Holy to ProtFollow

So get this...

When I first thought about what I wanted to play, I wanted a support class that was needed. So, I rolled a pally. Got lvl 70 and went holy, started pvping and 5mans. I have 5 healing pvp items, some 5man normal drops, and the best of the best enchants on all of em. And just when I am about to have enough +healing for heroics, they want me to go Prot. Due to the fact, that our friend is bringing back his t6 resto shaman, and my brother being a hunter, we now need a tank. Has anyone else done this change?


The nerve...

Yeah, prot pallies are pretty potent in 5 mans at the moment, one of their biggest advantages is they don't require CC. When people first started running heroics CC was everything, people wouldn't go without 2 reliable forms of CC, preferably 3, this left classes like dps shamans and druids, ret pallies and shadowpriests high and dry. When I tank these days I usually find myself going with little or no CC, and all the elem shamans out there really appreciate it.

Unfortunately you hear a lot of horror stories of pallies wearing pvp retri gear or using warrior weapons, so you need to make sure you do things properly. If you can get a lot of regular 5 man runs in you should be ready for heroics in no time, the good thing is that regular dungeons are pretty forgiving, your mistakes wont cause wipes and you can learn your craft. I have healed shadow lab with no tank before (my brother was fury spec and didnt want to respec, so he tanked the entire instance in full fury gear, without even a shield, I was full t4 at the time and had little trouble). At your level you can pretty much gear like a warrior, with the exception of getting a good caster sword (crystalforged sword is popular, but anything reasonably fast with a lot of spelldamage on it will work) and you can get one of the best pally tanking shields from the SSO simply for doing your dailies long enough.

Edited, Jun 4th 2008 7:51pm by Tinyknight

He did say he needs to be a tank, so gearing up for tanking as a healer at this point, given the info in the post, doesn't seem feasible. And for the Heroic level, a spell weapon with the +40 damage enchant will be plenty sufficient, with the exception of DPS groupies whose gear leaves yours in the dust. As you get higher, the damage needed will increase, but for Heroics, weapon is all that is required.

Tanks are probably the rarest classes on any server in my opinion. If you're looking to make the change a little faster, have a look at the AH for items "of the champion" which have def rating on them (assuming I put the right suffix down there >.>) As Tinyknight said, normal mode dungeons are fairly forgiving of mistakes and since you'll have a t6 healer backing you up, you'll probably be able to chew off a lot more than you would in a normal group without much trouble.

As for a weapon, if you're exalted with Honour Hold you can pick up a Blade of the Archmage, and revered with Keepers of Time will get you a Continuum Blade, either of which will provide more than enough spell damage to hold you well into heroics.

I'd wait on the gavel, go ahead and buy your healing boots...
Also, Continuum Blade = Crystal Forged sword (Crystal forged is slightly better because of the shield block on it but spell hit is also very useful to a pally) So if you wouldn't "Waste" the enchant on the Continuum, don't put it on the crystalforged. Since you've got the healing enchant on the Glad Salvation, that still adds +spell dmg, I would tank with the healing mace for now. You're best bet is to get a little more geared and run Heroic Magister's Terrace and try and get Cudgel of Consecration.
It's got a decent drop rate and is better than all of your above choices. (The Glad Gavel isn't for behind, but with this mace so easily available, frees you up to spend you honor on healing boots which in pvp you'll need since you should be healing)

Socket pure stam when you can afford to. get 490 first and for most. If you socketed +12 stam to your 15 slots right now it would give you 1800 HP, 1 crit from a mob in a heroic will take all of that and more.

I would never call myself a tank if i didnt have the basic defense stats covered first.


Jade-Skull Breastplate
the Mechanar: Nethermancer Sepethrea
1164 Armor, 50 Sta, 30 Str, 25 DefR, 23 BlockR, 150 Health.

Enchant Chest - Defense
Profession: Enchanting (4x Greater Planar Essence, 8x Arcane Dust, 4x Eternium Ore. +8 DefR

Legs:
Timewarden's Leggings
Reputation: Keepers of Time Revered
1019 Armor, 133 Sta, 12 Agi, 18 DefR, 11 DodgeR. (1 Red, Blue, and Yellow socket)

Solid Star of Elune (Blue, 12 Sta)
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Star of Elune)

Enduring Talasite (Blue/Yellow, 4 DefR, 6 Sta)
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Talasite)

Subtle Living Ruby (Red) +8 Dodge Rating
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Living Ruby)

Nethercleft Leg Armor
Profession: Leatherworking (4 Heavy Knothide Leather, 16 Thick Clefthoof Leather, 8 Primal Earth, 1 Primal Nether)


Head:
Felsteel Helm

1284 Armor, 27 Sta, 33 DefR

Subtle Living Ruby (Red) +8 Dodge Rating
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Living Ruby)

Solid Star of Elune (Blue, 12 Sta) x2
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Star of Elune)


Glyph of the Defender
Reputation: Keepers of Time revered
16 DefR, 17 DodgeR.


