THE BEST PRE-RAIDING TANKING GEAR
The few, the proud, the beefy: our meatshields, the tanks. When you’re the only thing standing between a giant flaming demon and your diminutive gnomish mage, it’s important to make sure that your gear is top-notch. That extra 10 dodge rating can wipe that 7k crushing blow right off the board or that extra 35 stamina can let you eat it and live. While not as rough as the transition from Stratholme to Molten Core, the move from Arcatraz to Karazhan is still pretty massive in terms of damage output. As such, you as a tank are going to want to have the best gear possible. Here’s a quick list of what’s good for each slot and how to get it:
(note: I generally outlined the items from best -> worse in terms of order, so with a few stated exceptions, always try and get the first item.)
Head
[Felsteel Helm] - This is a crafted item from a rare recipe drop off the Cabal Fanatics in Shadow Labyrinth. Finding this on the Auction House shouldn’t be so bad, as it’s a commonly used leveling tool for high end blacksmiths. The mats are reasonable (only 8 felsteel bars) and the spread of armor and sockets make this a great high defense helm. Use the sockets however you need, but make sure to remember that the +12 stamina Solid Star of Elune gem is every tank’s best friend.
[Greathelm of the Unbreakable] - Another good tanking helm and solid alternative to the Felsteel Helm, especially if nobody seems to be crafting them on your server. This drops from Grand Warlock Nethekurse in the Shattered Halls and has the old Wrath model with an updated color scheme. It lacks the sockets of the Felsteel helm, but makes up for it with more stamina and strength. If you don’t have access to high-end gems, this may be your better choice.
[Glyph of the Defender] - When you do get that dream helm you’ll want to get this item-based enchant for it. It requires Revered with the Keepers of Time faction, but as you’ll see later, that’s the first thing any good tank is going to want to get. It’s debatable as to whether or not the old-world Zul’gurub head enchant is better for tanking, but since this is all non-raid gear, we won’t even talk about that.
Neck
[Strength of the Untamed] - The best of the amulets, this is purchasable after you hit revered with the Cenarion Expedition, which shouldn’t be so hard considering how many quests they give you from 60-70. Stamina, defense, and dodge rating are all really good stats for a tank and this has all three.
[Enchanted Thorium Torque] - Many people will look at this and go “OMG this d00d has lost his m1nd, there’s like NO DEFENSE on this!?WTF?" I’ll discuss this more in another article, but once you reach the magical 490 defense, it’s not really needed anymore. Keep this in mind when selecting your items. What this does have in its favor is the always useful and hard to find hit rating. Having a higher hit rating increases your TPS (threat per second) by leaps and bounds, and in order to be a good tank you’re going to need to be able to hold aggro first and foremost.
[Thalodien's Charm] - Easy to get and has a decent distribution of stats on it. Block value is always nice, as you’ll pretty much have shield block active all the time while tanking raid encounters. In order to get it, just follow the “Shutting down Manaforge…" chain to the very end, where you have to handle a series of waves of mobs followed by an elite boss. Try and bring at least 2 people to this, as handling the waves can be a little tricky for just two people.
Shoulders
[Shoulderguards of the Bold] - They may look pretty ugly, but they’re the best you’re going to get until well into Karazhan. These drop off the last boss of Shadow Labyrinth, Murmur. The sockets give you some versatility while the base stats are pretty well distributed. The “Bold" set is pretty terrible for tanking, but due to a lack of options these are perhaps the only piece you’ll want to use into raid encounters.
[Warchief's Mantle] - Pretty similar to the above, but with parry rating instead of defense. These are a quest reward from the main Old Hillsbrad quest, so you can get these pretty early in the game. The stats are close enough to the above to make them decent for pre-raid tanking and they’ve got two sockets to boot.
On both of these, try and get the shoulder enchant from whichever Shattrah City faction you chose, be it Aldor or Scryer. As we’ll see later, you’re going to want to be Aldor, but in the end both shoulder enchants will get the job done.
Chest
[Vindicator’s Hauberk] - Bar none the best pre-raid tanking chest in the game right now. This is the biggest reason to go Aldor (plus the epic sword at exalted is a pretty decent fury MH should you respec). You get this at revered, which can be quite a bit of work, but if you’re a tank you should know how selfless the job can be. The high defense here gives you quite a bit of room on other pieces of gear and the dodge rating is simply sublime.
