gnomeDK – Your Pink Haired Guide to All Things Death Knight

As you approach level 80 your mostly green tanking gear isn’t going to cut it, especially in heroics and raids. While the stats on the gear hasn’t change the value of the defense rating has diminished by about half between 70 and 80. So as you go through the mid and later zones of Northrend (Grizzly Hills, Zul’Drak, Storm Peaks, and Icecrown) you’ll want to collect a new tank set. Luckily for us it is possible to reach the level 80 defense cap (making you uncritable) without needing any instance drops. You’d be more impressed with this if you knew how much defense warriors get with shields and one handed weapons and I don’t go into druids and their talent for defense cap.

Gear

• [The Crusader's Resolution]
• Enchant: [Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector]
• [Betrayer's Choker]
• Gem: [Thick Sun Crystal]
• [Pauldrons of Reconnaissance]
• Optional Enchant: [Lesser Inscription of the Pinnacle]
• [Cloak of Peaceful Resolutions]
• Enchant: Titanweave
• [Breastplate of the Solemn Council]
• Enchant: Greater Defense
• [Tempered Saronite Bracers]
• [Daunting Handguards]
• [Tempered Saronite Belt]
• Optional Gem: [Eternal Belt Buckle] & [Thick Sun Crystal]
• [Daunting Legplates]
• [Sabatons of Draconic Vigor]
• [Solid Platinum Band]
• [Staunch Signet]

The shoulder enchant requires a third faction, the belt buckle and gem costs you gold/mats. You have to have one or the other, but do not get both. If you want max performance I suggest getting the shoulder enchant, then use the belt buckle to add a non-defense gem.

Materials Needed

• [Cobalt Bar] x6
• [Saronite Bar] x44 (+4 Belt Buckle)
• [Titanium Bar] x2
• [Eternal Earth] x3 (+1 Belt Buckle)
• [Eternal Water] – Belt Buckle
• [Eternal Shadow] – Belt Buckle
• [Sun Crystal]
• [Infinite Dust] x30
• [Greater Cosmic Essence] x10

Reputation Needed

• The Wyrmrest Accord – Revered
• Argent Crusade – Revered
• The Sons of Hodir – Honored (Shoulder Enchant)

Defense cap is 540. That’s 400 skill + 140 from defense rating gear. That translates to 689 defense rating needed at level 80. Again defense cap makes you crit immune, which means your healers don’t have to worry about sudden, significant damage from normal attacks. Most guilds require all primary tanks be crit immune before they can run.

There are instance drops that are better than some pieces here, if you get lucky feel free to use those instead (so long as your defense rating = 689 or more). However I know farming for a particular drop sucks so this list is about not have to run any instance more than once and guaranteed rewards in the end. This gear could get you started raiding, but I would advise running some heroics first and seeing if you can’t get a few upgrades from those to give you an edge against your first raid boss.

Additional Enchants

You should also look at enchanting the rest of your gear for tanking. Just because you are defense capped doesn’t mean you couldn’t use some other stats as well, and given we’re at a disadvantage in terms of experience we can use any edge we can get.

• Enchant Boots – Tuskarr’s Vitality
• Enchant Boots – Icewalker
• Enchant Boots – Greater Fortitude

• Enchant Bracers – Expertise
• Enchant Bracers – Greater Stats

• Enchant Gloves – Armsman
• Enchant Gloves – Precision
• Enchant Gloves – Expertise

• [Jormungar Leg Armor]
• [Frosthide Leg Armor]