Ratanna's Best-in-Slot WotLK Guide Discussion Thread.

I look at this thread almost daily as a good to how I am doing. I noticed for the first time it says on the first page That KT's shield will be best in 3.1, but not now. I was just wondering about that.

This guide has made me realize I might be gearing myself wrong. Right now I basically have a Main Raid set, which is largely stam and avoidance, and a "Block value" set. I think my Tank gearing is out of date.

Is there a thread about mitigation tanking now being better than avoidance? I really need to educate myself! Thanks Guys.

this is more of a guide for ulduar with current gear and matching TTL.

Many will argue that one set will help you avoid more damage. While this is true on paper, the only thing matters is TTL (time to live). Thats always been the case in 95% progression fights. Considering steelbreaker hits for 42k-46k nature dmg and there is a SHITTON of magic dmg in Ulduar (ie. mimiron fire channel 30,000 fire dmg per second). I can speak on behalf of this because i have tested every single boss on the US PTR realm (Ignis, Mimiron, Kologarn, Hodir, Council, Deconstructor). So I know what kind of damage to expect. Blocking 300-400 more than me on a boss who hits for 20k+.

Again its not to argue paper math over sustained damage taken over a period of time. Its to maximize TTL for progression fights. Simple matter of fact is that blocking is not where it needs to be. Blizzard has repeadetly admitted it so. Many paladins on this site look for sustained DTPS(damage taken per second), and dont take into consideration many progression fight mechanics.

People say I overrate stamina, but thats because thats the only thing guaranteed (especially when it comes to magic damage). People need to understand the scaling of Ardent Defender when any fight encounter can have a range of 1000-46000 damage.

Again, I'm not gonna argue which set is going to take more dmg, or that you can tweak ur shit more to take less overall damage. This is for MAX TTL. There is a reason why i Lasted the 2nd longest on Patchwerk Tank trials and had the second lowest DTPS on the PTR with premonition (Blood DK was retardedly first). I died basicaly on a 1 shot (hit me for 43k ish).

Block is good now becuz nothing really hits for much anyways. I use block gear to TPS for fun simply cuz I get bored. Come Ulduar though i'm throwing all that shit in the bank. (even when add tanking i will use max stam/avoidance gear in case i need to taunt the boss).

best of luck to all of u come ulduar whichever way you decide to gear. I know pretty clearly how I'll be doing it.

I've been looking over the various lists, and I had a question to you about your helm choice.

I'm going to compare the Valorous to the Vital Protection one, as that is generally my question: Why do you choose the Valorous over the Vital Protection?

The only major reason I can see (Though admitedly it seems a really solid one for early Ulduar progression) is the 4 Piece Tier 7.5 set bonus, seeing as how you omit the chest for the Sartharion one (And clearly most would easily do the same).

Do you feel that, definitively, the 3 Extra seconds of Divine Protection outperform the other gear differences (Vital Protection with an 8 Defense/12 Stamina gem compared to Valorous with a 24 Stamina Gem offers 1 Defence and 56 Parry rating at the cost of 12 Strength, 5 Expertise and 77 Block Value)? Clearly, the Valorous is more suited to threat, while the Vital Protection is more geared to avoidance, this seems more counterintuitive to what you had mentioned earlier in reference to block value, etc.

Honestly WotLK made really shitty helms to choose from.

My favorite itemized helm has been Thanes. Its just a shame that they could not replicate a helm similar to this.

Either helm works very well and are very comparable. 83 BV, 15 Str, 12hp, 5 expertise, 1 stam. I do find myself using 4pc a bit. Atm I do have a helm of vital protection in the bank though because i'm using valorous with 21def 5% BV meta for threat and dps. But on ptr i switch helms (both with 32stam, 2%armor meta). I'd say council hard mode, mimiron, deconstructor hard mode are fights that I use 4pc. With shield wall at 2min the 4pc bonus just became that much more viable. Calling dibs on the new t8 helm . But yes both helms are situational depending upon if I want my 4pc bonus. I should add it to the side grade items.

tbh i wish it was a helm that was dodge instead of parry and hit instead of expertise. /sigh

You seem to be doing most of your playing on the PTR these days, or trying for more Immortal. Have you finally broken 4k DPS on Patch yet?
Once I saw the WWS for how close you've come to 4k I decided that would be a goal of mine out of boredom:
• 4k DPS tanking Patch pre 3.1

I've gotten 3675 most recently, however I remembered to flask after Bloodlust was over, didn't get a single TotT Hysteria or otherwise. I'm confident I can get it, I was just wondering if any one else has bothered to try.

