To begin with, here are a couple links to "mostly" current PTR quality talent trees:
Wowhead
Mmo-Champion
Personally, I like the wowhead calculator better as it also lists Mastery etc. in the beginning exactly as it will appear in game.
Now to the trees. I want to point out some specific talents in the protection tree, some good some bad, but all noteworthy.
Must Haves:
- Toughness (Tier 1 3/3) may not be exciting, but it's a must. Tanking in Cataclysm is looking hard enough without turning down free armor rating.
- Gag Order (Tier 2 2/2) hasn't really changed much, apart from the reduction in the Heroic Throw CD (an amazing change), but it's still 100% necessary. Control is the name of the game, and we don't have any other way to control casters. If it makes you feel better, pretend it's Death Grip for Warriors.
- Last Stand (Tier 3 1/1) is an oldy, but you'll need every cd you can muster, and this is still nothing that can be skipped.
- Bastion of Defense (Tier 3 2/2) is a new talent, and a Cataclysmically original must-have. This talent takes the place of Improved Defensive Stance, but with some differences. Among other things, this talent now eliminates the need to worry about becoming defense capped (which is good, since defense is gone). The less exciting changes here are that it no longer reduces damage taken by 6%, and the enrage chance has been reduced to 20%. Don't worry too much, though, they've added a new Vengeance mechanic that should be picking up where this enrage effect dies off.
- Warbringer (Tier 3 1/1) in WotLK was a decent talent and very useful, but in Cataclysm you're going to need the ability to react and stay mobile more than ever. They've still left the restrictions on removing the movement impairments to only with Intervene, but I can see this being something no warrior tank will be functioning well without since our AoE threat mechanics have been tuned down significantly.
- Improved Revenge (Tier 4 2/2) has been moved up in the tree, but still does the same thing. Threat has been an issue, and this is one threat talent you're going to want no matter what, even though in the past it has been debatable. This will be a mandatory talent for the same reason glyph of Cleave is going to become a staple on tanks in Cataclysm.
- Devastate (Tier 4 1/1) just like before you'll want this key ability. With sunder stacks being less important than before, your dps will really not be interested in applying this much, so not only is it up to you, but you need the threat building action.
- Heavy Repercussions (Tier 4 2/2) snuck into the talent tree. This was an ability that was tied directly in with Shield Block back when the damage from Shield Slam came from block value. Now that they've been separated, this talent will allow you to not lose this important burst threat ability.
- Sword and Board (Tier 6 3/3) will still be mandatory.
- Shockwave (Tier 7 1/1) hasn't really ever been in question, but now that Thunderclap no longer brings with it the kind of snap aggro it used to, Shockwave is the only remaining AoE ability we have to keep large groups under control. It does good damage, and generates good threat. In Cataclysm it's a must-have.
Don't Takes:
- Safeguard (Tier 6 2/2) probably looks about the same to you, and it is. Intervene is definitely a useful ability, but on a raid tank if you're having to intervene people, things are already out of control, and perhaps your two talent points should have been spent getting something to keep things under control in the first place. Although this talent sounds like it could have so many uses, the fact that it requires distance (although I heard they are removing a minimum distance from cataclysm for intervene, so that may change things) and the fact that there is a taunt associated with it kind of stuffs this into the category of something you'll "use occasionally during tank-swapping fights where you don't have to stand right on top of each other" and right off the top of my head, I can't think of even one from previous content that fit this bill. Not to mention that when you intervene someone, you also take the next two hits from that mob, and the damage reduction barely lasts longer than the time you're getting yourself hit from them. Not terribly worthwhile in my opinion. Possibly more useful in PvP.
Soak Tank - High Survivability: Level 80 (2/3/31) Level 85 (5/3/33)
Additions here include:
- Incite 3/3 - This looks to be a very promising increase threat move for single targets.
- Shield Mastery 2/2 - big time important, decreased cd's on all your great defensive cd's
- Vigilance 1/1 - Typically Soak Tanks aren't the ones that are being targeted, so their rage generation suffers. With the change to vigilance, this is now the perfect tool for Soak Tanks and Add tanks.
- Hold the Line 2/2 - This one can probably be traded out if you don't feel it's getting enough use. It requires being attacked and if you're not parrying anything in your encounters, it may be best to swap these for Blood and Thunder to help the MT with sustaining threat on spawns.
- Field Dressing 2/2 and Blood Craze 3/3 from the other two trees are pretty desirable, at least until you know for sure whether your healers are having difficulties or not. If it turns out that they're not, you should see if you can swap these for talents like Cruelty or War Academy.
Additions here include:
- Thunderstruck 2/2 and Blood and Thunder 2/2, and eventually Deep Wounds 3/3 again all intended to make Pugging at least a little less painful, along with Blitz and a couple points in Shield Mastery to help with rage generation and pull control.
Additions here include:
- Cruelty 2/2, War Academy 3/3 for added threat
- Shield Mastery 3/3 for extra rage generation
- Hold the Line 2/2 since you'll be parrying often
- Impending Victory, since you'll actually be in a position to use this more often than the other tanks (except the Soak Tank, who also has it) and the combination with War Academy is just extra nice.
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