3.0 tanking weaponFollow

With the stamina --> spellpower conversion Paladins are getting through talents in the new patch, it seems like a Paladin Tank would want a weapon that was still fast, but also had defense/avoidance stats and HIT HARD! A spellpower weapon with a spellpower enchant really doesn't look like it is going to be necessary with the new talents. I don't have any specific recommendations right now because I don't have time to do much research at the moment, but defense/avoidance coupled with strength/speed/dps seems appropriate, and perhaps a little more variety in our weapon enchant choices too!

Dodge rating weapons


Several nice Defense Rating weapons

Of course this is conjecture since you want to max Stamina since 30% of it will be spell damage. I did notice the lack of the spell damage weapons with any of defense rating, dodge rating, parry rating or block rating.

Otherwise for pure Stamina/strength you would be looking at Last Laugh or Broken Promise

Also shields seem to be the same way no spell power with any defense stats.

Edited, Oct 10th 2008 12:47am by cbadger

Sooo...
I am 2.5K honor away from getting the S2 weapon, I was going to get the spell damage mace, but now that I've read this thread I'm totally in the dark...

Any S2 suggestions, comparisons, theorycrafting? I expect I'll get the needed honor tonight.

Ideally I'd like something to help me tank well (I'll be relying heavily on instances and instance quest chains on my protection Paladin) and still help out with the abysmal DPS I am currently seeing with my currently equipped weapon. Don't laugh, my pally tank is a new project who until recently has been merely an abandoned herbalism/alchemy alt

Ah, great!

Thanks for the speedy answer. Weapon upgrade tonight

I suppose it will still be worth it to put a 40 spell damage enchant on it, and I've got the mats already.

From the changes I read, speed is no longer as important. It's still nice, but if I was going to spend honor on a weapon, it would be the merciless slicer and put mongoose or potency on it (97.7dps, 2.6 speed) instead of the gavel (41dps, 1.6 speed, 225 spell damage).

For example seal of light is changed, you can't judge light and get healed through fast attacks because of the judgement. Now judging light just does holy damage based on your attack power and spell damage.

It's still nice to have a faster weapon because righteousness does holy damage on each hit based on AP + SD, but that's not the biggest chunk of your threat. Judging it for holy damage has nothing to do with weapon speed, the new 71pt talent weapon speed is irrelevant, consecrate is a big chunk of your threat, as is holy shield/avengers shield.

I guess the benefits of a fast weapon come from SoW, SoR, SoL, so it's nice to have something 1.6 speed....but the 2.6 speed slicer would still be a better bet, if you're willing to hold out until the patch on buying it.

I'll be looking for a kings defender or something, but the slicer is still a nice choice. I won't be buying the gavel as I gear my paladin though.

True, like I said I'll try for more of a warrior tanking weapon.

But the easiest upgrade for me right now (just hit 70) will be the Merc Slicer. I'd much rather take that at 97.7dps over a gavel at 41.3dps.

I feel I'll have enough spell damage through talents, and it will allow me to focus on pure stamina and continue boosting my spell damage as my stamina keeps increasing. Also it seems attack power (from strength) will be a fairly significant part of our threat as well. I took a quick look at tanking spells and the numbers from wowhead, even spells like consecrate will do damage based on both spell damage AND attack power.

I hear strength is shaping up nicely as more of a tanking stat in WoTLK (not THE stat, but a nice one). Apparently the block rating (or is it value?) will scale much nicer with strength in WoTLK.

From my limitted understanding, it seems consecrate will benefit just as equally from attack power as it will from spellpower which is interesting.

So personally, I'm waiting until 3.0 and grabbing the slicer or pummeler =)

A bit too fast for my liking (2.6 speed) but still high damage, 27 stamina and crit/hit.

I can't really decide on potency or mongoose for a weapon enchant. One is a proc, the other is constant.

Edited, Oct 10th 2008 2:02pm by mikelolol

I must have missed something, but was this something that was going on in the Beta? The DoT stack is never consumed on live.

The Sun Eater would probably be something to go for pre-kara. Basically warrior loot now = paladin loot. Kinda ****** IMO since I played a hunter who rolled on rogue loot. Thats what I'm going after atm.