Tanking BiS 3.3.3

This is a guide to help illustrate the Paladin tanking best in slot gear list.
This guide will mainly focus on the items from 10m heroic, 25m and 25m heroic so readers will be able to assess which gear they should be going for.
This guide will is not intended to provide the theoretical backing behind why a particular peice is better than another, I'll keep my priorities short.

General tanking stat assumptions:
Stamina still reigns supreme with being the most efficient form of EH.
Due to CoTF and general item budgeting amongst other things in ICC Armor comes in as the ideal secondary stat.
Defence is 3rd providing the highest returns on avoidance and contributes to block as well.
Dodge>Parry due to Diminishing returns.
Block is seemingly non-existant on ICC gear minus shield.

So on with the gear!

Weapon:
Mithrios, Bronzebeard's Legacy [284] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50738
Troggbane, Axe of the Frostborne King [271] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51947
Last Word [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50708
Mithrios, Bronzebeard's Legacy [271] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49997
The Facelifter [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51869
Bonebreaker Scepter [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51937
Bloodvenom Blade [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50672
Scourgeborne Waraxe [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50654
Last Word [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50179
Troggbane, Axe of the Frostborne King [258] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51795

Wrathful excluded.
The Facelifters expertise isn't really needed, you can get that expertise off Cataclysmic chest or Grinning Boots. In these cases Bonebreaker rates higher because of the hit.

Shield:
Icecrown Glacial Wall [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50729
Neverending Winter [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51909
Icecrown Glacial Wall [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50065
Forlorn Barrier [258] http://www.wowhead.com/item=47421
Aegis of the Coliseum [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=48055

Wrathful excluded.

Head:
Sanctified Lightsworn Faceguard [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51266
Broken Ram Skull [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50640
Sanctified Lightsworn Faceguard [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51173
Broken Ram Skull [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49986

Tier is optimal here, it has better itemization and if your guild is able to kill Lady Deathwhisper heroic 25m then they'll most likely be able to kill Saurfang or Blood Queen Lanathel.

Neck:
Bile-Encrusted Medallion [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50682
Bile-Encrusted Medallion [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50023
Noose of Malachite [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50627
Marrowgar's Scratching Choker [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51934

Shoulders:
Bone Commander's Pauldrons [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50660
Sanctified Lightsworn Shoulderguards [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51269
Bone Commander's Pauldrons [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50003
or
Spaulders of the Blood Princes [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51847
Sanctified Lightsworn Shoulderguards [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51170
Bone Commander's Pauldrons are the BiS piece however you would ideally use tier if you we're going for 4p bonus.

Back:
Sentinel's Winter Cloak [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50466
Royal Crimson Cloak [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50718
Cloak of Many Skins [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51888
Royal is a great source of hit if you need that little bit more.

Chest:
Sanctified Lightsworn Chestguard [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51265
Cataclysmic Chestguard [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50968
Blightborne Warplate [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50681
Sanctified Lightsworn Chestguard [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51174

If you're in a raiding guild that most likely wont see heroic tokens go with the Cataclysmic Chestguard. It easily attainable and with Combat Expertise and Glyphed Seal of Vengeance it will leave you perfectly on 26 expertise.

Wrist:
Gargoyle Spit Bracers [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51901
Bracers of Dark Reckoning [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50611
Gargoyle Spit Bracers [251] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50802
Bracers of Dark Reckoning [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49960

Hands:
Sanctified Lightsworn Handguards [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51267
Taldaram's Plated Fists [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50716
Gauntlets of the Kraken [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50978
Sanctified Lightsworn Handguards [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51172

Best to stick with Guantlets unless you have a guild that will be able to get heroic tokens.

Belt:
Verdigris Chain Belt [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50991
Belt of Broken Bones [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50691
Ironrope Belt of Ymirjar [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51831

How nice, BiS belt available to all those who can muster up 60 EoF.

