Tank like a girl

Hug them close, never let them go, cuddle them at night. Never throw them away. They are your best friends, even if someone fancier comes along. Eventually, you’ll go back to them, as real friendships never end. Because they are true friends, they will laugh it off that you forgot about them for a while. They know that ultimately, you’ll always need them, until you are ready to take a break from them again. Defense trinkets, they just understand.

If you haven’t made any such friends before and have not done all of the Outland content, Professor Dabiri of the friendly if shifty Consortium has an enigma for you. It’s an easy friend, just a quest chain away. The on-use is not spectacular, but definitely something to keep a prot warrior warm at night.

You wish to go a little bit more upscale? In the depths of the Shadow Labyrinth, rumors say an ogre carries a friend around. One that looks like a little old wise man of undefinable race. It is likely an orc, only those would have such lovely long beards. This friend is made of adamantite, shaped like a figurine. He is timeless, our friend.

Feel like visiting mystical places of the Outlands that few people visit today? You might find friends there as well. A corrupted elemental is supposed to hold Scarab of Displacement on him, and in the Black Temple of Shadowmoon Valley, Gurtogg Bloodboil has an insignia that would look good on any tank’s lapel. They are not easy to obtain, but if you are so blessed to have earned one of them, you better darn hold on to them.

If you are looking for friends in Northrend, the selection is equally slim. The corrupted Loken himself is said to carry a seal granted by the Titans, but I say, it’s just a myth. A myth, I say. It leaves the adamantine figurine I carry in the dust, but you have been blessed by the pantheon if you ever saw it. Less of a myth, but still rare is Thaddius’ Repelling Charge. I saw it myself as my greedy mind had to make the tough decision between the charge, and Dreadnaught Legguards. To this day, I do not know if I made the right decision. I hope I did…

All you tanking youngsters out there who are still gearing up, always keep in mind that once you start raiding, your defense values will ultimately drop. Every gear upgrade in Naxxramas comes at the price of losing defense. It’s a mini-game almost, as just about every tanking gear upgrade that drops in Naxxramas itemizes for more avoidance or threat, but cuts off the defense that all pre-Naxx gear has in oodles. While e.g. before Naxxramas I was able to wear the Keystone Great-Ring, I long had to go back to one of the level 200 rings with defense on it. With fully gemmed and enchanted gear and the full T7 set, I am sitting at 537 defense without a defense trinket equipped. I will likely have to replace Essence of Gossamer as trinket in avoidance fights, because I want to be able to wear a Durable Nerubhide Cape. I am switching back from The Skull of Ruin to Titansteel Shield Wall, all as part of the balancing game. It definitely makes receiving gear in Naxxramas less exciting, because at no point have I ever been able to actually equip something right away.

I will shortly post part 3 of my shopping list for prot warriors, looking at 10-man raid gear, including Ulduar. I am most curious to see the defense values on that gear. Should prove interesting.