Protection Warrior Tank Stat Priority (Legion 7.3)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.3 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 4. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 5. Contents
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. Active Mitigation Abilities
  • 6. Cooldown Usage
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Main Resource
  • 3. Basic Abilities
    • 3.1. Movement
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. Active Mitigation
  • 6. Defensive Cooldowns
  • 7. Offensive Cooldown
  • 8. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 3. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 4. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 5. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 6. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 7. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 8. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression
  • 2. Relic Choice
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. General Optimization Advice
  • 2. Tier 2 Upgrade Priority
  • 3. Tier 3 Upgrade Priority
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Rotation
  • 2. Multiple Target Rotation
  • 3. Active Mitigation Abilities
  • 4. Cooldown Usage
  • 5. Taunting
  • 6. Mastering Your Protection Warrior
    • 6.1. Rage Generation
    • 6.2. Mastery: Critical Block
    • 6.3. Procs
    • 6.4. Active Mitigation
      • 6.4.1. Shield Block
      • 6.4.2. Ignore Pain
      • 6.4.3. Shield Block or Ignore Pain?
    • 6.5. Other Notable Abilities
      • 6.5.1. Intercept
      • 6.5.2. Heroic Leap
    • 6.6. Detailed Cooldown Usage
      • 6.6.1. Battle Cry
      • 6.6.2. Last Stand
      • 6.6.3. Shield Wall
      • 6.6.4. Demoralizing Shout
      • 6.6.5. Spell Reflection
      • 6.6.6. Berserker Rage
      • 6.6.7. Artifact Ability
      • 6.6.8. Tier 1 Talents
      • 6.6.9. Tier 3 Talents
      • 6.6.10. Tier 5 Talents
      • 6.6.11. Tier 6 Talents
      • 6.6.12. Tier 7 Talents
  • 7. ChangeLog
• ×Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Warriors
      • 1.1.1. Mouseouver Interrupt Macro
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Protection Warriors
      • 1.2.1. Mouseover Heroic Throw Macro
      • 1.2.2. Mouseover Taunt Macro
      • 1.2.3. Intercept Macros
  • 2. Addons
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Warriors
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.5. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.6. TellMeWhen
      • 2.1.7. Raeli's Spell Announcer
      • 2.1.8. Recount / Skada / Details!
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Protection Warriors
      • 2.2.1. Omen Threat Meter
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot List
  • 2. Trinkets
    • 2.1. Non-Raid Trinkets
    • 2.2. Raid Trinkets
  • 3. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
  • 4. Legendary Items
  • 5. Loot Competition
  • 6. ChangeLog

General Information

On this page, we explain what the best statistics are for Protection Warriors in World of Warcraft Legion 7.3, how the class benefits from each of them.

The statistics priority is important as it influences itemisation choices (gear, enchants, and gems).

The other pages of our Protection Warrior guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Treckie, one of the best tanks in the world, who raids in Prime. You can watch his stream on Twitch and you can follow him on Twitter.

1. Basics

The stat priority for a Protection Warrior is:

1. Strength;
2. Haste;
3. Mastery >= Versatility;
4. Critical Strike.

The Haste breakpoint for maximum Shield Block uptime is way above 30% with Heavy Repercussions, with the effective number depending more on how the encounter works with regards to tank swaps and movement. Regardless of your current Haste level, Haste remains the strongest stat because it speeds up your rotation and generates more Rage.

2. Getting a Better Understanding

Mastery: Critical Block increases your chance to block, your chance to critically block, and your attack power. The increased attack power also increases the strength of your Ignore Pain. The amount by which these are increased depends on your actual amount of Mastery.

Critical Strike provides additional avoidance due to increased parry chance (thanks to Riposte), and also gives your attacks and heals a chance to double their effectiveness.

Versatility increases all your damage and healing done (including Ignore Pain), and decreases all damage taken.

Haste lowers the cooldown of your auto attacks and of Shield Block, Revenge, Shield Slam, and Thunder Clap, which indirectly boosts your survivability and damage output.

Strength increases your attack power.

Most encounters have abilities that cannot be mitigated or avoided. Also, you need to have a decent amount of health, in order to give yourself the chance to be healed before a subsequent attack kills you. As such, you need a minimum amount of Stamina. This amount will, in most cases, simply come from the Stamina found innately on your gear. Therefore, item level is the determining factor in keeping your health pool growing.

3. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 28 Aug. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.3.
• 19 Aug. 2017: Made a small clarification regarding the lack of a Haste breakpoint.
• 13 Jun. 2017: Removed Haste breakpoint (as the actual breakpoint is so high that you will not realistically reach it).
• 27 Mar. 2017: Slightly updated the stat priority.
• 10 Jan. 2017: Updated the stat priority slightly.
• 22 Oct. 2016: Updated the stat priority.
• 28 Sep. 2016: Tweaked stat priority following recent hotfixes.
• 20 Sep. 2016: Added separate stat priorities for smoother damage intake and total damage reduction.
• 10 Sep. 2016: Updated stat priority (Versatility now best secondary stat).
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 19 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.