[Breastplate of the Bold] - If you aren’t revered with the Aldor (or you’re a dirty Scryer) this is a good replacement for the Vindicator’s Hauberk. It drops off Harbringer Skyriss in Arcratraz. With a decent distribution of stats and some sockets, this is a pretty versatile piece, so you can fill in other gaps in your gear with gems if you need to. If you’re wiling to invest in 3 +12 stamina gems, this could be a overall better piece than the above one, but you’ll probably be losing stats in other places to make up for the shortage of defense on this piece.
[Breastplate of the Warbringer] - You get this early and it does a pretty amazing job staying good into the endgame. It’s a reward from the Forge Camp: Annihilated quest in Nagrand, which can be pretty tough if you aren’t careful. Make sure to loot the key quickly and then run for it, as the key-holders can respawn seconds after dying. High defense and stamina make this chest competitive and the hit rating makes it all the more sweet.
[Jade-Skull Breastplate] - If you want a lot of strength on your tanking items this is your best choice. Another piece of the Wrath wanna-be set, this drops from Nethermancer Sepethrea in The Mechanar. There’s a lot of stamina and mid-line defense, so this is a decent choice if you’re lacking in either, but this is mainly a strength piece. Block rating is useful, but not nearly as good as many of the other tanking stats.
+150 health or a +8 stamina armor kit are the best bet when it comes to enchanting your chest armor.
Cloak
[Devilshark Cape] - Just amazing. Warlord Kalithresh drops this, and he’s not so bad, especially if you follow our guide to the Steamvault. With defense, dodge, and block value, this item has perhaps the perfect distribution of tanking stats on it. Hurrah to Blizzard’s itemization team for this one.
[Cloak of Eternity] - If you’re having a hard time getting the Devilshark Cape to drop, this crafted replacement is an easy to get alternative until you can wrest something better from the hands of that naga. The recipe is a random blue world drop, so hopefully at least ONE tailor on your server can make it. The mats are somewhat expensive (~100g depending on the server) so be prepared, but the high armor value and stamina make this a pretty good tanking cloak until you can get better.
You really only have one option here, and that’s +120 armor. There’s a dodge rating enchant as well, but that comes from the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj and requires quite a few nexus crystals, so you’re probably better off going with the armor. Which is better? It’s hard to say without crunching a lot of numbers, but the difference isn’t large enough to justify the cost of the dodge enchant.
Wrists
[Junior Technician 3rd Grade Bracers] - Really the only option in the pre-raid game. These have a pretty amazing distribution of stats on them, made all the better by the inclusion of hit rating. Don’t let the color fool you, these should be blue.
You’ve got two options when it comes to wrist enchants: +12 stamina or +12 defense rating. If you’re set on defense, get the stamina (which is unfortunately much more expensive and harder to get), otherwise more defense never hurt anybody.
Gloves
[Thatia's Self-Correcting Gauntlets] - Oddly BoE (expect this to get caught pretty soon), these are some of the better non-raid tanking gloves in the game. They drop off of Dalliah the Doomsayer in the Arcatraz, who is a pretty simple six-armed demoness. The block value makes these great, as it really adds up when you start to stack it. Compared to other options, these really hold up well.
[Gauntlets of the Bold] - Another piece of the “Bold" set, these are pretty good if you’ve got the gems to back them up. Another drop off Warlord Kalithresh, if you happen to get these while farming for your Devilshark Cape, throw some cheap +9 stamina gems in them and go to town. They may not have the block value of Thatia’s, but they make up for it with higher potential stamina.
[Area 52 Engineering Gloves] - If you’re having real bad luck getting drops, these will hold you off well enough. They come from an early solo quest in Netherstorm. Unfortunately they’re atrociously ugly, but such is the life of a tank (tier 5…shudder).
Glove enchants are another difficult choice. There are a few options here: +8 stamina armor kit, +15 strength enchant, or +2% threat enchant. The threat enchant is the best option, but it’s another Ahn’Qiraj enchant, so it’s much harder to get than the other two. The strength will give you a little more damage and thusly a little more threat, but the stamina will keep you alive, so it’s really a personal choice here.
