Shield Tank Spreadsheet v. 4.3.0.1 on Google Docs

Hello my lovelies,

After nearly a month without a computer I’m back in business, with a shiny ‘new’ desktop. Raiding is now prettier, but significantly less comfortable.

At the request of some guildies who don’t have Excel, I have uploaded the DR spreadsheet to Google Docs, and done the necessary adjustments to make it functional and user-friendly in that environment. None of the math has changed since I uploaded the Excel version of 4.3.0.1, so you should use whichever format you prefer.

Any future updates to the spreadsheet will be done in parallel on Google Docs and the Excel version.

Shield Tank Spreadsheet v. 4.3.0.1

If you’re reading this in the future, this spreadsheet may be broken or out of date. Please see the Spreadsheets category for the most recent version.

Well I have some egg on my face.

I was messing around with full shield block uptime on Ultraxion and caught a basic probability error in my Hold the Line calculation. An egregious error which brings shame upon family. (My parents met in a graduate-level math course, to give you an idea of the magnitude of this shame).

I have corrected the error, and you can find the updated spreadsheet here: damagereduction_4.3.0.1 .

Thankfully, while the fact of the error was monstrous, the amount of error it introduced into the spreadsheet’s “recommendations” was very small. Warriors talented into Hold the Line may see a slight difference in their optimum dodge:parry ratio for overall damage reduction, but paladins, warriors without Hold the Line, and warriors gearing for CTC instead of damage reduction shouldn’t be affected by the change.

Thank you for your patience, and I’d just like to reiterate how very contrite I feel for having published this error.

Patch 4.3 Valor Point Picks (For Warriors)

Veneretio used to post his emblem-purchased gear picks every major content patch, before his untimely retirement. I of course am no Veneretio, but since I have to construct my pick order myself now, I submit them for popular consumption.

1. Forgesmelter Waistplate – Belt – 1650 VP
2. Signet of the Resolute – Ring – 1250 VP
3. Guardspike Choker – Neck – 1250 VP
4. Indefatigable Greatcloak – Cloak – 1250 VP
5. Bladeshatter Treads – Boots – 1650 VP (These are BoE – use an alt to buy them ASAP if you have one.)
6. Ring of Torn Flesh – Ring – 1250 VP
7. Chestplate of the Unshakable Titan – 2200 VP

• Fire of the Deep

Note that only numbers 1-4 are best in slot pre-hardmode; whether or not you want to buy 5-7 will depend on if better has dropped for you already.

4.3 5-Man Tanking Upgrades

As you probably know, in patch 4.3, in addition to the Dragon Soul raid, Blizzard is releasing three new Caverns of Time-themed 5-man heroics, which will drop item level 378 gear, including a full tank set. This will give us a nice selection of gap fillers and minor upgrades for raiders, and a whole new baseline set for the non-raiders still stuck in 353 Troll gear.

As usual in any gear discussion, the rankings here are based on my own warrior’s gear set unless I state otherwise. What is an upgrade for one tank may be a downgrade for another, so please take recommendations with a grain of salt, and when in doubt, spreadsheet it out for your own character.