Would Titansteel Bonecrusher be unacceptable?

[Whitegold]

So... I'm about to take my guild into our first Naxx run. I'm well and truly geared for entry, but one thing I have is a bit.. uncool.

I'm currently rocking the Blade of the Empty Void. Yes. A blue quest reward sword. Nothing else has dropped for me. I go into Naxx on Sunday and I have very little time to play until then - hoping to run a heroic tonight, maybe two, and possibly another one Saturday night.

Given my limited time I'm considering making a Titansteel Bonecrusher. I have the mats sitting in my bank, and I'm a blacksmith, so there'd be no cost. Is this a stupid tanking weapon? Or is it a viable upgrade? Or is it a stupid tanking weapon that's a viable upgrade for now until I get something better? Bonecrusher doesn't even make the list of weapons here.

Oh, I'm well over the defense cap, so I won't be under it once I drop the Empty Void.

As a final note would the Wyrmrest Accord "Fang of Truth" be a better option?

[Pyorrhea]

You could use any type of weapon if you want, but would it actually help you ? Personally I think our tanking weapons are lacking for ProtWarriors and ProtPallies.

It would be easier if I knew what type of tank you where, but I will just tell you what I did.

Important : An upgrade is an upgrade no matter how small it might seem.

As a ProtPally I had a hard time to get a nice tanking weapon, I did not see one that I could use until I started to do Dungeons Normal/Heroic. I would suggest to get a weapon with +Def, +Dodge, +Parry etc. This way you can ease up on the +Def, +Dodge on other gear slots with enchants and Gems and use STR STA ones.

In my quest for a better blade I came across the following site. (I am new to wow so my number crunching is not that great yet, so I use all resources available to me)

Raid Ready Check

It's simple to use, just put in your Realm Server Name. Then get the info it scales you on what you have and where you will get your better upgrades from.

The short would be,

Option 1 : Eternally Folded Blade

This is located in HoL normal (Halls of Lightning) and drops from the second boss, Volkhan. This I think was one of the 1st Tanking weapons I used. Although not great it does give you a boost for your tanking. For normal this was easy fight so it should not be difficult to get this one.

For me this was almost a sure drop everytime I did the run.

Option 2 : Infrantry Assaut Blade

This is located in UK Heroic (Utgarde Keep) and drops from the first boss, Prince Kelseleth. Very simply fight just burn him down. Break the ice tomb's if you do not want to go for achievement or have it already.

For me drop rate was 3 out of 7 runs.

Option 3 : Red Sword of Courage

This is located in UP Heroic (Utgarde Panicle) and drops from the last boss, King Ymiron. Once again fight was easy just stay away from the bubbles ^^. This is the must have for ProtPallies and Protwarriors before going to Raids as this is your last Heroic upgrade before you next one will come from Naxx.

Still trying to get it. ( Did the run 3 times now and saw it drop twice, 1st time with guild and they DE cause I was Ret Specced. Second time when I was tank the PUG DPS need rolled on it for his Alt specc and he got it QQ)

Drop rate 2 out of 3.

This is how I want to upgrade my pally, it might not work for you but it sure is working for me.
Hope this helps you I this is my plan for getting my tank ready. GLHF

[Squeegiemama]

I wouldn't stress to much about your quest blue sword. Everyone must remember Grom'tor's Charge - Item - World of Warcraft, that thing lasted me until I got the Mallet of the Tides from Lurker.

So saying you need a specific sword from a regular or heroic instance can be misleading.

I wouldn't worry about it and definitely save the mats for something more worthwhile.

[Pyorrhea]

So saying you need a specific sword from a regular or heroic instance can be misleading.

If you are in a progressive guild I would suggest getting the best gear you can to upgrade your tank, I would rather be OP than letting me Raid run wipe. Reason why I recommended the instances was that it is the best/cheapest/quickest most sensible upgrade. This however is personal preference for me.

I do however agree with

...save the mats for something more worthwhile.

At this point in time there is no Tanking specific gear you can make with BSing. Maybe in future we will see something.

P.S I am not OP yet ^^

[swelt]

Unless you are accustomed to tanking with a slow weapon, I'd say avoid the bonecrusher. The only issue that your blue sword will cause will be lower threat through lower damage. You might consider getting a fang of truth, adding a weapon chain, and using that for trash if you find that you are having threat issues. Otherwise, looking at your gear overall, I think your healers may prefer you keep what mitigation you can.

[Taelas]

You'd probably be better off buying the Fang of Truth than making the Bonecrusher. The Bonecrusher would be an awesome weapon on trash, but not that much for bosses. Even then, it shouldn't matter terribly much. Threat isn't that big an issue these days, and for your first forays into Naxxramas, the Blade of the Empty Void is an OK weapon.

[Stompya]

Get the Eternally Folded Blade, it will last you untill you get one of the Heroic UP ones.

It is also the most probable to drop since you can get a guild group, go into normal HoL, clear to second boss and, if it does not drop, run out, reset and go again.

Drop rate is not bad so it should not take you long to get one this way.

[Balog]

As a pallie tank I've had to use non-tanking weapons too much (hai2u fighting casters for swords) to ever want to do it again. Naxx is designed to be ran with quest and dungeon blues. If you don't get a good drop from Naxx run H UP like a bot for the red sword.

[Halgreg]

Keep your Blade of the Empty void because it's a fine tanking weapon for your progression, and I think that was by design. You can run heroic UP for the Red Sword if you would like an upgrade, but don't stress too much over it.

[Whitegold]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Just to clarify a few things.

I am a warrior. I really should have said so. Sorry.

I work three jobs, so I have to re-define casual. I sometimes get time to run a single heroic a week. I almost never get time for a daily. This week I've been extravagant - one and a half runs (long story) AND I'm booked in for Naxx on Sunday. So "just run H UP a bunch of times until you get the red sword" id unfortunately impractical. If it drops after 10 runs it will be late April, maybe June before I get it.

Also, our main healer hates H UP and refuses to go, so I might have to bribe our secondary healer with shiny objects.

I have so far had not a single tank drop in heroics. Go me.

Last night after a cancelled Heroic where one of our DPS had to leave and we couldn't get another I bullied the party into going through HoL normal. Naturally as soon as we started it two of our best DPS popped on saying "anyone want to run something". *sigh*

It was fun, except for the first boss. None of us knew the strategy, so I opted to charge him at random, to see what he did. We got slaughtered. We struggled to get him down after that, wiping three times. Then we got him, and then one shot every other boss.

By the way, I also found out that your healer gets cranky when your strategy for trash pulls consists of "You know what? Think fast.."

There's a point to this, though, which is that by some miracle Eternally Folded Blade dropped for me first go. So that's a nice upgrade. Not huge, but it helps.

Now I just need to convince my just-made-80 warlock that 900dps is probably not good enough...

Pyorrhea - sucks that they DEd your Red Sword. I'd rather see a weapon go to an off-spec than to a shard. DEing something people would use is just... stupid.

Also, your Raid Ready Check is awesome. Thanks heaps for that link. I'll send it round to my guild.