4.0 Warrior Tank Guides

[RoughRaptorsOld]

First off, I'd like to dedicate these guides to my good friend Blood Fever, you shall be missed.

Secondly, as Rifthead no longer supports these built in links, you can't hover over them anymore to see their tooltip, but it's good enough I suppose :-).

Let me know if you have any questions or if I screwed anything up please :-).

The Build - 61 Void Knight / 15 Paladin / 0 Riftblade
https://rift.magelo.com/en/soultree#4kGGGGllllkg/98h0/2

The pally stuff can be swapped to defensive if you'd like, but VK already hits hard so why not make it hit harder if you can already take the beating :-P.

Masteries - Shield Wall, Protective Aura or Soul Regeneration (depending on the fight), Runner’s Training, Deliberate Strikes, Power Variation.

Legendaries: Void Summon, Reckless Strike, Unstable Void, Retaliation, Searing Strike (you can swap Retaliation for Pacifying Strike if you don't need mit but your raid does)

As a note, it's optimal on multi-tank fghts to run one tank with Soul Regeneration as their level 62 mastery (or w/e their class equivalent is), and then another with Protective Aura.


Cooldowns

• Fusion of Flesh

  Use when needed (almost dead or expecting a big hit) A shield for 75% of your max hp (OGCD)

• Power Shield

  Use when expecting a big hit. A 20% mitigation boost for 4s, 30s CD (OGCD)

• Protective Shield

  Great CD once again now, 30% damage mit for 5 seconds (at 5 pacts) that awards 1 AP (OGCD)

• Rift Shield

  This CD is now amazing, 25% (with 5 pacts) of your HP as a shield on any target (OGCD)

• Devouring Shield

  Fairly weak shield, but useful to just pop if you need a quick ~10k shield. OGCD

• Power Variation

  HP regen channel over 3 seconds - MAKE SURE TO TARGET YOUR INTENDED HEAL TARGET IF INTENDED AS A HEAL

Taunts

• Spark

  Single Target Taunt

• Airburst

  AOE Taunt

• Void Summon

  AOE taunt/pull/root, amazing ability for dungeons. Legendary will boost your hp based on targets hit

• Rift Summon

  ST taunt/pull/root, again, amazing for dungeons

Builders

• Aggressive Block

  Keep this up 100% of the time for a block bonus

• Reckless Strike

  This hits HARD with 10 pacts, main builder

• Discharge

  Ranged builder (uses pacts)

• Void Storm

  AOE semi-ranged builder (uses pacts)

• Tempest

  AOE builder

• Ragestorm

  AOE builder - consumes 3 pacts

• Searing Strike

  Keep up for 3% mit

OGCD

• Retaliation

  Reactive

Finishers

• Devouring Blow

  Main finisher, great damage at 10 pacts

• Unstable Reaction

  High damage 6 second channel, very nice to gain pacts extremely quick

• Rift Reversal

  Reflects the next 3 spells

Utility

• Shock Burst

  AOE silence

• Shock

  ST ranged silence

• Spellbreaker

  Self cleanse of a curse, gain 1 pact

• Spell Sunder

  Purge the enemy, gain 1 pact. You can also purge nothing and gain 1 pact, but with 61vk this isn't really necessary at the rate of which you gain pacts.

• Spell Destruction

  Great for AOE cleanses and AOE purges simultaneously. Can be used on boss fights when needed to cleanse your raid or purge the boss...or both!

• Impunity

  30% damage mit on target, use to keep someone alive

Buffs

• Accord of the Rift
• Unstable Void
• Storm Blade

Macros

#reckless strike
suppressmacrofailures
cast reckless strike
cast retaliation

What to do for max Mitigation:
Keep up Aggressive Block and Searing Strike , then spam Reckless Strike to get AP (or Tempest / Ragestorm / Void Storm if AOE). When at 3 AP, use Devouring Blow . [url=http://www.rifthead.com/ability/-15444940/reckless-strike] (with mastery)/ Discharge at range. If you are aoeing, use Unstable Reaction , otherwise stick with Devouring Blow . You can also use Unstable Reaction to gain pacts very quickly. It's very efficient to use Power Shield and then Unstable Reaction immediately after to regain your pacts.
When pulling large groups, use Void Summon as it's incredibly efficient as a root/taunt/pull and for an hp boost.