Belt
[Sha'tari Vindicator's Waistguard] - Another amazing and easy to get piece of tanking gear. This is a reward from the questline to form the key to Arcatraz, so all it takes is a run through Mechanar and Botanica and this wonderful belt can be yours. Stamina, defense, block value and rating, it’s got everything. If only they could put some dodge rating on there.
[Fearless Girdle] - This belt, while it may not have the same amazing stats as the above one, can be competitive with the inclusion of two +12 stamina gems. If 5man groups on your server are rare, this is one of the better alternatives for tanking, and it’s really easy to get. All you have to do is kill a giant non-elite lobster in Zangarmarsh.
Pants
[Timewarden's Leggings] - Another stand-out example of great blue tanking loot. Similar to the tanking helmet enchant, this requires revered with the Keepers of Time faction, but once you get it, you’ll never look back. High stamina, high defense, and dodge rating round out this great three socket bearing set of pants. Three high stamina gems and you’ll be nearly unstoppable.
[Legguards of the Resolute Defender] - While not nearly as good as the Timewarden’s Leggings, these alternatives are much easier to obtain. The questline leading to these is easily soloable, and the final elite boss requires a duo effort at most. The agility here gives you a little bit of dodge rating and the parry rating is always nice, but the lack of sockets here mean these can’t get nearly as much stamina as other options.
As far as leg enchants go, there’s a wonderful leatherworker made armor kit called Clefthide Leg Armor that adds 30 stamina and 10 agility. The mats are a little steep, but 30 stamina is very much worth it. If you’ve got the resources, Nethercleft Leg Armor kits offer 40 stamina and 12 agility, but the primal nether requirement makes them unreasonable for non-epic gear.
Boots
[Flesh Beast's Metal Greaves] - Outside of high level “of the Champion" greens, these are the only real tanking boots in the game. That is not to say they’re not amazing. They’re a reward from a simple escort quest in Mana-Tombs and will serve you well into level 70. What makes them so great is the insane amount of dodge rating coupled with decent stamina and defense.
There’s either a +12 stamina boot enchant that will work pretty well or the requisite +8 stamina armor kit if you’re cheap. If you’ve got the resources Surefooted (5% snare resistance and 10 hit rating) or Boar’s Speed (minor movement speed and 9 stamina) are good options as well.
Rings
There are quite a few tanking rings in the game that go across the spectrum of types, so instead of listing all of them, I’m going to give a few that are representative of the whole.
[Elementium Band of the Sentry] - A great tanking ring all around that drops off of Harbringer Skyriss in the Arcatraz. It’s rare to find a ring with dodge rating and that makes this a perfect slot 1 choice. The lack of armor might make this seem not as good as other options, but the dodge rating helps make up for it. Ideally you’ll want to have this ring and another with high armor value.
[Iron Band of the Unbreakable] - Many of the other tanking rings in the game are very similar to this one that drops off Lieutenant Drake in Old Hillsbrad. The addition of armor value to the stamina / defense rating makes this not only good for a warrior but also for feral druids. As a warrior you’re going to want to have one of these kind of rings in addition to something with heaver dodge/parry/block.
[Andormu's Tear] - This is a good option if any other tanking rings aren’t available or you have an open slot. This is one of the rewards available after conquering the Opening of the Black Portal instance. While it lacks both stamina and armor value, what makes this ring good is the heavy dodge rating. If you can get both of the two above rings, use them instead, but otherwise this is a good option.
Trinkets
[Regal Protectorate] - You get this early in Outlands from the first group based kill quest in Hellfire Peninsula where you have to kill Arazzius the Cruel. Watch out as he summons adds part way into the fight and hits really hard for his level. The defense on this trinket makes it stay useful, but what really makes this trinket great is the use ability, which can save your skin if a heal is a little late getting to you.
[Adamantine Figurine] - Another good trinket with a great use. This drops off the hilarious Blackheart the Inciter in Shadow Labyrinth. What sets this trinket apart is the fact that the use ability of it isn’t situational at all and can be used on cooldown to great effect.
