Protection Warrior Tank Gear and Best in Slot — Dragonflight 10.2.5

Last updated on Jan 15, 2024 at 15:00 by Mwahi 47 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find the best gear and best in slot items for your Protection Warrior in World of Warcraft Dragonflight 10.2.5.

If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Protection Warrior gear and best in slot.

1.

Gearing in Dragonflight

The best gear you can find will come from the Weekly Mythic+ chest, now known as the Great Vault, and from Mythic raiding. In addition to these, you can also place crafting orders once you have the necessary pieces for it.

2.

Gearing Strategy for Protection Warriors

While a definitive BiS list is hard to create, there are cases where specific gear can be best in slot. For example, some trinkets have special effects that are extremely powerful, and you will want to seek them out regardless of item level. Sometimes, some rings have special effects that outweigh item level increases or the benefit of specific secondary stats.

As a general rule of thumb, any increase in item level is an upgrade. For Protection Warriors, the value of all the secondary stats is close enough together that you should only look at what secondary stats a piece has if you are comparing across the same item level. Not only that, Stamina and Strength increases are significant as well.

All in all, if you come across gear that is an item-level upgrade (or has a socket and your current piece does not), equip it. If two pieces of equipment are the same item level, equip the best piece according to the stat priority. Finally, be aware of gear where the item level does not matter as much, which is the case for specific trinkets, rings, and gear with special effects, etc.

2.1.

Using Simulations as Protection Warrior

Simulation tools are used to simulate which piece of gear would provide the most damage output. While this might seem irrelevant as a tank, it is the opposite. A good tank will be tanky while contributing to the best of their abilities to the group's overall damage output.

Simulations as a tank should be mainly used to figure out which piece of gear of similar item level you should equip. Always follow the item level rule of higher item level = better first when choosing gear.

3.

BiS Gear for Protection Warrior

Overall BiS List Mythic+ Gear BiS List Raid Gear BiS List
4.

BiS List for Protection Warrior

The following list consists of the best gear you can gain currently in the game. Since we favor item level, loot from Amirdrassil and the Great Vault will be the best you have access to, at 489 item level.

The items that are mentioned to be dropped from Dungeons are only relevant if you can obtain them at Item level 489 through the Great Vault and the Mythic upgrade Track.

Slot Item Source/Note
Helm Molten Vanguard's Domeplate Icon Molten Vanguard's Domeplate Tindral Sageswift, in Amirdrassil
Neck Amulet of Eonar's Chosen Icon Amulet of Eonar's Chosen Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle, in Amirdrassil
Shoulder Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Icon Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Council of Dreams in Amirdrassil
Cloak Vibrant Wildercloth Shawl Icon Vibrant Wildercloth Shawl with Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Icon Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Crafted by Tailoring
Chest Carapace of the Unbending Flame Icon Carapace of the Unbending Flame Fyrakk, the Blazing, in Amirdrassil
Bracers Primal Molten Vambraces Icon Primal Molten Vambraces with Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Icon Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Crafted by Blacksmithing
Gloves Molten Vanguard's Crushers Icon Molten Vanguard's Crushers Igira the Cruel in Amirdrassil
Belt Girdle of Burgeoning Apathy Icon Girdle of Burgeoning Apathy Heartsbane Triad, in Waycrest Manor
Legs Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Icon Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Larodar, Keeper of the Flame, in Amirdrassil
Boots Goldsteel Sabatons Icon Goldsteel Sabatons Yalnu, in Everbloom
Ring #1 Seal of the Regal Loa Icon Seal of the Regal Loa Rezan, in Atal'Dazar
Ring #2 Ring of Contempt Icon Ring of Contempt Illysanna Ravencrest, in Black Rook Hold
Trinket #1 Augury of the Primal Flame Icon Augury of the Primal Flame Fyrakk, the Blazing in Amirdrassil
Trinket #2 Cataclysmic Signet Brand Icon Cataclysmic Signet Brand Smolderon in Amirdrassil
Weapon Gholak, the Final Conflagration Icon Gholak, the Final Conflagration Fyrakk, the Blazing, in Amirdrassil
Shield Verdant Matrix Beacon Icon Verdant Matrix Beacon Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle, in Amirdrassil
4.

Mythic+ Gear BiS List for Protection Warrior

The following list is put together from items that drop only from the current seasons Mythic+ dungeons. While the highest Item level that drops from Mythic+ is 470; you can still obtain 489 pieces from the weekly Great Vault, and 486 from various crafting professions.