Legs:
Pillars of Might [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49904
Legguards of Lost Hope [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50612
Sanctified Lightsworn Legguards [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51268
Legguards of Lost Hope [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49964
Sanctified Lightsworn Legguards [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51171
Deathforged Legplates[264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51895

Pillars.

Feet:
Grinning Skull Greatboots [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50625
Scourge Fanged Stompers [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51816
Boots of Kingly Upheaval [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49907
or
Grinning Skull Greatboots [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50190

Hit Vs Expertise for the 264 Grinning and Boots, as a pally Hit is going to be the more attractive stat.

Rings:
Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50622
Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50185
Band of the Twin Val'kyr [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=48027
Signified Ring of Binding [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49489
Ashen Band of Endless Courage [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50404
Juggernaut Band [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50642
Abomination's Bloody Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51913
Juggernaut Band [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49985

Resistance/Armor dependant on fight for Signified.
Wowhead link for Ashen [277] is spitting back the [268] version.

Trinkets:
Trinkets are fight dependant, therefore these aren't in static order.
Glyph of Indomitability [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=47735
Juggernaut's Vitality [258] http://www.wowhead.com/item=47451
Juggernaut's Vitality [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=47290
Corpse Tongue Coin [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50349
Corpse Tongue Coin [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50352
Corroded Skeleton Key [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50356
Purified Onyxia Blood Talisman [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49487
Sindragosa's Flawless Fang [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50364
Sindragosa's Flawless Fang [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50361
Unidentifiable Organ [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50344
Unidentifiable Organ [251] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50341
Eitrigg's Oath [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=48021
Ick's Rotting Thumb [232] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50235
Royal Seal of King Llane [219] http://www.wowhead.com/item=46021
The Black Heart [200] http://www.wowhead.com/item=47216

As for current status Heroic Sindragosa's Flawless Fang and Heroic Juggernaut's Vitality are Best in slot and would be used for most fights simply because of the static stamina and awesome on use abilities. Glyph and Unidentifiable organ are the best armor trinkets until RS is live.

For any corrections, contributions or suggestions please reply, this is as much as it is for you guys as it is for me :)
-Amity

Onyxia 25 ring is superior to the juggernaut band in every way possible.

Ya, I'd honestly put H-band of the Twin Valks then the Ony 25 ring just below the devium's rings.

Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50622
Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50185
Band of the Twin Val'kyr [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=48027
Signified Ring of Binding [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49489
Ashen Band of Endless Courage [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50403
Juggernaut Band [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50642
Abomination's Bloody Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51913
Juggernaut Band [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49985

How good those rings are is proof that ilevel means diddly squat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aggathon

Ya, I'd honestly put H-band of the Twin Valks then the Ony 25 ring just below the devium's rings.

Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50622
Devium's Eternally Cold Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50185
Band of the Twin Val'kyr [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=48027
Signified Ring of Binding [245] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49489
Ashen Band of Endless Courage [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50403
Juggernaut Band [277] http://www.wowhead.com/item=50642
Abomination's Bloody Ring [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=51913
Juggernaut Band [264] http://www.wowhead.com/item=49985

How good those rings are is proof that ilevel means diddly squat.

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It's proof that blizz shouldn't put armor on our stats. It's just far too good that it's stupid and severely limits our options.

What should I wear? That thing with the bonus armor. This applies on everything but trinkets.

Cheers for the update on rings. If anyone would like to make comments on particular trinkets whether it be their usefulness in particular fights, attainability or alternate uses feel free.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gacktt

It's proof that blizz shouldn't put armor on our stats. It's just far too good that it's stupid and severely limits our options.

What should I wear? That thing with the bonus armor. This applies on everything but trinkets.

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To be honest I'm still unsure if the 277 bracers outweigh 251 gargoyles.

And this armor phase will pass, it's very much an end content stat when Chill of the Throne/Sunwell Radience comes into play and mitigation becomes so much more appealing than avoidance.

