Need some tweaks advice

[DegoRed]

I have been trying to make subtle improvements to make me a better tank, and just not sure if I am going in the right direction. I have been reading a ton of information, and now am at the point where I need some advice. I think I have read too many threads, where I am now kind of going in circles.

My base hp unbuffed in Frost is 27,500, here is my armory The World of Warcraft Armory (http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Darkspear&n=Genof) I find I am usually in the 33K to 35K range once buffed up by the party members.

I can run through just about any Heroic with very little problems, except HOS & Nexxus. While yea, we as a group eventually make it through, sometimes the wipes are very frustrating, and the complaining from party members who think everything is the tanks fault is just wearing me out. A good example of where I struggle is in HOS when you talk to the little guy with the bad accent, and he takes you to that room, then the computer talks, and the mobs come rushing in waves. I get owned very bad here, why, I have no idea. I wish I could say its the healers, but have had this problem with 4 different healers, and I think it more my problem than the healers problem.

Please let me know what improvements or changes I should make. My personal thoughts are that I need more Dodge/Avoidance, I find I take to much damage, but that is just my theory.

Thanks for everyones time.

[Tapaz]

I know your problem, kinda got the same going on when i'm tanking. Altho i got like 50% parry/dodge together. I tend to use IBF,UB,LB (i am frostspec when tanking) as often as possible in the larger groups and throw some BS in for some selfhealing.
Aggro problems are never really an issue, but healers are mostly complaining they cant keep up with the dmg that i take.
Would like to hear some other DK's too about this, or are we doing something wrong?

[Fini]

Please let me know what improvements or changes I should make. My personal thoughts are that I need more Dodge/Avoidance, I find I take to much damage, but that is just my theory.

Thanks for everyones time.
Use Recount to figure out what's killing you, not enough heals or too much damage. As for improvements, our stats are almost the same, but our specs are different, so what I do to survive won't work with Unholy spec. If you're keeping bone shield up all the time, and using AMS/AMZ when a caster shows up during the waves, you should be fine. Are you hitting the beams, or are people kiting the beam over you? Are you getting hit with one of the debuff orbs?

You could move enchants and gems around and get more hit/expertise, but it will cost you some stamina. Get an Essence of Gossamer - Item - World of Warcraft (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37220) - that will free up alot of your stam enchants/gems for use as +dodge, +hit or +expertise

[DegoRed]

I use Recount already, so checking that is not a problem. I want that Trinket, Essence of Gossamer, but have run AN at least 20 times, it has dropped only once, and I lost the need roll. The only reason I say that I think I take too much damage is that some of my healer friends tell me that I take a lot of heals on certain mobs, such as that mob in HOS while on other runs such as VH, Gun, HOL, UP & UK for example, I take very little healing. Another place that comes to mind that I struggle in is OK, with Elder Nadox.

Well it is good to hear so far that I am not completely jacked up spec/gear/talents wise.

[Cornix]

Your struggles in those particular areas are understandable.

As far as the HoS mob boss, that's 'the' most difficult encounter to tank in heroics for the most part, as well as elder nadox... Of course you're going to be taking more damage from 'wave' pulls with lots of adds...

My first tip would be to make sure you're positioning correctly and keeping all the aggro in front of you. The only thing spec-wise that would really help would be Lichborne and Unbreakable Armor from the frost tree, as they help buff avoidance. Watch the new video on positioning and movement from Ciderhelm that's up on the front page.

As far as Nexus, I would assume your wipes aren't on the bosses, but the trash pulls (particularly the centrifuge construct pulls on the ring and the first 3 pulls of the mage boss? sad that I can remember the name of one of the trash mobs and not the name of the boss). The centrifuge construct pulls with the multiple casters involve taking lots of magic damage, and while AMS is great for these pulls.. it is only 5 seconds, and the boss pulls where he teleports away involve lots of mobs and thus the same problems as the Nadox/HoS bosses.