ICC Prot Warrior Spec Rambling

I decided to re-evaluate my spec/glyph choices since ICC is out and my priorities have changed a bit based on the fairly solid list of gear upgrades that will be dropping (see here for ICC Gear List). Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and suggestions regarding my spec/glyph rambling.

Spec:

• 15/3/53: I have a DPS off-spec so this is my threat/survivability compromise spec that I will use for everything
• Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
• Highlights
  • Arms Tree: Pickup deep wounds for dps/tps output
  • Fury Tree: Keep armored to the teeth but don't take cruelty
  • Prot Tree:
    • 5 points in Shield Spec (I like the rage on avoidance to fill any avoidance streaks on trash and can switch to un-hittable block set as needed with just a gear change)
    • Take Last Stand (I am an aggressive cooldown user and although it isn't really required it makes my healers lives much easier when we chain pull or on progression fights when spaced out with Shield Wall/Trinkets/Shield Block/Etc)
    • 2 points in Imp Revenge (Stun effect is a nice bonus preventing damage or stunning casters and helps output more dps/tps with the 20% damage increase)
    • Skipped Imp Disciplines (None of the fights require 2 minute cooldowns like General used to so I prefer using those points for rage/damage oriented stuff instead)
    • 2 points in Gag Order (This seems baseline to me allowing silences and improving Shield Slam damage)
    • ** 2 points in Focused Rage (This is the one that bothers me the most about this spec. I REALLY would like to have 3 points in this but just don't really see where I would take the other point from. If I were to switch anything it would likely be a point out of Shield Spec to go in here)
    • All the other normal stuff

Glyphs:

I hate carrying a bunch of glyphs around and swapping them in and out constantly. With that in mind I try to select my spec/glyph choices based around something that is viable for boss progression and trash alike.

• Major:
  • Devastate
    • Seems baseline until the T9 2pc is replaced with ICC upgrades (and will likely still use it even then lol). Goes Hand in hand with the 3.2 devastate buff
    • Gets 5 sunders up on targets faster improving raid-wide DPS
    • Improves threat
  • Blocking
    • Provides some damage reduction
    • Improves TPS/DPS output and will become even better with the T10 2pc bonus improving Shield Slam damage
  • Shield Wall, Vigilance, Taunt
    • I used to be a proponent of using the Taunt glyph since ToC had virtually no hit itemization on gear. However, ICC is bringing various hit itemized pieces back and since Prot Warriors have many tricks in case a taunt misses I will be switching away from Taunt in ICC
    • Vigilance is ok and I considered using it but I really don't have any threat issues with min/maxed gear, spec and rotation so I don't think it is really worth it.
    • I have opted to go with Shield Wall since once again I am an aggressive cooldown user and I expect it will become even more beneficial once we start working on the Heroic version of the ICC fights.
• Minor:
  • Thunderclap
    • Must have, no other alternatives come close
  • Charge
    • Must have, no other alternatives come close
  • Command
    • The only other option would be Bloodrage and considering the minimal damage taken from Bloodrage the improved duration to Commanding Shout seems far more beneficial especially since the possibility of T10 4pc bonus

***EDIT: For comparison purposes here are some other specs I have utilized in the past which demonstrate different ends of the spectrum regarding survivability or threat instead of the middle-ground spec I listed above:

• Survivability
  • 5/10/56 - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
  • 5/15/51 - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
• Threat
  • 15/5/51 - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
• UA
  • 37/1/33 - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

EDIT2: Actually now that I think about it, the UA build might actually be really nice for the Saurfang fight

Seems reasonable to me.

My thoughts on Specs and Glyphs alter constantly.

Currently I have 2 protection specs:

15/3/53 - Threat. I found this one great for tanking adds on Deathwhisper and for all the trash clears.

5/8/58 - Survival with Imp Disciplines and Imp Spell Reflect. Commanding Presence is covered by a DPS Warrior.

For Glyphs I agree with your conclusions.

Majors have several options all of which are viable depending on your situation and hardly mandatory for the encounters available at this time. So it would seem within reason they are personal preference.

