Blood Tanking BiS Pre-raid?

Hey, I'm a Death Knight, and Blood Tanking is my Offspec, I've managed to find a BiS list for my Mainspec, which is Frost DPS, but scouring the internet for a Blood Tanking BiS list for Blood Tanking is proving futile.. I would make my own but I don't really know what to gear for, if to go for stamina, mitigation, and if I do go for mitigation, if to favour parry, dodge, or go for a mixture of both? I'm a Blacksmith with access to all the Epic 359 crafts, but I don't really want to spend to much gold on what is essentially a "backup" spec for raids. Can anyone help me? I'm looking for a BiS List that is pre-raids, so stuff I can pick up from heroics, reputatation factions (I'm currently exalted with all factions in Cata) and Justice Points. I'm able to devote all my JP into my Tanking Gear but don't wanna buy certain pieces incase they turn out to be something I'll be replacing..

(The reason I play BiS list highly is that they allow me to focus gear using the Dungeon Finder, rather then going Random and hoping I get SOMETHING..)

First of all, there is a tank list on this forum that is very usefull. I don't have the link here since I'm at work (it's in my favourites at home), but you should be able to find it while searching the forum I think.

Second, if you are exalted with all factions, than you can already get a lot of gear. You need Earthen Ring just to revered for the enchant, but almost all other factions offer tank items at revered or exalted. Visit the quartermasters and will have a nice set of gear already.

If you don't want to spend the gold to craft the epics, consider farming the mats. Ask a guildy for some Truegold transmutes. I did it that way and it didn't cost me a single gold, just time. Since you are a BS yourself you probably don't even have to worry about the Chaos orbs. :)

there is no BiS list.

the theory crafting on dk tanking and stat prioritisation is not complete.

some people say aim for mastery.

others parry + dodge.

i personally say : if it has parry mastery or dodge mastery i want it - if it has dodge parry then its good but ill keep my eye out for a better one.

if it has hit or expertise on then im only gna pick it up if it was a massive upgrade.

Hey. Thankyou for your responses. Based on your advice, I have come up with the following; whilst I understand your statement that no BiS list has been found, I decided to follow the rules you set out..

1. That Parry + Mastery / Dodge + Mastery is optimal.
2. That Parry + Dodge is good but look into replacing.
3. That if it has Hit / Expertise its only if I can't use anything else.
4. It does include Blacksmithing Crafting Epics - as I can indeed farm the mats for them myself and there are a few Guild Alchemist who would be willing to help me out.
5. I'm a Human so if two weapons have the same stats, I will always go for the Mace.

• Head -Crown of Wings from Wildhammer Clan Revered.
• Neck - Carrier Wave Pendant, from Ascendant Lord Obsidius, Blackrock Caverns (Heroic)
• Shoulders - Earthshape Pauldrons, from Drahga Shadowburner, Grim Batol (Heroic) / Heaving Plates of Protection, from Bastion of Twilight Trash Mobs (This is actually available to me as I raid as part of a 10-Man Guild so I could get these given luck with drops)
• Cloak - Wrap of the Great Turtle from Guardians of Hyjal Exalted.
• Chest - Hardened Elementium Hauberk from Blacksmithing (359 Epic Craft)
• Wrists - Sandguard Bracers from Ramkahen Exalted.
• Hands - Numbing Handguards from Justice Points.
• Waist - Hardened Elementium Girdle from Blacksmithing (359 Epic Craft)
• Legs - Greaves of Splendor from Justice Points.
• Feet - Grpyhon Rider's Boots from Wildhammer Clan Revered.
• Ring 1 - Felsen's Ring of Resolve from Therazane Revered.
• Ring 2 - Ring of Three Lights from Siamat, Lord of the South Winds, Lost City of Tol'vir (Heroic)
• Trinket 1 - Mirror of Broken Images, from Baradin's Wardens Exalted.
• Trinket 2 - Leaden's Despair from High Priestess Azil, Stonecore (Heroic)
• Relic - Stalagmite Dragon from Slabhide, Stonecore (Heroic)
• Weapon - Wild Hammer, Erudax, Grim Batol (Heroic)

