my everything else blog... » Tanking

Pally tank dps

petewood — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:03:14 +0000

Is crazy high, not as high as some deathknight tanks I’ve run with before, but it’s pretty damn high.

A few nights ago, I set a personal best, in Heroic Utgarde Keep with 1776 dps, as a tank.

Then last night, UK was the heroic daily again! So I found a group, let them know that I try to chain pull the whole place (unless my random pug healer needs mana) and that I try to finish the instance before I have to buff myself/them again. This pug seemed to like that. Last night, I destroyed my personal best dps from a few nights ago by a lot!

The first run is where I started trying to run the instance as fast as possible, with downtime only coming when I’m running to the next pull or when my healer needs mana. I forgot to loot on occasion while doing this. I spammed consecration on every pull, every cooldown, but I rarely used Avenging Wrath. I know I could increase my dps by a lot more if I could remember to use my wings. My dps increased greatly on my last two speed runs. I never really paid attention to my dps until I realized I was 2nd on recount. I was used to putting out about 1400ish dps when I would look at the meters. This is fun now. I’m looking foward to my first run where my dps is over 2k!

New Prot gear

petewood — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:48:05 +0000

I’ve been very busy since my last post. Between the time 3.0.8 went live and now, I’ve been running heroics and leveling jewelcrafting and also doing somethings I never thought I would do – raid 25-man Naxx and 25-man Obsidian Sanctum.

The 25-man Naxx/OS runs were very fun. I was the 3rd tank or the off-tank to the off-tank. Effectively, that means that I got to main tank Patchwerk (in Naxx) and pick up random adds in Naxx and OS! MTing Patchwerk was intense and full of awesome. Initially, a hunter misdirected him onto me and Patchwerk came running towards me. Something weird happened and he changed directions and began running to the dps and healer group. No worries, I just tossed an Avengers Shield and he was back onto me and the other two tanks. I blew every cooldown I have. Offensively, I used Avenging Wrath and Lavanthor’s Talisman on every CD. Defensively, Divine Shield and my Monarch Crab were my friends. I did die just as Patchwerk went down but other than that, it was a great fight.

My many hours in Heroic Naxx paid off as I ended up walking out of there with 3 drops! Some new hands, Gauntlets of the Disobedient, new belt (to replace the Emblem of Heroism belt that I’d only been using for a few days), the Ablative Chitin Girdle, and some new boots, the Inexorable Sabatons. I also walked away with 14 more Emblems of Valor. I tossed a few gems in there and I was good to go. I haven’t had a chance to re-enchant the gear however. For the gloves, I’m going back to Armsman and for the boots, Tuskarr’s Vitality (over Greater Fortitude).

Earlier in the day, I tanked Heroic Utgarde Pinnacle with my guild. The run was smooth until the last boss. I pulled the two mobs in the room and over vent, someone said “pull them back, they fear” and just as my finger touched the ‘S’ key to walk backwards, we get feared. The warlock’s felguard aggro’d the boss, who I taunted and picked up. The healer called for a wipe but I said “we can do it!” and we did! King Ymiron didn’t cast Bane once and I didn’t even have to kite him around the room like my first and only ever H UP run did. Best of all, I got my heavily coveted new JC meta-gem pattern, the Austere Earthsiege Diamond, and my Red Sword of Courage! I couldn’t believe the sword dropped on my first successful run through there.

Just yesterday, I MT’d 10-man Vault of Archavon. I was having issues knowing when to move him out of his fart cloud and also when I needed to taunt him off of the off-tank. As a reward for my role, I got my first tier 7 gear…the Heroes’ Redemption Greaves for my awesome holy set that I may or may not ever use.

I was also the lucky recipient of the Essence of Gossamer trinket from Heroic Azjol-Nerub. With the essence, my monarch crab and self-buffed with kings, I have just under 31,000 health!

After tanking so much lately, I have grown to really love it! I have noticed that I tend to watch my ability cooldown timers too much instead of focusing on the boss or trash. I need to change that. I have also gotten much, much better at keeping Holy Shield up 100% of the time (unless the charges run out before the CD is up).

© petewood for my everything else blog..., 2009. | Permalink
Post tags: defense, heroic, jewelcrafting, naxx, obsidian sanctum, prot, Tanking, trinket

3.0.8 is finally live! Prot pally changes

petewood — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:55:14 +0000

The only thing that I didn’t like about tanking H Gundrak was that I felt I has too little health. Then I remembered I could make one of the stamina-oriented trinkets that jewelcrafters can make, the Monarch Crab and I would still be above the raid crit cap of 540 defense!

