What is the Level 80 Warrior Defense Cap?

Here's the tldr version of what defense warriors need to be uncrittable in WotLK at level 80. You can find it lots of places, but I wanted a short quick reference.

Defense skill needed to be uncrittable = 540
Warrior base defense skill at level 80 = 400
Defense skill needed from gear = 140 (689 defense rating)

1 Defense skill = 4.92 defense rating
1 Defense rating = .2033 defense skill

Resilience also contributes to crit reduction, but I've never been a fan of needing PvP gear for PvE content when I can do without it.

While it is often called defense 'cap' it really means defense 'minimum' since you shouldn't just stop at 540, especially due to diminishing returns at level 80 of pure parry/dodge/block stats.

This is How Well my First Wrath Heroic Went

In my desperation just to finally get through a heroic, I jumped into a random pug, forgetting how much of a mistake that is, especially this early on when most people just don't have the gear to compensate for lack of skill.

This was the fifth and final try wiping on the FIRST boss in Nexus. Or sixth. I lost count after I realized the DPS in my group were still in all greens. It was taking so long to drop him that the healer just kept going OOM before we could get him down to 30%. That's the last heroic pug I do without having at least one player that I can trust to not suck.

I told my GL to go ahead and start the third 10-man team without me. I'm just not ready to commit to a grinding raid schedule yet. I really want to get through all the heroics first and also get through most of the remaining quests. The guild is making the first 25-man attempt on Naxx next week. I may go along just to see what it's like. We'll see.

Ding! Now What?

I made it! ...and I'm a little unsure what to do with myself. I have been playing WoW since the original open beta in fall 2004, and I was late getting to both level 60 and 70. I never really raided in vanilla WoW, and by the time I started Kara in BC, a lot of people were going through it for their second time on alts. Hitting the end-game this early is bleeding edge for me and just feels a little strange. It also might be that December just gets a little weird in general with all the craziness going on.

As always, there is a ton to do at the level cap, and it's difficult not to be overwhelmed with information and keeping track of everything I want to do. I've actually only done two instances. I've had such a crazy schedule lately, that questing has been all I can do. I want to see all the others, but I'll probably end up skipping to heroic mode on most of them. I've spent the last couple days looking at the WotLK tanking gear guides and working towards the magical 540 defense for immunity from crits. I did manage to hit it without too much trouble by crafting the +def alchemy BoP trinket along with socketing everything with +def gems and buying a few BoE blues off the auction house. Now all I need to do is to get my base defense skill to level up those last 5 points.

I really like the championing system. It looks like the Wyrmrest accord will be best for some quick tanking gear. Not really sure which way I'll go after that. I still have about half of Zul'Drak to quest in, and I literally have not touched Storm Peaks or IceCrown. That's a lot of lore left to check out and also a pretty steady stream of income for awhile.

I have already been approached by the GM of my current guild to tank for our third 10-man team. He's willing to plan it around my schedule, which is pretty awesome. I'm ready to jump in and check it out, but I also want to make sure I balance it well. Consistently raiding three nights a week can realy be somewhat demanding for me, especially when there are still a lot of non-raiding things in the game left to do. It takes time away from doing 5-man content, which I really enjoy. I'm also not sure what my RL friends are wanting to do, either, and most of my fun in raiding comes from them being there with me. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.

Also, yes, I hit level 80 off discovery XP. I always wanted to hit the level cap with that...

Tragedy at the Wrath Gate

My love,

By the time you are reading this, you will have heard what happened at the Wrath Gate. You should also have heard that I am alive and well. I hope you were not too distressed for long since you knew that I had been in Dragonblight for the last several days. I cannot write much now, but I have a great deal of news to tell of.

While physically unharmed by the event, I am otherwise shaken. A few days ago, I actually caught up with Bolvar Fordragon while working for the Vanguard. Knowing of my recent work at the Wyrmrest temple, he sent me to Alexstrasza for guidance on dealing with scourge frost wyrms that were keeping his forces away from the gate. After assisting her with removing a scourge leader and stopping the wrym attacks, I returned to Fordragon with the news. Shortly after that, he began the assault on the gate while I was left to guard the alliance camp. From the high hills of Fordragon hold I watched the battle unfold. So much death...but of the loss of Bolvar and the surprise attack by the undead you have already heard.

What you may not yet know is who is actually responsible. Stormwind has been slow to release any more information about it. Blame has been immediately placed on Sylvanas and the horde; even Arthas seemed to think they were behind this. But now I believe I know otherwise. When the battle was over, the few alliance forces that were left at camp with me scattered in terror. I ran down to the gate where Alexstrasza had contained the plague to see if anyone had survived - I found no one. She asked me to return Bolvar's shield to the king and sent me by portal. Once there, he sent me with Jaina Proudmoore to speak with the horde leaders in Orgrimmar.

From Thrall and Sylvanas, we heard a shocking revelation of betrayal. The horde have lost the Undercity! Two leaders in the city defected and took a large amount of undead with them. King Wrynn still seems to hold the horde responsible. I'm not entirely sure what to believe myself. An alliance army has quickly been formed to invade and retake the city, and I have been asked to assist them. I write to you now from a camp just outside of the sewers of the Undercity. We are ready to attack in a couple of hours. I expect there will be great resistance, but with such a powerful force including the king and Jaina herself, I am sure will achieve victory and justice for what happened at the Wrath Gate. I disagree with Wrynn on the city, though; it is certainly nothing worth retaking in its current state. The undead have made it unfit even as historical ruins.

I must go now to prepare for the Battle for the Undercity. From here, I will likely travel on to the Grizzly Hills. I have heard it is quiet there, and I wish to try and ease my mind away from these tragic events. I shall write to you again when I arrive. I hope Darnassus is treating you well, and I still plan on visiting next month.

With love,
Vrathmat