Protection Warrior in 1.6

[Lissa]

Thanks for the correction on the rogue stuff, I actually misread Iron will as disorients not charms but I typed it correctly in my explanation.

Last Stand was a debate too.  It has saved me from dying.  But I'm still not happy with the way the skill works and I figured an always active passive vs a 10 minute cooldown skill that I forget I have at times was a good choice.  If the skill added a true HP buffer, I'd be all over it.  As it is without your healer knowing that you used it when it wears of it looks like you took a crit.  It isn't a bad skill at all though even in the current implementation but I think Iron will might have more utility.

I debated tactical mastery hard as well, but tactical mastery without going all the way to anger management I don't think is the best choice.

I have 3 in tactical mastery right now.  The switch out to do T-Clap is of minimal use at best and not usable at all around CC and without 5 points in it you need to build rage after a switch for a T-clap so you are taking more damage in that time.  Switch to execute has been helpful, but it is nearly pointless in a raid as the mob is dead pretty much as soon as it gets to 20% or less health anyway except on a few bosses.  Even then with no improvements to it I'm only likely to hit for for about 300 to 500 damage at best (unless I crit because I'll only have 15 or 20 rage at switch) and I can shield slam for that now.  Mocking blow is of minimal use as taunt is available most of the time and I don't need even it to get a mobs attention back most of the time anyway, a defiance backed sunder is your friend :).  So I lose what I mentioned earlier, easy def stance rage after a charge and an easier intercept.  Intercept is handy but is more important for the tank on protection duty than the main tank.  Without maxing tactical mastery you will tend to lose a lot of rage on changes as well since what you want to change for in most cases isn't something you can wait to time it so you are at just 10 or 15 or 20 rage.

If I go deeper in arms I will get the hugely powerful anger management.  But that means no piercing howl at all since I'm getting shield slam.  The idea is to use Unbridled to make up for lack of anger management to some degree.  If you haven't played without anger management you should see how much rage you are missing out on.  :)  And yes I realize that I'm saying I should get it, and then I increase my flexibility even more with more tac mastery as well.  But I also don't think Gnolack needs to be more flexible right now.  He's limited to mostly guild groups and raids with CA folks and others that I know for various reasons.  So I have Shalandrax an Arms/Fury around, Galreth an Anger management protection spec, Darian an anger management protection spec and I think Anadrol is also anger management prot spec.  So I'm also looking at it with that in mind.  Gnolack is the little immovable object.

Thanks for the thoughts though, keep me thinking.  :)

Edit:  Fixed some typos
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One of the best uses of a macro I have seen came from Charsi of IA. Whenever Charsi activates Last Stand, there is a chat comment in all caps and astericks in order to draw attention of the healers that Last Stand was activated. Hopefully, the healer knows what Last Stand is about and does something before the timer runs out.