Going Prot at 58 - hindsight is a beautiful thing.

[Metabolomics 2]

I leveled as Arms and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not nearly as slow as I remembered/feared.

I figured I'd go Prot at 58 to loosen up the tanking skills and get ready for the 60 dungeons. My fondest memories of vanila were tribute runs and Baron 45s. (I don't have as much time as I did in 2005 so raiding isn't really on the cards.)

However I'm not sure I'll even get there with how slow it's become! It might have to be tanking BRD runs all the way to 60! (Which is still a lot of fun I seem to recall). 

I have a new found respect (suspicion) for the Warriors I've seen leveling all the way as Prot... 

[Pwnana 1]

It's obviously suboptimal dps but if you fight mostly melee mobs just use Shield Block -> Revenge -> Shield Block -> Revenge rotation... and it actually goes rather smoothly and generally speaking you take almost no damage so you can keep going very long. The dps is less but the damage taken is much less also.

I was prot from 55 on since I played alts a lot at that point when I wasn't running dungeons, so there was really no reason to not be prot. And honestly it wasn't THAT bad or slow out in the open world questing. In pvp it's totally hopeless though, you can't own anyone.

[Metabolomics 2]

Yeah - I don't even want to comtemplate world pvp. 

Revenge is pretty low dmg though - shouldn't I be shield slamming at every opportunity? Or is is damge/rage that matters more? 

[Pwnana 1]

Revenge is low dmg but it has a wonderful dynamic with taking less damage through Shield Block while using it. Honestly just straight up saving rage for Shield Slam does do more damage though... But on the other hand since you're already gimped on damage anyway, why not take advantage of the extremely high defensive capabilities to minimize downtime?

[Metabolomics 2]

Currently I was using shield block before shield slam to get a dmg increase and then revenge when rage is available. I haven't even bother spending on the latest ranks of revenge as level 1 seemed fine for the odd dungeon while levelling. Gues I'm off to the trainer to spend what precious gold I have :'( 

[Garun 9]

I went prot at 58 and grinded pre-raid to 60. I started with BRD, and moved up to the other stuff when I got everything except IF from BRD. Though they often did not like a 58/59 tanking even when I showed them my gear (which was close to half pre-raid BiS).

[Undertanker 88]

If you are prot spec you shouldn't be using revenge / shield block / or even defensive stance while questing, grinding.   Only when you need to solo an elite or something would you be spamming shield block and revenge only.

Just keep Battle Shout up, get a weapon with a proc on it, and shield slam, stance dance to zerk for zerker rage, and go back to arms if overpower procs.   Use Rend at the start of the pull, if mob is still over 50% when it expires, apply rend again.

[Metabolomics 2]

Thanks Under - it's been so long I actually had just assumed shield slam was def stance only...