Protection Warrior itemization for Cataclysm raids

[riotsquad]

Here is my character: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/elune/riotsquad/simple

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to itemize my gear. My guild is about to start 10-man Cataclysm raids this week, and I want to do what I can to assure success gear-wise. I am interested in how to balance mastery/dodge/parry. I'm spending a good bit of time looking at the charts here: http://www.tankspot.com/showthread.php?69903-Warrior-Critical-Block-Mechanics&p=473212#post473212

Currently I have 5045 combined rating and 72.28% combined dodge/block/parry chance. The charts seem to suggest that (if possible) I would ideally have no more than ~750 mastery rating for maximum survivability. This is directly at odds with those who advocate stacking mastery. So the first question is: am I interpreting these charts correctly?

I also understand that stacking mastery can help healers because incoming dmg will be less spiky. Would this be the reasoning behind the "stack mastery" school of thought, even though it means more taking more damage over time? And would that only apply basically up until the point where you would be avoiding/mitigating all attacks with shieldblock up? Would you gem mastery or only stam/mastery? Would you ignore socket bonuses to do so?

In addition, I have a few items that are mastery/hit or master/expertise. I can reforge the hit or expertise away, but I'm interested in feedback on whether or not simply dumping said item for an equiv. ilvl mastery/dodge or mastery/parry piece would be better.

Finally, I would ask any protection warriors out there who are done with this set of raiding: looking back on the earlier content, what attainable itemization would you advise someone like me to look for, considering this is now progression content for me?

[Loganisis]

Ideal WarTank gear:

#1 Mastery / (Dodge/Parry)
#2 Dodge/Parry with one reforged to mastery.

Parry should be kept roughly 2.5% higher than dodge, that's approxmiately the point where returns from HtL are equal to the diminishing returns from keeping parry higher than dodge (without HtL, dodge should = parry due to the same diminishing returns)

Gems are typically:

Yellow = Mastery
Blue = Green Mastery/Stamina
Red = Parry/Mastery

If you can swap a (Dodge/parry) / (hit/exp) item for either a Mastery/(Dodge/parry) or Dodge/Parry it is best to do that.

In heroic raids, threat stats have more value, but sub heroic raids, you should be able to maintain your threat lead in the first 15 seconds without much issue if your rotation is good, so you don't really need threat stats. I'm running .64% hit and 3 exp and threat, even in heroics, is a non-issue (as long as DPS doesn't ride my ass into the fight).

Don't swap down typically though if your gear has master/dodge/parry and something else on it unless the lower level has a boatload of mastery. And even then, it may not be an upgrade.

[riotsquad]

Loganisis,

Thank you for the response, I'll review the gear I have available and make adjustments. 2 questions for you though:

1) What do you advise for prismatic sockets? Stamina or Stamina/Mastery?
2) It seems like you don't advocate what the damage reduction charts might suggest. Do you not find them not useful/accurate, or am I misunderstanding/misapplying those charts to how they relate to progression raids?

[Loganisis]

Prismatic = Pure mastery. You should have enough health to live. Instead of regemming, keep a spare stamina gem around if it's a heavy magic damage fight.

Damage reduction charts?

Gear has two trains of thought as far as I'm aware:

Dodge/Parry/Block to 72.4, so SB turns into a mini-shield wall. Anything above can be reforging mastery back into dodge/parry so you up the avoidance or go for hit or expertiese if needed.... OR ... keep stacking mastery to try to get as close to 97.4, which is full dodge/parry/block with the 5% boss miss to minimize the number of unmitigated attacks incoming, even though you'll take a little more overall damage due to fewer dodges/parries. But you'll also take fewer unmitigated, full hits.

Maybe if you could point me to the charts your refererring to?

[riotsquad]

Takethecake's DR charts here: http://www.tankspot.com/showthread.php?69903-Warrior-Critical-Block-Mechanics&p=473212#post473212

[Loganisis]

@Bigbad: Your numbers pretty much match what I've been seeing as well.

Their seems to be a few different views on mastery but from what I've seen is that, from an incoming damage standpoint, mastery is only worth stacking once you are over 5200 combined rating for dodge / parry / mastery. Below 5200, mastery results in increased overall damage taken.

I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. TTC seems to be talking about total incoming damage. Focusing on mastery will increase the total incoming damage taken as opposed to keeping it as dodge/parry. But it will also reduce the number of unmitigated hits. This smoothing of the incoming damage makes you more healable. I would suggest going for mastery to limit the number of completely unmitigated hits that come in.

[riotsquad]

I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. TTC seems to be talking about total incoming damage. Focusing on mastery will increase the total incoming damage taken as opposed to keeping it as dodge/parry. But it will also reduce the number of unmitigated hits. This smoothing of the incoming damage makes you more healable. I would suggest going for mastery to limit the number of completely unmitigated hits that come in.

Thanks for explaining your reasoning, I think I follow what you're saying

[Crittable]

Basicly, from a healer standpoint, we like to see steady damage. Those big spiky hits require larger heals, whereas the mitigated hits can be a constant rain of our spammable heals. When we have to heal up the spike damage, our mana goes bye bye quickly. If we are able to just spam our easy heals, we could do it all day.

So it's not the total damage taken that you want to look at, as Loganisis says, but it's the ease of healing you that makes or breaks the healers.