Before you start, yes, I KNOW my titles aren't uniform.  I'm doing it on purpose.  Call it a quirk of mine.

 

 This will be my most involved post I believe and it is going to take many updates to get there.  I am going to try and catalog the gear progression that a Tankadin should strive for from level 58 to 70.  Eventually I may expand this list to encompass 0-70 leveling a Tankadin (which I did on Thunderlord), but for now I am creating this soley so that I have a plan of exactly how I'm going to level, when I will or will not instance, and how to get my reputation the fastest with Sporregar, Cenarion, Scyer/Aldor, Lower City, and KoT. If you are going to level RET, PLEASE SKIP TO THE END so you know what your goals are.  The rest is leveling 58-70 as a Prot Paladin, and how to make it easier. Level 58:   The Tankadin arrives in Outland.  Does he AH phenomenal gear, or quest it up?  I say no.  Let's save our $$$ to be able to buy our Flying mount at 70.  This is a pivitol item for being able to gear up (Mech/Bot/etc, Netherwing quests) so we want to ensure we spend as little at the AH during our time in Outland as possible.

 

I would recommend personally staying Ret until level 62(or even 66) with both Ramparts and Blood Furnace runs under your belt before you strap on the sword and board.  Just a recommendation though.  There is plenty of Ret gear to be had outside of these quests.The very first quest will upgrade our Shield from nearly anything we would have picked up previously (Unless going all the way through UBRS or something, but you should arrive in Outland directly at 58).   Get or take a friend even if your Ret when you arrive for these first few quests.  Compared to your current gear, the mobs in Outland hit pretty hard.  They can even be a little tough to solo.  Get your quest-gear, then you'll be fine. 

 

Head:               [Underworld Helm] Quest: Beneath Thrallmar

 Neck:            [Draenethyst Chaplet] Quest: Looking for Leadership

Chest:           [Gilded Crimson Chestplate] Quest: Zeth'Gor Must Burn! Thottbot Wing Commander Dabir'ee

 

Legs:            [Flintlocke's Piloting Pants] Quest:In Case of Emergency

 

Shield:          [Landslide Buckler] Quest: Fel Orc Scavengers – Make sure you continue this quest chain until you have Quest: Weaken the Ramparts 

 

Sword:                   [Foe Reaver] Quest: The Path of Anguish

 

Trinket:            [Charm of Alacrity] Quest: Voidwalkers Gone Wild   

All of these are available at level 58 through quests.  These are they keys you need to get in the door.  The quest chains for these items should have gotten you close to 60.  Keep questing till you close the gap and ding 60.  Now, lets hit-up our first Outland instance and replace some of that hard-earned gear.    

Hellfire Ramparts:  

Shoulder:         [Jade Warrior Pauldrons] Quest: Weaken the Ramparts (You should have already completed the pre-requisites)  

Chest:             [Light-Touched Breastplate] lvl 62 elite – Watchkeeper Gargolmar   - Keep running the instance until you get this.  Hit the thrallmar vendor and put a red, a yellow, and a blue gem in there.  Keep it cheap, no AH.  I would recommend +spell, +def, +stam.  Get your Socket Bonus.    

Waist:              [Tenacious Defender] lvl 62 elite – Omor the Unscarred – If you leveled Ret, and haven’t given it up yet, he has a VERY nice hammer that will last you through well into Zangramarsh.  [Heart Fire Warhammer]  

These will be why you will have to run Ramparts multiple times(from the Chest):  

Ring:                [Mok'Nathal Clan Ring]

Ring:                [Witching Band]                 Not all that necessary

Feet:                [Ironsole Clompers]

Back:               [Mok'Nathal Wildercloak]    Not all that necessary    Now you should be around level 61. 

My personal preference will be to keep crashing through random quests/etc until 62 so that is where we will pickup.  In the Blood Furnace, I also would like to forewarn would-be tanks, this is the first truly tank-intensive instance in the game.  You need to be on your toes and understand what is going on.  Read up on the Engineers at the very least.  

 Blood Furnace:  

The Maker:

Weapon:         [Diamond-Core Sledgemace] – Can you say “yum”?  I thought you could.  Yes, I know it is slow.  This is your “Threat-gen” toy for instances.  Start practicing the ‘switch-out’.  You should have a faster weapon for the rest of the instance, but start your agro pull with this. 

Hands:             [Ironblade Gauntlets] –Don’t really care about the Socket Bonus.  Put +stam in there.  From the Thrallmar vendor again.  Stay cheap.

