I am gearing up for heroics. I just bought 5 Frozen orbs - so as soon as I can get some Titansteel I'll have a new shield and Boots and Helm.
It's a slow day at the office and I was wondering if someone could advise me. I'm checking the Wow.armory and I've confused myself.
I have a Defense of 511, but a Defense rating of 554. I haven't enchanted anything because I've been burned already by paying big money for something that quickly gets replaced - so I know my stamina is low.
Link: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Vashj&n=Borsock] --- Borsock, Vashj
1. Should I be focusing on defense or Defense rating? What is the difference? (If you highlight Defense in the armory - it tells you the defense rating.)
2. Should I craft myself the Epic Frost resist set with massive STA, but no Def? I don't want to waste teh money to equip it and realize my blue/greens got me better Def Cap'd.
3. I've noticed that some items say they increase your defense a certain amount, but I don't see a direct translation when I equip it. For example - Does a lvl 76 item with DEF of 25 really mean a DEF of 20 if you are wearing it at 80?
4. I've heard you can get Def cap'd by Ice Crown Quest. I'm about to get the belt from the bug quest (Glad I socketed and gem'd my current belt!) - Is it true - Def Cap from questing?
5. I'm not specifically looking for it, but if you have any gear suggestions, plz feel free to point me in the right direction.
Thanks for the help,
Bor
Edited, Dec 26th 2008 9:47am by Borsuk
Edited, Dec 26th 2008 11:24am by Borsuk
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Defense vs Defense RatingFollow
1. There are no items, talents, or enchants that currently give Defense instead of Defense Rating. There is an upcoming Runeforge enchant for DKs that's a straight 25 defense, but that will be changed to defense rating a bit before the next expansion.
The idea is to stack up 689 defense rating, as that gives you the extra 140 defense skill to 540 defense. Once you have 540 defense you stack stamina, up to around 25k or so.
2. The frost resist sets are specifically for frost resist fights. They have nothing on them except stam and frost resistance. The point of them are for fights like Sapphiron and Kel'Thuzad, where frost resist makes it much easier for healers to keep you alive. They're almost certainly not for normal tanking.
3/4. Again, there are no items or quests you can do to gain defense. You get 400 base from being level 80 and leveling it by being hit. You get the next 140 from 689 defense rating on gear and enchants. Death Knights get a 25 defense skill enchant, druids don't need defense, and there's no new leather gear with it anyway. Paladins need at least 689 defense rating.
5. Armory says your character isn't found. If you don't have either the Red Sword of Courage from Heroic UP, or the Bolstered Legplates from Heroic VH, you should go get those.
The idea is to stack up 689 defense rating, as that gives you the extra 140 defense skill to 540 defense. Once you have 540 defense you stack stamina, up to around 25k or so.
2. The frost resist sets are specifically for frost resist fights. They have nothing on them except stam and frost resistance. The point of them are for fights like Sapphiron and Kel'Thuzad, where frost resist makes it much easier for healers to keep you alive. They're almost certainly not for normal tanking.
3/4. Again, there are no items or quests you can do to gain defense. You get 400 base from being level 80 and leveling it by being hit. You get the next 140 from 689 defense rating on gear and enchants. Death Knights get a 25 defense skill enchant, druids don't need defense, and there's no new leather gear with it anyway. Paladins need at least 689 defense rating.
5. Armory says your character isn't found. If you don't have either the Red Sword of Courage from Heroic UP, or the Bolstered Legplates from Heroic VH, you should go get those.
Scholar
21 posts
1. Defense is the skill, rating is what gives you the skill. 4.9 rating gives you one skill at lvl 80. The amount of rating needed to grant one skill gets higher every level that is why you defense skill drops when you level.
2. NO, waste of money
3. See #1
4 Not sure
5. Helm from H Nexus is better than Titansteel
Boots from H Old Kingdom better than Titansteel
Titansteel Shield is great and will only be replaced by badge shield once your defense problems are addressed.
Kang
2. NO, waste of money
3. See #1
4 Not sure
5. Helm from H Nexus is better than Titansteel
Boots from H Old Kingdom better than Titansteel
Titansteel Shield is great and will only be replaced by badge shield once your defense problems are addressed.
Kang
I don't neccesarily agree with the other posters assessment of the Titansteel gear. This guys post list the gear as he tested it from best to worse. The Titansteel gear is very good in my opinion. Compare stats for yourself and I think you will come up with the fact that it is good gear.
http://www.tankspot.com/forums/f97/39462-wotlk-tanking-gear-list.html
I think perhaps he is wrong on some of the trinkets but.. this guy did the math. The trinkets fly in the face of the prevailing wisdom of stacking avoidance after 25K health.
