It's a basic training FAQ for how to be a MT.
Preliminary 3.1 version.
Feel free to make suggestions.
Philosophy of the FAQ AKA: Knaughty is biased
Skip this section if you're uninterested in my personal viewpoint. Actual answers start in Mechanics & play changes.
Q: What's the point & purpose of this FAQ?
A: Short & simple answers for people who want a quick fix.
The basic assumption is that the reader is a protection spec paladin who hasn't followed every beta patch note in gory detail, or read every single thousand-post sticky on this forum. You logged on in 3.0 / 3.1, went "WTF" and need some quick answers. Or you're a Holy/Ret/SomeOtherClass re-roll wanting some quick advice on how to tank as a pally.
If you don't like the shortness of the answers, do your own damn research - the links under I want more info! near the end of this post are a great start.
Q: You're biased!
A: Yes, very.
This is a guide for people who want to be "progression raiding main tanks". It assumes you'll be MTing a 25, maybe a 10 as well. The FAQ also doesn't present the subtleties - just the "standard answer". There are no provisos or nuanced examples of edge cases. It also heavily favours "real tanking experience" over theory-craft or mind experiments. Given the timing, that means having cleared 25-man content in 3.0, at least as far as Malygos, preferably Sarth3D and maybe some Uldaur PTR experience.
Q: I think you're wrong and am going to flame you!
A: Official forums ---> thataway. Oh, and expect to be flamed back, I enjoy it.
Q: You're rude and mean!
A: Yup.
It's not really true though. Ask a polite question (even a noob one) and you'll get a polite (if terse) answer (and maybe an update to the FAQ if I think the question is "F" enough). Ask a rude or argumentative question, and I'll joyfully tear you apart. Sorry, it's a flaw, I enjoy baiting the trolls.
Q: You don't talk about trash mobs, enchants, or detailed gear selection!
A: Correct! Being a MT is a responsibility, you need to be willing to learn how to do your job. If you need that level of training the links under I want more info! near the end of this post are a great start. The FAQ is to get you started with the basics in an easy raid instance (Naxx). After that... you're on your own. I assume you've tanked 5-mans & heroics, and can do the basics.
Q: You're just regurgitating stuff Lore / Psiven / Worldie / etc have already posted!
A: Yup. That's the point.
Mechanics & play changes:
Q: What seal do I use?
A: SoV Maybe SoR for trash that ill die in 5 secs.
Q: Someone said SoB/SoR is more threat that SoV?
A: They aren't. See MATLAB thread for maths. SoB does less TPS and it damages you. SoR still loses to SoV even with a slow weapon and 5/5 Reckoning.
Q: What do I judge?
A: Ret should judge Light, someone should judge wisdom. Thus: Wisdom, unless you have no rets, then light. Holy should judge Justice. There may be range issues for Holy...
Q: WTF? Thunderjudge fell off?
A: Yell at the ret pally
Tell the ret pallies and holy pallies what you're judging (wisdom) and tell them they must not use that judgement. As of 3.0.9, judgements overwrite each other and the talented debuff portion can get removed.
Q: What Glyphs?
A: Divine Plea (OP mitigation for a glyph) and SoV (best TPS) to start. Third one: Avenger's shield is more threat than Judgment if you don't mind single target AS. AS glyph lost it's utility since we now have Taunt to break Sheep single target. Righteous Defence if you're paranoid about taunt resists. HotR if you want your cleave to hit 4 mobs. IE: All four are decent, none are amazing.
Q: Why not Glyph of Consecration?
A: Breaks your rotation. See my Advanced FAQ for details, or read Psiven't TPS tsticky.
Q: I just got crushed. I thought crushing blows were removed?
A: Crushing blows kick in at level+4 Raid bosses don't crush. The level 80 elite is going to crush your level 70 ass.
Q: If nothing can crush, do I need 102.4%?
A: No (but...). You don't need it, but it is a nice goal to hit, and it will make you healers happy. Once you hit 102.4, BV=EH, and we're ahead of the warriors on EH. Second most important gearing goal after uncrit is Block Capped.
Q: How much defence do I need?
A: Heroics: 535
A: Raids: 540 About 689 rating. This is a lot, you will have to focus on it.
Q: I'm short on Defense. What do I do?