Back in BC no one used armor bonus items/chants because avoidance was incredibly good, even in sunwell I'm pretty sure avoidance was still valued, since after 21k health the extra stamina did not let you survive an extra hit after brut's stomp-dual swing from what EJ claim.

Hopefully once the 2-shot fests stop in cata then avoidance would actually be better than armor in terms of saving a healer's mana. WTB pocket watch v2.

popping both cd's when using Heart of Iron and Glyph pretty much the WoTLK Pocket watch. I would say minus CSK, CTC and POBT WOTLK has had some pretty good tanking trinkets.

Pocket watch put me from 80% avoidance to like 95 or something, nearly guaranteeing you will never get hit after a bad streak.

Heart of iron/glyph(in tier 10.5) I go from 70% avoidance... to 78% at best I think.

Yeah, 95% avoidance is something of ridiculous :P
I'm hopeing the tanking stigma will alter, where survivability becomes less about the tanks and healers gear and more about the fight mechanics, there we're too many gear checks in ICC (Marrow, Saurf, Fester, BPC, BQL, Sindy).

Back in BC I could get passively uncrushable before even BT gear, I once solo tanked the bear boss in ZA from 50% to zero (other thank died). I'd just pop avoidance cooldowns whenever I had both buffs and timed shield walls and last stands accordingly and won, lol.

My feral druid friend could get 70%+ dodge in SWP.

I don't understand why the Ony ring is considered better then the Juggernaut band. Using the EH calculator on http://rehfeld.us/wow/effective-health.html, the Juggernaut bank with a Solid Majestic Ziron has EH or 1540 and the Ony ring has EH of 1205. I can't believe that the minor resistances on the Ony ring are worth 335 HP, 90 Strength 43 Dodge and 48 Parry. Unless I'm using the calculator wrong, it seems that we're looking at the armor in a vacuum.

800 armor is more EH than 55 stamina. the 30 resistance also helps out, as most hardmodes also hit you with some elemental damage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gacktt

800 armor is more EH than 55 stamina. the 30 resistance also helps out, as most hardmodes also hit you with some elemental damage.

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Not according to the calculator based on a level 83 mob. Input 800 armor and 1150 HP and you get an EH of 1205. If you input 0 armor 1540 (124 stam plus a 30 stam gem) you get 1540 EH. Unless I'm using the calculator wrong or the calculator is bugged 1540 is greater then 1205. Personally, I'd rather have the Strength over the resistances.

http://www.wowhead.com/compare?items=50642;49489

Most these items are fight dependant and often work within the parameters of your own gear i.e. the hit cap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Theotherone

Not according to the calculator based on a level 83 mob. Input 800 armor and 1150 HP and you get an EH of 1205. If you input 0 armor 1540 (124 stam plus a 30 stam gem) you get 1540 EH. Unless I'm using the calculator wrong or the calculator is bugged 1540 is greater then 1205. Personally, I'd rather have the Strength over the resistances.

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Calculators worthless then.

Basically the calculator values 800 armor to be equal to 5.5 stamina, or 55 hp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by amity

Hit Vs Expertise, as a pally Hit is going to be the more attractive stat.

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Not with a 23 stamina difference, sir.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gacktt

Calculators worthless then.

Basically the calculator values 800 armor to be equal to 5.5 stamina, or 55 hp.

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I get the same results from http://www.tankingtips.com/effective-health-calculator. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. But it seems to me that Juggernaut Band is better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dreador

Not with a 23 stamina difference, sir.

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My apologies that refers purely to the 264 Grinning vs Crafted. The superior stat budget of the 277 grinnings make them BiS and would be the source of expertise over Cataclysmic and tier legs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Theotherone

I get the same results from http://www.tankingtips.com/effective-health-calculator. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. But it seems to me that Juggernaut Band is better.

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I currently have 52400 hp and 33800 armor unbuffed.

My EH is : 158869

Add 55 stamina/550hp ->160537

Let's cancel the 550 hp and add 800 armor -> 161389

Looks fine to me.