Stamina Stacking

opportunity cost

Some analysis

Caution

The Rise of Parry

intelligently

Basic Gear Strategy

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.

This gem and enchant guide has been enhanced to help those working on custom sets to pick the best gem and enchant options.

Note that, for me, my primary gear set is tailored for effective health. Alternative sets are only used as required. If you detect bias in my opinions, consider this viewpoint as the reason.

Gemming

With the release of epic gems in 3.2, gemming for socket bonuses is less important. If a bonus provides a useless stat (e.g. block rating) or too little of a useful stat (e.g. +2 dodge rating), consider the sockets colorless. However, some bonuses - particularly high-stamina ones (at least +6 stamina, if not higher) - remain viable, and many tanks will need some yellow or red gems to maintain the defense minimum and activate meta gems. This guide assumes that most people will want some of their socket bonuses. Thus, gem options are provided for each gem slot color, with consideration given to gems that fit in any slot and slots that accept any gem.

Defense, Dodge, or Parry?

rule-of-thumb

Code: Select all: (character_sheet_dodge_% - 10) / (character_sheet_parry_% - 10) = 1.88

Libram of Defiance

Blue Gem Slot or Colorless Gem Slot (including all slots where the socket bonus is poor)

[Solid Dragon's Eye] : +51 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Solid Majestic Zircon]: +30 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Solid Stormjewel]: +30 Stamina : Fished (Dalaran Daily) Unique (Stormjewel)
[Solid Sky Sapphire] : +24 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

Digren says, "Jewelcrafters, use your custom gems to maximize stamina. It really doesn't matter if they go in a blue or colorless slot; just use the piece you expect to replace last. For the rest of us, put a Solid Majestic Zircon in every blue gem slot; a Solid Stormjewel is optional if convenient"

Red Gem Slot (with a good socket bonus)

[Shifting Dreadstone] : +10 Agility and +15 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

[Defender's Dreadstone] : +10 Parry Rating and +15 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

[Regal Dreadstone] : +10 Dodge Rating and +15 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Shifting Twilight Opal] : +8 Agility and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Regal Twilight Opal] : +8 Dodge Rating and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

Digren says, "Red offers gems for strength, agility, dodge, and parry. To pick between dodge (via agility) or parry, use the rule-of-thumb in the guide above. Choose agility over dodge rating for some mitigation and threat, at the cost of some avoidance. If the socket bonus is worth getting or a red gem is required to activate a meta, an agility/stamina gem is the best choice for effective health."

Yellow Gem Slot (with a good socket bonus)

[Enduring Eye of Zul] : +10 Defense Rating and +15 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Thick King's Amber] : +20 Defense Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Enduring Forest Emerald] : +8 Defense Rating and +12 Stamina : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Thick Autumn's Glow] : +16 Defense Rating : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

Digren says, "Unless a Thick King's Amber is required to maintain 540 defense, choose the combo stamina gem for a refined balance of defense and effective health."

Meta Gem Slot

[Austere Earthsiege Diamond] : +32 Stamina and +2% Increased Armor Value from Items : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Eternal Earthsiege Diamond] : +21 Defense Rating and +5% Shield Block Value : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)
[Effulgent Skyflare Diamond] : +32 Stamina and Reduce Spell Damage Taken by 2% : Crafted (Jewelcrafting)

Digren says, "There isn't a great avoidance option for meta slots, so pick the best effective health option, the Austere Earthsiege Diamond. Only block/trash sets should use the Eternal Earthsiege Diamond since block just doesn't scale.

"The stamina and spell-damage-reduction gem has been fixed for 3.1, but most tankadins will defer to another class for spell-intensive fights. This guide doesn't cover the design of a magic-tanking gear set."

Enchanting

Whether attained through the enchanting profession, 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 many slots have a hands-down best enchant. Slots without a strong contender for top enchant have greater flexiblity, such as the marginal options for 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)
[Mind Amplification Dish] : +45 Stamina and Mind Control and New Helm Graphic : BoP Crafted (Engineering)

Digren says, "The engineering tinker isn't viable for tanking; any one so concerned about stamina as to give up that much defense rating wouldn't be an engineer anyway. The alternate helm graphic is perhaps its best PVE benefit. There's no excuse for using any enchant but the best."

