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Enhancements for Tanks

The advice on this page is for tanks:

It is directed primarily to people with characters at or near level 70. All or nearly all of the recommended enhancements are exclusive to the Burning Crusade expansion.

Permanent Enhancements

Permanent enhancements are exclusive. You can have a glyph on your helm, an inscription on your shoulders, and an enchantment on your gloves, for instance, but only one enhancement (glyph, inscription, enchantment, leg armor, or armor kit) can be applied to each slot. You can change enhancements, but any new enhancement will overwrite any previous enhancement in that slot.

Slots are shown in their usual order. Alternatives are shown in order of preference, with the best choice given first. Your preferences may vary; your circumstances may differ; and in some cases the best choice may be unavailable or too expensive. It's your character, and you can do what you want. I'm just trying to help.

Suggested Enhancements (Permanent) for Tanks

Slot Enhancement Source Cost or Materials
Type Name Item Pattern
Head Glyph Glyph of the
Defender
KoT QM
(Revered)
- 100g (nominal)
85g at Revered
Glyph Glyph of the
Gladiator
(PvP) [1]
SSO QM
(Revered)
- 100g (nominal)
85g at Revered
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Shoulders Inscription Greater Inscription
of the Knight
Scryer vendor
(Exalted)
- Arcane Runes x8
Inscription Greater Inscription
of Warding
Aldor vendor
(Exalted)
- Holy Dust x8
Inscription Inscription
of the Knight
Scryer vendor
(Honored)
- Arcane Runes x2
Inscription Inscription
of Warding
Aldor vendor
(Honored)
- Holy Dust x2
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Back Enchant. Steelweave Enchanter
300
Priestess Delrissa
(Mgstrs' Terrace)
(BoP)
Grtr Planar Essence x8
Primal Earth x8
Enchant. Dodge Enchanter
300
Lower City QM
(Exalted)
Sm Prismatic Shard x3
Grtr Planar Essence x3
Primal Earth x8
Enchant. Greater Agility Enchanter
310
Trainer Grtr Planar Essence
Primal Air
Arcane Dust x4
Enchant. Major Armor Enchanter
310
Trainer Arcane Dust x8
Chest Enchant. Defense Enchanter 360 SSO QM
(Honored)
Grtr Planar Essence x4
Eternium Ore x4
Arcane Dust x8
Enchant. Major Resilience
(PvP) [1]
Enchanter
345
World drop Grtr Planar Essence x4
Arcane Dust x10
Enchant. Exceptional Stats
[2]
Enchanter
345
Thrallmar QM
(Revered)
Lg Prismatic Shard x4
Grtr Planar Essence x4
Arcane Dust x4
Enchant. Exceptional Health Enchanter
315
Trainer Lg Brilliant Shard x2
Major Healing Potn x4
Arcane Dust x8
Armor Kit Vindicator's
Armor Kit
[3]
Leatherworker
325
Aldor QM
(Revered)
Primal Earth
Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Wrist Enchant. Major Defense Enchanter
325
Ethereum Nullifier
(BoP)
Sm Prismatic Shard x2
Arcane Dust x10
Enchant. Fortitude Enchanter
350
Coilfang Oracle
(Steamvault)
Lg Prismatic Shard
Grtr Planar Essence x10
Arcane Dust x20
Enchant. Stats Enchanter
315
Trainer Lsr Planar Essence x6
Arcane Dust x6
Enchant. Brawn Enchanter
305
Trainer Arcane Dust x6
Hands Enchant. Threat [4] Enchanter
300
Sha'tar QM
(Exalted)
Sm Prismatic Shard x4
Grtr Planar Essence x2
Primal Life x8
Glove Armor [5] Glove
Reinforcements
Leatherworker
350
Cenarion QM
(Honored)
Primal Earth x3
Hvy Knothide Lthr x4
Enchant. Major Strength Enchanter
340
Trainer Grtr Planar Essence
Arcane Dust x12
Enchant. Superior Agility Enchanter
300
KoT QM
(Exalted)
Sm Prismatic Shard x3
Grtr Planar Essence x3
Primal Air x2
Armor Kit Vindicator's
Armor Kit
[3]
Leatherworker
325
Scryer QM
(Revered)
Primal Mana
Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Legs Leg Armor Nethercleft
