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strange defense rating numbers... help!Follow

#1 Apr 28 2008 at 8:59 PM Rating: Decent
This is really strange. I have two tanking weapons,

1) Pilfered Ethereal Blade

66-124 dmg (59.4 dmg per sec.)
+15 stamina
equip: increases defense rating by 16
equip: increases expertise by 6


and

2) Blackout Truncheon
73-136 dmg (69.7 dmg per sec.)
red socket
yellow socket
socket bonus +6 attack power
chance on hit: increases haste rating by 132 for 10 seconds


I have the Blackout Truncheon socketed with two +6 defense rating gems for +12 defense rating.

The strange thing is that when I equip the truncheon i have 512 defense and when I equip the blade (which has more defense rating) my defense goes down to 509!

What the hell is going on here!? Did i sleep through some important lesson in tank school? I feel like the answer is really obvious, like I can't seem to do basic math anymore, but I've checked and rechecked and am completely mystified.

Someone please explain this strangeness to me.

Thanks in advance in case I don't respond.


#2 Apr 28 2008 at 9:33 PM Rating: Good
Defense Rating isn't the same as Defense Skill. 2.37 Defense Rating = 1 Defense Skill.
#3 Apr 28 2008 at 9:42 PM Rating: Decent
I discovered something new.

Leaving my weapon slot empty leaves me with 502 defense, so the Pilfered Ethereal Blade is giving me the normal amount of defense (502+16 rating = 509, sounds about right) while the Blackout Truncheon with two +6 defense rating gems is giving me an abnormally high amount of defense (502+12 defense rating = 512)

So far the only thing I have deduced is that my truncheon is giving me more defense than it should (10 defense for 12 rating) unless I misunderstand something about the gems or defense rating in general.
#4 Apr 28 2008 at 9:44 PM Rating: Decent
RPZip,

Yes I know that defense rating and defense skill are not the same, I still can't figure out why the gems are giving me 10 skill for 12 rating, the math isn't adding up.

Just to clarify something, if my character sheet says 512 defense, that is the "defense skill" you are referring to?

Edited, Apr 29th 2008 1:48am by Soychoo

ROFL I'm retarded, its my meta gem socket requirements....

+12 defense and 10% shield block value, if i use something besides the truncheon i lose the meta gem requirements. My guild leader pointed this out me.

Well i feel silly now....

Thanks anyways for the reply. :)

Edited, Apr 29th 2008 1:58am by Soychoo
#5 Apr 28 2008 at 9:51 PM Rating: Decent
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2,717 posts
Could it be that you have an Eternal Earthstorm Diamond and the gems in the Blackout Truncheon are activating it? Thus, equipping it results in +24 defense rating instead of +12?

EDIT: That is the defense skill, not rating, that shows up. When you mouseover it will say like xx rating, (+yy skill).

Edited, Apr 28th 2008 10:52pm by skribs
#6 Apr 28 2008 at 10:00 PM Rating: Decent
Yes that's it, check the previous post. :P
#7 Apr 28 2008 at 10:03 PM Rating: Decent
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2,717 posts
Someone on another forum (hunter IIRC) a while back had an issue where an item with less agility would actually give more. It was determined to be a meta gem, that's how I knew.
#8 Apr 29 2008 at 4:40 AM Rating: Decent
but if you're over 490, would you not benefit more by having more stam or other stats instead of stacking up on Def?

#9 Apr 29 2008 at 8:18 AM Rating: Default
Not really, unless you are stamina gimped.

The more defense you get, the higher avoidance you get, it has been stated somewhere that defense point for point give more overall avoidance than parry/dodge.

You could roll with 550 defense if you wanted, as long as your health / avoidance matches it. Another good thing about high defense is that if you are doing a boss fight where resist gear is needed, you are more likely to stay crit immune if your defense was crazy high ^^.

It's all about balance. If a tank only has 1 set of gear for everything, he is doing something wrong.
#10 Apr 29 2008 at 9:55 AM Rating: Decent
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2,717 posts
100 Defense Rating:
1.68% dodge, parry, miss, and block
(5.04% avoidance+1.68% block)

100 Parry Rating:
4.22% parry

100 Dodge Rating:
5.28% dodge

100 Block Rating:
12.69% block

I took 100 of each just to make the comparison easier. Defense will net more overall defense against crushing blows than dodge rating will, and more avoidance than parry (albeit parry has that added bonus of quicker attacks). Dodge will grab more pure avoidance, and Block Rating will do more to push CB's off the table. I'd prefer dodge, personally, but others may prefer the overall bonus of defense or the huge boost in block.
As a tank, you need both avoidance and health. Avoidance makes things easier on the mana pool of the healers, but won't prevent you from getting 1-shotted. That's where health comes in.
#11 Apr 29 2008 at 12:50 PM Rating: Decent
I'm in the process of re-organizing my stats, trying to raise my shield block value and stamina, keeping my meta gem active and keeping my defense at least above 495. I'll be replacing my Dabiri's Enigma with Gnomeregan Auto-Blocker
and replacing my crappy truncheon/blade with Innuro's Blade and eventually The Sun Eater and King's Defender. I'm not really sure what to do about my stamina, I'm Skullkid on Burning Blade if you want to check my armory. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as are everyone's comments.

Thanks!

I apologize for straying from the original topic a bit, but again any advice would be appreciated. :)

Edited, Apr 29th 2008 4:55pm by Soychoo
#12 Apr 29 2008 at 1:57 PM Rating: Decent
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2,717 posts
Defense needs to be 490, not 495.
#13 Apr 29 2008 at 2:05 PM Rating: Decent
I remember reading somewhere that a warrior's defense should be 495, not 490.
I'm not sure why, I thought it might be that 5.6% reduction, but after taking off pieces of gear and checking the numbers it appears that 490 achieves 5.6%. I think it might have have been elitistjerks warrior forums but I just can't remember, but I believe you're right, 490 is the minimum I would allow myself to have.
#14 Apr 29 2008 at 2:53 PM Rating: Decent
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456 posts
Actually, you need about 489 and a decimal. The thing is that WoW drops the decimal on your defense rating, so you can never have 489.5 defence, even if you can't see it. That is why we have to get 490.

After 490, point for point, defense is about equal to dodge rating for avoidance. If for some reason you want to get closer to passive uncrushability (is that even a word?) then defense is actually better, as scribs points out. Pally tanks love it, but warriors tend to focus more on stam and armor for effective health and rely on shield block to be uncrushable.
#15 Apr 29 2008 at 3:28 PM Rating: Decent
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2,717 posts
Reason pally's love it is because they need a lot more to be uncrushable with HS than warriors do with SB.
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