Slot Item Source/Note
Helm Incarnate's Perceptive Casque Icon Incarnate's Perceptive Casque Iridikron the Stonescaled, in Dawn of the Infinite: Galakrond's Fall
Neck Ironshell Pendant Icon Ironshell Pendant Lady Naz'jar, in Throne of the Tides
Shoulder Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Icon Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Any Shoulders, modified by Revival Catalyst
Cloak Shadowfeather Shawl Icon Shadowfeather Shawl The Amalgam of Souls, in Black Rook Hold
Chest Molten Vanguard's Plackart Icon Molten Vanguard's Plackart Any Chest, modified by Revival Catalyst
Bracers Incarnadine Bracers Icon Incarnadine Bracers Ancient Protectors, in Everbloom
Gloves Molten Vanguard's Crushers Icon Molten Vanguard's Crushers Any Gloves, modified by Revival Catalyst
Belt Girdle of Burgeoning Apathy Icon Girdle of Burgeoning Apathy Heartsbane Triad, in Waycrest Manor
Legs Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Icon Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Any Legs, modified by Revival Catalyst
Boots Goldsteel Sabatons Icon Goldsteel Sabatons Yalnu, in Everbloom
Ring #1 Ring of Contempt Icon Ring of Contempt Illysanna Ravencrest, in Black Rook Hold
Ring #2 Seal of the Regal Loa Icon Seal of the Regal Loa Rezan, in Atal'Dazar
Trinket #1 Accelerating Sandglass Icon Accelerating Sandglass Manifested Timeways, in Dawn of the Infinite: Galakrond's Fall. Requires Fury/Arms lootspec
Trinket #2 Rezan's Gleaming Eye Icon Rezan's Gleaming Eye Rezan, in Atal'Dazar
Single-target Weapon Servant Splitter Icon Servant Splitter Raal the Gluttonous, in Waycrest Manor
AoE Weapon Adulation Enforcer Icon Adulation Enforcer Vol'kaal, in Atal'Dazar
Shield Murozond's Timeless Scale Icon Murozond's Timeless Scale Chrono-Lord Deios, in Dawn of the Infinite: Murozond's Rise

Below, you can find other noteworthy trinkets from the current Mythic+ dungeons.

4.

Raid Gear BiS List for Protection Warrior

The following list is put together only from items which drop from the Amirdrassil Raid.

Slot Item Source/Note
Helm Molten Vanguard's Domeplate Icon Molten Vanguard's Domeplate Tindral Sageswift
Neck Amulet of Eonar's Chosen Icon Amulet of Eonar's Chosen Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle
Shoulder Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Icon Molten Vanguard's Shouldervents Smolderon
Cloak Inflammable Drapeleaf Icon Inflammable Drapeleaf Gnarlroot
Chest Carapace of the Unbending Flame Icon Carapace of the Unbending Flame Fyrakk, the Blazing
Bracers Agonizing Manacles Icon Agonizing Manacles Igira the Cruel
Gloves Molten Vanguard's Crushers Icon Molten Vanguard's Crushers Igira the Cruel
Belt Smoldering Chevalier's Greatbelt Icon Smoldering Chevalier's Greatbelt Tindral Sageswift
Legs Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Icon Molten Vanguard's Steel Tassets Larodar, Keeper of the Flame
Boots Fused Obsidian Sabatons Icon Fused Obsidian Sabatons Smolderon
Ring #1 Signet of the Last Elder Icon Signet of the Last Elder Igira the Cruel
Ring #2 Band of Burning Thorns Icon Band of Burning Thorns Larodar, Keeper of the Flame
Trinket #1 Cataclysmic Signet Brand Icon Cataclysmic Signet Brand Smolderon
Trinket #2 Augury of the Primal Flame Icon Augury of the Primal Flame Fyrakk, the Blazing
Weapon Gholak, the Final Conflagration Icon Gholak, the Final Conflagration Fyrakk, the Blazing
Shield Verdant Matrix Beacon Icon Verdant Matrix Beacon Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle

Below, you can find other noteworthy trinkets from Amirdrassil.

4.

Embellishments for Protection Warrior

Embellishments are various additional effects on craftable items. These can be either baseline effects on certain items like Shield of the Hearth Icon Shield of the Hearth or other effects which can be added by optional reagents when crafting an item.

While there are multiple embellishment options, you can have only two active at any time. For Protection Warriors, we recommend the following:

  • Shadowflame Icon Shadowflame — this can be placed on any crafted armor piece except for neck and rings. It provides a decent chunk of overall damage and is currently one of our best Embellishments.
  • For the second embellishment, you have 2 options. The most beneficial option would be a second Shadowflame Icon Shadowflame embellishment. Unstable Frostfire Belt Icon Unstable Frostfire Belt is a decent follow up option.

