Starting zone upgrades in Northrend: Protection - Borean Tundra
by Zach Yonzon 
Nov 16th 2008 at 8:00PM
PROTECTION
The best place for Protection Paladins to get relatively good gear upgrades is from Borean Tundra, where a good number of plate drops have high Stamina. Some of this gear also has crit, which works well with the new DPS-oriented mechanic of tanking. Furthermore, more Stamina on those items works hand-in-hand with Touched by the Light.
1. Amberplate Headguard
The Amberplate items in Borean Tundra have incredibly high Stamina. Take the helm, for example, which has 80 Stamina. Alliance players can get this helm from the quest Back to the Airstrip, from a Gnome East of Fizzcrank's Airstrip. Around the same area, a Tauren will send Horde players to Return with the Bad News to Taunka'le Village as the last part of a short series.
2. Chilled Shoulderplates
The Chilled Shoulderplates are the the highest Stamina shoulder rewards from the Borean Tundra. Horde players can get this from Stop the Plague, given by the same Tauren with the quest above, and also part of a series. Likewise, the Alliance equivalent is from the Gnome in the same area. The quest is called There's Something Going On in Those Caves, which is the last part of a four-part chain.
3. Gorge's Breastplate of Bloodrage
This 80 Stamina breastplate is a Horde-only quest reward from the extremely fun siege-tank quest called The Plains of Nasam. This will be one of players' first forays into the new siege vehicle system of Wrath of the Lich King. Alliance players will have to make do with the lower Stamina, but higher Strength and Crit Mightstone Breastplate from Enemies of the Light from Valiance Keep.
4. Bogstrok Plate Gloves
A nice piece of armor with expertise, these gloves come from a neutral quest giver King Mrgl-Mrgl, a Night Elf in a Murloc Suit. You know, the one from last year's BlizzCon. The quest, called Surrender... Not!, will let you experience the thrill of being in a Murloc suit. I mean, you've always wanted to wear one, right?
5. Amberplate Waistguard
This belt has a good mix of Stamina and Expertise. Sage Highmesa, the Tauren who gives the quests that reward items 1 and 2, also gives the quest for this belt, called Fallen Necropolis. The Alliance equivalent has the same Gnome for items 1 and 2 giving a quest called Might As Well Wipe Out the Scourge.
6. Amberplate Legguards
Another 80 Stamina item, these legplates are a reward from the Depeche Mode-inspired Master and Servant quest for the Alliance in Fizzcrank's Airstrip. The Horde get this from Bor'gorok Outpost, where they can perfom the quest Revenge Upon Magmoth.
7. Moral Sabatons
These are rewards from a fun D.E.H.T.A. siege-vehicle introductory quest called Kaw the Mammoth Destroyer where players will ride a mammoth.
8. Rod of Poacher Punishment
While there are a good number of one-hander weapons in Borean Tundra, this one stood out for me in particular because of the speed of the weapon. It's a 1.6 speed mace with Haste and is on par with all other one-hander weapon rewards in terms of DPS. The fast speed also makes it ideal for the new and improved Reckoning.
9. Plainkeeper Blockade
It's a toss up between this shield and the similarly Alliance-only Icechill Buckler, but I chose to go with this because we were building up a high Stamina set, anyway. This is a reward from Ned, Lord of Rhinos, a D.E.H.T.A quest that requires you to kill an animal. Those hypocrites. Unfortunately, Horde tanks must settle for a caster shield called The Borean Ward in the zone.
The best place for Protection Paladins to get relatively good gear upgrades is from Borean Tundra, where a good number of plate drops have high Stamina. Some of this gear also has crit, which works well with the new DPS-oriented mechanic of tanking. Furthermore, more Stamina on those items works hand-in-hand with Touched by the Light.
The Amberplate items in Borean Tundra have incredibly high Stamina. Take the helm, for example, which has 80 Stamina. Alliance players can get this helm from the quest Back to the Airstrip, from a Gnome East of Fizzcrank's Airstrip. Around the same area, a Tauren will send Horde players to Return with the Bad News to Taunka'le Village as the last part of a short series.
