WoW WotLK Classic: Which values ​​do tanks, casters, melee have to achieve?

As soon as the pre-launch phase of WoW: Wrath of the Lich King Classic starts, patter a whole lot of changes to the Classic servers. Some of these adjustments affect your character’s stats. Melee hit rating and spell hit rating becomes hit rating, among other things. Instead of healing and spell damage, there is only spell power, which increases healing and damage from spells equally.

Also important: As you level from level 70 to level 80 in Northrend, the value counters that you need to increase a value by one percent also change. For example, if 28 points of critical hit rating at level 34 gives you maybe 4 percent more critical hit chance, 28 critical hit rating at level 70 gives you only 1.27 percent more critical hit chance, and at level 80 it’s only 0.61 critical hit chance hit chance. However, if you get a fixed 2 percent more critical hit chance from somewhere, for example through a talent or a buff, then it doesn’t matter whether you are level 34, level 70 or level 80, the bonus remains fixed at 2 percent more critical hit chance.

Conversion of WotLK Classic values

The conversion in the “Combat Rating System” is certainly most relevant for the endgame of WotLK Classic. In other words: what brings you which value rating at level 80? Here’s the answer:

• 32.79 melee hit rating = 1 percent more chance to hit
• 32.79 haste rating = 1 percent more haste
• 26.23 Spell Hit Rating = 1 percent more spell hit chance
• 45.91 Critical Hit Rating = 1 percent more critical hit chance
• 13.99 armor penetration rating = 1 percent more armor penetration
• 4.92 defense rating = 1 point of defense
• 1 point Defense = 0.04 percent reduced chance to be critically hit and 0.04 percent increased chance to block/dodge/parry/miss
• 45.25 dodge rating = 1 percent dodge chance
• 45.25 parry rating = 1 percent parry chance
• 16.39 block score = 1 percent block chance
• 7.69 Expertise rating = 1 Expertise = each 0.25 percent less chance of your opponent dodging or parrying your punches
• 30.76 Proficiency Rating = 4 Proficiency = Opponent’s every 1 percent less chance of dodging or parrying your punches
• 82 Resilience Rating = 1 percent Resilience = 1 percent reduced chance of being critically hit / 2.2 percent reduced crit damage / 1 percent reduced player damage / 2.2 percent reduced amount of mana siphoned

The most important limits for tanks in WotLK Classic

WoW: Warrior tanks in WotLK Classic not only need thick shields, but also crit immunity.

Source: Blizzard




When it comes to tank stat prioritization, there are two main areas of focus: 1) survivability through critical and smashing immunity, and 2) aggro build-up (often influenced by hit rating and expertise).

• Crit Immunity for level 80 tanks when fighting raid bosses: 540 defense (you need 140 defense or 689+ defense rating through equipment)
• In TBC Heroic Dungeons, you need 535 Defense to get Crit Immunity on the bosses.
• Crit immunity for level 80 tanks when fighting raid bosses through resilience: 5.6 percent hardening or 460 resilience rating

Annotation: Of course, resilience and defense can also be combined to achieve crit immunity.

What about crushing immunity?

In Burning Crusade, some raid bosses three levels above the character’s level could deal crushing blows in the face (150 percent more damage). With WotLK that changed. A “crushing blow” can only occur if the opponent is at least four levels above your level or you have not fully learned your defense skill.

Hit chance and Expertise on the tank

If you want to build up as much threat as possible, you should ensure that your attacks constantly hit the mark. For melee attacks with a weapon:

• Cap for Melee hit chance on level 83 enemies (bosses): 8 percent (263 hit rating – applies to all abilities or to two-handed weapon/one-handed weapon plus shield auto attacks)
• Cap for Melee hit chance in PvP (versus level 80): 5 percent (164 hit rating)
• Expertise soft cap is 26 Expertise. With this, players achieve that level 83 bosses can no longer dodge the attacks. The maximum cap is 56 Expertise. From that moment on, the bosses would no longer parry either. Since tanks are in front of the boss, weapon knowledge is doubly important for them. However, you should never aim for the maximum upper limit. Even if you could achieve these with certain pieces of equipment, you would be forced to neglect other important values.

In summary: Crit immunity is your top priority. It’s not worth striving for an 8 percent hit chance or as much knowledge as possible, regardless of losses, if the defensive attributes fall by the wayside. If possible, take your weapon knowledge and hit rating with you without damaging your defenses (e.g. through talents).