Warrior Karazhan Preperation

When you reach level 70 you have a lot of options, you can start to collect your PvP gear or start gearing up for PvE. A lot of classes can do pretty good in PvE with their PvP gear and PvP specs especially in the case of healing classes who can pickup strong healing gear from the PvP vendors. This is NOT the case with your a protection spec warrior. If you intend to be a useful tank and not have to do a weekly respec, you'll want to commit yourself entirely to PvE and ignore the battlegrounds and arenas (as we'll see later, there are exceptions).

Here is what a level 70 warrior looks like before specializing in protection and decked out in green quest rewards:

Warrior Stats at 70

These stats are pretty bad, 9300hp will likely get you laughed at if you try to tank a heroic and maybe even a non-heroic. Some common milestones for a protection warrior who is considering tanking Karazhan or heroics are 12,000hp, 12,000ac, 490+ defense and ~18% dodge/parry/block.

Here is my warrior decked out in non-heroic non-raid gear:

Geared Protection Warrior Stats

You can actually get all these stats without depending on any drops. All you'll need to do is buy 4 crafted items, run a few quest lines and run 6 instances. I recommend you do other quests in Netherstorm and Shadowmoon Valley while doing the listed quests to help keep your pockets full of gold.

Crafted Items

You can buy the following items from Blacksmiths or off the Auction House:

• HEAD Felsteel Helm
• HANDS Felsteel Gloves
• LEGS Felsteel Leggings *Easily replacable by earning revered with Keeper's of Time for Timewarden's Leggings

You can also buy from a Tailor or off the Auction House:

• BACK Cloak of Eternity

If you're poor, buy 8xSolid Azure Moonstone and socket your Felsteel set. Otherwise if you're living limitless, buy yourself 8xSolid Star of Elune and throw them in. The difference is 240hp.

If you're Aldor (You SHOULD be Aldor), grind or buy your way to Revered (finish all the Mana-Forge quests in Netherstorm before turning in marks) and purchase a Vindicator's Hauberk.

If you're not Aldor you can get a Breastplate of the Warbringer by completing the group quest chain Survey the Land from Altrius the Sufferer in Nagrand. You might have this in your quest log as Buying Time. Either way, you'll need a strong group for most of this chain.

Questing in Shadowmoon Valley

SHIELD Complete Kindness to get Netherwing Protector's Shield.

This quest chain starts at Mordenai in the south east of SMV, under the flying netherdrakes. This quest line can be solo'ed up until the last part where you'll need 4-5 people to kill Zuluhead. This is also the quest chain that gives you nuetral reputation with the Netherwing faction. You'll need to be nuetral to get a an epic netherdrake mount.

Alternatively you can grind Eye of the Storm for 20 marks and Alterac Valley for 15,000 honor and purchase yourself a Gladiator's Shield Wall which is significantly better than anything acquired before raiding/heroics. With this shield you might have to use a Thick Dawnstone in your armguards to meet 490 defense skill.

WEAPON From Wildhammer or Shadowmoon Vallage accept The Hand of Gul'dan. This is a very long quest line that gives Grom'tor's Charge, which is about the best pre-kara tanking weapon. There are some comparable alternatives listed at the bottom of this guide, including a significant upgrade acquired by earning exalted with either Honor Hold/Thrallmar. I recommend doing this quest anyways, since it's mostly solo'able and will give you a great deal of gold at level 70.

RING From Wildhammer or Shadowmoon Village accept The Path of Conquest. You'll want a full group for this as there is a more difficult quest you'll run into later on. Either way you'll receive Protector's Mark of the Redemption.

Netherstorm

WAIST There is a quest chain that starts in Area 52: Warp-Raider Nesaad. It can be solo'ed until the final part that sends you into both Botanica and Mechanar for pieces of the Arcatraz key. As a reward you'll receive this belt: Sha'tari Vindicator's Waistguard.

TRINKET On the island north west of Tempest Keep you'll find Recipe for Destruction. This chain can be solo'ed until the last part, where you'll need at least a healer to assist an NPC event. You'll receive Dabiri's Enigma.

Instances

SHOULDERS & RING Complete Durnholde Keep and Black Morass (Opening of the Dark Portal) quest chains to receive Warchief's Mantle and Andormu's Tear.

WRISTS & BOOTS Complete Shadow Labyrinth while completing the quest Trouble at Auchindoun and Find Spy To'gun and you'll receive Sha'tari Wrought Greaves and Sha'tari Wrought Armguards.

* These armguards are a good place to put a Thick Dawnstone if you need more defense. I'd only do this if you have less than 490. Otherwise put a +12/+9 stamina gem into them.

NECK

Complete Sethekk Halls while completing Brother Against Brother (starts outside the instance) to receive Mark of the Ravenguard.

Complete Gear List

Here is a comprehensive gear list that shows other options for each piece of gear.