Libram:            [Libram of Saints Departed] –Don’t get your hopes up, don’t waste to much time.

Neck:               [Pendant of Battle-Lust]

  After a few runs of Blood Furnace, you should be closing in on 62.  We’re nearly done with Hellfire Peninsula.  The reason we’re tried to spend so much time in instances is because the mobs/quests in Hellfire are HARD.  Not to mention how much ganking goes on.  We’re tying to get to Zangramarsh quickly.    

Lets get one more item before we go.  You’ll need to call in some favors for it though.  First, kill ‘Warbringer Arix’Amal’ at 53,27.  Get the letter he’s carrying, accept Quest: The Dark Missive and turn the quest in at Honor Hold.  Get Quest: Overlord.  Kill ‘Arazzius the Cruel’ at 42,32.  He’s pretty hard.  A lvl 70 Retadin couldn’t take him.  Get a group, or two 70s.  This gets you your [Regal Protectorate], which you will be using for a while.  Do not get rid of this Trinket, at all.  Try and keep the group.  

Now head West for Zangarmarsh.  We’re done with Hellfire Peninsula for a while.  Between the ganking, the hellboars, etc you should be fairly ready to leave.   If you feel like doing Quest: Colossal Menace to pickup [Libram of Wracking] do to sour luck in Blood Furnace than just grab your Arazzius group and head over to the Cenarion Outpost.  We’ll be doing those quests later though.  Again, keep the group if you can.   Well, get your flight path for Swamprat Post and head straight for Underbog.   

Save ALL Bog Lord Tendrils and Unidentified Plants.  EVERY one.  

  Underbog:  

Ghaz’an:

Waist:              [Studded Girdle of Virtue] – Don’t put this on until you can drop a couple +def or +stam sockets in it from the Thrallmar vendor.  Inform your group of such. 

 Swamplord Musel’ek:

Feet:                [Greaves of the Iron Guardian] – No big, but not bad.  3 stam gems

Shoulders:       [Truth Bearer Shoulderguards] – Get ‘em.  2 stam gems.  (Notice the lack of concern to socket bonuses?  lol)   

Guess what?   We’re not stopping yet!   Time for a GRIND!   Goto the Mid-West section of Zangramarsh into ‘Spawning Glen’.  You can grab/complete whatever quests you want, but this is where we will be for a while.  Do NOT turn Cenarion quests in.  You can complete them, but keep them in your quest log.  

Here’s what we are gathering:  

 [Sanguine Hibiscus] – Get Cartographer (addon) so you know where they spawn.  Get as many as you can. 

  [Bog Lord Tendril] – This will be obtained from kill Bog Lord’s in the Dead mire or in Underbog.  Either/or is acceptable.  6 are needed per turn-in.  

 [Mature Spore Sac] – These are found in the ‘Spawning Glen’ on the ground.  10 are needed per turn-in.    

[Glowcap] – These are common.  Grab each and every one you find.  Fight your way to them.   Get at least 15.  If you receive more than 15 great, but otherwise no big deal.    

[Unidentified Plant Parts] – Save these.  LOTS OF THESE.   Once you have enough for twelve turn-ins, and all 15 Glowcaps, its time to go complete all of the Sporeggar quests.  Just wowwiki it, because they are a lot to explain.  Once you reach Honored you’ve gone far enough.  

Using the 15 Glowcaps, purchase the [Petrified Lichen Guard].  Spend some money on the AH and put a shield spike in it.  Either Thorium or Felsteel.  Do NOT get rid of this shield.  It is EXTREMELY useful at 70 for AOE grinding. 

 

Go turn in as many of the [Unidentified Plant Parts] as you can to the Cenarion Expedition. You can also turn in as many of these quests as you feel like.

  Alright!  Now we’re talking.  You should be roughly 63 or 64 by now.  Lets head for Slave Pens!  

Slave Pens:  

Mennu the Betrayer:

Weapon:         [Spellfire Longsword]  

Rokmar the Crackler:

Cloak:              [Bogstrok Scale Cloak] Good stuff.  

Trinket:            [Runed Fungalcap] Get this.  Very good stuff.  Be using it off and on for a while.  

Quagmirran:

 Wrist:              [Azureplate Greaves] - *yawn*, but it is what is available.

 

Chest:             [Unscarred Breastplate] - It’s alright.  +sta gems if you get it.    You should be level 64 by now.  Great.  

If there are extra Unidentified Plant Parts after all this, AH them, they will sell. Quest around for a while in Zangramarsh and back into Hellfire Peninsula, but there are some items you need to collect from quests. 

