PVE AA set up (noob zerk question)

[LordDarthKhan]

<p>I have recently started a new toon and chose to go zerk, I am lvl 32 now but can't really figure yet how to spend my AA. I only play pve and I mostly solo but since I'm new to this class I'd like to have some advice from more experienced zerks</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>First priority: Your Warrior tree.</p><p>Go down STR 4-4-8 first, then STA 4-4-8, then INT 4-4-8. Then one more anywhere you want in the Warrior tree.</p><p>Use dual wielding when soloing and tanking easy trash, and a tower shield when tanking harder mobs and when you need to go much more defensive.</p><p>Then your Shadows tree.</p><p>General: Hearty Constitution 5, then 5 more in General on whatever you want (I recommend Enhanced Mind 5).</p><p>Fighter: Battle Heardening 5, then 5 more in Fighter on whatever you want, then Sneering Assault.</p><p>Where you go from here depends if you are level 70 or not by the time you get Sneering Assault. If you're level 70+, finish out your KoS Warrior tree (many valid builds). Or if you are under level 70, work on your EoF Berserker tree; start with the two Berserks on the far right tree, and then build the EoF tree any way you want.</p>

[LordDarthKhan]

<p>Thanx a lot =) Just one question, isn't wis 448 useful as well for the increased dps ? the win endline looks also very nice.</p>

[Hardain]

<p>Wis line is ok for PvP servers, but not for PvE, even tho the endline is good.</p>

[Elanjar]

<p><cite>Hardain@Runnyeye wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Wis line is ok for PvP servers, but not for PvE, even tho the endline is good.</p></blockquote><p>I'm a wis line junkie...</p><p>/sigh</p><p>but ya for the berserker tree I'd get the bulking line first (right side) followed by the perseverance line (left side) which helps a lot with soloing.</p>

[Kaberu]

<p>After a very long time have the STR - STA (Final) - INT (Final), I am finding the STR - STA (Final) - WIS (Final) to be very efficient and capable. One of the problems I've had as a heavy soloer on a PvE server is that when I need to go defensive, I can't hit for crap due to all the debuffs from the defensive stance and the Wall of/Stifled buffs. Basically, I go defensive and then still die because none of my blows are landing. For me, the penalty-free stances and defense buffs bumped my survivability up a notch or two. If I had raid equivalent gear, I might be able to forgo that benefit... for now though, I'm a WIS-specced Berserker on a PvE server and loving it!</p><p>While the Mit debuff helps alot for PvP, it does affect mobs as well. A 2000+ debuff is about the difference between plate and cloth. In my own personal experience, there is a noticable jump in DPS when the debuff is active as well as an obvious increase in hit-rate when in the defensive stance (compared to without).</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>I'd go WIS end line, if the INT end line wasn't so [Removed for Content] useful.</p>

[JohnYaya]

<p>I just don't know if I can give up Stance Mastery.  All I do is tank for a group, no raiding.  I pretty much live in defensive for the aggro bonus ([Removed for Content] warlocks are such a pain...).  Pondering dumping my points from the still sucky berserker trees to shadows for some of the taunt stuff and seeing if I can do as well without it though. </p><p>All I really want for Christmas is aa's that'll make me take a pounding better.  In mostly mastercrafted gear with a few better pieces. Tried the new instance in Everfrost, it was not pretty.  We'd probably do better with a bigger group.  Anyhoo, I digress.  Loves me some stance mastery though.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p><cite>Caithoc@Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>All I do is tank for a group, no raiding.  I pretty much live in defensive for the aggro bonus ([Removed for Content] warlocks are such a pain...).</p></blockquote><p>Try tanking in Offensive, you'll notice a significant aggro improvement.</p>

[Hardain]

<p>How did the def stance help with aggro again? Super berserker buff comes up as you get frustrated when you can't hit anything?</p>

[JohnYaya]

<p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Caithoc@Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>All I do is tank for a group, no raiding.  I pretty much live in defensive for the aggro bonus ([Removed for Content] warlocks are such a pain...).</p></blockquote><p>Try tanking in Offensive, you'll notice a significant aggro improvement.</p></blockquote><p>Wasn't really thinking too clearly yesterday when I typed that.  In earlier days, I really found defensive stance helped with aggro.  Now I find myself much less squishy with it.   With stance mastery I don't take the offensive penalties, I hit mobs just fine.  I Just take such a massive pounding when we hit instances.  I'm probably going to finally figure out about aa mirrors, now that I think I have 100 aas.  Find myself tempted to drop either str or sta so I can get the 8 points in the int tree for parry.  Uncontested avoidance is a good thing!</p>

[Slayer505]

<p><cite>Caithoc@Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Wasn't really thinking too clearly yesterday when I typed that.  In earlier days, I really found defensive stance helped with aggro.  Now I find myself much less squishy with it.   With stance mastery I don't take the offensive penalties, I hit mobs just fine.  I Just take such a massive pounding when we hit instances.  I'm probably going to finally figure out about aa mirrors, now that I think I have 100 aas.  Find myself tempted to drop either str or sta so I can get the 8 points in the int tree for parry.  Uncontested avoidance is a good thing!</p></blockquote><p>A couple of things.  First, you fail to realize that in addition to the offensive bonuses of O stance, you're also getting a massive DPS increase from our offensive stance proc.  All in all, the benifits of tanking on O stance far outweighs the detrements, unless of course your healers completely suck.  Secondly, the +parry in Int line is NOT uncontested avoidance, it's +parry skill, which is contested.  If you want uncontested avoidance from AA the only way to get it right now is speccing Sta 4 for the +shield effectiveness.  That said, the +haste, +parry and +recast and recovery from the full Int line will help you a lot more then Wis will.  Really only the end line of Wisdom is useful, the ENTIRE Int line is awesome.  It's just a better way to spend points.</p>