You need to have 540 in defense to be uncrittable in raids. 535 for heroics. A good rule of thumb is the more armor the piece has the better it is.
http://www.tankspot.com/forums/f97/39462-wotlk-tanking-gear-list.html
I think perhaps he is wrong on some of the trinkets but.. this guy did the math. The trinkets fly in the face of the prevailing wisdom of stacking avoidance after 25K health.
You need to have 540 in defense to be uncrittable in raids. 535 for heroics. A good rule of thumb is the more armor the piece has the better it is.
You always go by Defense Skill. Defense Rating doesn't really mean anything, and as has been said Defense Rating is what you stack which then translates into Defense Skill.
The only time where going by Defense Rating is really any use is before you hit level 80 (where the amount of rating per skill point hasn't settled on it's level 80 amount). By using rating then, you can get a feeling for how close to 689 you'll be when you actually hit 80.
The Frost Resist belt and Chest (when properly gemmed and enchanted) are superior to the other options available. The Chest is a cross-grade to the Tier 7 10man chest and the belt is a cross-grade to the badge belt. If you're really concerned with having the best gear available immediatly then they are worth it. If not, wait for the Tier chest and badge belt because you'll get more use out of them anyway. Especially with the extra avoidence as you work on getting Block Capped. It's good to have at least those two Icebane pieces though if you plan on doing 25man Sapphiron. The Tempered Titansteel Treads are just so massively superior to the Icebane boots that there's no way in a million years I could justify losing them in favor of the extra frost resist. Especially since the two pieces plus the aura are ooooooodles already.
I also disagree with the assessment of Titansteel gear. The helm and boots just blow away anything available in heroics unless you're DESPERATE for a meta socket. The shield is very quickly replaced by the Royal Crest of Lordaeron, especially since we're usually desperate for hit rating in the first few steps into raiding.
The only time where going by Defense Rating is really any use is before you hit level 80 (where the amount of rating per skill point hasn't settled on it's level 80 amount). By using rating then, you can get a feeling for how close to 689 you'll be when you actually hit 80.
The Frost Resist belt and Chest (when properly gemmed and enchanted) are superior to the other options available. The Chest is a cross-grade to the Tier 7 10man chest and the belt is a cross-grade to the badge belt. If you're really concerned with having the best gear available immediatly then they are worth it. If not, wait for the Tier chest and badge belt because you'll get more use out of them anyway. Especially with the extra avoidence as you work on getting Block Capped. It's good to have at least those two Icebane pieces though if you plan on doing 25man Sapphiron. The Tempered Titansteel Treads are just so massively superior to the Icebane boots that there's no way in a million years I could justify losing them in favor of the extra frost resist. Especially since the two pieces plus the aura are ooooooodles already.
I also disagree with the assessment of Titansteel gear. The helm and boots just blow away anything available in heroics unless you're DESPERATE for a meta socket. The shield is very quickly replaced by the Royal Crest of Lordaeron, especially since we're usually desperate for hit rating in the first few steps into raiding.
Scholar
21 posts
1. Why would you replace the Titansteel Shield with the Crest of Lorderon. You are swapping avoidance for hit. Hit is a threat stat and last time I ran anything threat isn't an issue.
2. The tankspot list is for a warrior tank. If you read the elitist jerks post you will see that the vlaue of dodge rating is greater for a pally.
3. The ice stuff is only better if all you care about are hitpoints and effective health. Everthing I have ever read on gemming says to gem to an items strength not it's weakness. Using this paradigm you should gem the ice for sta not avoidance.
4. If you check out tankadin none of their lists rate the titansteel (with the exception of the shield) or iceguard items as highly as you do. I am not saying you are wrong but just find it interesting.
5. As for the boots you are suggesting that 33sta + 58AC is better than 7 def, 33 dodge and 12 str. I have no idea how you can justify this.
6. As for the helm you are swapping 61AC, 13 sta and 2 def for 52 dodge. Once again in my eyes the 52 dodge is better than the other 3.
Kang
2. The tankspot list is for a warrior tank. If you read the elitist jerks post you will see that the vlaue of dodge rating is greater for a pally.
3. The ice stuff is only better if all you care about are hitpoints and effective health. Everthing I have ever read on gemming says to gem to an items strength not it's weakness. Using this paradigm you should gem the ice for sta not avoidance.
4. If you check out tankadin none of their lists rate the titansteel (with the exception of the shield) or iceguard items as highly as you do. I am not saying you are wrong but just find it interesting.
5. As for the boots you are suggesting that 33sta + 58AC is better than 7 def, 33 dodge and 12 str. I have no idea how you can justify this.
6. As for the helm you are swapping 61AC, 13 sta and 2 def for 52 dodge. Once again in my eyes the 52 dodge is better than the other 3.
Kang
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