Shoulders:
Spaulders of the Righteous
The Botanica: Laj
873 Armor, 22 Sta, 22 Int, 20 DefR, 15 SpellD, Sockets: Red, Blue, +3 DefR.

Solid Star of Elune (Blue, 12 Sta)
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Star of Elune)

Subtle Living Ruby (Red) +8 Dodge Rating
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Living Ruby)


Greater Inscription of Warding
Reputation: The Aldor exalted
10 DefR, 15 DodgeR.


Hands:
Gauntlets of the Righteous
Shattered Halls: Warchief Kargath Bladefist
728 Armor, 22 Sta, 20 Int, 19 DefR, 21 SpellD, 7 Mana/5.

Enchant Gloves - Superior Agi. 3x Small Prismatic Shard, 3x Greater Planar Essence, 2x Primal Air. +15 Agi

Feet:

Flesh Beast's Metal Greaves
680 Armor, 25 Sta, 18 DefR, 28 DodgeR.

Enchant Boots - Boar's Speed
Profession: Enchanting (8 Large Prismatic Shard, 8 Primal Earth)
9 Sta, 8% Speed.


Waist:
Lightwarden's Girdle
Aldor Quest reward: Deathblow to the Legion
622 Armor, 30 Sta, 14 Int, 23 DefR, 28 SpellD.

Wrists:
Bracers of the Green Fortress
Profession: Blacksmithing (6 Hardened Adamantite Bar, 20 Primal Life, 1 Primal Nether)
581 Armor, 51 Sta, 17 DefR, 10 DodgeR.

Enchant Bracer - Major Defense
Profession: Enchanting (2 Small Prismatic Shard, 10 Arcane Dust)
12 DefR.

Back:
Devilshark Cape
The Steamvault: Warlord Kalitresh
78 Armor, 22 Sta, 20 DefR, 18 DodgeR, 29 BlockV.

Enchant Cloak - Dodge
Profession: Enchanting 3x Small Prismatic Shard, 3x Greater Planar Essence, 8x Primal Earth.12 DodgeR.

Neck:
Steam-Hinge Chain of Valor
The Steamvault: Mekgineer Steamrigger
26 Sta, 19 BlockR, 29 BlockV.

Fingers:
Elementium Band of the Sentry
The Arcatraz: Harbinger Skyriss
24 Sta, 20 DefR, 19 DodgeR.

Delicate Eternium Ring
Profession: Jewelcrafting (1 Eternium Bar, 5 Mercurial Adamantite)
15 Sta, 25 Agi, 16 DodgeR.

Trinkets:
Adamantine Figurine
Shadow Labyrinth: Blackheart the Inciter
32 DefR, Use: Increases armor by 1280 for 20 seconds.

Figurine of the Colossus
The Shattered Halls: Warchief Kargath Bladefist
32 BlockR, Use: Each successful block heals you for 120. Effect lasts 20 seconds.

Libram:

Libram of the Eternal Rest
Sethekk Halls: Darkweaver Syth
Increases the damage of your Consecration spell by up to 47.

Weapon:
Continuum Blade
Reputation: Keepers of Time Revered
1.80 Speed, 41.1 DPS, 30 Sta, 11 Int, 121 SpellD, 8 SpellHitR.


Enchant Weapon - Major Spellpower
Profession: Enchanting (8 Large Prismatic Shard, 8 Greater Planar Essence)
40 SpellD.


Shield:

Aegis of the Sunbird
The Botanica: High Botanist Freywinn
3806 Armor, 27 Sta, 19 DefR, 115 BlockV.

Enchant Shield - Shield Block
Profession: Enchanting (12 Arcane Dust, 4 Greater Planar Essence, 10 Primal Earth)
15 BlockR.


Long i know, but all said and done here are the cold hard numbers:
(Unbuffed and assuming 0/49/12 build, and on a lvl 73 mob)

12046 Armor
10647 Health
4892 Mana
Defense skill 511


Dodge Chance 20.71%
Parry Chance 16.44%
Block Chance 22.73%

Here is a list i used before i starting running heroics, and kara. Looking back at it now, i could have swaped some gems around for some more stam. 511 defense was a little overkill. All of these can be obtained without setting foot in a heroic.