I already have a few of these, such as the Numbing Handguards and the Wild Hammer, so it wouldn't be to hard to get the rest.. how should I go about gemming/reforging? O_o

Edit: I am unsure about the trinkets.. are there better choices?
Edit2: I'm guessing given my extremely low levels of Hit - that reforging for Hit would be a good option, I'm thinking Parry / Dodge > Hit would be better as I feel that losing the damage absorb from Death Strike (which is consistent mitigiation rather then chance mitigation) would be to much of a blow. Am I right?

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Originally Posted by Illidra

i personally say : if it has parry mastery or dodge mastery i want it - if it has dodge parry then its good but ill keep my eye out for a better one.

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I'm in the same boat and loving mastery. As far as hit and expertise items, I have picked up a few items along the way for if I run into a fight where i need those stats

As far as your gear list. I feel the jp vendor helm, neck are better than what you have listed. As far as the crafted chest, the lack of gem slots and mastery leads me to feel that the jp vendor chest would be the better choice and an even better choice when you consider the cost of the crafted chest. Though I do hear that in 4.0.6 that some of the crafted epic that are currently without gem slots are getting gem slots added. If the crafted tank chest does get some gem slot loving I would definitely consider it if I hadn't already bought my tier chest.

The more I tank and heal this expansion, the more I move back toward worshiping in the temple of stam stacking; with mastery as my second favorite stat. I'll wait for the theory crafters to complete their work, but I'm begining to feel it's stam, stam and more stam i.e. same old, same old.

I seem to recall reading the crafted tank chest will be getting gem slot/slots - I won't make on my BS until I know for sure.

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Originally Posted by uglie

I'm in the same boat and loving mastery. As far as hit and expertise items, I have picked up a few items along the way for if I run into a fight where i need those stats

As far as your gear list. I feel the jp vendor helm, neck are better than what you have listed. As far as the crafted chest, the lack of gem slots and mastery leads me to feel that the jp vendor chest would be the better choice and an even better choice when you consider the cost of the crafted chest. Though I do hear that in 4.0.6 that some of the crafted epic that are currently without gem slots are getting gem slots added. If the crafted tank chest does get some gem slot loving I would definitely consider it if I hadn't already bought my tier chest.

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Aha, I can see your thinking actually, yeah. I must admit, I forgot Atlasloot had a 5th page for Necklaces and other stuff, and do see the JP Necklace is far better then my current choice. :P And yes, I don't know why I picked Crown of Wings when clearly Helm of the Proud is a better choice. It would certainly be easier for me to obtain the JP Chest over the Crafted Epic, and I do like the Mastery from it. Wow, thankyou for your advice.

Edit: Would Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds be a good option for Tanking or not? If I was to Reforge the Crit into Mastery? I'm thinking that the Hit from it would help alot with my low Hit issues.

For trinkets if you're a JC, the http://www.wowhead.com/item=52352 is quite good and if you're an Alchemist http://www.wowhead.com/item=58483 is nice.

Why do you consider crafted items in your BiS list, when most of the enlisted are inferior to ilvl 372s? Call it pre-heroic raid BiS instead :)

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Originally Posted by Nurasha

Why do you consider crafted items in your BiS list, when most of the enlisted are inferior to ilvl 372s? Call it pre-heroic raid BiS instead :)

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I called it a Pre-Raid BiS :P as I do not have access to 372's.

You are talking about low levels of hit. I'm not a theory crafter, but I haven't focused on hit at all and I never have threat problems. I don't think focussing on hit is worth it. What you get is nice, but don't reforge or gem into it.

Only when you have to be sure your interupts work out it's important. But usually a dps can also perform that role with you helping with it.