Leg Armor
Leatherworker
365
Cenarion QM
(Exalted)
Primal Nether
Primal Earth x8
Thk Clefthoof Lthr x16
Hvy Knothide Lthr x4
Leg Armor Clefthide
Leg Armor
Leatherworker
335
Cenarion QM
(Honored)
Primal Earth x4
Thk Clefthoof Lthr x8
Hvy Knothide Lthr x4
Armor Kit Vindicator's
Armor Kit
[3]
Leatherworker
325
Scryer QM
(Revered)
Primal Mana
Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Feet Enchant. Fortitude Enchanter
320
Ethereal Priest
(Mana-Tombs) (BoP)
Arcane Dust x12
Armor Kit Vindicator's
Armor Kit
[3]
Leatherworker
325
Scryer QM
(Revered)
Primal Mana
Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Armor Kit Heavy Knothide
Armor Kit
Leatherworker
350
Trainer Hvy Knothide Lthr x3
Enchant. Dexterity Enchanter
340
Raging Skeleton
(Crypts) (BoP)
Grtr Planar Essence x8
Arcane Dust x8
Enchant. Vitality Enchanter
305
World drop Arcane Dust x6
Major Healing Potn x4
Major Mana Potion x4
Weapon Enchant. Mongoose
[6]
Enchanter
375
Moroes
(Karazhan)
(BoP)
Void Crystal x6
Lg Prismatic Shard x10
Grtr Planar Essence x8
Arcane Dust x40
Enchant. Battlemaster
[6]
Enchanter
360
World drop Void Crystal x8
Lg Prismatic Shard x8
Primal Water x2
Enchant. Crusader
[6]
Enchanter
300
Scarlet Spellbinder
Scarlet Archmage
Lg Brilliant Shard x4
Righteous Orb x2
Enchant. Major Spellpower
[7]
Enchanter
350
Ba'shir
Spell Thief
(BoP)
Lg Prismatic Shard x8
Grtr Planar Essence x8
Enchant. Potency Enchanter
350
World drop Lg Prismatic Shard x4
Grtr Planar Essence x5
Arcane Dust x20
Enchant. Greater Agility Enchanter
360
Violet Eye vendor
(Exalted)
Lg Prismatic Shard x6
Grtr Planar Essence x4
Primal Air x2
Arcane Dust x8
2H Weapon Enchant. Major Agility
[8]
Enchanter
360
Eredar Deathbringer
(The Arcatraz)
(BoP)
Lg Prismatic Shard x8
Grtr Planar Essence x6
Arcane Dust x20
Shield Enchant. Tough Shield Enchanter
310
Trainer Primal Earth x10
Arcane Dust x6
Enchant. Major Stamina Enchanter
325
Madame Ruby
Shattrath vendor
Arcane Dust x15
Enchant. Resilience
(PvP) [1]
Enchanter
330
Trainer Lg Prismatic Shard
Lsr Planar Essence x4
Enchant. Shield Block Enchanter
340
World drop Primal Earth x10
Grtr Planar Essence x4
Arcane Dust x12
Shield spike Felsteel Shield Spike
[9]
Blacksmith
360
Thrallmar QM
(Exalted)
Primal Earth x4
Primal Fire x4
Felsteel Bar x4

Notes:

  1. For hardcore PvPers only.
  2. Exceptional Stats may be the best choice for Paladins and Druids.
  3. Since Defense and Stamina are both highly desirable tanking stats, your choice of armor kits is largely dependent on which one you need more. Druid tanks that are already uncrittable (in PvE) are better off with a Heavy Knothide Armor Kit. For everyone else, it's a tossup.
    In general, Druids are better off with enchantments (whose stats may be multiplied in Dire Bear form) than with armor kits (whose benefits do not increase in Dire Bear form).
  4. Threat is only for tanks - not for DPS, and especially not for healers!
    Notice also the grotesque mismatch between the low skill level required (300 - which could be attained at level 40) and the very high reputation level needed (Sha'tar Exalted - which takes a great many level-70 instance runs in Netherstorm). Earth to Blizz: What were you thinking?!?
  5. The materials needed for Glove Reinforcements were vastly reduced in Patch 2.4.2.
  6. Not for Feral Druid tanks. (Since Dire Bears are using their claws, not their weapons, weapon procs never proc.)
  7. For Paladins only.
  8. For Druids only.
  9. For grinding and AoE tanking (not bosses), especially for twinks or Protection Paladins.

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