I added a Solid Sky Sapphire gem and a Solid Dragon’s Eye gem to it and with the stam bonus, received an extra 137 stam from that trinket alone! Right now, I have 24,544 health. These numbers are based on the rules of 3.0.3.

Health Pool

Since 3.0.8 was [finally] released today, I get a few buffs to my gear. For my tanking helm, I currently have the Tempered Titansteel Helm.

3.0.3 helm stats

In this patch, this helm gets a new blue gem slot AND a meta gem slot. The blue gem will be filled with a Solid Sky Sapphire gem and the meta gem will be filled with a Austere Earthsiege Diamond. These two gems will give me 56 more stamina, for an additional 560 health.

3.0.8 helm stats

Also in 3.0.8 is a new bracer enchant that gives 40 stamina. So now I’m up to 96 more stamina or 960 health.

3.0.8 bracer stam enchant

Yet another change for prot pally tanks is that the prot talent Sacred Duty now gives 8% stamina (up from 6%). I don’t know the exact number that works out to in my current gear but I’m sure it will be enough to give me over 100 extra stamina (or 1,000 extra health).

All of these stamina increases will put me over 25.5k health, unbuffed! Whatever problems I had with my health pool are now over. I feel very good with the amount of health I have for tanking heroics.

© petewood for my everything else blog..., 2009. | Permalink
Post tags: 3.0.8, enchants, gear, gems, heroics, jewelcrafting, pally, prot, stamina, Tanking, tempered titansteel helm

Switching to prot

petewood — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:03:30 +0000

In the very near future, I will be switching from ret to prot. When dual specs are implemented, I’ll be prot and ret (possibly prot and holy).

I have a very decent set of tanking gear (including the Bolstered Legplates from Heroic Violet Hold). I just got the 16 expertise JC pattern, the Precise Scarlet Ruby and I have enough JC buy the 41stam Dragon’s Eye pattern, the Solid Dragon’s Eye. I can make the stamina oriented trinkets as well.

Right now, my biggest problem with my tanking gear is that I was still under 20k health! Now that I have my JC up and can make all those wonderful things, my health should be fine.

My defense might suffer a bit since I’ll have to drop my two BC defense trinkets (Dabiri’s Enigma and Adamantine Figurine) but I have the Argent Dawn head enchant (Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector) and the Son’s of Hodir shoulder enchant (Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle) to help make up for it. I can also put on some defense enchants/gems if I fall below the 535 defense rating required for being uncrittable by Heroic bosses – level 82. You need a 540 defense rating is required to be uncritabble by raid bosses – level 83.

My most immediate gear goal will be a tanking weapon. Right now, I have the Warsong Punisher, which has very little stam (36) and some dodge (and no defense rating). My immediate choices are from running heroic Utgarde Keep (which is ultra easy) or from the last boss of heroic Utgarde Pinnacle (which I’ve run once – as ret, got to the last boss and proceeded to wipe over and over again). From H UK, I can get the Infantry Assault Blade. From H UP, I can get the Red Sword of Courage.

In regards to the focus of this blog, I’ll still be talking/posting about being ret, but will post more and more about being prot specced in the future.

© petewood for my everything else blog..., 2009. | Permalink
Post tags: dual spec, jewelcrafting, pally, prot, ret, staminna, Tanking

Stamina oriented Jewelcrafter only trinkets

petewood — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:59:41 +0000

For JC’s only, Solid Dragon’s Eye = 41 stam gem. JCs can use 3 of these and they are prismatic gems, meaning they match whatever color gem slot they are placed in, so they can be used to meet the socket bonus of the item.

Solid Majestic Zircon = 30 stam blue gem, epic quality.

Solid Sky Sapphire = 24 stam blue gem, rare quality.

JC Only Trinkets:

Figurine – Monarch Crab
Binds when picked up
Unique
Trinket
+63 Stamina
Blue Socket
Yellow Socket
Socket Bonus: +9 Stamina
Requires Level 75
Requires Jewelcrafting (400)

Use: Increases dodge rating by 300 (10.99% @ L75) for 10 sec. (1 Min Cooldown)

+63 stam +41 stam +30 stam (or 24 stam) +9 stam from this trinket ALONE = 143 stam (or 137)

Figurine – Ruby Hare

Binds when picked up
Unique
Trinket
+62 Stamina
Red Socket
Red Socket
Socket Bonus: +9 Stamina
Requires Level 75
Requires Jewelcrafting (400)

Use: Increases speed by 30% for 6 sec. (3 Min Cooldown)

+62 stam +41 stam +41 stam +9 stam from this trinket ALONE = 153 stam

Total stam from both trinkets = 296 stam (or 290)