How to dps as Prot?

Hello all (long time lurker, first time poster etc) - first off I'll apologise if this question has been asked before as I couldn't find it here.

As far as tanking goes, I'm pretty comfortable that I know what I'm doing. Likewise with healing (when I'm asked to step into that role).

But when my guild asks me to dps for some fights (eg. Aran), I unfortunately do not know the theory to maximise my dps as I've sadly neglected that aspect of my Pally.

(Here's my armory profile if that helps http://wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Jubei%27Thos&n=Elandris)

Oh, and don't mind the Sun Eater... I just wear that around Shatt to look good


So what should I be doing to maximise my dps when I'm not needed for tanking or healing? Primarily I'm talking Kara here, but advice going forward would be useful too.

Do I stack AP/Crit and use Seal of Blood? Is it better to go Spell Damage and use Seal of Righteousness instead? (I currently have 5/5 Imp SoR, but that can easily be changed) With 5/5 Imp SoR and 5/5 1-hand spec is it better to use a Spell Damage weapon with a Spell Damage shield, or should I always go for a 2-hander?

Of course, I realise my dps will be quite pathetic anyway, but anything to improve it will help.

Thanks in advance!

Stack block value and shield slam.

Oh wait...
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You know you want it! Ooorah /dance

I usually tell my guild I'm healing when they ask me to dps while I'm not tanking. My argument: "paladin are the worst class for dps untalented in the game, and I'm specced protection. My dps won't be worth jack squat"
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If you invest all of your talents, all of your gear, all of your knowledge and skill into tanking, you should be the best tank.

I guess you chuck on a meaty two hander, spec for SoC, and pray for a lucky proc streak.
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I use SoB with Ret gear. I know for Retpaladins SoB > SoC at some point, I'm not sure if this is true when not specced for DPS, but SoB makes for a fine seal.

It just depends on what gear you have though, and what you want to put effort in for. I've got the 3 epic PvP and Arena Shoulder Ret-pieces, and I also like to spec Ret every now and then, maybe even in the future for raiding (though I doubt so, since I love tanking) - so Retgear with SoB is the obvious choice for me.

I've you're a PvP Shockadin at heart and get gear for that, the tables may be turned for you.

I heal on that fight. Two years of healing in 40 mans means that I can just let the reflexes and gear do the work. My tanking is better than my healing, but protection spec paladins are the anti-dps class of WoW.
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Even untalented, and with pretty crappy ret gear (1300 attack power, 119 dps weapon, 15% crit, capped hit) I can still sustain about 450 dps using seal of blood. And, that is just a bunch of dungeon blues and an epic weapon, if I put some time and enchants into it I could probably get up to 500-550 pretty easily. Don't underestimate just picking up some straight dps gear + SoB.
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just heal man, until it gets below 20%, then hammer like a mother.
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Hixx
57 Prot Pally
Laughing Skull

Why heal if Healing is not an issue, if you lack healers then heal. But if not strap on a two-hander and do some DPS any DPS is better then none, and even if you maybe get 300 DPS you are still contributing to putting the boss in the dirt faster.

It may not be much but it helps.
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Visit my crappy blog... Nerf This...

Oh btw, it's worth to note that Aran has next to no armor, which gives physical DPS an advantage.

Normally I offer to heal when I'm not tanking, but in some cases we just don't need the extra heals. Often we'll have 3 dedicated healers and a shadow priest (guild isn't geared enough yet to get by with only 2 healers), and we'll want to burn the mobs down faster instead. So that's why I asked the question I did

Previously (in fights like Aran and Curator etc. when I'm not tanking and not required to heal), I've put on a bunch of spell damage gear and used SoR with a 2-hander. I hadn't given it much thought before, so I didn't know if this was the best way to max my dps.

From what people are saying though, it sounds like my best bet is to stack Str, AP, Crit, Hit and get a high DPS 2-hander and swing away with Seal of Blood.

Kinda surprised that with all the theorycrafting done on tanking and healing, that the same work hasn't been (by anyone it seems!) put into dps

Does anybody have any gear suggestions? A lot of the plate dps gear has +Hit and +Crit, whereas I suspect I'll want to focus more on +Str, +AP given that after a point +Hit will be capped and I don't get any special benefit from +Crit (no Flurry, no Vengeance etc)

Thanks all for the suggestions so far

My loldps set is just a bunch of '...of attack power' AH greens and lvl 62-70 instance blues that no one needed. As prot (horde-side) I reccomend just stacking strength and AP. The occassional +crit isn't bad but not as worthwhile for us as it is others.

Alliance-side you're out of luck I suppose. Just stack SP. SoV might be best for mana efficiency though.

I just heal. I figure making sure mages/hunters/locks don't have to waste 8 seconds bandaging is the highest dps contribution I can provide on an encounter I won't be tanking.
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Ticklefist Cuddlepunch

On some encounters you just have enough healing already though.
Personally, I swap in max spelldamage equip and go all out on SoV/JoV. With wings up for first instance of SoV, it can tick for a decent amount.
The more +dmg I have, the easier it is for me to swap to healing if something bad happens too, without being totally gimped.
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Eia - 70 Paladin, EU-Silvermoon
Turning healers' mana into blue rage since Dec 2006.

Depends on the fight, I guess. If there's no enrage timer, I'd probably toss my healing gear on. If there is an enrage timer, and there's enough healing, then I'm better off clubbing the monster over the head.

Oh, and to answer the OP, I use dps plate I've saved from sharding and a big blacksmithing hammer.