Answers to Some 3.0 Gear Questions

I was recently approached about some gearing questions, following the 3.0 patch. Here's my current take.

Should I still choose to aim for 490 defense? 

5.6% Critical Strike Reduction is still a requirement, and 490 defense is still the best way to get it.

Should I choose gear with SBV and SBR over other values?

Shield Block Value is now a great threat stat, particularly in situations where your tanking multiple mobs - and damage shield is kicking back 20% of it for every attack against you.

Shield Block Rating got a boost (its no longer worthless) - but its not something to be sought too hard after. Shield Block (the skill) give us the ten second window of all blocks (and super-sized ones, at that). For the other 30 seconds, Blocking will still be helpful, but its usefulness has to be measured in terms of [Avg. Boss Hit]:[BV] (as a way to reduce incoming damage), and compare that % Damage Mitigated to how much avoidance you could get (a common alternative on gear), and how much % Damage you could avoid.

Example: Fasty-McdualWield hits for 2k. With 500 Block Value, your blocks reduce 25% of damage. Whomp-Bigfoot hits for 8k, so that same 500 BV is only ~6% mitigation.

In the case where you could choose between 5% Block Rating, or 1% Dodge...
Over the course of 100 Swings
On Fasty: SBV Prevents 2500 Damage, Dodge Prevents 2000 Damage
On Whomp: SBV Prevents 2500 Damage, Dodge Prevents 8000 Damage

Now, this is a pretty terrible example, because the slow, large hits are going to be over a bigger period of time - but it should be enough to get you thinking that SBR isn't doing much for you against a slow-hitting boss.

Is HR and expertise still as important as they were before?

No. I use to keep myself near hit capped to stay above DPS in threat. But now, even after losing chunks of it to gear changes, my threat is still huge. It shouldn't be totally neglected, but its not as important. Expertise is worth retaining as much as possible, because its parry reduction still does prevent bosses from getting sped up attacks (even though damage, as a whole, is less of a danger).

Should stam still be one of the the most important values, even over SBV? (effective health vs. damage intake reduction+damage out)

Stamina still is king. SBV is great for threat/trash, but it isn't about to overtake good old fashioned effective health as far as boss tanking goes.

Predictions: Removal & "Return" of Crushing Blows

Crushing blows are being removed. It could be assumed from this, that warriors and paladins are losing one of there biggest perks - being able to not be crushed, whereas druids could (would) be.

After seeing some numbers on Tankspot, of lv 70 warriors with 3000 BV (I'm going to assume thats after the +100% BV from shield block) - I'm predicting that the ghosts of "crushing blows" will return.

In short - Normal hits will be the new "crushing blows". Druids will take 100% of them, Warriors and Paladins will be able to push them off the table using abilities for periods of time - though it won't be the result of mindless shield block spamming. The new shield block gives us a choice of when we need to absolutley not take any normal hits for the next 10 seconds - making us less suceptable to the RNG / allowing us to respond to bursty or raid wide damage spikes.

Shield Block Rating also have actual value to warriors. Without an ability that can keep crushes at bay all the time, SBR will impact our mitigation/avoidance (unsure which I feel its more like). 

So in general - more options, more fun. Good warriors will be good because of their intelegent use of shield block, rather then the current situation of bad warriors being bad because they fail to mash it.

My only concern with all this - is the tuning of AoE type/style mobs. Groups of weak melee mobs will either be trivial to tanks (all attacks being blocked completely) - or hit hard enough that they will shread non tanks with their normal attacks.