The folks over at MMO Champion are currently previewing the stats (and aesthetics) for Season 3 armor. The trend of inflating the armor values of cloth-wearers to nearly the level of leather wearers apparently continues in Season 3 with the following total armor values for 5-piece Season 3 armor:

• Priest: 1903 (3.0% increase)
• Mage: 1903 (3.6% increase)
• Warlock: 1903 (3.6% increase)
• Restoration Druid: 2088 (6.3% increase)
• Rogue: 2186 (25.63% increase)

Huzzah for the Rogues whose armor values are seeing a significant increase after being the squishiest targets in Season 2. I’m happy, at least, to be seeing a larger percent increase than the clothies. There is a a 9.7% difference in armor between Restoration Druids and Holy Priests in Season 3, up from the 6.3% difference of Season 2 (yay). I’m still of the opinion that the difference is too marginal, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

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Before the release of the Burning Crusade (back when the level limit was capped at 60), I was asked how ugly gear would have to be before I’d rule out wearing it for its stats. My response at the time was, “I’d wear a chicken on my head if it had 50 Spirit!” Well, if the images of Zul’Aman loot are any indication, it would appear that Blizzard has accepted my challenge. Our shiny new — ostensibly Tier 5 equivalent — armor and weapons appear to be made of just about every natural material one could find lying around in a field: dried grass, mud, feathers, rocks, pieces of bird nest, and paint colors that would offend the senses of even the most primitive peoples. As an example, look at the Helm of Natural Regeneration, an item that drops from Jan’alai:

Helm of Natural Regeneration Binds when picked up Head Leather 328 Armor +33 Stamina +39 Intellect +30 Spirit Red Socket Yellow Socket Blue Socket Socket Bonus: +9 Healing Durability 70 / 70 Requires Level 70 Equip: Increases healing done by up to 86 and damage done by up to 29 for all magical spells and effects.

Obviously, those are some pretty sweet stats. But then take a look at what it looks like when worn (pictured at left, preview courtesy of MMO Champion). While it isn’t exactly a chicken on your head, it instead makes YOU look like a chicken. Honestly, Blizzard, is this some sort of punishment for guilds unable to clear SSC for decent looking gear? Are we to be made fun of in our hula skirts of +50 STA and coconut breastplates of 120 +Healing? Actually, that would be kinda cute — at least on female Night Elves — so I’m sure there’s nothing of the sort in store for us. WTB visibility toggles for every slot!

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…it still comes with fries.

So wow. After all my bitching and whining about terrible idols…very little has changed. On the other hand, everything has changed. Things are looking better for Bear Tank itemization.

First of all, with the publication of 2.3 to the PTR, we have a plethora of new gear available for Badges of Justice. One of them… wait for it… is an Idol. A tanking appropriate idol. I very nearly fainted from excitement when I saw it.

So here’s a quick look at some of the gear a Bear Tank may be interested in with some comments and maybe a few comparisons.

Let’s start with the big news, the Idol.

The [Idol of Terror] now stands as my newest best target for badges. While the 85% proc rate being reported seems a bit over the top the linked page shows several mitigating factors. Still, 4.4% dodge and about 3.25% crit — even with unreliable uptime ‐ is a monstrous buff both to mitigation and threat. I’m guessing all the popular Bears will be wearing this the day the patch launches. After all, it’s only 20 badges!

While this is less an actual fix to general itemization, it sure does take some of the sting out of it. This is a good idol that still uses the design conceit of 1-2 narrowly focused abilities being buffed.

Next up, for a mere 35 badges, is [Slikk's Cloak of Placation]. Now the name is bizarre, and several jokes have already been made about placating the Bears, but the stats on this are… nice. Very nice, making this an outstanding alternative to the Illhoof cape.

The new cape offers somewhat lower armor and Defense, but adds 7 STA and 25 Dodge rating. While Agility would have been preferrable, this cloak can still stand up as a very fine tanking cloak, especially for those unable to readily access and defeat Illhoof.

According to some, if you don’t need the Defense Rating it’s even better than Illhoof’s.

Next up is the second 35 badge item, the [Band of the Swift Paw]. Sporting more armor, Strength, Agility, and Stamina than either of the other PvE alternatives ([Umberhowl's Collar] or [Forestheart Bracers]), this is a clear upgrade that I’d recommend to any Bear tank. It has 6 less Int than the Forestheart (Oh Noes!) but sports a Yellow socket for added customizability.

Now come the pricey items.

Earlier, I discussed some boot options you could go for should you find you don’t need the Def from the HCH boots. Two options were from Kara, and another was a Heroic drop. I don’t know about you, but my luck with Heroic drops is pretty spotty. I got my [Forestwalker Kilt] my first trip to the Mana Tombs, but I haven’t been able to score the Heroic Ramparts belt for anything.

Coming up are the [Footwraps of Wild Encroachment]. These are so far and away better than the [Barkchip Boots] that it is more appropriate to compare them to the [Treads of the Den Mother].

Now, no one can realistically argue that the badge boots are better, but they’re FAR easier to obtain and can be socketed to grant more health than the LW alternative, or may be socketed for Defense should a Bear find themselves short. Very nice. If I can make up the Defense elsewhere, I’ll be upgrading to these.

Right now, I’m wearing the lovely quested [Manimal's Cinch]. In Heroic Ramparts, there is the [Tree-Mender's Belt]. With 2.3, we’re getting the [Waistguard of the Great Beast].

Setting aside that it’s socketable and a clear upgrade in every way from the green item and in many ways to the epic drop, this thing has +Hit on it. Many many times I have lamented the lack of +Hit on my tanking gear. A few unlucky misses at the beginning of a pull coupled wtih dps that won’t wait or feels that it’s somehow your fault you can’t hold aggro when they’re the only ones hitting something and you immediately start wondering if you can swap in some Cat gear instead of mitigation gear.

