So, you've been told that DR, or diminishing returns, means that you get less when you get more, and that didn't make a whole lot of sense to you.
For those of you who don't run the number crunshing naturally, but still want to really understand what DR is all about.
Picture an airgun. One where we can pump in different amount of air to decide exactly with what speed the bullet leaves the barrel.
Pump in some air. Fire the gun straight up in the air. After a specific number of meters the bullet will turn and start falling back to the earth.
Pump in more air. Enough air to make the bullet leave the barrel at exactly double the speed as your last attempt. Fire it up into the air again.
How far up did it go? Double? No.
Gravity pulls at the bullet. You'll need to fire it at far higher speed than double to reach double height.
Now look at your gear. 1500 dodge rating. Will 3000 dodge rating give you double the dodge percentage? No.
DR pulls at your dodge. You'll need a lot more than double dodge rating to reach double dodge percentage.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
A short piece of advice, gems
To begin with, gem it. If there's a gem slot in that piece of gear you plan to upgrade in less than a week, gem it. If there's a gem slot in that piece of gear you plan to upgrade later today, gem it.
Got that? Gem it.
You're a casual pugadin, as am I. We're not tanking hardmodes, and we're not on the PTR tanking Firelands neither. So gemming becomes easy.
Yellow slot: mastery gem. The best is 40 mastery rating.
Blue slot: mastery and stamina. The best is 20 mastery rating and 30 stamina.
Red slot: mastery and parry. The best is 20 mastery rating and 20 parry rating.
The above is your goto strategy for gemming. However, sometimes you get a piece of gear that's really meant to be used by a plate dps. Hence the socket bonus is aimed at increasing damage done. Very often strength. In those cases, no matter the colour of the gem slot, gem straight mastery.
Why those gems? Well, until 4.2 is released mastery is superior to everything else because it provides an increased chance to block without suffering from diminishing returns. And you want that block because it shaves off 40% of all incoming melee damage.
Got that? Gem it.
You're a casual pugadin, as am I. We're not tanking hardmodes, and we're not on the PTR tanking Firelands neither. So gemming becomes easy.
Yellow slot: mastery gem. The best is 40 mastery rating.
Blue slot: mastery and stamina. The best is 20 mastery rating and 30 stamina.
Red slot: mastery and parry. The best is 20 mastery rating and 20 parry rating.
The above is your goto strategy for gemming. However, sometimes you get a piece of gear that's really meant to be used by a plate dps. Hence the socket bonus is aimed at increasing damage done. Very often strength. In those cases, no matter the colour of the gem slot, gem straight mastery.
Why those gems? Well, until 4.2 is released mastery is superior to everything else because it provides an increased chance to block without suffering from diminishing returns. And you want that block because it shaves off 40% of all incoming melee damage.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Can I tank it in my PvP gear?
No, you can't.
Ok, you might be able to, but you shouldn't.
The thing is that while a big enough advantage in ilevel might place a piece of PvP gear ahead of the lower level PvE counterpart, it simply doesn't hold true for a tank.
A PvP piece simply comes with one useful stat only. That's stamina, and stamina isn't good enough to warrant the absence of mastery and avoidance.
Resilience, in difference from before, is an entirely dead stat for us tanks. Where it used to decrease the risk of us taking a critical hit it does absolutely nothing today. Apart from resilience that piece will come with dps-stats, and those won't keep you alive better.
So, to prove myself wrong, there are two pieces that come to mind. One would be the weapon slot and the other the helmet slot. If your currently use a piece of green ilevel 316 item in that slot, yes, then the PvP piece will be an upgrade. Reaon being weapons tending to hold rather poor tanking stats to begin with, and the helmet at least being preconfigured with mastery.
But, really, avoid PvP gear like the plague unless you plan smacking some players over the head. If that is the case, yes, you can tank other players in your PvP gear.
Ok, you might be able to, but you shouldn't.
