Question about a non-raiding prot spec

Ok I'm only a lvl 47 prot pally. I'm trying to decide how important this "uncrushable" status is going to be to someone that doesnt run anything higher than heroics. Basically I'm wondering if I'll be an effective tank with lower than 490 defense, and less than 102.4% avoidance? I would still of course wear gear that had those attributes whenever I could. Mostly I really dont want to spend the 5 points in anticipation, and the 5 points in deflection. I would rather put less points into the Prot tree, using just enough to get AS, and spending the remaining 20 points either all in ret, or half ret/half holy. For added threat or added mana effiency.

The biggest thing I've noticed at my low of a lvl, as a pally tank, is not taking enough damage to receive heals thus replenishing my mana. I end up running out of mana thus slowing down my time between pulls. And as someone who has never been a tank before, I always saw the best tanks as the ones that could pull fast with as lilttle downtime as possible. I can hold aggro fairly well, but I'm just wondering if too much avoidance can be a detremental thing, and if I can still provide myself as an effective tank with somewhere around 420-450 defense, and 70-90% avoidance, acquired through gear rather than TP's. While putting more of a focus on Stam/+dmg/int stats

Again keep in mind I'm never going to be a serious raider, so that cancels out the idea of being a MT in anything Karazhan or higher. But however I would like to be able to run 5 mans with my guild and be an effective, fast pulling tank. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Here are a couple specs I would love to use at lvl 70

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/paladin/talents.html?0000000000000000000005305133000021525212010523005002030000000000


http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/paladin/talents.html?0535000000000000000005305133000021525212010520000000000000000000

I left out Imp SotC on the last one cuz from what I've noticed during trash the mobs die so fast it's almost pointless to put that Seal on a mob, I'm guessing JoL or JoW would be more wisely used on trash. Now maybe during a longer boss fight JotC might be effective but I think I can get by with the standard one and not waste the TP's....and I threw in the Spiritual focus for the added pvp factor, even though pvping with a prot pally can be quite painful I still enjoy doing it from time to time
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Up and Coming Tankadin - <Team Own> - Proudmoore Server

If you're never going to tank a raid boss (or at least not planning on doing so), then you have no reason to be uncrushable. Only mobs 3+ levels above you can crush, and for level 70 that means only raid bosses can crush you.

In addition, you only need 485 defense in order to be uncrittable in 5 mans (including heroics). The 490 defense is required only for mobs 3+ levels above you, which does not happen in 5 mans.

As for your specs - I'm not a huge fan of JotC, I only use it if I want to generate a ton of threat at the beginning of a boss fight to ensure that I have a good lead over the dps. I would skip it, but that's just me.

I would consider getting Imp SoR, though (and probably Divine Int in order to get that far in holy). That would add a sizeable chunk of threat.

As for Spiritual Focus, I've had builds both with and without it. I'd probably put the three points in Ardent Defender, but I haven't had SF for a long time now, so I'm used to not having it.
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Ok thx for your response. If 485 is "required" for 5 mans I'm assuming that means there are bosses in heroics that can crit me for a considerable enough amount of dmg to justify being uncrittable? assuming I have 12k hp and 13k armor.

I just basically wanna know if I can get by without putting the talent points into Anticipation and Deflection. And run around with 430-450 Defense. Or will I be a complete joke as a 5 man tank with less than 485 defense. Just trying to gauge how important that magic number is in 5 mans. Cuz it just seems to me with that much avoidance you wont take enough damage to even need very many heals, thus running out of mana a lot
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Up and Coming Tankadin - <Team Own> - Proudmoore Server

The fact that crits do more damage than non-crits is all you need to justify being uncrittable.

There's not much better in the lower-tier Prot tree to put your points in than Anticipation. It's definitely better than Spell Warding.

Also, I'd drop points from Reckoning before you drop points from Ardent Defender.
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Me, LOL!

ok thx for your advice. Sounds like there is really no way to balance, taking enough dmg to keep my mana up versus taking too much dmg and going *splat*. And either way the group will probably have to take breaks for mana, cause either I'm taking too much damage and using all the healers mana, or I'm taking not enough damage and draining all of my mana. Either way there will be resting for mana involved.

I suppose taking less dmg is more important than maintaining enough mana. Or maybe I just need to be more efficient with my mana usage. And figure out a way to balance enough threat without wasting all my mana
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Up and Coming Tankadin - <Team Own> - Proudmoore Server

Thx again, this forum proves yet again to be way more useful for prot pally's than the Paladin Forums.
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Up and Coming Tankadin - <Team Own> - Proudmoore Server

You don't need it in regular instances, but for Heroics, 485 Defense is a must. You'll be oneshotted otherwise.

You don't need Anticipation to get 485 Defense, though it helps a bit. I always find myself in the 490-509 range qua Defense with Anticipation without even trying, and though I have the gear to push it to 510+, I always have to sacrifice other stats for it.

Note that crush immunity also means hit immunity, as all attacks against you become blocks, so your block value applies to all attacks. If you aren't crush immune, you don't block every attack and take more damage. You only need 101.60% if you decide you would like to be able to block every attack without going raids.

Then again, the first part of Karazhan is easier than some heroics. Why skip it?
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Zoe's guide to building your tankadin