First off i'd like to say hi to all the EJ, and other forum trolls. I usually just read what most of you have to say. A random vent appearance here and there, but need some advice tonight.

I've heard rumors that 440 is the defense cap for raid bosses of all kinds. Currently i'm at 434 with anticipation activated. I use Ony trinket, Styleens. Just last raid I finally got forced the Life Giving Gem.

My question is this. Being that the cap is 440, would you consider it wrong for me not to want ot use it? I'd actually rather only use the Life Giving for certain bosses. (Nef, Huhu -i'm sure after, we aren't past that evil princess, hell maybe firemaw). I just honestly see no reason for it, unless being huge magic fights, or fights where i'm already giving up defense for other stats.

I guess I see this incoming very soon. I have 1 item left in bwl to get, it's nef's head ironically. If i wear Life Giving i'll be at 424, once i remove my steadfast neck for ony neck that's another cut down to 420. I don't konw if i really like that number. I feel gimpy.

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I noticed the whole Protection thread down below, i didn't want to disturb your convo with a massive post of my own.

If you're tanking a boss that's likely to spike you from near full to death with melee if he crits: Wear as close to 440 as possible.
If you're tanking a boss that does a considerable amount of non-melee damage or doesn't pose much of a threat with melee crits, wear Lifegiving.

I do agree, and i guess you did answer my question. I'll just wear the life giving where i think it's needed. I'd rather not wear it for just an all the time trinket. I tried an entire bwl with it, hell i was just randomly pushing it for fun.

I don't like using pots/healing items while MTing, but I do of course. While there are those few situations where you sit at low health amount for a "long time" (4+ seconds), you usually are getting a constant stream of heal. At least, you should be. When I pop a pot in that situation I feel like I just made one of my healers waste some of their mana, because I get hit with a large heal right after popping. The extra hp given by Life Giving and Last Stand would be useful in a situation like a Lethon split where there are a few seconds of chaos, but even then healers should be assigned and prepared.

Lifegiving gem is a button you press to not die. It's hard to beat that.

Having played a warrior with it, and healed warriors with it, I can safely say I prefer it to just about anything else out there.

There are times when the healers have to dispel or decurse you instead of heal you. There are times when your healers are slept, lose line of sight, get feared or stunned. Lifegiving gem will save you here.

Compare this to times when you're in danger of being crit. In a horde raid you'll have about 8 people with nature's swiftness to repair you from a crit.

How many bosses really overpower a wrath/ERB warrior through pure physical damage? I guess you have your emps, your corrosive acid chromaggus, and your horde nef with those windfuries/warrior calls.

Broodlord sort of fits the description when you first reach him, but when you're warriors have 7k base hp that isn't as much the case.

It's also handy when healers are afk or something too (not that it is ever an issue in EJ).

:D

I think you meant to say Taerar :)

Lethon is shadow whirl.