[Kerg]

So a lot of things are changing. We're getting epic gems. The gems are scaling up, but the socket bonuses are not. It will thus relatively cost more stamina in 3.2 to pick up socket bonuses.

We will also no longer be able to use JC stamina gems in red/yellow slots to pick up socket bonuses.

Let's take a poll. How would you gem the following for your general 25-man Ulduar boss-tanking set? Answer #1-5 below.

1. Unbreakable Chestguard
1 red socket
1 yellow socket
socket bonus: +9 Stamina

60 Stamina
vs.
39 Stamina, 10 Dodge, 10 Defense

...

2. Legplates of the Endless Void

1 red socket
1 blue socket
1 yellow socket
socket bonus: +12 Stamina

90 Stamina
vs.
72 Stamina, 10 Dodge, 10 Defense

...

3. T8.5 Helm
1 yellow socket
socket bonus: +8 Defense

30 Stamina
vs.
15 Stamina, 18 Defense

...

4. T8.5 Chest
1 blue socket
1 yellow socket
socket bonus: +6 Defense

60 Stamina
vs.
45 Stamina, 16 Defense

...

5. T8.5 Legs
1 yellow socket
1 blue socket
socket bonus: +9 Stamina

60 Stamina
vs.
54 Stamina, 10 Defense

EDIT: Forgot to say for what gear set and tanking role.
EDIT2: Added numbering/poll.

[Kerg]

Forgot to say for what gear set and tanking role. I added it to OP.

[Kerg]

Made it into a poll. Answer #1-5. Thanks.

[Kerg]

/bump

Nobody has any input? I am interested in seeing others' gemming strategies. All stamina? Or pick up socket bonuses? How would you gem the above pieces? Thanks!

[Tarigar]

Because I don't see a poll and I am not a JC I would still gem for the socket bonuses depending on what i needed. If I need defense I will not ignore it. Also while gemming for socket bonuses I can pick up other stats like expertise .

[Frae]

In the end it just depends on my gear and if I use it for EH, avoidance, or other sets. For example in my T8.5 helm I actually have the expertise JC gem in it to help dodge cap me and closely parry cap me with food since expertise is more rare in Ulduar gear. So again, I go full stam in EH sets and go with stam/def gems in avoidance gear and get some bonuses this way.

[Kerg]

The reason I posted this is because I found advice about gems for tanks to be really lacking out there. Surprisingly, I had a hard time finding much of anything. (I know, the guides out there are from volunteers, and it's greatly appreciated, so I'm not complaining. )

But this otherwise great guide skips gems...

WotLK Prot Warrior guide

It directs you to this thread instead...

WOTLK Tanking Gear List

Which is also a good guide, except that it only ranks gems in Time To Live terms. It doesn't take Effective Health into account.

Thus, I was wanting to see how people out there are gemming, so I could better make up my mind about whether to go for socket bonuses or not. Thanks.

[Tooze]

Most tanks just gem for stam nowadays. Since most bosses just hit extremely hard the higher health makes it easier on both you and the healers.

[Proletaria]

As a JC tank:

Assuming, like the above poster mentioned, heavy hitters remain a relative constant in the raid content I will still be gemming stam all the way (unless the stamina socket bonus ends up marginalizing the trade-off significantly).

Of course, there will be a few non-blue gems present to activate the meta, but that is a given for the JC change.

[Aethelas]

I'll likely get my head pounded in the first week of T9 content - as I doubt I have the funds to gem entirely in expensive gems. I'll simply gem mostly for stamina (not excluding socket bonusses that are completely worth it) until my gear is at the point where my hitpoint buffer is good enough. Then I suppose I'll toss in some more stam/expertise or stam/hit or stam/defense rating gems in there.

[Maelstrom]

Farmed up a few hundred heroism and valor badges over the past few weeks, just to be ready to spooge them all on epic gems. I'll probably be going with 30 stam in every slot except for a shifting dreadstone in one to allow for meta gema activation, especially considering epic gems seem to have the same effect they had in TBC with making socket bonusses almost totally irrelevant.

[Aethelas]

Ah right... All the badges automatically convert to conquest right? How many badges for a gem then? 30 or so?

[Maelstrom]

15 badges on the PTR at the moment.