Minors you really only have 4 to choose from, any combination will do, again comes down to personal preference.

Do you see any benefit, which we have seen from all the various choice of specs. When going the route to Glyph Shield Wall, might as well pick up 2 points to lower the CD to give it even more use? I mean one has to assume you didn't glyph it to reduce the damage, so why would you take one and not the other if both benefit each other? I realize overall there is not alot of good options, most specs I have seen take out 2 points in focused rage. Just curious your thoughts, since it seems you gave alot to swapping from Taunt to Shield wall curious as to why you don't make it even more powerful with probably 2+ uses per Boss fight, reguardless of Farm or Progression status.

Also been debating my Glyphs, so the question I'm asking you. Is same question I'm debating myself when gearing strongly for EH and just bi-product of some gear optimization in Uld / ToC lead to good threat stats from EH pieces as well.

Also last you state previously that you think overall Last Stand glyph is bad, I have been using it for as long as I can remember, due to fact like you point you. Utilizing CD's together is very powerful, as well as spreading them out to cycle them ect. Wouldn't one think with them giving us Enraged Regen and now good deal over 50k health in raid buffs, that since they glyph no longer has the penatly just reduces the CD, it's still useful? I guess I'm just curious, doesn't larger health pool have some effect towards EH, you can take more hits and overall damage for that period of time right?

Exactly my line of thinking squirrel. I havent made the change yet & i'm running without the deepwounds just yet but i was planning a change. I had at one point tried no points in focused rage, considering bosses keep me filled all the time but then i ran into rage starvation on trash.

As for minor glyphs, i like bloodrage. It allows druids to start rolling all their hots on me. Before the glyph, i had problems where latency caused some mobs to start running for trees, after the glyph no problems :)

I really REALLY hate the 40% on shield wall but 2/3 minutes cooldown is worth it. I'm still at the point of debating if i can afford a 3 minute cooldown. If i can convince myself, i'm going with the spec you listed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hapa

When going the route to Glyph Shield Wall, might as well pick up 2 points to lower the CD to give it even more use?

Also last you state previously that you think overall Last Stand glyph is bad, I have been using it for as long as I can remember, due to fact like you point you. Utilizing CD's together is very powerful, as well as spreading them out to cycle them ect.

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First of all my reasoning with regard to Shield Wall glyph while ignoring Imp Disciplines really comes down to a few factors:

• Until now I have been glyphed with taunt so I am used to 5 minute shield wall cooldowns and have no problem timing that out and making myself easy to heal. 3 minute will be even easier.
• Current content does not have an Ulduar General type fight that requires anything near 2 minute cooldowns. If there was, then Shield Wall / Last Stand glyphs + Imp Disc would be a requirement... but there isn't.
• Most things with a Prot Warrior seem to be a decision between mediocre choices that most other tank classes aren't stuck with. To utilize a spec that provides decent TPS/DPS (Deep Wounds) as well as rage generation talents (Focused Rage & Shield Spec) you are really stuck because we simply don't have the points to allow improved cooldowns. In essence we can only pick 2 out of 3 specialties
  • TPS/DPS, Rage Generation, Cooldowns
  • When you know the fights and recognize the fact that 2 minute cooldowns are not required (at least thus far in normal ICC) it seems to make the most sense to choose the first 2: TPS & Rage Generation since the difference between 2min SW versus 3min is really minimal without a fight mechanic requiring it.

Last Stand glyph again is simply not required in current content and the alternatives are FAR superior. Really the main choices seem to be: Blocking, Devastate, Shield Wall or Taunt.

Blocking will be huge with T10 2pc bonus, Devastate is huge with the 3.2 buffs and T9 2pc bonus, Taunt was great in ToC but really isn't needed in ICC with more hit itemization coming out and the ability to throw vigilance on targets as needed for TPS boost or infinite taunts so Shield Wall is just picked up to fill the last spot. Last Stand is the ugly red headed step child that no one really likes, they might get picked on rare occasions if required but usually they are left alone in the closet lol.