What to do for max DPS:
This is a super tough rotation to pull off, but here it is! To pull, use a 3 point Unstable Reaction or Reckless Strike if you have Soul Regeneration and basically just spam Reckless Strike x3 -> to get 3 AP and then finish with Devouring Blow . Due to the AP scaling, once you get some raid gear this is a higher DPS rotation over the old one which I have deleted. Weave in AOE’s when needed to keep threat or deal damage to multiple mobs. If running low on pacts ( < 5 ) use Unstable Reaction . Make sure to use Retaliation on cd (it's in the builder macro). You can also use Power Variation for DPS if you know you don't need it as a tank CD. For AoE, spam Ragestorm until you reach 3 pacts, then Void Storm because it's more DPS at 3 pacts due to Destructive Forces, then get your pacts back with Unstable Reaction .

[RoughRaptorsOld]

The Build - 61 Paladin / 15 Void Knight / 0 Riftblade (or 0 Paragon with Way of the River if no SL souls)
https://rift.magelo.com/en/soultree#9kGGiGFlaBh0/48x0/2

Masteries - Shield Wall, Protective Aura or Soul Regeneration (depending on the fight), Runner’s Training, Ethereal Strikes, Power Variation.

Legendaries: Pacifying Strike (or Void Propulsion if you want mit and don't care about your raid's mit), Light's Balm, Protector's Fury, Searing Strike, Reckless Strike

As a note, it's optimal on multi-tank fghts to run one tank with Soul Regeneration as their level 62 mastery (or w/e their class equivalent is), and then another with Protective Aura.


As of 3.7 Paladin is (probably) superior to VK due to superior raid and self-survival cooldowns. I haven't done extensive testing or raiding with it but based on looking at the abilities, unless you need the edge of dps, purges, or pulls, Paladin is probably superior.

Cooldowns

• Touch of Life

  Instant OGCD full heal

• Light’s Protection

  Increased heals for 12 seconds, 1m CD (OGCD)

• Shield Defense

  30% less damage for 10 seconds, 1m CD (OGCD)

• Aegis of the Light

  Use when expecting a big hit. A 20% mitigation boost for 4s, 30s CD.

• Power Variation

  HP regen channel over 3 seconds

• Sanctuary

  Toss a dome of light on the ground, anyone in it takes 30% reduced damage.

• Wall of Light

  Anyone behind you in a visible arc takes reduced damage for 4 seconds.

Taunts

• Interfere

  Single Target Taunt

• Judgment

  AOE Taunt

Builders

• Aggressive Block

  Keep this up 100% of the time.

• Pacifying Strike

  Your main builder, spam it for mitigation.

• Light’s Decree

  AOE threat and great ST damage

• Sweeping Strike

  AOE threat

• Discharge

  Ranged threat (if you have the pacts)

• Searing Strike

  Keep up for 3% mit

OGCD

• Retaliation / Light’s Reprisal / Light’s Vengeance

  Use on cd

Finishers

• Light’s Benediction

  Your main finisher, it's what makes this spec great

• Vengeful Decree

  AoE threat on 5 targets

Utility

• Light’s Balm / Light’s Blessnig

  Heals target for an amount, good for spot heals and is surprisingly very very useful. I find myself using these quite a bit to help with raid heals. This can only heal yourself if you are specced into the legendary version of it

• Righteous Charge

  Charge, awesome damage as well

• Amnesty

  30% damage mit on target, use to keep someone alive

• Call of the Divine

  AOE pull on a ground target. Useful for getting mobs to you quickly or for peeling

• Purify Land

  Ground target AOE that explodes after 1 second dealing a nice chunk of damage and massive threat.

