New Dalaran rings on the PTR
by Adam Holisky 
Dec 13th 2008 at 3:00PM
There are two new rings that the Kirin Tor are offering to us all on the PTR (Public Test Realm). They are called the "Loop of the Kirin Tor" and the "Ring of the Kirin Tor." These rings were added, one can assume, over a lot of protest and QQing by tanks and healers. While the two rings currently in the game can be used by both roles in some situations, they are by no means what healers or tanks would be looking for.
As a Protection Warrior I'm looking forward to this change going live. I'll have to fork over another 8,000g or so, but such is the price of epics.
A closer look at the rings and their stats after the break.
The loop is nice for those casters who want mana regen (Warlocks, har har har). The spell power increase of 59 points is equal to that of the Signet of the Kirin Tor, however this ring is lacking the direct increase to critical strike and haste that the Signet has. Expect healers to be happy with this one.
The Ring of the Kirin Tor is a good tanking ring. Some might like it for PvP as well. High stamina (+75) and high strength (+50) make it ideal for a Protection Warrior. The expertise and critical strike are icing on the cake (although it should be noted that I tend to stack critical strike after my other stats are at acceptable levels). Overall this ring is a much better tanking ring than the Band of the Kirin Tor.Filed under: Patches, Items, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
GammaPoweredSuperApe Dec 13th 2008 3:05PM
One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness Bind on Pickup.
Eric Dec 13th 2008 3:17PM
The Ring of the Kirin Tor may be a *better* ring for tanking than the previous Dalaran rings. It is by no means a good ring for tanking though. It has stamina but no avoidance stats or armor. Gear of this item level needs to have some avoidance, or significant mitigation or stamina on it to be a good tanking ring. There are half a dozen blue rings from heroics that are better for tanking.
It's actually much better adapted to strength-using DPSers such as ret paladins and fury warriors.
awwjwah Dec 13th 2008 3:19PM
Why again is expertise the new thing for tanking? I play a pally tank and I notice more and more items that people are saying are tanking pieces having expertise but I ain't quite following the "why" behind it. Where's the straight defense or avoidance stats we were used too?
SimpleSurvival Dec 13th 2008 3:20PM
expertise avoids "parry gib"
if your expertise is high enough, the boss can't parry or dodge your attacks, increasing your DPS and threat
angellusEU Dec 13th 2008 7:21PM
as well as reducing your damage taken because if you get parried by a boss it means he hits you faster.
SimpleSurvival Dec 13th 2008 3:19PM
"The expertise and critical strike are icing on the cake"
Aren't you being a little too kind...
a "tank" ring without any avoidance or defense???
I think I may not understand Warrior Tank mechanics then...
Do you prefer to be bashed in the face??? I thought thats why you carried a shield... to avoid the constant pummeling...
I know you need to get mad and all... but I would have to say that stacking stam and expecting spam heals isn't a very elegant way to tank...
Tolsimir Dec 13th 2008 4:01PM
Maybe once druid tanks reach armor cap this new tank one will be usefull.... Til then, I see more strength-wary dps classes using it. Where's the mitigation :(
Gessilea Dec 13th 2008 3:26PM
As a warrior tank, I wouldn't put this in my main tanking set, but I could see it having a nice spot in my AOE trash tanking set, or the more DPS focused set I use for tanking lower level content. Still, with defense being more difficult to come by these days, it's too bad not to see it here.
Of course, tanks are okay for rings already. What we need are trinkets. >.
JerrieOfTB Dec 13th 2008 3:38PM
Avoidance does not help one bit against casters that never swing at you. In those fights, having a good bunch of stamina will help a lot. Of course, a ring with resistance to the appropriate school of magic may be better in that case.
jayesh Dec 13th 2008 6:31PM
you know adam one day warlocks will be returned to their rightful place in the DPS pecking order and that is the day people like you will feel our shadowy wrath
Prepare yourself for the damnation
SimpleSurvival Dec 13th 2008 3:26PM
Sorry, can't help myself
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43582
Titanium Frostguard Ring
Binds when equipped
Unique-Equipped
Finger
+100 Stamina
+68 Frost Resistance
Red Socket
Socket Bonus: +6 Stamina
Requires Level 80
The Titanium Frostguard Ring is a good tanking ring. Some might like it for PvP as well. High stamina (+100) and a red socket make it ideal for a Protection Warrior. The Frost Resistance (+68) is icing on the cake (although it should be noted that I tend to stack frost resistance only for special resistance battles). Overall this ring is a much better tanking ring than the Titanium Spellshock Ring.
Julio Biason Dec 13th 2008 5:44PM
You, sir, is full of win.
Seriously thought, you pretty much summarized the problem with the "this is a good ring for tanking".
S?hrtogg Dec 14th 2008 10:15AM
kudos to you for bringing the point across like that
But seriously, I was hoping for an armor ring. Unfortunately enough, you can't get 2 epic rings with armor - those give the most EH - unless you're 25-man raiding. So I'm sticking with the blue one from heroic Oculus (Band of Torture)
I agree with Eric though that another trinket is what the tanks need. Besides the 111sta trinket, you can't get a second stamina trinket unless you're a JC, Engineer, or Alchemist.
yazah Dec 15th 2008 10:32AM
@S?rtogg
There is http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31858
which isnt too bad for tanking and pally tanks especially (holy damage = extra threat)
Or http://www.wowhead.com/?item=34473 if you want to go back and do heroic magister's terrace.
But yeah, more WotLK tanking trinkets would be nice.
Kards Dec 13th 2008 3:26PM
It's so easy to get defense capped in this Expo that it's a good idea to work on threat and high stam as well as straight avoidance as opposed to defense.
It's always been the same. The early items (5 mans, heroics, Kara) offer your avoidance and not much else and then when you get to the upper tiers you start to see more expertise, strength, etc. etc. This time around, however, they're starting with the other stats a lot sooner.
Plan Dec 13th 2008 3:29PM
The main value of these rings is the extra "hearth." If that's worth the huge gold sink to you, then they're worth it.
But for all roles -- DPS, healing, tank -- these rings will be easily outshined by raid loot.
It would be like if the old Violet Signets cost a few thousand gold in TBC. Yeah, at release, they were awesome, but it wasn't long before they were obsolete.
As it stands, two classes (Mages, Shaman) absolutely don't need the extra hearth, so for us it's easy to avoid the gold sink.
Derek Dec 13th 2008 3:37PM
As a shammy healer, I can say that +36 Spirit on the Loop is wasted on me. The signet is closer to what I would want, but I'd trade the Crit or the Haste for MP5, but that's just me...
Chukie Dec 13th 2008 3:53PM
As a tank I will concur that ring is MEH.
If I didn't want to stack avoidance stats I wouldn't have rolled a paladin.
Id be a druid...
So I could tank with my face.
SuraBear Dec 13th 2008 3:57PM
Crit rating on a tanking ring? Yeah, and my warlock stacks strength for meleeing with, too. Little hint, melee DPS use expertise too, this is a DPS warrior/cat druid ring.
Agona Dec 13th 2008 4:03PM
As a Retadin I must say the Ring looks really nice.
It's abit heavy on stamina, but apart from that it has everything I could ever wish for.
Str > AP
Expertise > Hit (our hitcap is at 5%)