Badge upgrades

[Nambey]

First of all, I'll add my armory link later, wouldn't do any good right now as I logged out in my grinding gear.

From memory, I've got the badge neck, cloak and chest (2.3, not 2.4), and Kara boots, legs, bracers and belt with T4 shoulders.

I need to increase my expertise and hit, but it seems that many of the badge upgrades that do that will also lower my SBV. I was saving to get the 2.4 pants to upgrade from Curator's, but now I'm not as sure. I'm thinking of going with the belt, gloves and bracers first, and then getting the 2.3 pants to offset losing the SBV from the gloves and bracers. Any thoughts?

Edit: Forgot to add that I'm mostly looking at doing ZA and SSC right now.

[Lavache]

i assume you have maiden's gloves now?

i personally would stick with the order you have listed (belt, gloves, bracers) and then look at one of or both of the pants. i have the 2.3 pants still and have other pieces that are bigger upgrades than the pants to grab -however we are working on T6 content, so my upgrade options are a little different.

[Kerchunk]

I need to increase my expertise and hit, but it seems that many of the badge upgrades that do that will also lower my SBV.

Okay, so what's the problem? You're not going to be able to stack both, and Expertise/Hit are better all-around Tanking stats. So go ahead and sacrifice the SBV, it will be worth it in the long run.

I was saving to get the 2.4 pants to upgrade from Curator's, but now I'm not as sure.

Be sure. Be very sure. Get the Sunguard Legplates. You cannot go wrong.

I'm thinking of going with the belt, gloves and bracers first, and then getting the 2.3 pants to offset losing the SBV from the gloves and bracers. Any thoughts?

Yes, avoid the 2.3 Badge legs. Sunguard Legplates put them to shame.

If I were you, I would get:

Bracers of the Ancient Phalanx (Excellent upgrade, low cost - no brainer)
Sunguard Legplates (Get them, just do it)
Girdle of the Fearless
Bonefist Gauntlets (Decent all-around upgrade over Maiden's)
Ring of the Stalwart Protector (Don't pass up this ring)
Chestplate of Stoicism (You need it, but since you have 2.3 you can put it off)

[Dunmail]

I got the badge neck & bracers first as mentioned above they were a no brainer and made a massive difference.

Ditto with legs never bothered with the 75 badge ones, but if I ever have badges spare I may think again for a threat set (curator has been totally bone) as some rage starvation issues (kz/heroic/za trash) have made me think twice on avoidance pieces. Saving that they would be my first choice on hard hitting bosses, as the rage starvation only cropped up after adding the belt.

Couldn't see it mentioned but have you ran MGT - don't need to bother even with heroic level unless you wanted the trinkets, for the thrown weapon off boss 3? That has some nice hit/expertise and faster than the tanky gun for general use.