profesions

If you don't have a care about gold go for JC+BS or Enchanting or LW

If you want some gold get JC+mining
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My sexy little BE

I've finally decided to drop Mining and go for JC (along w/ my Enchanting).

I've pretty much bought all the mats (missing some stuff from a Shopping List guide I found) to power through to 375.

Would anyone care to estimate how much Cobalt/Saronite I should farm up before I untrain Mining? I don't want to pay the ridiculous prices for the Ore, so I might as well get it for myself while I can.
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JewelCraft:

JC is good but it has the potential to lose potency over time. But, thats potentially made up for with the profits you earn from the profession. Kinda like taking mining early to level a profession like JC or BS. The +500HP from Mining is a nice bonus to tanking while you gather up mats, and smelt Titansteel.

HOWEVER, I think the "Profit" factor can largely be ignored in this conversation. As were talking about "best overall stats" and not "Good Stats, with a profit benefit."

If your just stacking STAM (Does anyone really do this anymore?) You have a potential for +47STA Per Socket where using the Prismatic Gem nets you the +6STA socket bonus found on much of our entry level gear. But that also assumes you don't have to use 2 prismatic gems to gain that bonus in a multi socket piece of gear. So that "bonus" has the potential to not always be availible in total, or even be on our gear. Not to mention, if you don't plan to gem just for +STA, it's easy to pickup those +6STA or other socket bonuses on our gear. With that in mind, I don't think it's a viable consideration to include socket bonus as a "benefit" to going JC when evaluating the difference in professions.

So currently JC Nets you a: +17STA x3 = 51STA Bonus over people w/out JC. This bonus erodes over time as the +30STA Epic Gems will eventually become avail. Reducing the bonus to: +11STA x 3 = 33STA Bonus over people w/out JC. Which is less than the +500HP gained from Mining. It Re-Gaines equality with the other profession only bonuses IF JC is the only reason allowing you to pickup +6STA x3 = 18STA in SOCKET Bonus. Putting you at +69STA over people with BLUE Gems, and back to +51STA With EPIC Gems.

JC Evalutation: It's a competitive profession for Tanks. If your not a raider, and don't plan to ever get epic gems (which may become avail to EVERYONE on the Badge Vendor). It gives a healthy +51 STA + Kings (if avail) boost to your HP/Mana. With the Potential to Add an extra +18STA from potential sockets bonuses. Raiders may find these bonuses decreasing over time, as the availibility of high quality +30STA gems become avail. Additonally, this viable tanking profession has the potential to earn you money, if you have the time to put into skilling it. However, there is signifigant cost involved in skilling up, not to mention rare patterns and necessary faction grinds. Also of note are the several BoP items that go along with this profession, that are great for entry level WoTLK, and may last a lifetime for more casual raiders.

Blacksmithing:

2x Sockets - Bracer/Gloves, STACKS with everything.

I think this is a no brainer. These sockets become avail around 400 in skill I believe. I don't remember. Every Pally should take this Profession. It's an easy +48STA that stacks with EVERYTHING. With the potential to be +60STA when epic gems become avail.

You can also make a fair amount of money from this profession. I've made about 10kG Selling all the WoTLK items I used to skill up, as well as Selling Eternal Belt Buckles, and other pieces of crafted BoE items for Plate Tanks, DPS, Healers. And PVP DPS/Healers. The Economy on your server may vary, and, if you didn't already get into the market, the $$ train may have already left the station.

Enchanting:
2x +24STA Ring Enchants. Decent. But the pain of leveling + the overlap with other professions. Means your better off going BS + Another of the higher STA bonus professions. As BS + Another scales better than Enchanting +BS or Enchanting + Another.

Engineering:
No Comment ;p

Inscription:
Shoulders looked nice, but the long term diminishing returns of dodge erode at the bonuses of the shoulder enchants.

Leatherworking:
+90STA to Bracer = +78STA over the current best bracer enchant. Even if we get a higher level +24 STA to Bracer, or more realistic a +18 STA, thats a range of 66-72STA even after possible upgrades to those slots.

Summary:

If your just looking at raw stats, and not the "utility" or "Money" from the professions, BS + Leatherworking provides the largest reliable boost in stats that will scale with new gems/enchants that are introduced in WoTLK over time. Both professions are also fairly easy to level, with the "Bonuses" provided fairly early in the professions. You can level Mining+Smithing first, to get a easy double HP boost from mining and the added sockets. And then eigther swith to skinning to gather for leatherworking, or gather on an alt.

IMHO all serious tanks will eventually have all gathering professions on alts, as those provide the least (well mining is ok for someone skilling Blacksmithing) benefit in a combat scenario to a Tankadin.

ok here I thought my post had died and was nearly buried so I hadn't updated it anymore (nor had I time to look here) and now I see I was totally wrong thanks for all the replies I've added some changes as I've had a lot of comments. Gonna incorperate the JC gems and bc advantages later on (not sure when tbh)

I think its a pretty big error to overlook the trinkets from J/C when they are BoP, while new trinkets may come out making the current trinkets not as worthwhile by that same logic we have to look towards end game wotlk when the new J/C epic BoP trinkets come out, at which point thier future buff will more than likely make it the superior tanking trinket(if not trinket"s" if they add another high stam ruby hair).

I would say for best min/maxing results JC/BS would be best. Furthermore as a paladin if we respec we have access to two profesions that provide very good benefit to both Ret and Holy(nice trinket, epic gems, and two extra slots will benefit all three of our specs).
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Paladin/70/Rivendare

Has anyone read any thing on what they may be doing for enchanters? Becuase the ring enchant 24 stam to me is just like two sockets from BS so I decided to keep enchanting over BS.

Inccription that shoulder enchant is crap. Its only like 25 more dodge over sons of hodir enchant ( at exalted). and 25 dodge = like .08-.18 more dodge. Therefore I chose mining as my second profession for the HP bonus.

If I dont hear anything about new enchants unfortunatly i may end up enchanting a final set of rings. and dropping enchanting for leatherworking :C.

I'm thinking like neck enchants/belt enchants or something cool or like trinket enchants. I mean really we need something from enchanting to help us end game. JC/BS does seem like a pretty good combo though.

If anyone hears anything about enchanting could you send me a PM/post it on here.
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