A: Gem & Enchant for it Expect to have mostly +defence gems and enchants to start Naxx, and even throughout it. Reaching and staying at 540 Defence is a major tanking focus at 80.
Q: That sucks! Why?
A: Blizzard got bored of tanks gemming nothing but stamina Damage is a lot less spiky and dramatic on level 80 tanks. So desperately stacking EH is much less of an issue. Balanced gemming / enchanting is the outcome.
Q: Whats this 96969 rotation stuff??? Can you explain it pls?
A: Yes., but not here. See my Advanced FAQ or Psiven's original version
A: Watch this YouTube vid
Q: What's going on with Divine Shield and Divine Protection?
A: Divine Shield = immune, clear debuffs, drop aggro.
A: Divine Protection = Bubblewall We can tank an enrage real good now. Spec AD to maximise.
Q: ZOMG! Did I block an elemental?
A: Yes. You can block magical melee damage now.
Gear:
Q: What's my overall gearing priority?
First: • Get Uncrittable (540 defence). Then build special use sets:
Block set: • Get Block Capped AKA 102.4%, AKA Uncrushable. Then stack as much Block Value as possible.
EH set: • Stack stamina. Stamina is EH, with a little TPS. Strength is TPS, with a little EH.
Last: Build a Threat set: • Stack strength, then Hit rating, then BV.
Q: What weapon do I use?
A: Tanking weapon. Spell-power weapons are for healing, not tanking. Weapon speed is irrelevant.
Q: What weapon enchant?
A: At 70: Potency (20 strength) for threat and EH via a little BV. Agility for 0.8% Dodge.
A: At 80: Good question. Still waiting to see which enchants go live in 3.1. With full Naxx-25 or Ulduar-10 gear, +hit rating enchant is more TPS than Potency.
Q: What tanking gear?
A: Plate with defence Tanking plate is tanking plate. DK/War/Pal all use same stuff. Sensible DKs will pass on stuff with block rating/value. You'll maybe pass on stuff with a ton of parry to return the favour. Protection tanks (war/pal) want exact same stuff.
Q: ZOMG! My gear has no spellpower!
A: Well spotted. Everything scales with AP & Spell-power. You get spell-power from Stam and AP from Strength. Stack stats if you want TPS/DPS.
Q: Strength, AP, or Spell-power for DPS/TPS?
A: Strength > Hit > BV > AP > Spell. EG: AP trinkets > Spell trinkets. You should never have spell-power gear on unless you're healing.
Q: I want to DPS as prot spec!
A: Ret gear, ret spec We have two talent trees for a reason.
A: BV trinkets AP if you don't have BV. DMC: Greatness (Strength) > all.
A: Ret gear, 1h weapon, shield But Do not downgrade to switch to ret gear. High end tanking gear is high DPS. Don't switch from epic tanking gear to crappy blue quest-reward ret gear. Only switch in Ret items that are same tier or half a tier down, and only if that have more Strength. Note that a strength/BV heavy tanking piece will probably beat a Ret piece for DPS, when specced prot.
Q: What gems?
A: Defence (to 540) > Stamina/Avoidance > Strength Don't ever use spelldamage gems. You will need more defence gems at 80 than you did at 70. Strength beats Agility. Defence beats Dodge. Expertise beats Hit (or crit). Dodge beats Parry. Don't gem parry or agility if you have any other option.
Q: What enchant do I use on <this> slot?
A: Defence > Stam > everything else
A: For what? Are you short DPS/TPS? EH? Are you critable? How's your avoidance? There is no one right answer. Enchants are how you tune your gear. Stamina, Defence, Strength, Armor, Avoidance are all good enchants. Which one is best depends on the rest of your gear and the fight in question. L2P - you have to be able to evaluate your own gear! Read stickies for more advice.
Q: Should I try to cap expertise or hit?
A: Not really. Hit is a nice TPS stat, +hit is also nice for taunt. Expertise is OK, but just live with what's on your best tanking gear, it isn't a great TPS stat for paladins like it is for warriors.
Spec questions:
Q: Should I spec Reckoning?
A: Bad filler talent is still bad. Your tanking seal is (still) SoV, and reckoning doesn't help.
<needs a lot of work>
Q: Why does everyone spec AD? It sux!
