In theory, every tankadin should have at his or her disposal four different tanking sets. One for threat generation, one for effective health maximizing, one for pure avoidance, and one for trash blocking. Personally, I feel this is awfully unwieldy for most people (and certainly is for me). While the benefits you’d get from maintaining so many different sets would certain be noticed in down-to-the-wire circumstances where every little bit helps, in everyday situations, you can get by with one set.
As such I present to you the everyman’s best-in-slot list. These items will give you the best you can get of every world without maximizing any of those four needs. It’s the best across-the-board set you can accumulate.
Before I start, if you’re looking for a list broken down by those four needs, I recommend this list on Maintankadin.
Head: Valorous Redemption Faceguard
Gem with Eternal Earthsiege Diamond and Solid Sky Sapphire and enchant with Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector.
Shoulders: Valorous Redemption Shoulderguards
Gem with Enduring Forest Emerald and enchant with Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle.
Chest: Dragonstorm Breastplate
Gem with Regal Twilight Opal and Enduring Forest Emerald and enchant with Greater Defense.
Cloak: Cloak of the Shadowed Sun
Enchant with Titanweave.
Wrist: Bracers of the Unholy Knight
Gem with Regal Twilight Opal and enchant with Major Stamina.
Hands: Valorous Redemption Handguards
Gem with Solid Sky Sapphire and enchant with Armsman.
Waist: Ablative Chitin Girdle
Get an Eternal Belt Buckle and gem this with two Solid Sky Sapphires.
Legs: Legplates of Sovereignty
Enchant with Frosthide Leg Armor.
Feet: Kyzoc’s Ground Stompers
Enchant with Greater Fortitude.
Neck: Nexus War Champion’s Bead
Gem with Regal Twilight Opal.
Rings: Sand-Worn Band and Titanium Earthguard Ring
Gem the TER with Solid Sky Sapphire.
Trinkets: Essence of Gossamer and Repelling Charge
Personally I prefer my Monarch Crab over the Repelling Charge, but that might be a no-go for some folks.
Relic: Libram of Obstruction
Weapon: Last Laugh
Enchant with Accuracy.
Shield: Hero’s Surrender
Enchant with Defense.
Altogether this gear will put you in a great position for any situation you encounter in Ulduar.
Update: I built this set out in Warcrafter and it came up at about 567 defense skill, which is yes way over-stacked for defense. However, it also came out to be 102.1% avoidance, which means with Kings you can cross over into blockcapped territory.
Plus, you’d have only 16% (+30% from Holy Shield) of that as block, so not a bad pure avoidance number.
Your profession buffs should allow you a little more breathing room to add stamina or other avoidance stats.
This is going to end up with a lot more than 540 defense; I know defense scales, but are the defense enchantments that much better than, say, +health or +agility?
Excess Defense still provides avoidance from Dodge and Parry, so it doesn’t hurt to over stack. You have a great point though, and it might make more sense ultimately to put Solid Sky Sapphires in the gem slots rather than Regals/Enduring if you don’t mind not getting the bonuses.
You’re also not going to get more Dodge from a +agi enchant over the Parry/Dodge from a +def one, so +def enchants are better if you’re looking for avoidance.
Excellent guide!
Though I’m pretty far from having every best-in-slot since my guild is still trying to down 25-man Kel’Thuzad…
Ulduar is coming very soon so probably this list is gonna change before we reach Malygos xD
P.S: I never thought an ilvl 200 blue could be a best-in-slot item :O
Only that freaking Last Laugh, and I like more the KZ shield.
@SidheKnight: It’s because non-profession tank trinkets in the game right now are generally sucky :(
Well, i love the guide, and as Rhidach said, the Tanking trinkets right now are totally lame. That said, as I’m not a JC but an Engineer, i Stick to the sonic Booster as you can see from my Armory (http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Ragnaros&n=logandres). Overall very nice guide, you just got me hooked up on your blog.
@Logan: Thanks! And you are very brave for sticking with engineering. I dropped it as soon as WotLK came out so I could get the JC tanking trinket. I miss my goggles though…
well, not brave, but poor. If i could, i would go BS and JC just the OPness of it =P
im a JC also and i happen to prefer the monarch crab over the essence of gossemer. EoG is for trash mobs, wont help against a boss that hits for 20k-30k. at least the MC has dodge witha very low cooldown. i pt 2 solid jewelers gems in my ablative girdle & chose the platinum mesh cloak instead.
Love your gear guide. Yes although the perfect tank has a different tank set for different bosses, i am definately all for the perfect all boss best gear slot :] I very rarely swap out any gear at all.
I however need your advise about gems and enchants to hit the 102.5% block cap which i am having trouble achieving.
Below is my current gear.
Head = Helm of Vital Protection [ I have the exalted Argent enchant ]
Shoulders = Valorous Redemption Shoulderguards [ I have the exalted Son of Hodir enchant ]
Chest = Dragonstorm Breastplate
Cloak = Platinum Mesh Cloak
Wrist = Dalaran Parapets
Hands: Valorous Redemption Handguards
Waist: Ablative Chitin Girdle
Legs: Dragon Brood Legguards ( optionally i have the tank pants that drops from Loatheb )
Feet: Kyzoc’s Ground Stompers
Neck: Drakescale Collar
Rings: Sand-Wornd Band and Titanium Earthguard Ring
Trinkets: Essennce of Gossamer and Defender’s Code ( optionally i have Medal of Valor trinket )