Archive for July 21st, 2009:
Patch 3.2 tanking gear: a closer look
The Background Downloader has recently started, the PTR changes are thinning out (yay, Devastate buff!), and patch 3.2 is getting closer and closer. It won’t drop today, but it will drop soon. What will we see then? The big heroics rush of 2009! I am looking forward to getting rewarded for running heroics again, aside from Frozen Orbs and Dream Shards. This warrants a closer look at the gear you can buy with Emblems of Conquest, from a viewpoint of being an Ulduar 10 raider. As far as I know, item prices remain the same, so the curious (aka me) want to know how many emblems we all need to blow on yummy new tanking gear. Here goes nothing!
Head:
- Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Greathelm: again, T8.5 available for 58 emblems. Again, not thrilled by shield block value, as block is still all messed up, but it is a big upgrade for me personally, after lugging around the Tempered Titansteel helmet forever and a day.
Neck:
- Shard of the Crystal Forest: very sweet necklace. Hit is still the area where I lack most, so that’s nice to see. It’s just about as good as stuff coming from Ulduar 25, barring the Freya Hardmode necklace. A steal at 19 emblems of conquest
Chest:
- Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Breastplate: the T8.5 chest token is available for 58 emblems of conquest. Given the Devastate change in 3.2 (yay!) the 2pc bonus is looking a lot more attractive to me these days. Still meh about the SBV on it, but I’d take it.
Hands:
- Gauntlets of the Royal Watch: very nice gloves, again with lots of hit on, which is a very neglected stat in T7 content. 28 emblems of conquest.
Waist:
- Shieldwarder Girdle: Only the Indestructible Plate Girdle (the crafted one) beats it, so it’s definitely worth its weight in badges, all 28 of them. Thumbs up!
Legs:
- Wyrmguard Legplates: These are definitely quite yummy. Again, I personally am not so keen on the SBV though. In comparison to the T8 legs (my personal reference): 12 Sta, 7 Str, 22 Armor, 12 Defense, 60 Block. 39 emblems
This leaves out a couple slots where we’ll have to burn our current Emblems of Valor, or downgrade the Emblems of Conquest for it if you don’t want to use Ulduar drops. Noticeably the following slots:
- Feet: Kyzoc’s Ground Stompers for 40 EoV
- Bracers: Bracers of Dalaran’s Parapets for 60 EoV
- Back: Platinum Mesh Cloak for 25 EoV
- Rings: Signet of the Impregnable Fortress for 25 EoV
Grand total of Emblems of Conquest required to be fully clad in level 213+: 380
That’s gonna be a while. Fun times. 
