Pre-Cata Newly Returned: HELP

[Ajren]

I have no idea where to start!

My Armory: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/sentinels/Ajren/simple

You might deduce, it's been a while since I played. In fact, I quit before we got to the Lich King - definitely prior to Cataclysm release. Recently I was sent a scroll of resurrection and I figured why the heck not. Nostalgia and lack of another game to keep me entertained.

Anyway!

I have been browsing the forums and some things are starting to make sense. I was hoping to stumble across some posts from way back when Cata was first released and how other tanks transitioned from the start but I'm not having much luck.. or perhaps just not enough patience.

So long story short: What the heck am I doing? Should I reforge what I've got on me? How? or should I dive into the quests and start replacing?

I'll keep reading and browsing mind you. Just feeling a little lost at the moment and hoping for someone to throw me some bread crumbs.

[Tengenstein]

Spec looks fine, its what i would have taken then if i knew what i know now, as you level fill out Deep Wounds and Cruelty. There is not a whole lot of gear choices to be had as you gear up. Ideally you want Mastery, and then parry and dodge rating in equal parts. With a few exceptions (mainly trinkets) just take whatevers highest ilvl. You'll start finding some 272 not far into the level 80-82 cata zones that will prolly repalce most of your gear (you might even be able to get them off the AH) its up to you if you reforge. if your questing i wouldn't really bother, The cata entry levels dungeons can be pretty brutal so if you leveling mainly through there i'd reforge to mastery where ever possible.

The rotation is pretty much identical as the in wrath, with the exception that we should be keeping ren dup with TC after keeping SS on CD

[Ajren]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes gear - stats/gemming/enchants - is where I am lost. I will likely start off questing, just to get myself re-acquainted with my character and the game. Likely, I'll want to start hitting dungeons before too long.

Sit where I'm at and take it like a Cata - newb then? I think I'm just worried about hitting Cata and getting flattened because of the changes they've made.

[Ozonekiller]

Have you checked out AskMrRobot yet?

[Ajren]

Thanks 5 million for that link!

[sifuedition]

Just my personal observations...I don't trust askmrrobot on tanking or healing.

Due to occassional issues, I even question it for dps. I find that where I used to just do what it said on dps, now I always double check it elsewhere.

For tanking, I do it myself (with knowledge gained from time on sites like tankspot). For healing, I check here and EJ for stat priorities tips/tricks when I first ding 85. After that, I do it myself based on my weaknesses i.e. Do I run out of mana, etc.

For dps, I now use simulationcraft to build my stat weights and wowreforge to maximize based on those weights.

TL;DR
Always double check askmrrobot. It has a tenadancy to be wrong especially for tanking.