Changes to Tanking Gear

[Air]

Pretty much all plate gear designed for protection specced Paladins and Warriors are getting it's stated changed.  All tier pieces and badge gear are getting strength added to it, mostly free. 

There is some slight changes to the gear for both classes.  Agility is being removed for any plate gear designed for Warriors, not sure if the armor and avoidance is being added into the gear.  Paladin gear is having it's spell damage completely removed and converted into strength.  Also, intellect is being removed completely and not replaced with anything.  Blacksmith craftable boe's still seem to be the same though.

Another concern is that the strength does have some cost to it.  There's slightly less defense rating and avoidance in the gear, atleast with the badge gear.  Previous beta patch I was using a defense trinket to maintain 490 defense, barely.  After this patch, I am at 480 defense.  I'm currently wearing pvp shoulders which is my biggest issue but I've always been able to maintain well over 490 defense previously.

There's a post about it on MMO-Champion with screenshots of the various gear.  http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php?topic=15318.0

[Gutboy]

Good, I'm over-defense and under-hit in my tank suit now.... 

GB

[khader]

The gear changes are inline with the warrior class changes.  Don't think there's much info on paladin class changes yet so hard to know if its good or bad yet.

I like the direction blizz is going with prot warriors.  There are some improvements to AoE tanking but the change I like is the focus on dealing damage to generate rage vs taking damage to generate rage.   Removing the avoidance, ie agility, from gear and replacing with strength is certainly inline with this.

I don't claim to know much of how the changes for fury and arms will affect those specs but for prot it looks promising.

[Rocknlock]

No spell dmg for prot pally gear? Wonder how they will tank

[Nixphire]

Next patch they are also removing crushing blows.
So resilience can make up for the missing 10 defense for crit immunity.
I believe for paladins that they will have a conversion of stam to spell power. As well as most of our spells will have a coefficient that give our damage spells extra power for spell damage and stregnth.

[Air]

Crushes are still there, just 4 levels above character level instead of 3 levels now.

For spell damage, theres a strength to spell power conversion going on for Paladins.  There's also a talent that gives spell power 30% of your stamina.  I get about 630 spell damage with my s1 mace now.  And about 330 spell damage using kings defender.

Also, I was getting similiar dps numbers from using a Warrior tank weapon to using a Paladin weapon.

Paladins are also losing 20 defense via talents.  I think Warriors are in a similiar predicament.

Another thing for stength, Death Knights getting a strength to parry conversion in there gear.  There actually the only class that gets this.