New Badge Gear Question...

[Darath]

So I'm fairly new to raiding and the badge gear so I have a few questions. I now have 100 badges, and I'm looking to pick up my first piece of badge gear either the pants or the chest piece. Here is a link to my armory...

The World of Warcraft Armory

what would you guys suggest i get first of those two items? I know i don't have +12 stam gems in the pants i'm wearing now (didn't want to waste em when i'm thinking about upgrading them). I'm currently running kara and i'm looking for the piece that will stay with me the longest and also gives me a nice upgrade. Any and all comments are appriciated! Thanks guys!

[Brucimus]

I think I would go with the 2.3 Legs (75 badges) [item]Unwavering Legguards[/item] and the 2.3 Bracers (35 Badges) [item]Bracers of the Ancient Phalanx[/item]


neither of these items are the new sexy choice but I think they are pieces you will not replace easily

[ebs2002]

Looking at your current gear, I'd say that the legs are your next big upgrade, and I agree that in Kara I'd go for the 2.3 legs instead of the 2.4. The 2.4 are a little better once you progress past Kara, but I'm not bothering upgrading them for a long while.

I wouldn't recommend the 2.3 bracers yet, even though they are great, you have decent bracers already. Once you get out of some of those blues, though, the top three things to get are 2.4 belt, 2.3 bracers and 2.3 neck.

I would also not overlook the Autoblocker. That's an item that every tank should have, from Heroics to Sunwell. I'd get the Unwavering Legs and the Autoblocker for 116 badges. Also, you should look into getting a new bp; don't spend badges on it, though. If you're an armorsmith, go up the tree to [item]Bulwark of the Ancient Kings[/item]. If you're not, look into getting the S1, S2 or S3 chest piece.

[Nuberino]

From a threat perspective the autoblocker is all but replaced with the [item]Shard of Contempt[/item] which should be within reach of any tank trying to get it. IMO 40 badges would be better spent elsewhere. Badge neck, bracers or save for 2.4 belt.

[Kamani]

Wait....what?

Why the hell would you go with 2.3 legs instead of 2.4? By all ways the 2.4 legs are better. Survivability, eh, avoidance, threat.

I got the 2.4 legs as soon as the vendor was released, I heavily suggest everybody else does too.

[Kazeyonoma]

well, for one the sunwell legs have sbv, and for a person who might already be at the expertise softcap, sbv would be an alternative for increased threat (albeit it won't be as much as more expertise or hit of course, but its still a viable scaling threat stat).

Likewise having more dodge isn't always good if someone is doing older content. I wouldn't dream to go back into kara with as much armor as I have now but with 25% or more dodge, i'd rage starve myself. Remember that badge gear is available at all tiers, someone in kara might not need that much extra dodge.

Lastly, 2.3 legs has more Stamina available to it.

So your statement that 2.4 legs are better in all aspects isn't necessarily true.

[Brucimus]

High Expertise and Massive Block Value is FTW and The Shard is not the only place you can get expertise

The new 2.4 Belt 2.3 Bracers and the Exalted SSO Neck is plenty of expertise and with the Autoblocker and 2.3 Pants you will be all set for threat

The Shard doesnt provide the instant threat that 2K Shield Slam does

and Kamani ...every tank should have a Threat Set and a Survival Set

[Nuberino]

The Shard doesnt provide the instant threat that 2K Shield Slam does

Thats true, but over time the shard will out threat autoblocker. How often do you need to rely on burst threat in T4 and lower? I didn't have any when I went through there and there wasn't an encounter that it was necessary or even would've made an appreciable difference (my luck if did need it the sheild slam would be dodged, parried or missed). And unless badges are coming in hand over fist, you would be better spending 40 badges elsewhere when there is a better (in 95% of all situations) alternative through a 5 man.

[ebs2002]

Thats true, but over time the shard will out threat autoblocker. How often do you need to rely on burst threat in T4 and lower?

Uh, every trash pull?

[Once]

Burst threat is nice on boss pulls too if you have a couple dps that like to jump the gun. Nothing like missing that first shield slam and having the dps open up 4 seconds into the fight.

[Nuberino]

Uh, every trash pull?

Since the changes to devastate in 2.3 and the addition of expertise, I dont' believe dps holds back at all any more - first cooldown you have a jump on threat - in fact I know they don't since if I don't land that initial ability my next move is intervene/taunt... all they need to do is wait for you to land *something* on the mob the only thing that can then spoil it is if you are dodged, parried or miss. We have built in initial burst threat.

T5+ geared dps agro will be more sensitive, but a kara/T4 dps would be hard pressed to pull agro off a warrior just spamming devastate early on in the fight (without purposefully going for agro). I would argue that it is better to ensure a smooth increase in TPS which the shard especially since we have built in class mechanics for burst initial TPS now. Pre 2.3, this was not the case and that was when the autoblocker made a *lot* of sense... now it is valuable, just less so than before and there are better alternatives to it out there.

[Kamani]

well, for one the sunwell legs have sbv, and for a person who might already be at the expertise softcap, sbv would be an alternative for increased threat (albeit it won't be as much as more expertise or hit of course, but its still a viable scaling threat stat).

Likewise having more dodge isn't always good if someone is doing older content. I wouldn't dream to go back into kara with as much armor as I have now but with 25% or more dodge, i'd rage starve myself. Remember that badge gear is available at all tiers, someone in kara might not need that much extra dodge.

Lastly, 2.3 legs has more Stamina available to it.

So your statement that 2.4 legs are better in all aspects isn't necessarily true.

Armor and stamina have the same effect on effective health.
Unwavering has 7 more stam, Sunguard has 191 more armor. 191 armor, at my gear(18.5k health 18k armor) ~ 13.5ish stam. Sunguard has better EH.

Sunguard has 21 more defense, 35 more dodge and 23 expertise.

So it's essentially 21 defense, 35 dodge, 23 expertise, 6.5ish stam vs 30 block RATING and 59 BV. If this isn't a no brainer then I don't know what is.

[Kamani]

Uh, every trash pull?

Why are you factoring in trash pulls when deciding what to do with your first 100 badges?

Honestly, having better survivability vs Archimonde next week is much more important to me then building more burst threat on Rage's trash waves. Guess I'm just weird.

[Kazeyonoma]

you also have to take into account that the 2.4 legs cost 25 more badges. Of course its better, but there are other priorities. In either case, its up to the OP to pick what he wants, 2.4 is overall better.