While the Mythic Amirdrassil and the Great Vault drops 489 item level pieces, the highest you can craft is 486. As such, we suggest to craft your embellishments on the lower-stat budget pieces as shown below.

  • Vibrant Wildercloth Shawl Icon Vibrant Wildercloth Shawl with Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Icon Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch.
  • Primal Molten Vambraces Icon Primal Molten Vambraces with Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch Icon Shadowflame-Tempered Armor Patch.
5.

Tier Set for Protection Warrior

Within the new Amirdrassil Raid, every class will once again earn pieces of a gear set that is uniquely class-themed with its own two- and four-piece bonuses for every specialization. For Protection Warrior, these set bonuses are:

  • Warrior Protection 10.2 Class Set 2pc Icon Warrior Protection 10.2 Class Set 2pc — Spending Rage has a chance to cause your Shield Slam Icon Shield Slam to consume and instantly deal 40% of the remaining damage on your Deep Wounds Icon Deep Wounds and Rend Icon Rend, and 100% of the remaining damage of Thunderous Roar Icon Thunderous Roar. Also reduces your damage taken by 10% for 5 seconds.
  • Warrior Protection 10.2 Class Set 4pc Icon Warrior Protection 10.2 Class Set 4pc — For each bleed effect consumed, your damage taken is further reduced by an additional 2%. When Shield Slam Icon Shield Slam consumes a bleed, the cooldown of Thunder Clap Icon Thunder Clap is reset, and Thunderous Roar Icon Thunderous Roar's cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds.

Both tier bonuses are straightforward and benefit us in Raids and Mythic+. You want to get the entire 4 pieces as soon as possible to gain the perks it provides. There are a total of 5 tier pieces that are dropped from Amirdrassil; any combination of them will work just fine. In addition, you can use the Revival Catalyst to convert gear into Tier pieces.

6.

Protection Warrior Gear Upgrades in Dragonflight Season 3

To upgrade your gear, you will use Flightstones Icon Flightstones and Dreaming Crests, both obtainable from practically all forms of content in the game. They can be used to upgrade gear up to Item Level 486, which is only 3 item levels behind Mythic Raid items.

For more information on the new Gear Upgrades system, check out our dedicated page for it below.

Below you can find a list of rough priority on which items to upgrade first. For the best upgrade option for your character, be sure to sim yourself.

  • Weapon / Shield
  • Chest / Legs / Shoulders / Helm
  • Feet / Hands / Waist / Wrist
  • Back / Neck / Rings

The cost to upgrade scales differs per slot but now also increases quickly as item levels go up.

7.

Other noteworthy Gear for Protection Warriors

In the following section, you can find some additional noteworthy gear.

To better understand the secondary stat prioritization for gear, look at the guide below, where each of the stats is broken down into bite-sized pieces.

7.1.

Weapons and Shields

A good shield is the most important piece of gear. Shield upgrades provide a much larger defensive boost than upgrades to other slots.

You can acquire high item-level shields from dungeons, raids, and the Great Vault weekly chest. The following shields are the available ones from current dungeons and raids.

Use the highest item level shield you can, regardless of its secondary stats.

Just as shields are important, so are weapons. They increase our damage output, allowing us to provide more to the group's performance. Below, you can find a solid selection of weapons.

As with shields, use the highest item level weapon you have, regardless of the secondary stats.

8.

Enchanting

Whenever you get a new piece of gear, enchant it if possible. The best enchants for us can be found on the page linked below.

9.

Changelog

  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 07 Dec. 2023: Replaced Withering Heart of Darkness with Prophetic Stonescales under Mythic+ trinkets.
  • 30 Nov. 2023: Added Branch of the Tormented Ancient as a trinket suggestion.
  • 23 Nov. 2023: Upgraded the Mythic+ gear list Neck.
  • 21 Nov. 2023: Added mention of advised Embellishment crafting slots.
  • 07 Nov. 2023: Removed Sporecloack from suggested embellishments.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 24 May 2023: Added Cataclysm Timewalking section for trinkets.
  • 11 May 2023: Added Mark of Dargul into the trinket section.
  • 09 May 2023: Updated Primordial Gem stones.
  • 01 May 2023: Updated for Patch 10.1.0.
  • 24 Mar. 2023: Updated the Primordial Stone list.
  • 22 Mar. 2023: Added Humming Arcane Stone as a viable gem and updated the Onyx Annulet use cases.
  • 20 Mar. 2023: Added information about Primordial Stone Gems and reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 26 Dec. 2022: Added Whispering Incarnate Icon to the trinkets list.
  • 23 Dec. 2022: Added some Vault of the Incarnate trinkets to the noteworthy trinket list.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Updated the gear suggestion, added tier set and embellishment suggestions.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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