Basic tanking gear – how not to go down like a gnome schoolgirl

So you read 713 posts on what your equip needs to have stat-wise, interviewed your realm’s leet-tanks for some top-notch advice and yet, still have no clue what you want to wear? Then this is your post.

Answer: Wear whatever gets you to the minimum requirements. No matter if it’s pally-items or just heavy armor, you need those stats, nothing else. Then improve. That’s all.

What you need to not be oneshot by heroic trash

You know the requirements, but let’s just get a quick overview for the sake of completeness.

• 10000 health
• 490 defense (or any combination of defense + resilience that gets you crit immune)
• 10%+ dodge/parry (each, not combined)
• Minimum-Requirements-Extra-Skill*

*These stats are the absolute and total minimum to run heroics. You will have a hard time. You will die. Your group is going to wipe. You are going to get flamed. Chances are, in a random group people will leave. If you can pull off a clean run with those stats start printing fanshirts and get the merchandise-machinery going. Get yourself a good party lineup with a really, really solid healer. And pray. A lot.

What you need to have fun tanking

• 12000 health
• 490 defense
• 15%+ dodge/parry

This is where it starts to become a fair fight. Go for these stats. Ignore everything else.

Conclusion

Do instances. If you feel like do some PvP for the S2 breast, shoulders and shield. Look for crafters. Get the felsteel-set. There’s a great cloak with +def and a bunch of stamina, the engineered khorium destroyer will serve you well, too. Gem and enchant for +Deff and +Dodge (agility helps with that) until you get to 490 / 10%. Don’t hesitate to wear greens, there is some great gear available. Whatever you do, don’t get distracted by people critizising your equipment, for many of these critics don’t even know what’s important. Trust only other tanks, and with that be careful as well – T6 is not necessarily a sign of skill.

All of this will be obsolete for the most of us by Nov 13th, when Lich King will be released and we’ll move on. So probably you’ll just not gear for heroics at all.

Recommended Reading

• Guide to Pre-Karazhan and Pre-Heroic Warrior Tanking Gear @ Marama’s WoW corner
• Berg Warrior’s Tank Gear Rankings @ TankSpot.com
• Polar’s easy Pre-Karazhan Tank Gear List @ TankSpot.com

Related posts

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