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De-Raged Waraxe vs Whale-Stick Harpoon
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Post by
totemmunkey
I normally hate creating threads like this but I can't get a decent answer in guild or chat channels.
For TANKING, which of these two weapons is better for a Frost-spec Death Knight just gearing up for heroics:
De-Raged Waraxe
or
Whale-Stick Harpoon
? They both contain very different stats and I am unsure which are better for tanking with DK mechanics. The waraxe has Strength (which increases Parry & overall threat), but the harpoon has more Stamina as well as Agility (which increase Armor). Which stats take priority as far as entry-level Heroic tanks go?
Judging by my
current spec
, the only ability that scales with Strength is UA, but that is more of a "oh-crap" button. With the harpoon, I assume Bladed Armor (and possibly Toughness) would benefit from the 69 Agility, while the 100 AP makes up the threat from losing Strength minus the extra Parry. Plus the harpoon has greater high-end damage than the waraxe, increased by Two-Handed Specialization and again, making up for the threat lost from Strength.
I'm going by pure speculation as how the talents affect what stats, so please correct me if I'm wrong. I already have the De-Raged Waraxe, and am wondering if is worth losing as well as 70g. Or if the Waraxe is fine enough until I get a heroic drop/crafted epic upgrade. Thanks.
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149828
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188262
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Post by
totemmunkey
Thanks for all the helpful replies.
@katalyst1: This is probably the best advice. I completely forgot about the Tournament quests, and this is something I can work on by myself (ie not having to run dungeons over and over for an upgrade).
@rufusdoggy: I did mention Str increasing Parry in my initial post, but I do agree with you about the rep grinding and gold spending.
@Clydtsdk: I love that weapon but it's waaaaay out of my price range and unfortunately I don't have a miner toon on this server. Although I could've bought it if I didn't waste my gold on Artisan Flying Skill. >_<
Post by
138583
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Post by
totemmunkey
I just ran CoS (reg) and got the
Dreadlord's Blade
. Yay!
Post by
138583
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Post by
totemmunkey
I just ran CoS (reg) and got the
Dreadlord's Blade
. Yay!
harpoon
>
Dreadlord's Blade
in terms of tanking imo. Had both.
Well,
Harpoon
= 70g and
Dreadlord Blade
= free, already owned, and >
Waraxe
, so I'll stick with the Blade for now (until I get an epic upgrade)... BUT since the Stamina, Damage and speed are somewhat similar, this goes back to my initial debate of AGI+AP vs STR. That's still something I'm unsure about regarding DK tanking.
Tell me, Zakkhar, why was the Harpoon better for tanking? Not trying to debate your experience or knowledge, just honestly trying to understand the AGI+AP vs STR debate overall.
Post by
341986
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Post by
totemmunkey
Thanks LazyD. I appreciate the detailed yet simplified explanation. I've heard of people carrying different sets of tanking gear (one for mitigation, other for avoidance) which makes sense. I would have guess the Harpoon falls under threat from its AGI, but I'm confused by something you've mentioned. You put AGI with Dodge & Parry as an avoidance stat yet I can't seem to find a reason why it would be so. I know STR has
Forceful Deflection
(making it a threat & avoidance stat), but nothing for AGI. When I mouse-over the stat in my character pane, it says it increases Critical Hit strike rating and increases Armor. So wouldn't that make it a threat & mitigation stat? Where does Dodge & Parry come in to play as being affected by AGI?
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341178
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341986
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138583
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Post by
Eleazer
Strength's conversion to parry is very very weak. Agi's conversion to dodge is much higher and dodge is a better avoidance stat period ;p. Parry scales poorly you need alot more parry to get 1 percentage than you need dodge.
Harpoon is better, tank wise. I tank with the Axe from Heroic HoL, but then again I need the threat generation and not the stam so much. However, I am going to switch to the Greatsword of the Sindorei from Argent tournament soon.
Post by
365115
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Post by
Eleazer
legu,
Not necessarily for 3 main reasons.
1. If you are an orc, the axe is lovely for expertise which is vitally important to rage generation.
2. TSD costs a fortune to have made or off the AH. Why spend the money when the Corroded Pike from VH which is just amazing in terms of tanking weapons 135 stam is beautiful, and The Greatsword are both free. The greatsword is not only free, but pretty dang close to TSD in terms of dps output .
3. The Waraxe is as good or better a dps option than TSD as is The Greatsword of the Sindorei. So their are many options depending on design. In the end tanking is about survivability, TSD gives you some, the Pike gives you more, and GreatSword and Waraxe are free and gives you some great dps as well.
On the flip side, if you have the gold and can buy it you can get a dps/tank item immediately.
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365115
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Post by
totemmunkey
Thanks a lot guys. I really do appreciate the explanations of how certain stats affect others, without the usually "L2P n00b" or such nonsense that could have EASILY made an appearance due to my questions. I've learned a lot. My main is a Elem Shaman so learning to understand not only melee combat (at endgame) but tanking as well has been quite an experience. I think I got the hang of it now...so I'm looking for Spirit and Spell Power gear, right?
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