Shoulders Enchant

[Master's Inscription of the Pinnacle] : +60 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)
[Greater Inscription of the Gladiator] : +30 Stamina and +15 Resilience Rating : Purchased (10000 Honor)
[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. Remember that Relics of Ulduar can be used for Sons of Hodir reputation, so reaching honored is pretty trivial. I would expect serious main tanks to be exalted and using the best option available. Note that the PVP enchant is more effective health, for those maximizing an EH set, though the resilience is significantly less good than the defense rating."

Back Enchant

[Flexweave Underlay] : +23 Agility and Slow Fall : BoP Crafted (Engineering)
[Enchant Cloak - Greater Agility] : +22 Agility : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Cloak - Titanweave] : +16 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Cloak - Mighty Armor] : +225 Armor : Crafted (Enchanting)

Digren says, "Greater Agility offers slightly more pure avoidance than Titanweave, plus armor for effective health and crit rating for threat. It or the engineering version is the best choice for almost every gear set. Some people 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, "The defense enchant surpasses the other options, even for most effective health gear sets."

Wrists Enchant

[Fur Lining - Stamina] : +102 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Leatherworking)
[Enchant Bracer - Major Stamina] : +40 Stamina : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Socket Bracer] : Prismatic Socket : BoP Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants

Digren says, "Unless you're a leatherworker, +40 stamina is king."

Hands Enchant

[Reticulated Armor Webbing] : +885 Armor : BoP Crafted (Engineering)
[Enchant Gloves - Major Agility] : +20 Agility : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Heavy Borean Armor Kit] : +18 Stamina : Crafted (Leatherworking)
[Socket Gloves] : Prismatic Socket : BoP Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants
[Enchant Gloves - Armsman] : +2% Threat and +10 Parry Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Glove Reinforcements] : +240 Armor : Crafted (Leatherworking)

Digren says, "
Those of us that remain engineers will enjoy our armor bonus. For the rest of you, the extensive glove enchant discussion has led to the following conclusions:
- Of course the overvalued engineering enchant is the best option for effective health and any boss-tanking gear set.
- The normal armor enchant hasn't been updated and is undervalued.
- DPS players surpassing paladins on threat just hasn't happened...yet. Threat enchants are generally a waste.
- Non-engineers who want to maximize health may want the armor kit. However, +18 stamina isn't really very good in terms of opportunity cost when compared to +20 agility. If you choose the armor kit, you should also choose to forgo socket matching and stack stamina gems.
- The agility enchant is a great all-around option, providing avoidance, armor, and even a little threat."

Waist Enchant

[Personal Electromagnetic Pulse Generator] : Confuse Mechanicals : BoP Crafted (Engineering)
[Eternal Belt Buckle] : Prismatic Socket : Crafted (Blacksmithing) Stacks with Other Enchants

Digren says, "This prismatic socket stacks with the engineering-only waist enchants. Of those, the pulse generator has use as an add tank in some encounters (i.e. XT, Mimiron). 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 : BoP 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 else gets the same benefit with Frosthide as the best, if expensive, leg enchant. If your legs are at least iLvl 213, you should be ashamed to still use the low-quality leg enchant."

Feet Enchant

Enchant Boots - Greater Fortitude : +22 Stamina : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Boots - Tuskarr's Vitality] : +15 Stamina and +8% Run Speed : Crafted (Enchanting)

Digren says, "Recent talent optimizations have made it possible for more tanks to go deeper into a second tree. Even I, a long-time opponent of deep ret, have talented down to Pursuit of Justice. If you've chosen to spend your extra talent points in holy, you don't have to sacrifice much to put a little speed on your boots."

Fingers Enchant

[Enchant Ring - Stamina] : +30 Stamina : BoP Crafted (Enchanting)

Digren says, "Enchanters get their self-only benefit here."

Melee Weapon Enchant

[Enchant Weapon - Accuracy] : +25 Hit Rating and Critical Strike Rating and Blue Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Weapon - Mongoose] : Occasionally +120 Agility and 2% Attack Speed and Electrical Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Weapon - Exceptional Agility] : +26 Agility and Green Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Enchant Weapon - Blood Draining] : Sometimes Grant Blood Reserve When Striking an Enemy, then Regain Health from Blood Reserve Stack When Below 35% Health, and Red Sparkling Flame 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)
[Enchant Weapon - Blade Ward] : Sometimes +200 Parry Rating for 10 sec and Inflict 600 to 800 Damage on Next Parry, and Red Glow : Crafted (Enchanting)

