faceofbear 1 Report post Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Hello all! Super new to not only the forums but to Paladin tanking in general. Seriously, so super new that I get extremely nervous whenever I que for anything including LFR. My question is this, and I apologize if this has been asked to death but I couldn't find a recent thread about it: what is better for survivability? Haste or Mastery? I ask this because in my head they both sort of make sense but I lean towards Mastery. I know that Haste improves HP generation by a ton but having that nice big Shield of the Righteous and the nice physical damage reduction that goes along with it just feels... so right to me except for the fact that I feel like it takes me a while just to get the 3 HP I need thus making me think that perhaps yes, mastery really is the best stat for survivability. Am I just crazy? Is stacking haste really the best way to survive? Please don't laugh too hard haha I am trying to figure out some things still. Edited May 17, 2014 by faceofbear Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fouton 266 Report post Posted May 17, 2014 Both of them are great, and arguably better than the other. The real answer is a balance of both, since keeping your uptime percentage equal to your damage reduction percentange is mathematically balanced. Theoretically you can use more mastery o apply better timed shields to avoid more damage (which is how I play), and mastery is better for a paladin who isn't always tanking (combining with Holy Avenger makes big walls of damage reduction for the times you do have to tank). Haste however, is very consistent, and brings to you much better add control, damage, and self healing. I can sum up the two gearing ideals as this: Main Tanks should probably prefer Haste. It's good for threat, which is important for the tank who pulls first. You can quickly pick up newer adds with shorter ranged CDs. You have generally the same survivability as Mastery, but its more consistent. Technically that's a decent reason for Offtanking, since a consistent off-tank is extremely important, but it's really not a big difference. Off Tanks or any tank who isn't always tanking at all times, will likely prefer Mastery. It doesn't deal the best threat (good for going second), is slightly behind on DPS and controlling newly spawned adds. However, as I said earlier, with the combination of Holy Avenger, you can use the CD usually every second time you're tanking something, and put a huge wall up. I have hit the mastery cap for 80% physical reduction, so I get a MASSIVE wall up for a good 30 seconds, which is often the duration of your tanking time. I love the feel of it because I don't feel like I'm stacking DPS as a tank, I feel like I take much less damage compared to my fellow prot paladin, I think I'm still as consistent for healing needed, and I've never liked Haste myself. (Only because of a preference, Haste is great) In the end, I recommend Haste to any new paladin, any intermediate paladin, and even most expert paladins. Mastery is an arguable build, and if you don't like haste's playstyle (I don't know many people who dislike short GCDs), you can play mastery. Haste is told to be the best by many though it's likely edged because of it's DPS build, but even in situations that it's behind, its not behind by much. It allows you to solo old content easily and feels much better in those old content situations. TL;DR: Haste > Mastery. Pick whichever you prefer though, I think you'll enjoy haste more. You'll be mocked less if you play Haste, but you'll ruffle more feathers by taking haste gear. Still, Haste > Mastery. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faceofbear 1 Report post Posted May 17, 2014 Thank you! The guide on here makes it seem like Haste > Mastery and there is no alternative for that and I feel like that's why so many people yell at you if you stack Mastery but it just feels so fun. My gear is pretty awful so with time maybe I could hit that magic 80% reduction like you have haha. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moozedude 47 Report post Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Theck has done some especially masterful theorycrafting and pure math analysis of the stat priorities of a protection paladin. Some places you can look for guidance are http://maintankadin.failsafedesign.com/forum/ and http://www.sacredduty.net/ Theck is the approved reviewer for the Icy Veins protection guide, so he's definitely vetted here. Edited May 17, 2014 by Moozedruul Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
