Girdle of Living Thorns or Belt of Dwarf Slaying?

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Originally Posted by Snaggles [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If you are taking hits the girdle is objectively better. Yaulp4 and it doesn’t stack.
If not, AoB is better than Thorncoat.

Ideally both but if you have to pick, get the Girdle and a turtle belt for like 50k on blue.

I am not so sure about that, at least on a Paladin who is actively Yaulping. Since Spikecoat and Yaulp4 don't stack, this produces an interesting wrinkle.

Mobs swing every 2 seconds, unless they are hasted or slowed. This means 4 damage shield will do 2 DPS (4 damage / 2 seconds) if the mob hits every time. Obviously that doesn't happen unless you are spamming sit. At a 70% hit rate, you'd get like 1.4 DPS with Spikecoat. This assumes the mob isn't slowed, casting spells, running, etc.

AoB + Yaulp4 gives you +26 ATK. Let's assume the Paladin is already max STR, so the STR isn't helping DPS. According to my DPS calculator, a 60 Paladin with Great Spear of Dawn (53/46 2h weapon), 61% Haste (41% worn + 20% from eyepatch), and 255 STR would gain roughly 1.4 DPS as well from +26 ATK.

Yaulp4 gives 15 AC compared to Spikecoats 25 AC. But remember than AoB gives HP regen, so you are still getting a defensive bonus in exchange for -10 AC.

They are both pretty comparable in most scenarios. AoB will have the advantage if you are slowing mobs or fighting casters. If you are fighting a raid mob that flurries, then spikecoat will have the advantage. But that does assume you have a buff slot for spikecoat for that raid encounter.

[Snaggles]

Originally Posted by DeathsSilkyMist [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I am not so sure about that, at least on a Paladin who is actively Yaulping. Since Spikecoat and Yaulp4 don't stack, this produces an interesting wrinkle.

Mobs swing every 2 seconds, unless they are hasted or slowed. This means 4 damage shield will do 2 DPS (4 damage / 2 seconds) if the mob hits every time. Obviously that doesn't happen unless you are spamming sit. At a 70% hit rate, you'd get like 1.4 DPS with Spikecoat. This assumes the mob isn't slowed, casting spells, running, etc.

AoB + Yaulp4 gives you +26 ATK. Let's assume the Paladin is already max STR, so the STR isn't helping DPS. According to my DPS calculator, a 60 Paladin with Great Spear of Dawn (53/46 2h weapon), 61% Haste (41% worn + 20% from eyepatch), and 255 STR would gain roughly 1.4 DPS as well from +26 ATK.

Yaulp4 gives 15 AC compared to Spikecoats 25 AC. But remember than AoB gives HP regen, so you are still getting a defensive bonus in exchange for -10 AC.

They are both pretty comparable in most scenarios. AoB will have the advantage if you are slowing mobs or fighting casters. If you are fighting a raid mob that flurries, then spikecoat will have the advantage. But that does assume you have a buff slot for spikecoat for that raid encounter.

Yaulp4’ing is more dps (it’s about 40 displayed attack; doesn’t stack with SoN or Shissar). It it’s also more APM. Skipping it for Spikecoat lets you devote that action to self-casting the HoT, more aggro spells, or focusing on other stuff like clickies and positioning. The girdle is also a long duration junk buff that stacks with most everything like the Coldain ring. The worst part is the lack of mana which for a pally or SK is something to think about.

Maybe I was rounding up with “objectively better”. If I’m tanking for 20-40+ people one of the first things I give up is Yaulping, as good as the spell is for normal use. My slider is all the way cranked to being a good aggro tank, Soulfire clicking, or swapping to a more beneficial class.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Originally Posted by Snaggles [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Maybe I was rounding up with “objectively better”. If I’m tanking for 20-40+ people one of the first things I give up is Yaulping, as good as the spell is for normal use. My slider is all the way cranked to being a good aggro tank, Soulfire clicking, or swapping to a more beneficial class.

I agree that yaulping isn't really worth much while raiding. I was focusing more on solo/group content where you are more likely to care about 2 DPS.

In raiding neither yaulp or spikecoat will matter much, unless you are trying to max damage shield for a specific target like AoW. Raid targets usually aren't in dire need of 2 DPS from the tank. You also generally have less buff slots available in raids, so you may not have room for spikecoat or yaulp anyway.