Shield Block

Reading a Wow Insider article the other day I noticed something quite interesting about the warrior ability shield block. Improved shield block used to increase our block chance by 75% for two attacks. With the removal of crushing blows and thus the need for crushing blow mitigation this was changed to increase out block chance and value by 100% for 10 seconds with a 60 second cool down. Initially I didn’t understand this change and perhaps others missed it too. This means that for 10 seconds every minute (talented down to 40 seconds) you are blocking every attack and your block value is doubled.

Now I have a block value of around 800 depending on which gear I am in so for a quarter of the time I can be reducing incoming melee attacks by about 1600 plus a 30% chance to double that again. In addition attackers will be hit for between 250 and 500 damage thanks to Damage Shield. Viewed from a damage/AE tanking perspective, if we add Thunder Clap, Thorns and Retribution Aura (do they still stack?) mobs should be sticking to us like we well... glue.

For you amusing reference please see the above image as to how useful this ability if to clearing whole instances with one pull. Here you can see everything in Wailing Caverns that didn't die on the way to the last room. And that is only the tip of the iceberg, thanks to changes such as these I can be second on damage charts in heroics, out DPS arms warriors in arena and well kill stuff. Sure I am not perfect and some times I get a bit big for my boots. For example pulling 3 shadows of doom as well as 5 or 6 non elites while your team mates are fighting off horde warlocks is a close call. Also 6 heroic elites is my maximum so far with the 7th (a Cobalt Serpent) wiping the group.

Playing a protection warrior really has got a lot more fun. You really feel like you are involved while tanking and you are no longer an easy target in PvP. A lot has changes recently and personally I am loving it.