Issues with damage taken and threat

[ahappybunny]

Armory Link: Ahappyelf

My warrior has long been my most important char and was by far my best but more and more I am finding that I can't cope in situations I used to. So much so that I now spend most my time healing since sadly I seem to be better at it. I would however like to "fix" my warrior since somehow I broke her.

I currently have a DW build and mostly this meant I don't have aggro issues. I can still out aggro most tanks without cheating with any taunts or such (its a game I play in easy raid bosses - yes i do tell the other tank before). But I find I take lots and lots of damage. For instance I have come to expect my own death on the first boss in ToC10 and patiently await my combat ress. I am always bottom of the DPS meter and justify this to myself by reminding myself I wasn't invited to DPS.

I am considering changing to a survival (deep protection - whatever you want to call it) tank instead but am concerned that since my DPS is low anyway that I'm going to have threat issues. I was hoping that someone could give me a quick comparison between the two specs so that maybe I could be more informed with my choice.

I am also hoping that anyone who sees and major issues with my spec/gear/gemming that you could help me out and tell me. I would really like to start enjoying my warrior again.

Thanks,
Happy

[Griff]

You can have two specs and if you are dying in regular ToC10 Northrend Beasts, you're not using your cooldowns properly.

Fixing your gems would also help you stay alive.

Griff's Rules of thumb:
Don't gem for defense if you are over 540.
Don't use blue-quality gems when epix are available.
Don't worry about socket bonuses unless they are ~+10 or better.

As for your gear -- to much block gear, look to upgrade pieces that are itemized with both block rating and block value especially.

Get yourself a Black Heart trinket.

For your spec - move 2 points out of cruelty and pick up 5/5 deflection.

I'd also try a glyph of sunder instead of barbaric insults.

[Kherberos]

You must remember that since ulduar rly , block just doesnt cut it . Bosses hit you for 15k+ (sometimes even 25k) so block just removes 2k orso. Why you didnt have 5/5 deflection I have no idea.

Dont take glyph of sunder, take glyph of devastate. Its the best threat you can get, since it applies the threat of 2x sunders per hit instead of 1. Yes even if the target has 5 sunders already.
Once your gear is average + good weapon , you can basically stop using revenge. Its threat is lower than a devastate. (personally I only use it in lowrage scenario's or snap agro on a mob.)
Spamming heroic strike + devastate spam and Shieldslam every cooldown is win. Smart vigilance helps alot . Goodhunters/fury warriors/frost DK's can do crazy threat.

If you gear for full avoidance dodge/parry and socket sta everywhere you will survive alot more.

Gormok dying is basically due to you not handling the mechanics . His impale is on a strict timer. So smart using of laststand/shieldwall or getting Guardian spirit from priests will save you easy. Start out by telling your healers to make sure your 100% health when impale lands. When gormok gets 3-4 stacks of his buff that increases damage start rotating cooldowns.

Handling the fights correctly + knowing how to gear will make you alot more tough

[MellvarTank]

For a warrior DPS does not equal threat.... so don't worry about that. Worry about threat and survivability. Smart use of cooldowns (shield block, shield wall, disarm) are all key to surviving in current content. Just make sure that you are familiar with fight mechanics so you can use your cooldowns appropriately. (ie. Gormok -> do not pick him up when he stomps if you haven't hit a cooldown (disarm for example) or you risk getting toasted during pickup) Paying attention to the mechanics and using cooldowns to get through spikes is what keeps you alive.

[MellvarTank]

I just had a look at your spec/glyphs. I would pull the points out of Cruelty and fill up my shield spec., but I would also lose the points out of heroic strike and put those 3 into Deflection. From there, you have 1 talent point in excess, so I would pull the 3 out of incite and put 2 into improved disciplines and 2 into either revenge, spell reflect, or disarm. For the glyphs, a lot is preference, but I like my major's to be Devastate, sunder armor, and shield wall. For minor glyphs the only one I don't like is mocking blow, but again, it's mostly preference.

For gemming I agree with what has been recommended.

For enchanting I would pull the defense of the chest and either go with health (250? or something like that) or +10 to all stats. The 22 stam to boots is good, but if you would like a slight alteration you can go with 15 stam and a slight run speed increase (Tuskarr's Vitality I believe). On your weapon you have the threat enchant, but I usually use bladeward... however mongoose or blood draining are also enchants that you can use (blood draining tends to be EH, Bladeward avoidance, Mongoose threat/avoidance).

I would also recommend you save your triumph badges for the legplates, they are a huge upgrade over your current legs, and will activate your 2 piece bonus. 50 emblems, but I would say well worth it.