The thing is that while a big enough advantage in ilevel might place a piece of PvP gear ahead of the lower level PvE counterpart, it simply doesn't hold true for a tank.
A PvP piece simply comes with one useful stat only. That's stamina, and stamina isn't good enough to warrant the absence of mastery and avoidance.
Resilience, in difference from before, is an entirely dead stat for us tanks. Where it used to decrease the risk of us taking a critical hit it does absolutely nothing today. Apart from resilience that piece will come with dps-stats, and those won't keep you alive better.
So, to prove myself wrong, there are two pieces that come to mind. One would be the weapon slot and the other the helmet slot. If your currently use a piece of green ilevel 316 item in that slot, yes, then the PvP piece will be an upgrade. Reaon being weapons tending to hold rather poor tanking stats to begin with, and the helmet at least being preconfigured with mastery.
But, really, avoid PvP gear like the plague unless you plan smacking some players over the head. If that is the case, yes, you can tank other players in your PvP gear.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The strength of a pug
"We haven't done it this way before."
That's at least something you're unlikely to see the entire party fall back on when things don't work as you want.
The true pug, by definition, hasn't done things in any way before. You're recently gathered, and when you run into an obstacle you're left with either following well known tactics or trying something new. While there is, admittedly, usually a preferable way to solve a problem, the pug offers you the option to try a diferent way to handle it.
A new way is more often than not a worse way, but it is also the strength of a pug. It is a new way, and as such it offers a possible insight into how to handle the given problem. It also offers insights into how to handle similar problems, and while the new way is likely to be discarded as the wrong way, from time to time you'll learn something.
Sometimes you even learn the road to a new established way of solving this type of problems.
That is the strength of the pug. It's not set in its ways.
That's at least something you're unlikely to see the entire party fall back on when things don't work as you want.
The true pug, by definition, hasn't done things in any way before. You're recently gathered, and when you run into an obstacle you're left with either following well known tactics or trying something new. While there is, admittedly, usually a preferable way to solve a problem, the pug offers you the option to try a diferent way to handle it.
A new way is more often than not a worse way, but it is also the strength of a pug. It is a new way, and as such it offers a possible insight into how to handle the given problem. It also offers insights into how to handle similar problems, and while the new way is likely to be discarded as the wrong way, from time to time you'll learn something.
Sometimes you even learn the road to a new established way of solving this type of problems.
That is the strength of the pug. It's not set in its ways.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A short piece of advice, agility 2
With Blizzards planned removal of dodge-rating gained from agility for all plate tanks, some planning is in order.
If you, like I, sport an agility ring and ditto necklace, it's about time to search for a strength based replacement before 4.2 goes live. Else we end up with two dead slots before tanking our first piece of content after the patch.
If you end up dry on luck, there are still two decent options left. An ilevel 346 ring for Revered reputation with Therazane (assuming you already have the Valor Point version) and one ilevel 346 necklace for 1230 Justice Points.
While it is likely that questing in the Firelands area will eventually yield upgrades to some slots, we don't know yet exactly what the ewards will be.
If you, like I, sport an agility ring and ditto necklace, it's about time to search for a strength based replacement before 4.2 goes live. Else we end up with two dead slots before tanking our first piece of content after the patch.
If you end up dry on luck, there are still two decent options left. An ilevel 346 ring for Revered reputation with Therazane (assuming you already have the Valor Point version) and one ilevel 346 necklace for 1230 Justice Points.
While it is likely that questing in the Firelands area will eventually yield upgrades to some slots, we don't know yet exactly what the ewards will be.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Controlled ninja pulling
So, you're standing ready to pull those mobs. They're marked for CC and it's time to throw that shield, or is it?
What does your party look like? Some specs can only CC efficiently pre-pull, others can peel a target after the pull is initiated.
A rogue or hunter can pull for you. While this might seem counter intuitive, if you have a multi-mob pull that could go astray, decide which of them you want to handle yourself. Most likely we're talking casters now. That melee mob could preferably be misdirected by that hunter.
