Shield Specialization vs Focused Rage

[Squirrelnut]

I am weighing the pros & cons of a couple variations of 15/3/51 either using 2/5 Shield Specialization and 3/3 Focused rage or 5/5 Shield Specialization and 0/3 Focused Rage.

5/5 Shield Spec: Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LAM00fZhZVItrx0didczsGo:TrcmMz)

2/5: Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LAM00fZhZMItrx0didIzsGo:TrcmMz)

I have seen many people do the math calculations comparing the amount of rage saved from Focused Rage far outweighing the benefit of Shield Spec... however I am not sure how that would really work in practice.

Basically if I am in a fight and I am being hit I have no rage problems and I wouldn't think that would drastically change even without Focused Rage. The only time I am ever rage deprived is when I am NOT being hit at which point I would expect the 5 rage on avoidance would be very beneficial.

It seems like an unfair representation to look at how much rage over a minute the Shield Specialization vs Focused Rage shows because we aren't just standing there not being hit the whole time, we just need help filling in the gaps where we block/avoid

So it may be closer to 5 rage on one or two swings that we avoid vs 3 rage saved on a couple GCDs during that time.

**Note** I am using 2 points in Imp Disc and Shieldwall/Last Stand glyphs because my guild is still doing 10m hardmode Ulduar for drakes and I have to MT General and Bliz hasn't given us free 2min cooldowns like everyone else :( qq

EDIT: Part of my curiosity in considering Shield Specialization is the fact that Xav currently uses it and I tend to think he would have done far more testing on the PTR then I ever would prior to 3.2 release

[XtreO]

I went 5/5 shield specc. I get plenty of rage on trash mobs and Naxx10 and down because I use my block set for that, in Ulduar 25 and Naxx25 it goes smoothly too, since you anyway rarely get rage starved on bosses because I get som much rage from dodge / parry / block. If ever I get a tad low on rage, I pop berserker rage, shield block or bloodrage, problem fixed. You also get 3% more block. Woho. Not.

Point being; I rarely get lower than 20 rage on bosses, and if I do I got CDs to remedy that. When tanking many mobs, I think the benefits of 5/5 shield specc outweigh the benefit of focused rage, due to the large numbers of hits thus large numbers of parries, dodges and blocks.

I have a separate prot pvp specc too, so I dont get punished in the generally rage starved pvp enviroment.

[Deathsupply]

here's what I am going to be using when I get around to respeccing and glyphing:

3.2 Talent Spec (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warrior=35020000230000000000000000000003000000000 00000000000000000052351025000212521330113321&glyph=031906070304&version=10192)

I take two points into Imp Disciplines as well, those two point can be throw to fill out Imp TC or Imp Revenge as wanted. Take note that I take both 5/5 Shield Spec and 3/3 Focused Rage.

[XtreO]

here's what I am going to be using when I get around to respeccing and glyphing:

3.2 Talent Spec (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warrior=35020000230000000000000000000003000000000 00000000000000000052351025000212521330113321&glyph=031906070304&version=10192)

I take two points into Imp Disciplines as well, those two point can be throw to fill out Imp TC or Imp Revenge as wanted. Take note that I take both 5/5 Shield Spec and 3/3 Focused Rage.

Bad idea. Your overall threat output is greatly decreased by skipping imp revenge but for some special circumstances, and imp TC is pretty much mandatory unless you got someone else doing it or some other classes' equivalent for you.

My specc is like this. (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warrior=35020000230000000000000000000003020000000 00000000000000000053351225000012521030113321&glyph=000000000000&version=10192)

You could however consider taking 3 points out of Incite. Glyph of Revenge is a good idea for lower tiers of content too, it helps a lot.