Buffs

• Protector's Fury
• Shield of the Hero
• Shield of the Chosen
• Void
• Storm Blade

Macros

#show light's balm
suppressmacrofailures
cast light's blessing
cast light's balm

#show retaliation
suppressmacrofailures
cast light's reprisal
cast light's vengeance
cast retaliation

What to do for max Mitigation:
Keep up Aggressive Block , Searing Strike , Pacifying Strike, and Light’s Benediction 100% of the time. Use cooldowns as needed such as Sanctuary for your own mit or raid mit, and Wall of Light for raid mit behind you.

What to do for max DPS!!
Use your OGCDs on cooldown throughout the fight.
Pull with Purify Land -> Light’s Decree -> Pacifying Strike-> Light’s Benediction -> Reckless Strike (all the buffs you need, insert Aggressive Block if you want to.
As long as you don’t need it for a charge. use Righteous Charge (NOTE: Righteous Charge does not work at melee range, my recommendation is to jump backwards and then hit it and it should go off. During some encounters it might mess with your character or camera position, so be careful)
Spam Pacifying Strike, use Righteous Charge and Light’s Decree on cooldown, finish with 3 point Light’s Benediction .
You can also use Reckless Strike as your stacks fall off for a dps increase.

[RePyH]

Hey RR,

Thanks for updating your guides but I think you have put down the wrong build in post no. 1.
There should be 61 VK / 15 pala.


Cheers,
RePyH

[RoughRaptorsOld]

Hey RR,

Thanks for updating your guides but I think you have put down the wrong build in post no. 1.
There should be 61 VK / 15 pala.


Cheers,
RePyH

Whoops, poor copy/paste error on my part, thanks, fixed :-)

[Repster]

R.I.P Blood Fever. You were to good for this world.

[Sedvick]

Ragestorm consumes 3 pacts and has no cd now.

[RoughRaptorsOld]

Ragestorm consumes 3 pacts and has no cd now.

Oh yeah, totally forgot about that change, thanks.

[Warbad]

Thanks for the updates specs RR great guides as always! I have been looking into hybrids but since there are some great buffs deeper in the trees I don't see any decent choices poping out at me. Have you figured out any hybrids with better mitigation, even if its only situational? Something I might be overlooking?

I miss hybrids like the pre-SL 38RV and now that we have 2 tank souls I imagine our choices are even more limited. I used to enjoy min/maxing my mitigation for specific fights on progression just like any decent DPSer would do.

Ah well bring it on 3.0 I'm so stoked for the update !!!

[Xentex]

I'm not going to suggest these options are "must have", but I've been using them here and there:

- For 61 Paly using Warlord as the zero point soul for Sergeant's Order. Allows pulling adds, strays, casters, whatever into the fray.

- For 61 VK using Champion as the zero point soul for Bull Rush. Sometimes it's useful to have a charge.

Nice thing is it's those vs. 0 point Tempest and you can just change on the fly if you really want to. Just takes a couple seconds.

I miss blood fever, but I'll take Power Variation as a very favorable trade.

[RoughRaptorsOld]

! I have been looking into hybrids but since there are some great buffs deeper in the trees I don't see any decent choices poping out at me. Have you figured out any hybrids with better mitigation, even if its only situational? Something I might be overlooking?

I haven't looked myself, I've been quite busy. I'm determined to find another 41/35-esque spec (or just make that still work) though.

[Presidum]

Yeah I realised it was mentioned in the guide... Herpa Derp...

[Presidum]

On a side note, Righteous Blow hits harder than Light's Benediction by a fractional amount, so if you're min-maxing DPS and you aren't going to disconnect, it's worth alternating.

[Geopenguin]

Just curious why you would have 0 Tempest and not 0 Warlord? Think that would give you an extra pull instead of a shock pulse, but maybe you don't need it.

[RoughRaptorsOld]

Just curious why you would have 0 Tempest and not 0 Warlord? Think that would give you an extra pull instead of a shock pulse, but maybe you don't need it.

For an extra 2% more damage. It used to be for Shock Pulse but that's no longer needed. Feel free to grab a pull if you want it, but I find it fairly irrelevant for Paladin.

[Meowy]

Am I missing something? I can't find Power Variation anywhere in the Void Knight soul tree. The one that does that self-healing.