Never fear, 60 Badges of Justice will get you what you need! It isn’t a lot, but it’s something and I’m taking it.

Finally, there is one rather questionable item. The [Vestments of Hibernation]. Obviously a dps piece, it may tempt people with its high armor to think that it is a viable tanking piece. I’d advise against that line of thinking. If you’re well geared enough to not need the stamina a real tanking chest would provide, then you likely don’t need the armor or other stats from this item either. Still, I can see there may be setups where it becomes viable to use this, and lets face it…sometimes you just want out of your last few blues.

On the plus side, this can make a very nice chest piece for Cat to Bear work. That isn’t common but it does happen and it’s nice to be geared for the eventuality should you find that’s something you encounter with any frequency.

Sadly, this is one slot where I almost have to advise you to hit the Arenas to find an upgrade from HCH if you haven’t managed to get the T4 alternative or, like me, don’t stand a good chance of doing so in the forseeable future.

But lets suppose I manage to upgrade my belt and bracers as noted above. Gemming the way I do (all Solid Stars) this nets me +46 Stamina. Switching to the Vestments, I actually gain 1 Stam over what I have now. Hmmm…

While I don’t like dumping Stamina gained, I sport a large health pool as it is, and the added mitigation and threat from this item… is tempting. Maybe it’s a tanking chest after all…

I can make up the lost Defense with enchantments for my head and shoulder slots.

If, however, I decide to swap out my boots instead while using the Defense enchants, I gain significanly in mitigation and lose a mere 2 Stamina. I’ll have to sit down and do some math on which option is better.

One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes, making a sacrifice of Stamina is required for a nice upgrade in other areas. That said, give yourself a benchmark to operate from, a minimum you won’t fall below while gearing and go from there. For me, that’s 14k Health in Dire Bear while only self-buffed.

However, it looks like one way or another unless I grab a piece of PvP gear, I’ll be stuck with at least one piece of HCH for some time to come. Now to farm up 285 badges… and that doesn’t even count the dps gear I want.

Hmmm… this blog isn’t running the way I wanted it to. I’ll tell a story next time… or something.

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In addition to the exciting Leatherworking Changes in Patch 2.3, one quiet change has been discovered on the PTR. As initially reported by Bananerz of Maelstrom:

Drums are usable in shapeshifted forms.

How a Cat can hold and pound on a drum but not swallow the contents of a potion, I do not know, but it’s a great change nonetheless, especially considering the number of Druids who take up Leatherworking as one of their primary professions. Be sure to check out the newly reputation-based Drums of Restoration and Drums of Speed as possible additions to your Feral utility belt.

Drums of Restoration Requires Leatherworking (350) Use: Restores 600 health and mana to nearby party members over 15 sec.  Drums can be used while shapeshifted. 50 Charges

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Last night I was priveleged to be with my guild for yet another downing of Gruul the Dragonkiller. I get swapped into raids when people need to leave since I rarely make start times, but I’m okay with this. I do what I can.

Long story short, we got him after several attempts (we seem to only marshall ourselves after several wipes to a big bad and then go, ‘Okay, this is our last shot for tonight’ which true to tradition, worked again last night).

I was the lucky Druid to score the [Leggings of the Fallen Defender]. Afterward, a quick trip to the Scryer terrace and the [Greaves of Malorne] were mine! Finally, if and when I upgrade to T5, I won’t lose my T4 2-piece bonus!

But wait… is all as rosy as it could be?

As anyone who knows me can attest, I’m a Stamina whore. For a very long time, I stacked Stamina and little else in an effort to exploit the strengths of my class as a tank. I couldn’t do anything about Crushing Blows, so I decided to stack Armor and Health. Many Bears prefer AGI and the dodge and crit it brings, but I’ve always looked at that more as a luxury for the mostly or all-epic Bear. I still wear quite a bit of Blue.

As a result, I wore my [Heavy Clefthoof Leggings] for a long time, and every gem socket I have is packed with a [Solid Star of Elune].

This gave me roughly insane health totals, especially when raid buffed. I was a happy and contented Bear.

But when I got a new cloak with Defense on it and realized I could get rid of a different piece of gear with Defense on it, I picked my legs and got myself a [Forestwalker Kilt]. The gods of the random number generator smiled on me and I got it on my first trip to Heroic Mana Tombs. I was ecstatic. Not only did I get a pair of legs that only minimally dropped my armor and Stamina (these things have 3 sockets on them, after all) but they added threat and mitigation through STR and AGI. Hell, I even got a small INT boost for my feral mana pool.

In all, very nice.

I was wearing these up until last night, when I got the Greaves. After kitting them with a [Nethercleft Armor Kit] (still need a Nether for that), I’ll be losing even more Stamina (21 points to be exact, as I’ve Netherclefted the Kilt), but I’ll be gaining significantly in Armor (around 900 in Dire Bear, putting me just shy of 30k), and a small amount of AP, dodge, and crit.

It is an upgrade given that the Stam I’m giving up isn’t even a single trash mob hit, but sometimes that sliver of health is what gives your healers time to catch up, that proves the difference between surival and wipe.

But… and there’s always a but… the added survivability from Armor and Agility are also impressive. I’m too lazy to do the math, so instead, I’ll be keeping my Kilt (and indeed I have yet to dispose of my HCH pants) for Stamina fights, fights where perhaps I don’t have the best resist gear, but where my armor and dodge are less valuable.

Once again, the upgrade involves more of a consideration of playstyle and situation than in the past game, perhaps adjusting that playstyle to fit the gear. But it is also in part, a significant source of the fun in that there are so many factors to consider.

Plus, I’m out of my skirt… for now.

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