Cel

I'm a tad confused on how this works... I've heard that our tanks have gotten a crushing with shield block up, though they could be mistaking it.

Is it such that miss/dodge/parry/block % all combine to knock crush (and as such crit/hit) off the swing roll?

More details! This is new info for me. :]

"There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." - Bertrand Russell

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Nakilos

I can safely say I've never been crushed with shield block up. I can say I've been crushed in the scenario of shield block still being on cooldown. They probably weren't really looking at what happened, its relatively common really to get the first hit in a 5 second period be blocked, a cleave/ms/whatever is blocked, the third hit crushes.

Basically the combined avoidance stats knock crushing off the hit table. 75% block guarantees it will be off the table - assuming of course your dodge/parry/block are > 25% total (which they should be with basically any tanking gear setup).

 

Suesse

They could have been facing the wrong way or been taking a pot. The first exposes your back so you can't block. The second causes your shield to be put on your back while you drink, I think.

 

PsiVen

I quite like the Scarab of Displacement + Moroes' Lucky Pocketwatch combo. The on-use buffs stack to put me at something over 70% avoidance for those 'oh shit' moments whenever they're both up, which is a few times per boss fight and during the start of every Heroic pull. For trivial 5-mans and spam-aoe pulls, however, I slap on the block rating. Styleen's would be very, very nice for this if it hadn't stopped dropping before I started tanking...

 

Teez

As a more detailed example, at which point does the avoidance/mitigation from, say, Autoblocker, get outdone by Adamantine Figurine? (or vice-versa) - treating the static stats (33def rating? vs 54 block) separately from the On Use: - 1280 AC vs 200 BV. This is obviously assuming every not completely avoided hit being blocked, and 490 or more defense regardless of trinket selection. For the sake of argument, let's even assume that dodges/parries don't occur at all - 0% base parry, 0% base dodge, 100% block. Then add either 54 (on use 200) BV, or 33 def rating (on use 1280 AC). How hard would a boss have to hit for the AC to outdo the 200BV? Assuming, say, 15.5k AC which is something anyone should be able to attain raid buffed.

I understand a lot of values play into this, but I'm trying to somehow find a black on white reason for using certain trinkets over others in specific situations. I mean, it's obvious in alot of cases as previously stated, but in others that's not *quite* the case. I'm talking mainly from a mitigation/avoidance/survivability point of view here. Picking trinkets for threat generation seems to be a lot more straight forward for some reason.

 

Errhellno

Those of you knocking the full Solid Star of Elune socketing of all your slots should really look at the big picture and consider the amount of overhealing that is expected on current boss fights... A little less than half of the heals you're receiving as a main tank are going into thin air if your healers are prepared for the fights... why not turn that overhealing into something substantial. Also, consider how much avoidance you would need to make the chance of avoiding the next attack in order to save your life greater than your odds of living if you are capable of taking a 3rd hit...

ex: Magtheridon with ironshields up 5.5k-6.5k ish... with my 21k buffed HP i can take 3 (with cleave) or 4 hits when you 18ks could be 2 (with cleave) or 3 shot. its night and day... Would you rather be able to take an extra hit every time... or hope that extra 5% avoidance will come into play and save ur life... imo a 100% chance to by your healers 1.5-2 seconds to land a heal is much better than a 5 or 6% chance to get lucky and avoid.

When TBC first came out i had this old school mentality that i had to get my avoidance back up to naxx levels... i ended up getting something together quickly with high shield block rating 20-21% dodge and 16-17 parry... i was only at about 17-18k flasked and fully potted with all that... After i really thought about it with healing efficiency in mind and just how hard bosses hit i decided to stop relying on luck... dropped my shield block down to 25% spent 400g resocketing everything to stamina... i lost abour 3.5%-4% avoidance and picked up a 2k health over my original set buffed... Best decision i ever made, just ask the healers.

I honestly shake my head when i see people with like 8 parry in slots that could be used for a raid tanking gem... sure ur avoidance might help u clear 5 mans better... by high stamina/armor and shield block value (not rating) will smooth out the damage you take... make it predictable... and make all your healers' mana use worthwhile.

Look at it like this... basically everyone knows a druid is more predictable to heal... always has been... you can predict they are going to take more damage... but you know they are going to take it, so while more mana intensive... you at least know hes not gonna get jibbed by spike damage... Gearing your warrior out to make the damage intake more like a druid is the smartest thing you could do... You are as predictable as the bear tank now... but you wont eat a crushing blow every other swing... there's nothing better. Bear in mind that my avoidance with all my super high stam is very high as well... as gear in general improves so too do these avoidance stats... you can get crazy stam, hit the crit cap, and maintain very respectable avoidance by just socketing with pure stam on halfway decent items..

 

Jayde

I think this is one of those myths that will persist until the end of time, with each generation of tanks repeating it and each generation of theorycrafters refuting it in grand 56 page debates on the WoW Warrior forums.

Really, though, Block% is quite possibly the weakest mod in the game for a tanking Warrior. It brings very little to the table compared to other potential modpoint usage. I'd say basically anything other than perhaps Strength, Spirit, and Int are better--and even Strength is arguable!

The ironic thing about people thinking that base Block% helps make them less likely to get hit by crushing blows is simply than other forms of avoidance are actually what do that (in synergy with Shield Block.) The more hits you avoid while Shield Block is up via Miss/Parry/Dodge, the longer Shield Block stays active, the bigger your window of protection is.

 

Apate

Aside from specific trinket discussion, there's already a thread regarding socketing Solid Stars vs. other gems - [Warrior] +12 stam in tanking gear.
And, in fact, there's one on tanking trinkets... [Tank] Trinket Itemization!

I like the theorycraft forum

See you, auntie.