2. Chilled Shoulderplates
The Chilled Shoulderplates are the the highest Stamina shoulder rewards from the Borean Tundra. Horde players can get this from Stop the Plague, given by the same Tauren with the quest above, and also part of a series. Likewise, the Alliance equivalent is from the Gnome in the same area. The quest is called There's Something Going On in Those Caves, which is the last part of a four-part chain.
3. Gorge's Breastplate of Bloodrage
This 80 Stamina breastplate is a Horde-only quest reward from the extremely fun siege-tank quest called The Plains of Nasam. This will be one of players' first forays into the new siege vehicle system of Wrath of the Lich King. Alliance players will have to make do with the lower Stamina, but higher Strength and Crit Mightstone Breastplate from Enemies of the Light from Valiance Keep.
4. Bogstrok Plate Gloves
A nice piece of armor with expertise, these gloves come from a neutral quest giver King Mrgl-Mrgl, a Night Elf in a Murloc Suit. You know, the one from last year's BlizzCon. The quest, called Surrender... Not!, will let you experience the thrill of being in a Murloc suit. I mean, you've always wanted to wear one, right?
5. Amberplate Waistguard
This belt has a good mix of Stamina and Expertise. Sage Highmesa, the Tauren who gives the quests that reward items 1 and 2, also gives the quest for this belt, called Fallen Necropolis. The Alliance equivalent has the same Gnome for items 1 and 2 giving a quest called Might As Well Wipe Out the Scourge.
6. Amberplate Legguards
Another 80 Stamina item, these legplates are a reward from the Depeche Mode-inspired Master and Servant quest for the Alliance in Fizzcrank's Airstrip. The Horde get this from Bor'gorok Outpost, where they can perfom the quest Revenge Upon Magmoth.
7. Moral Sabatons
These are rewards from a fun D.E.H.T.A. siege-vehicle introductory quest called Kaw the Mammoth Destroyer where players will ride a mammoth.
8. Rod of Poacher Punishment
While there are a good number of one-hander weapons in Borean Tundra, this one stood out for me in particular because of the speed of the weapon. It's a 1.6 speed mace with Haste and is on par with all other one-hander weapon rewards in terms of DPS. The fast speed also makes it ideal for the new and improved Reckoning.
9. Plainkeeper Blockade
It's a toss up between this shield and the similarly Alliance-only Icechill Buckler, but I chose to go with this because we were building up a high Stamina set, anyway. This is a reward from Ned, Lord of Rhinos, a D.E.H.T.A quest that requires you to kill an animal. Those hypocrites. Unfortunately, Horde tanks must settle for a caster shield called The Borean Ward in the zone.
Filed under: Paladin, Items, Analysis / Opinion, Leveling, (Paladin) The Light and How to Swing It
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lerophon Nov 16th 2008 8:18PM
I would recommend the Fiery Prod as a Prot Weapon...http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37076
Its another quest reward, same dps, pretty much same crit, but you get expertise instead of haste which is more useful, plus it looks cooler :)
eliya Nov 17th 2008 9:24AM
"The fast speed also makes it ideal for the new and improved Reckoning."
I see that Reckoning procs off of blocks now, which is sweet. But I don't see how fast speed helps the matter. What am I missing?
I thought the weaponspeed/reckoning debate pretty much concluded that - due to seal scaling with speed - you come out as well or better with a slow weapon. Of course that would be truer with a proccing seal, like command, and not true at all with vengeance.
So, am I behind the curve?
Ntrsandman Nov 21st 2008 1:29PM
All the gear drops/quest rewards have haste and crit benefits. This is great for ret/holy. Did they change something for tanking though. Nothing I've seen so far has defense/avoidance.
Ive gotten some upgrades from Nexus and Drak'Tharon Keep/Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom. I just hope I havent missed something and these are being nerfed.