One of the more problematic archetype of mobs is the archer. It just won't move unless you run around a corner, and that isn't always an option. If you have a DK with you that's not a problem at all. Have the DK Deathgrip the archer and stun it as soon as it lands.
The long corner pull. For some reason you realise you simply won't make it around that corner before the pull goes pearshaped. But for reasons of gear you still want to make it a corner pull. Again no problem. Is there anyone in hte party with a sprint or jump ability? Stand closer to the corner, let the player body aggro the entire group. Lay down a consecrate and bubble the player. Now run like mad. Or a priest could leap you the distance needed to make it around the corner in time.
The insanity race. You're trucking down everything in sight. Give that sweet group the go ahead for starting to CC and peel the next group before the current one is down. A boring dungeon is turned into an endless combat that doesn't stop until the last boss is down.
Before you're standing there ready to pull those mobs, be prepared by knowing beforehand the assets presented by your party. Don't be afraid to ask. Next time you'll know when a controlled ninja pull is the best way to start the fight.
What does your party look like? Some specs can only CC efficiently pre-pull, others can peel a target after the pull is initiated.
A rogue or hunter can pull for you. While this might seem counter intuitive, if you have a multi-mob pull that could go astray, decide which of them you want to handle yourself. Most likely we're talking casters now. That melee mob could preferably be misdirected by that hunter.
One of the more problematic archetype of mobs is the archer. It just won't move unless you run around a corner, and that isn't always an option. If you have a DK with you that's not a problem at all. Have the DK Deathgrip the archer and stun it as soon as it lands.
The long corner pull. For some reason you realise you simply won't make it around that corner before the pull goes pearshaped. But for reasons of gear you still want to make it a corner pull. Again no problem. Is there anyone in hte party with a sprint or jump ability? Stand closer to the corner, let the player body aggro the entire group. Lay down a consecrate and bubble the player. Now run like mad. Or a priest could leap you the distance needed to make it around the corner in time.
The insanity race. You're trucking down everything in sight. Give that sweet group the go ahead for starting to CC and peel the next group before the current one is down. A boring dungeon is turned into an endless combat that doesn't stop until the last boss is down.
Before you're standing there ready to pull those mobs, be prepared by knowing beforehand the assets presented by your party. Don't be afraid to ask. Next time you'll know when a controlled ninja pull is the best way to start the fight.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A short piece of advice, PvP
A surprisingly efficient way to hone your tanking skills is PvP.
While you're unlikley to learn how to position mobs you will learn how to use the abilities that tend to just occupy a slot on your interface but never get used.
In PvP people are actually out there to get you. That's what PvP is all about. But it also happens more slowly. No boss slamming you for 100k damage or funny crap on the floor instagibbing you. You'll be stunned, slowed, rooted in place and watch that friendly healer go down costing you an avoidable death.
So you'll learn when to bubble, when to LoH, when to use Hand of Freedom and when to bubble your healer. You'll see that healer leap you out of a lost position, when you should run into the fray and what types of opponents are best gripped to your position by that DK.
Most important, you'll always play in an environment where you don't know beforehand what's going to happen, and that hones your most important tanking ability -- that of environmental awareness.
While you're unlikley to learn how to position mobs you will learn how to use the abilities that tend to just occupy a slot on your interface but never get used.
In PvP people are actually out there to get you. That's what PvP is all about. But it also happens more slowly. No boss slamming you for 100k damage or funny crap on the floor instagibbing you. You'll be stunned, slowed, rooted in place and watch that friendly healer go down costing you an avoidable death.
So you'll learn when to bubble, when to LoH, when to use Hand of Freedom and when to bubble your healer. You'll see that healer leap you out of a lost position, when you should run into the fray and what types of opponents are best gripped to your position by that DK.
Most important, you'll always play in an environment where you don't know beforehand what's going to happen, and that hones your most important tanking ability -- that of environmental awareness.
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