A: As of 3.1, there's nowhere else you could put the points anyway
A: You're entitled to your opinion, but it's wrong. AD is bad according to certain sorts of simplistic theory-craft (which people think is gospel). In practice, in raids, in real content (instead of on your pocket calculator) AD is very good. Not ZOMGAwesome, but better than anything else you could spend the points on to get to 51. Install Tankadin2 and watch "Deaths Avoided" tick over.
A: Here's a data point: My guild one-shot Sapph on the progression kill, with me badly undergeared and tanking it. AD saved my ass four times, and mitigated over 2% of damage taken. No AD, no kill. My record is 5+ death saves and over 5% mitigated for a (barely achieved) kill. AD prevents wipes on hard content.Winchester (emphasis by Knaughty) wrote:(AD is a) highly disputed talent, people argue that the 1-2% damage it mitigates just isn’t good enough, what they fail to realize is that it mitigates the 1-2% of the damage that would kill you.
Q: Why do tanking specs avoid 2/2 imp Judgement?
A: Can't cast Judgement more often than every 9 seconds anyway. Read Advanced FAQ for more info.
Q: What's my MT spec?
A: Basic tanking talents Note that said spec is impossible - you need to put 3 points somewhere in tier 1-5.
Q: So where do I put the three points?
A: No great options Divine Sacrifice + Divine Guardian are OK utility. Imp HoJ is occasionally useful. Reckoning does provide some white damage, but is pretty crap. Divinity works, but isn't real useful for a tank (or anyone, really). Stoicism and Guardian's Favour are PvP talents.
Q: OK, I filled out prot, to 53/54 points - now what? I have talent points left over! Where do I put them?
A: Probably 17-18 points in Ret.
A: Good Holy talents: Maybe Seals of the Pure. Gives you threat/damage. Aura Mastery and Imp LoH are decent mitigation CDs, but require 5 points in crap Holy filler.
A: Good Prot talents: None - you have all the good ones at 53/54 pts.
A: Good Ret telents: Conviction catches up to SotP once you in full Naxx-25 gear. 17-18 points in Ret is now viable as Prot doesn't have 58 points of mandatory mitigation talents, which means you can get to Crusade (which is good).
A: Bad Ret talents: Benediction still isn't much use. Stick 4 points somewhere to get to Conviction/Crusade, or maybe PoJ.
Q: How are do you spec?
A: Haven't decided yet. Probably some sort of 0/53/18 variant. 12/53/6 for SotP/Imp LoH if the 11 min CD > 3-5% TPS
Random Stuff:
The King is dead, long live the King:
Q: What?
A: "Do I spec Kings" was the biggest argument of 3.0. Good riddance.
Q: You don't explain anything, you just say "Do this"
A: Winchester's guide gives reasons. We disagree on some things. Such is life, work it out yourself
Or see my Advanced FAQ for more info.Q: Warriors, Druids, and DKs can AoE tank now. Doesn't that make Paladins obsolete?
A: No Everyone can AE tank (though we're mostly best at it, DKs have more threat, but less AE mitigation). Everyone can MT (including us). Pick a tank, any tank.
Q: So which tanking class is best?
A: Mu!
Q: I have a question about mana?
A: Shut up and tank more mobs. You don't need int or Mp5 anymore. If you still go OOM, bless Sanctuary, or stick a 2nd point in Spiritual Attunement. Extended info in my Advanced FAQ on how not to go OOM.
Q: What's my rotation?
A: 969 Your rotation kicks in at 75 when you get ShoR and use 96969. But feel free to try and practice 969_96 if you're levelling prot (WHY?)
A: Watch this YouTube vid
Q: I run out of mana when I consecrate!
A: Then don't Consecrate. You only need it if you're tanking big packs.
Q: What's my fastest option for levelling?
A: PvE Ret. Spec PvP Ret on a PvP server.
Q: But I want to level as prot!?
A: Save up some gold and buy a second spec.
Q: Can I do 10 and 25 in the same week?
A: Yes.
I want more info!
A: Start here: Winchester's guide - we don't agree on everything, but it's an excellent guide. And second opinions are good.
A: My Advanced FAQ for more detailed info.
A: Theck's MATLAB Thread WARNING! MASSIVE NERDERY!
A: Psiven's TPS sticky
A: Level 80 faction gear
A: Zamach's WoTLK Gear List
A: WTF do all these TLAs mean?(Glossary / Acronyms)
Please keep this thread on-topic.
It's a basic training FAQ for how to be a MT.