Hit/Expertise: How important is it for a tank?

[Arapu]

I'm rather new to tanking (prot warrior became my main with Cata), and I've got some questions about hit and expertise. In heroics right now I have no problems with threat at all (though I haven't started raiding yet). I have reforged a decent amount of avoidance stats (dodge and parry) into hit to bring me close to hit cap. But, since I don't have any threat problems, I'm thinking about undoing the reforge and leaving it as avoidance stats (or turning it into mastery). Is this a good idea? How important is being hit capped to a tank? How about expertise softcap?

My stats, for reference:

Hit: 7.78%
Expertise: 21
Dodge: 8.87%
Parry: 12.7%
Block: 43.29%
~140k hp unbuffed

[Zaitochi]

From what I'm reading about hit/exp for tanks most players don't seem to be going for those caps as they want to focus more on survivability especially for raiding. With the Vengeance buff we have as tanks threat should never be an issue assuming that you are also using the correct rotations.

The only reason why I'd go for hit/exp cap is rage generation but I don't know how much hit rating would affect that. I would probably have higher avoidance if I didn't reforge for those stats.

But as for my stats:
8.12% hit
25 Expertise
13% dodge
11.98% parry
41.92% block

My dodge/parry would be higher if I did not reforge for hit/exp, and also enchant/gemming

[Luvaria]

I'm running with 2% hit and 3 expertise as a feral tank and as long as I don't get bad RNG and have a misdirect, I could probably auto attack half the fight and still hold aggro. I'm routinely double the second person's aggro at the end of fights so it's not a problem at all.

[Darkroman]

As a Prot War running heroics, and only Baradin Hold raid at the moment, my stats are focused primarily on survivability. With .99% hit and 6 expertise, I have no threat issues, even AoE threat (as long as B&T up and running). Going into raids I'd recommend focusing primarily on survival stats. Gemming stam gems in blue sockets, parry/stam gems in red, mastery/stam gems in yellow. Mastery > Parry > Dodge.

[Zaitochi]

I'm actually considering to undo all my reforging and enchanting for more survivability as I want to make it easier on my healers. I'm working on the Hellscream's Reach tank trinket which should prove useful for fights with lots of magic damage.

[Deathwish238]

I noticed this too, we're getting hit a lot harder than before and each dodge and parry is a lot more valuable than it was in WOTLK. Healers actually go oom, often, on trash and on many boss fights. I have just reforged all my hit/expertise/mastery into dodge/parry/mastery and will see how I like it.

I'm trying to maximize my dodge and parry at the expense of mastery, hit and expertise.

[Illidra]

dk's like the caps as without them our mastry is less effective and we have a tendency to go splat on bad rng streaks.

other tanks i don't think are that bothered :P

[Fayre]

Personally, I would undo your reforging. Being capped (particularly in heroics) is a bit unnecessary. Most of the mobs in there are lower level in any case, at which point you're wasting those stats.

In terms of actual threat, expertise > hit until the soft (dodge) cap of 26. However, hit is the stat you want if you're required to reliably interrupt something.

Many tanks are reforging their expertise and hit into avoidance / mastery at the moment to help save healer mana. In a 25m raid where you have tricks / MD at the start of a fight, I can see that being a good way to go, but personally I find it frustrating where those abilities aren't always reliably available (5 mans, 10 mans) to miss the first few abilities and watch the mage blow his cooldowns and have to invis shortly after!

[Chasey]

For me right now, I'm trying to live! I too have seen that most tanks are currently avoiding the threat caps in order to not die.

[malakii]

I've been reforging all hit/expertise into mastery/parry/dodge.

I haven't been having any trouble with threat. Never did, really. Since you don't need hit for taunt anymore, I really don't see any use for offensive stats. not currently, at least.

[klausi]

There are some 10m raid encounters where i'd love to be hitcapped and some where it's essential (spoken for nonheroic mode):

Omnitron System, kicking Arcanotron helps reducing incoming raiddamage greatly but isn't necessary without blue puddle up
Council, kicking Waterguy helps reducing incoming raiddamage slightly
Maloriak, kicking either Storm or Summons - essential
Nefarian, kicking Pillar Guy - essential
Halfus, kicking Shadow Nova - essential
Cho'gall, kicking Depravity - essential

Having a reliable ranged kicker (on a shorter cd than mages or owls) like an elemental shaman in addition to your melee you're lucky, if not you'll have to look for hit-gear or having your offtank doing it. Ferals have tons of hit on their gear and DK want hit/expertise to increase their survival chances (Deathstrike missing is a bad, bad thing). Having jewelcrafting and blacksmithing can be of huge help here.