Avenger's Shield vs. Sanctity Aura

Hello, this is my first post, but read a lot this forum, very nice ideas. is sad see a good treat that fall wrong with bad words or bad intencions.

well, now about topic, im wearing a SA spec. i will plan for next patch do the next:

Protection
Redoubt Rank 5
Precision Rank 2
Toughness Rank 5
Blessing of Kings Rank 1
Improved Righteous Fury Rank 3
Anticipation Rank 4
Spell Warding Rank 1
Blessing of Sanctuary Rank 1
Reckoning Rank 4
Sacred Duty Rank 2
One-Handed Weapon Specialization Rank 2
Improved Holy Shield Rank 1
Holy Shield Rank 1
Ardent Defender Rank 4
Combat Expertise Rank 4
Protection Total: 40 Retribution
Benediction Rank 5
Improved Judgement Rank 2
Improved Seal of the Crusader Rank 3
Deflection Rank 5
Pursuit of Justice Rank 3
Crusade Rank 2
Sanctity Aura Rank 1
Retribution Total: 21

i will lose 1 point on ardent defend and 1 point to CE, but i seem will be quite good for me atm.

sorry for my bad english, im spanish.

With the changes in 2.3, this argument is moot as hybrid tanking specs will be discarded in order to reach Combat Expertise.

But I've always been a believer in the power of Avenger's Shield from the very first moment I heard about it.
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Well i read through every post hoping for someone to talk about pulling/building early threat without AS but no one did.

If you dont have AS to front load on threat how do you start most boss fights? Do you ask the dps to sit there for a minute while you build the necessary threat? Are you loaded up with spell dmg so you can drop 1k+ JoR?

Being that i have just barely hit 70, earlier this week, and haven't been able to run kara yet, being that my pally is an alt and my main was needed, i don't know anything about tanking raid bosses and can only site my experiences with AS being awesome at getting initial threat on normal bosses, allowing the dps to start right away as opposed to waiting for me.

So if you aren't using AS what do you do to start a fight?

My armory link if any one is interested.

Kenra

When I was working without Avenger's Shield, I openned up with Judgement of Blood as my method of front loading threat, followed by Judgement of the Crusader if the fight was going to go any length.

I was also a Sanctity build (with 4 points into Vengeance too) at that point. Without either I can not say how well leading with JoB/JoR would work.
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One interesting use I have found for avenger's shield is when I MT the nature side of Hydross. I can't really use holy shield, so I work an AS into my rotation each time it is off cooldown. It isn't much, but it adds some extra threat.

I use AS on Olm the Summoner, whatever the priest's name is, Gruul, Hydros, Void Reaver, TK trash, SSC trash, Gruul trash, Mag trash, Mag channelers, etc.

Is it better than SA? Yes and no. SA provides more sustained threat. AS provides more utility (which you can do without), but also solidifies a build with more damage mitigation.

My tanking experience isn't much (only into SSC and TK), but so far AD has saved my life many times. Shoot, it has saved me on Gruul a couple of times when the silence happened before our timers said it was off cooldown. I find it a nice extra to have. It is great when AoE tanking the phoenix hatchlings and your healer gets silenced by accident. It is great for the fast hitting bosses when lag happens and your healers can't get heals off. All in all, I like it. I would definitely get SA if I could afford to lose the points in AD and few other places, but honestly, my mileage with both AS and AD has been great so far, so I am sticking with those. I personally don't need the extra sustained threat anyways. Some of our warlocks crit in the 6k range and I have done well against holding threat against them without SA. If that changes in BT or MH, I may re-evaluate that.
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On many bosses you don't even have time to cast AS, since the boss will get to you before that 1.5 seconds, and then probably crush you while casting.
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I suppose, first I'll need to see if we will have a ret pally in any raids.
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