Personally I would recommend completing ALL of the Cenarion quests.   

Trinket:            [Glowing Crystal Insignia] Quest: Overlord Gorefist – Don’t get rid of this.  Good for AOE solo’ing at 70.

Head:               [Helm of Natural Purity] Quest: Stealing Back the Mushrooms

Feet:                [Golden Cenarion Greaves] Quest: Natural Remedies – These are even useful for some 5mans at 70 if needed.  Pick them up.  

You should be nearing 65.  Getting up there!  Now it is time to start checking the Auction House for a [Shield of the Wayward Footman]  This is equip-able at 65, and will be used even for Raid tanking at 70.  Even if you replace it for a better shield, don’t get rid of it.  The 3.38% towards your 102.4% uncrush is only beaten by a Sunwell Plateau Shield.  Good stuff.  

Now, here’s where we should be gear-wise: ·       

Head:              [Helm of Natural Purity] Quest: Stealing Back the Mushrooms·       

Neck:              [Pendant of Battle-Lust] BF: The Maker (There are quest Neckpieces that easily replace this)·         

Shoulder:         [Truth Bearer Shoulderguards] UB: Swamplord Musel’ek·       

Back:              [Bogstrok Scale Cloak] UB: Rokmar the Crackler·        Chest:              [Unscarred Breastplate] UB: QuagmirranOR·       

Chest:              [Light-Touched Breastplate] Ramps: Watchkeeper Gargolmar·         

Wrist:              [Azureplate Greaves] UB: Quagmirran (There are quest Wrists that easily replace this)·         

Hands: [Ironblade Gauntlets] BF: The Maker·         

Waist:              [Studded Girdle of Virtue] UB: Ghaz’an·       

Ring:                [item]Mok’Nathal Clan Ring[/item] Ramps: Chest·       

Ring:                [Witching Band] Ramps: Chest (OR a random quest-ring)·       

Trinket #1:       [Charm of Alacrity] Quest: Voidwalkers Gone Wild (Instances-Change while on Cool-Down)·       

Trinket #1:       [Runed Fungalcap] SP: Rokmar the Cracker (Instances-Change while on Cool-Down)·       

Trinket #1:       [Glowing Crystal Insignia] Quest: Overlord Gorefirst (Soloing/AOE Threat gen in instances)·         

Trinket #2:       [Regal Protectorate] Quest: Overlord (Keep equipped)·       

Libram:            [Libram of Wracking] Quest: Colossal MenaceOR·       

Libram:            [Libram of Saints Departed] BF: The Maker (Seriously, don’t waste too much time on this.  If you have both, switch out as needed.)·       

Shield: [Shield of the Wayward Footman] World Drop

Shield: [Petrified Lichen Guard] Sporeggar - Honored

·        Get a [Felsteel Shield Spike] or a [Thorium Shield Spike] for both of these.  Preferrably Felsteel in the Lichen Guard as that is what you will need at 70.

Weapon:         [Spellfire Longsword] SP: Mennu the Betrayer (And yes, Warlocks and Mages will most likely yell at you. Get it anyway)      

So.  We gathered a lot of stuff!   The question is, what are we keeping?  What (if I’m leveling Ret'ing it all the way to 70) do I actually care about?!?!?   Good question. 

Here’s the answer:  
[Libram of Saints Departed] Librams are few and hard to come by.  If you get one, keep it.  You don’t know when you might need it again.

[Libram of Wracking] If you haven’t finished the quest yet, go pick it up.

[Regal Protectorate] – 1.76% towards Uncrushable at 70.  Also a good way to be a tank pre-70.  You'll most likely replace this with [Dabiri's Enigma] at 68, but Dimensius the All-Devouring requires a full group to kill, so it is best to have this on-hand in case your guild wants you to hit Kara as soon as you hit 70.

 

[Petrified Lichen Guard] – AOE grinding.  Use this frequently.  Get a better shield though for instancing. [Glowing Crystal Insignia] – AOE grinding.  Use this frequently.

[Shield of the Wayward Footman] – Raid Tanking.  You’ll only use this for instances through about 68.

[Golden Cenarion Greaves] – This are actually semi-useful for starting you 5mans if the rest of your gear is good enough.  Hold on to them just in case. 

Next Issue:                  

• Where do I go from here?
• Um….  Terrokar Forest?  Wut?   There is stuff there d00d!
• But I hate Keepers of Time.
• STFU and stop posting these crappy guides you f-in n00b!