Protection Gearing Strategy for Challenge Mode

[Nessira 0]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for some insight into the gearing strategy for challenge modes as a tank.

 

Armory Link

 

Honestly, how should I be gearing? From the guide on the webiste, I understand that going crit/mastery is an option. What does this mean though - am I to use DPS pieces and reforge/gem for crit mastery after hit/expertise caps, ignoring defensive stats? Is this strategy viable for challenge modes? 

 

I ran a sim using the Challenge mode settings and modeled over TMI to find my stat weights.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ixlvany3y18fog/Nessira_TMI_T15N_Cmode.html

 

I plugged it into AMR and it returned a full stamina gemming and reforges to parry. I understand that the Theck-Meloree Index is designed to quantify "smoothness". As such I can see why it gems for full stamina. Given these two models, which one should I be using for challenge modes? 

 

TLDR:

1. Do I use DPS pieces and crit/mastery gemming/reforges with stamina enchants for crit/mastery gearing?

2. How would you gear/gem for challenge modes as a protection warrior?

 

EDIT:

Having gone through a few challenge mode attempts and successfully completed gold for SPM, the best advice for any prot warrior gearing specifically for CMs is to find high ilvl avoidance gear (dodge/parry) with multiple gem slots. The mobs hit relatively hard and gearing for avoidance increases rage generation and thus SBLK/SBAR uptime. If you can't find avoidance gear, reuse the DPS gear but regem and reforge it properly. 

 

Tanking CMs don't require the best gear to do but needs the player to manage both offensive and defensive cooldowns for the party as well as himself/herself.

 

Good luck to all aspiring prot tanks and hope you get your gold without much trouble!

Edited March 11, 2014 by Nessira

[Estarriol 167]

Honestly, your gearing doesn't matter all that much. The first time I did CMs on my warrior, I was hard mastery (back in ToT). More recently I've run a few and gone in with my normal avoidance build. Use whatever you are more comfortable with. CMs rely more on the way you play than the gear you're in.

[Nessira 0]

Honestly, your gearing doesn't matter all that much. The first time I did CMs on my warrior, I was hard mastery (back in ToT). More recently I've run a few and gone in with my normal avoidance build. Use whatever you are more comfortable with. CMs rely more on the way you play than the gear you're in.

 

I see. I'm new to warrior tanking so I'm slightly confused about the gearing. I took a look at your profile - so for avoidance gearing I would use tanking pieces with tanking gems/enchants. So how would gearing for crit/mastery work? DPS gear with tanking gems/enchants? Or would it be DPS gear with DPS gems/enchants? 

 

Thank you!

[Estarriol 167]

You could do it that way. I'd recommend going for avoidance or mastery rather than crit/mastery. CMs hit hard and crit/mastery would leave you weaker. If you decide to go with crit/mastery, you'd gem for crit, enchant for as much crit as possible, mastery where you can't get crit, and River's Song.

[Nessira 0]

You could do it that way. I'd recommend going for avoidance or mastery rather than crit/mastery. CMs hit hard and crit/mastery would leave you weaker. If you decide to go with crit/mastery, you'd gem for crit, enchant for as much crit as possible, mastery where you can't get crit, and River's Song.

 

As per your recommendation, I'm going for avoidance. Just completed the initial regem/forge/enchant for all my pieces. Hopefully LFR will be kind to me and drop me more tank loot to replace my DPS pieces.

 

Thank you very much for your advice!

[Estarriol 167]

Good luck and have fun. =)

[Nessira 0]

Updated main post to add reflection and summation of the key points in the thread. 

[tog 0]

considering the fact that all gear scales down to 463 ilvl (or so) u could gear/gem for stamina/mastery.I completed the gold achievement yesterday and i did it pretty much with my raiding gear i use for tanking soo.My set leans towards avoidance but its not rly something pure as what i use for raiding is the best ilvl ive got from normal soo with loot up to spoils.

And as Estarriol mentioned gear doesnt rly matter that much compared to tacs.Knowing the pulls and knowing how to cycle your cds with the healer cds is pretty much the way to go in cms.

Tot and especially Soo can provide you with some gear pieces with extra gem slots(as those dont scale down in cms) but dont bother spending hours of farming those just for some "better" cm pieces.You would be better spending time doing those cms with your normal tanking raiding gear.

Of course that doesnt mean that u could use dps pieces (as those usually have usually strength bonus instead of stamina) as even those will boost your dps it could make the life of your healer pretty harder and if your dps is good it shouldnt rly be an issue.I wouldnt suggest an exotic setup(crit/mastery) either just because of my above speculation.