Digren says, "
New options have caused controversy to erupt again regarding weapon enchants. There has been extensive discussion. The changes to avoidance in 3.2 still haven't been fully explored, but preliminary analysis indicates that they change little. My conclusions are as follows:
- Accuracy and Exceptional Agility are the two best static (i.e. always there) options for general use.
- Accuracy is best if you don't have sufficient hit rating on other items and are specifically concerned about taunts failing. For your secondary threat/block value set for trash or LolPVP, Potency is probably better. The weapon chain is only for cheap people who haven't spent 30 minutes to run their Argent Tournament dailies once, then used the cash to buy Accuracy. Its disarm effect is useless and, while the hit rating is marginally better than Accuracy, Accuracy also provides the crit rating which is, on average, better than useless.
- Exceptional Agility is great for avoidance gears sets. It provides a bit of armor and crit rating as well, so it is an all around general-purpose reliable stat. Mongoose would be similar, except scratch out the "reliable" bit. Dodge is already a roll of the dice. Mongoose sometimes adds a die but sometimes takes one away, when compared to Exceptional Agility.
- Blood Draining, when it works, is just like having an extra HoT tick when you need it most. If you tell your healers to never put HoTs on you because you don't want to risk ticking out of AD range, then it isn't for you. Otherwise it's a quality, viable, if not reliable, emergency-style auto effect. See the Blood Draining TTL discussion and note the rule-of-thumb for when Blood Draining helps you survive. I use Blood Draining as the best pseudo effective health option.
- Blade Ward is like Mongoose, except it procs less often, provides less threat than Potency and no benefit to taunts, and is consumed by regular parries (i.e. those caused by other parry rating) and thus gets worse as your gear gets better. Read all the way through the Blade Ward test results before considering this for your weapon."
Rokkon sums up the weapon enchant options this way:
- If you feel comfortable with your health pool, go agility.
- If you feel a bit squishy, go blood draining.
- If you have threat issues, go accuracy.
- If you're a thrill seeker, go mongoose.
- if you're poor, go titanium weapon chain.
- If you're old school, go potency.

Shield Enchant

[Enchant Shield - Defense] : +20 Defense Rating : Crafted (Enchanting)
[Titanium Plating] : +81 Block Value : Crafted (Blacksmithing)

Digren says, "Put the block value enchant on your block/trash shield, and use the defense enchant on your best shield for everything else."

Change Log

3.1
5/22/09 12:56 PM: Initial posting complete.
5/22/09 12:59 PM: Corrected fishing daily gems. They are tradable.
5/22/09 3:57 PM: Corrected a typo in the jewelcrafter-only gem discussion and a formatting mistake in the weapon enchant discussion.
5/27/09 9:47 AM: Added link to Theck's analysis of the relative benefits of agi/sta gems to dodge/sta gems.
7/8/09 12:15 PM: Added the Greater Inscription of the Gladiator to the shoulder enchant list, with commentary to note that it is the best effective health option (but inferior overall).
7/26/09 3:53 PM: Added the Solid Stormjewel as a recommended gem for blue slots, and updated the commentary. (Thanks Rhiannon for pointing out the omission.)

3.2
8/4/09 10:22 AM: Rewrote the introduction and guide post for 3.2.
8/4/09 10:57 AM: Rewrote the introductory text in the gem guide to include the new rule-of-thumb for maximizing avoidance. The post isn't complete; I need to incorporate epic gems.
8/5/09 10:30 AM: Added a clarification that for "high-stamina socket bonus" I meant something that offers +6 stamina or more. This may edge up to +9 stamina based on the opinions of people actually picking gems.
8/5/09 11:03 AM: Updated the gem guide for 3.2.
8/5/09 12:32 PM: Correct typo in the gem section that incorrectly listed the stamina of the JC gem as 41. With the release of 3.2 the stamina bonus was increased to 51.
8/5/09 5:20 PM: Updated the enchant guide for 3.2. Many of the updated crafter-only enchants still carry outdated information on Wowhead, so the numbers I list might not match those of the links.
8/6/09 10:51 AM: Corrected bug where the leatherworking BoP leg reinforcements weren't marked as BoP (aka self only).
8/27/09 10:18 AM: Added a reminder that the 1.88 dodge:parry ratio should be checked when fully raid buffed. (Thanks Marrus.)
9/4/09 10:17 AM: Rewrote the stamina discussion in the general theory section to better explain the opportunity cost associated with each gem or enchant swap to stack stamina. (Thanks Theck.)
9/4/09 12:40 PM: Corrected a grammar mistake in the updated stamina section.
10/12/09 10:42 PM: Elevate Mongoose to the recommended enchant list based on new testing of its increased up time. (Thanks Theck.)

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