[Dabiri's Enigma] - If you can’t get the Adamantine Figurine to drop, this quest reward trinket is pretty easy to get and a decent replacement. The result of the Manaforge Ultris questline, you can get this with a 4-5man group. While the use ability isn’t as nice as other alternatives, it’s nice to have if you’re not spec’d for improved shield block and need that little bit of extra umph.
Weapons
[Fireguard] - If you’re not a Master Swordsmith, skip this entry, but if you’re still choosing your blacksmithing specialization or happen to be one, this is your best option. While it lacks the defense of some of the other options, it makes up for it with high stamina, agility, and hit rating. The DPS does wonders with threat generation as well.
[Grom’tor’s Charge] - Not only does this thing have pretty amazing stats on it, it also looks pretty cool. This is one of the rewards of the exceptionally long Cipher of Damnation questline in Shadowmoon Valley that begins with the quest “The Hand of Gul’dan", but since all the rewards are significant upgrades for many classes, finding a group for the multiple group components shouldn’t be too hard.
[Stellaris] - You wouldn’t think it at first, but this is actually a pretty good tanking weapon if you’re unable to get Grom’tor’s Charge. This drops off Nethermancer Sepethrea in The Mechanar and you might have to fight a hunter for it, but the high agility translates into almost a full percentage of dodge. Add the stamina and attack power for added threat and this actually can do pretty well. The fast attack speed also lets you get off more heroic strikes if you’re not 41 protection.
[Crystalline Kopesh] - I’ve seen quite a few tanks using this at 70 despite the low DPS and terrible pink and yellow hue. It’s a reward from the Durn the Hungerer kill quest in Nagrand, which is exceptionally hard at the intended level, but doable with a good party. The stats on this sword are great, especially the rare hit rating, but at 70 the low DPS becomes a bit of a handicap in terms of threat generation.
In terms of tanking enchants, there aren’t a lot of pre-raid options right now. If you happen to have Battlemaster or Mongoose on your server and can afford the void crystal costs for either, those are two really good options. +15 Agility is the other old-world option and the easiest to get if you don’t have access to raid level enchants and materials.
Shields
[Crest of the Sha’tar] - If you happen to get exalted with the Sha’tar faction (I did while trying to get the next shield to drop), this is easily your best bet in terms of shields. The two sockets allow for great flexibility and the armor / block value are just flat-out better than other options.
[Aegis of the Sunbird] - This shield drops off High Botanist Freywinn in the Botanica. Good stats and high block value round out the best non-epic pre-raid shield you can get. There’s just no denying the value in having this shield.
[Netherwing Protector’s Shield] - If you’re having a hard time getting the Aegis of the Sunbird to drop this easy to obtain alternative is a great option. Once you get a flying mount you start the chain that leads to this by talking to the giant flying netherdragon in Shadowmoon Valley, starting the quest “Kindness". This shield is a reward from the 5man boss at the end of the questline. While its base stats aren’t as high as other options, the additional agility gives a little bit of extra dodge that helps it out.
There are two big tanking shield enchants: +18 stamina and +15 block rating. In my opinion, +18 stamina is much more valuable, but if you find yourself craving block rating, the option is there. There are also a variety of resistance based enchants should you come upon a resist heavy shield.
Ranged Weapons
[Ornate Khorium Rifle] - While it may not seem it at first, this is actually a great tanking ranged weapon. High level engineers can craft one for you and while the materials may be steep, it’s worth it in the end. The agility on here will give you some extra dodge and the all-important hit rating lets you use sockets on your other items for the all important +12 stamina gems as opposed to +8 hit rating ones.
[Melmorta's Twilight Longbow] - The more popular favorite among tanking ranged weapons . This drops off the first boss of The Dark Portal event, Chrono Lord Deja. What makes this nice is the added stamina and attack power, which helps hold aggro and then survive it. If you happen to have a lot of hit rating from other pieces of gear, take this over the Ornate Khorium Rifle, as every bit of stamina helps.
So there we have it, all the best tanking items you can get in the game before wandering into the haunted halls of Karazhan. There are a few new items going in with the 2.10 Patch, including a ranged weapon with defense and stamina, so I’ll add those when they come, but as it stands now, this is the best you can get. This is only a suggestion though. One of the most important things to remember when collecting tanking gear is balance. Don’t let an overzealous appreciation for a single stat overshadow the usefulness of another.
