Tank Hard!

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Time January 30, 2008 at 5:43 am

[...] Credits go to Tank Hard! [...]

Comment from Anonymous
Time December 12, 2008 at 7:35 pm

Great stuff, but shouldnt you throw the level 80 formulas out?

Pingback from Level 80 Tanking Stats | Tank Hard!
Time January 22, 2009 at 11:51 am

[...] Formulas [...]

Comment from Anonymous
Time January 22, 2009 at 4:35 pm

Added to my bookmarks, thank you! Hey, any chance you could write an article as clear and concise as this one on avoidance stats for different encounters like heroics/raids, e.g. recommended dodge, parry, block values for each tank class along with why one stat is more important than another for each tank class?

Comment from Froth
Time January 23, 2009 at 1:48 pm

For each individual encounter? That seems a bit much, especially for something that can be pretty vague at times. Besides there would be very few concrete answers there.

Avoidance is avoidance. Dodge is always the cheapest avoidance per point. Defense is number 2 (if you do not factor in Block). Parry is the most expensive, and therefore the least desirable to stack, since it will generally lead to less overall avoidance. All of this is before factoring in diminishing returns.

Diminishing returns means that overemphasis on any one of those will result in a weaker return as well, so it pays to be balanced while you gear your tank, regardless of class. Also keep in mind that Armor (this is a confusing 1, so I’m sure someone will disagree) and Health do not have diminishing returns.

Block is reportedly not subject to diminishing returns, since it is technically not avoidance, per se. Blizzard has already stated that they are concerned that Block may become imbalanced in later raids, but they are waiting to see.

Overall, for Warriors and Paladins, Defense probably yields the greatest benefit of any avoidance stat, since Block rating is now a valuable stat, and is included in Defense. Dodge would still easily be number 2.

For Death Knights, the most valuable avoidance stat to stack is Dodge, followed by Defense, and then Parry. Parry is last because it already loses tremendous amounts to diminishing returns just by having Strength on your gear, Defense isn’t top because you get an extra boost to Defense Skill from the Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle, which is also subject to diminishing returns. Once uncrittable, Dodge is your best friend first.

Feral Druids get Dodge. They can’t parry, they can’t block, and they are already uncrittable through talents, meaning even Defense is fairly worthless.

For beginning raids, I’ve seen figures anywhere from 22-24k hp and armor, and a total of 45-50% avoidance, unbuffed, for Warriors and Paladins. For Death Knights and Druids, with their armor multipliers, the armor figures can and should be much higher, and the hp on Druids should be much higher, while a Druid’s avoidance will be significantly lower. Death Knight unbuffed avoidance and hp should be almost dead on with Warriors and Paladins, but just a little higher.

Beyond that, the best piece of advice I have is, if you aren’t sure you can do an encounter gearwise, try and see.

If you die before your healers can get a heal off/between their heal casts, you need more armor/hp. You’re getting insta-gibbed. If you die after your healers run oom, and your DPS is still going strong, you need more avoidance. You are taking too much damage.

That, or your healers/DPS need to L2P/get better gear.

Comment from Anonymous
Time January 26, 2009 at 11:55 am

Froth,

I was the poster asking for avoidance stats above. I knew I was asking for too much with that post but I have to say that your answer exceeded my expectations. You provided the facts that all good tanks should understand. A lot of good info there and I appreciate you taking the time to write it out for us. You are an asset to the tanking community my friend.