SBV Addict seeks logical debunking

So over the course of my gearing and playing around with different gear here and there, I've become "addicted" some might say, so Shield Block Value (SBV) with good cause.

From my understanding, SBV is an exceptionally potent stat when stacked (Why do you think we don't have SBV gems?). I realize the mitigation gained is inversely proportional to damage dealt per attack from a boss, nonetheless, I suspect it's a very efficient (in terms of itemization) way increase one's ability to take damage.

Moreover when we as Paladins dodge, are missed, or parry (read: avoidance, even though 90% of you insist that block is avoidance when it isn't), we generate 0 threat. However, when we block, we're generating threat (and a very sizable amount at that), we're also taking damage which must be healed, which returns mana to us, which in turn can be used for even more threat, damage and thusly mana we would lack if we avoided the attack entirely.

Using this idea I was *ecstatic* about the 2.3 badge loot, loads of shield block value everywhere, I couldn't wait to get it. I have most of it now and I'm loving it, if I could just get the three drops I want from ZA I'd be up around 750 or 800 BV.

I am troubled, however, by the new badge loot (as well as blizzards choice for itemization on most of our sets, seeming to have no direction or theme behind them, just a smattering of every stat we could possibly use, but that's a topic for another threat). I look around and see mounds and mounds of dodge rating. Why? Are these really 'upgrades?' If I dodge more I take less damage, get less mana, and, when my avoidance is sufficiently high, invite threat problems onto myself through my choices in gear.

So can someone explain to me how and why it is advantageous to Paladin tanking to collect gear with so much *true* avoidance?



(To further illustrate my point of view I would contend that all of our gear should be itemized like Justicar Shoulders and Lightbringer Chestguard, but with more blue sockets, and less red/yellow ones. So long as we have just enough defense to maintain 490, just enough Block % to become uncrushable with Holy Shield sans Libram of Repentance, all other stats should be in stamina, SBV, and Spellpower.)


EDIT I: I admit my experience with end-game content is limited (gogo crappy server), so there may indeed be aspects of which I am not fully aware due to my inexperience with deep content.
_________________
¬The Original PalaTank, Petersen the Unbreakable
Tanking with a Paladin since before it was 'cool.'

Whilst it's fine to block 800 damage out of a 8k attack, it's better if you can avoid them at least 50% of the time.
_________________
Beware the advice of successful people. They do not seek company.

It's a balance you come by, as you get more spell damage, holy shield's proportionally smaller threat for you, making block less desirable.
and for boss tanking, they often hit so hard that even avoiding 50% of their attacks won't really get you low on mana.
_________________

Quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur (Anything said in Latin sounds deep)

In a single target situation, the amount of threat lost when going from 50% avoidance to 60% avoidance is not nearly on the same scale as the amount of damage reduced. We are talking an average reduction of 20% and a loss of tps of ~1%.

As your gear level increases, the amount of tps due to reactive damage decreases, mostly due to holy shield's poor coefficient.
_________________
<3 Tankadin at Heart.

Not necessarily accurate: Armory

Well, at lower-end content such as Karazhan, heroics, and trash in T5/ZA/Hyjal, you're right: block value does kinda rule. The problem is, as you yourself mentioned, block value becomes less and less valuable the harder things start hitting. So the answer is: multiple gear sets. Use block value gear for things that hit for <1k, where a 700 block is 70% damage reduction. Use avoidance gear for things that hit much harder. A 700 block from Shahraz's 7k autoattack is only a 10% reduction in the damage intake; you'd be better off with investing the itemization from the 300-400 block value into stamina or avoidance.

And, of course, when it comes to mitigation vs stamina, always remember: you can't block a fireball. Elementals really don't care what your block value is, but you can still dodge/parry them, or have more stamina to survive them.

-Splug
_________________
(Usually) Prot warrior: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Illidan&n=Splug

Yep, it really is a matter of how hard stuff is hitting. If you're getting hit for more than 2k by something, you're probably better off with dodge.

That said, BV is a lot like armour. It does cut off a little bit of the damage, since anything that hits you that hard is getting blocked every time. At some point, I'd like to sit down an do the math about armour vs. BV.
_________________

It does seem fallacious because, while you will take much more damage, you risk burning your healers' efficiency. And it's really unnecessary damage, as in a high avoidance set, bosses on my gear level don't allow me to go oom. Worst case is a 15 seconds dodge stream, but that's far from a problem compared to blocking(even in a high bv) for 15 seconds. As I said before, Holy Shield's threat also loses it's significance against single targets as you gear up.
I'd also rather take my chances with proactive healing's mistakes, as these are more easily covered by the other healers.
_________________

Quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur (Anything said in Latin sounds deep)

The problem many people miss about healing and overhealing and dodge vs block is that things happen quickly. It is not hit, heal, hit, heal, hit, heal. Its hit hit, heal, hit special hit, heal, hit, silence, hit, hit, special, heal.

I know, that was all over the place. My point is, effective health is great when you can expect constant heals. In reality, its only sometimes the case.

Yes, sometimes you will get wasted overheals because you dodged. And sometimes you won't get enough healing in a timespan because it was completely impossible to stack enough effective health to survive a burst.

I first noticed this on Gurtogg Bloodboil. Sometimes the first thing he would do is target the other tank. Healers start preheals on that tank, and BAM he switches to me. Now, nobody has a heal ready for me. CLEAVE. No dodges...dead.
_________________
<3 Tankadin at Heart.

Not necessarily accurate: Armory

Shield block value is often considered a factor in calculating effective health, since it is reliable mitigation. And I'll agree with you that for 1-2k swings, you can shave off a lot of damage with higher block value. I keep a set (somewhere) with over 1000 block value. That's about 550 more than my current gearset. I lose about 2000 health and 10% dodge/parry/miss putting it on. I don't use it very often any more, but that kind of setup did fairly well in t4/t5 content, when a boss hitting for 3000 isn't too outlandish.

Teron Gorefiend can still hit me for 7000+. Shaving an extra 550 off that is good. But I'd need ~26000 health to break even on "time from full to dead" for the 2000 health I'm losing alone. Throw in the dodge/parry/miss difference and not only am I sitting at lower effective health, I'm also intaking more total damage, and thus require more total healing as well. Thus, it becomes a bad tradeoff for heavy hitters.

Regarding elementals: Elementals cannot crush as of... I want to say 2.1. Also, they go right through shield block/spell reflect the same way they go through holy shield/redoubt. What is this "one button" you're talking about warriors having?

-Splug
_________________
(Usually) Prot warrior: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Illidan&n=Splug