Yeah wtb a higher ilvl helm itemized like thanes

Ratanna wrote:Dragonstorm Breastplate
*Enchant - 22 Defense or 10 Stats (only if defense capped)
*Sockets - Prismatic41 Stam (red) (or Str/Dodge+12 Stam)
*Sockets - 8 Defense 12 Stam

Same as I said in the other thread, I disagree with this for an EH set. Chestguard of the Exhausted has a 23 defense advantage over it, for only 1 less stamina. If you need a defense enchant on Dragonstorm, that means you can go with 10 stats or 275 hp on Exhausted for a net EH gain. If you have so much defense that you don't need a defense to chest enchant, you can swap out your shield enchant for 18 stamina or your shoulder enchant for a 30 stamina, or you can socket a yellow socket with a solid sky sapphire instead of matching the socket bonus.

TL;DRL: 23 defense > 1 stamina for an EH set.

CircuAuchindoun wrote:You seem to be doing most of your playing on the PTR these days, or trying for more Immortal. Have you finally broken 4k DPS on Patch yet?
Once I saw the WWS for how close you've come to 4k I decided that would be a goal of mine out of boredom:
• 4k DPS tanking Patch pre 3.1

I've gotten 3675 most recently, however I remembered to flask after Bloodlust was over, didn't get a single TotT Hysteria or otherwise. I'm confident I can get it, I was just wondering if any one else has bothered to try.

4030 (No CDs, No Pots, No Tricks, No Imp Might 2:18 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4114 DPS (Speed pot, No Wings, 5 Tricks, 2:48 kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4252 (Wild Magic pot, Wings, 13 Tricks (although most of them overlapped each other), 2:38 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

we run 2 naxx raids atm. 1 Main raid and 1 alt raid. I run with the alts because i have a schedule conflict with the main naxx raid. I'm sure i can push 4600-4800+ if I used pots/cooldowns on a sub 2 min kill.

I'm using about the same gear for right now, but i disagree its best inslot for progress. I'd scrap 4set when ulduar comes along and use helm of vital protection and legplates of soveregnity along with dragonstorm breastplate, bv is so uselesss when youre getting hit for high amounts. The rest looks good though..

Ratanna wrote:4030 (No CDs, No Pots, No Tricks, No Imp Might 2:18 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4114 DPS (Speed pot, No Wings, 5 Tricks, 2:48 kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4252 (Wild Magic pot, Wings, 13 Tricks (although most of them overlapped each other), 2:38 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

we run 2 naxx raids atm. 1 Main raid and 1 alt raid. I run with the alts because i have a schedule conflict with the main naxx raid. I'm sure i can push 4600-4800+ if I used pots/cooldowns on a sub 2 min kill.

Longer fights seem to be my issue. I had no real problems pushing 5900ish last night but the issue is we're running into attendance problems so only people not covered in BiS (lower ranking guild members) are showing up.

EDIT: where you main tanking those or eating hatefuls?

mting

Ratanna wrote:[
4030 (No CDs, No Pots, No Tricks, No Imp Might 2:18 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4114 DPS (Speed pot, No Wings, 5 Tricks, 2:48 kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

4252 (Wild Magic pot, Wings, 13 Tricks (although most of them overlapped each other), 2:38 Kill)
http://www.wowmeteronline.com/combat/de ... #damageout

we run 2 naxx raids atm. 1 Main raid and 1 alt raid. I run with the alts because i have a schedule conflict with the main naxx raid. I'm sure i can push 4600-4800+ if I used pots/cooldowns on a sub 2 min kill.

What kind of DPS/threat gear are you swapping in? Also, I assume these are in your current crusade/reckoning spec? =P

BV cloak, wall of terror, mirror/greatness trinket. that is all. yes i am crusade spec when i do this.

can you link your crusade spec?

i just tanked patch and i thought i did decent at 2900 dps, but u did 1k more than me... whats ur secret? just conviction spec and more crit?

kurros wrote:

Ratanna wrote:Dragonstorm Breastplate
*Enchant - 22 Defense or 10 Stats (only if defense capped)
*Sockets - Prismatic41 Stam (red) (or Str/Dodge+12 Stam)
*Sockets - 8 Defense 12 Stam

Same as I said in the other thread, I disagree with this for an EH set. Chestguard of the Exhausted has a 23 defense advantage over it, for only 1 less stamina. If you need a defense enchant on Dragonstorm, that means you can go with 10 stats or 275 hp on Exhausted for a net EH gain. If you have so much defense that you don't need a defense to chest enchant, you can swap out your shield enchant for 18 stamina or your shoulder enchant for a 30 stamina, or you can socket a yellow socket with a solid sky sapphire instead of matching the socket bonus.

TL;DRL: 23 defense > 1 stamina for an EH set.

No, just no. Giving up the dodge on the Dragonstorm BP? NO

Block rating is terrible at this point already.