This guide is to help any level 70 tanking paladin prepare himself for Karazhan content. Below are list of gear you can obtain through normal instances, quest rewards or purchase them at various factions. I shall not trouble you with tanking theorycraft, it being complicated and all, I will simply highlight the requirements to be a viable tank when you enter Karazhan.

Your paladin tank should attain the following unbuffed:

• 12000-13000 armor
  Simple stat which reduces the physical damage dealt to you and easy to attain.
• 490 Defense
  This is needed to be immune to critical strikes of raid bosses. Once this is achieved, you now have to be “uncrushable”, which is affected by melee avoidance. With Anticipation talent, you only require 288 Defense Rating to reach 490 Defense.
• 102.4% Melee Avoidance
  Avoidance is the combination the your Miss/Dodge/Parry/Block attributes. Every attack made by a boss level mob has a 15% chance of being a Crushing Blow, dealing 150% damage. To eliminate this you have to increase your total avoidance to 102.4%.
• 10000-11000 health
  No need to explain, you need to be alive to tank. Raid bosses typically hit hard already, you do not need Crushing Blows to make things more difficult.
• 180-200 spell damage
  Unlike a warrior tank or feral druid who generates aggro through physical attacks, paladins generate aggro best through offensive spells due to the Improved Righteous Fury talent. With spell damage the aggro generation of the paladin tank is amplified.

GEAR LIST

Head

• Tankatronic Goggles (Engineers only)
• Felsteel Helm (Blacksmithing)
• Greathelm of the Unbreakable (Grand Warlock Nethekurse, Shattered Halls)
• Myrmidon’s Headdress (Quest Reward)
• Helm of the Righteous (Pathaleon the Calculator, Mechanar)

• Enchant: Glyph of the Defender

Neck

• Strength of the Untamed (Revered with Cenarion Expedition)
• Natasha’s Battle Chain (Quest Reward)
• Thalodien’s Charm (Scryer Quest Reward)
• Steam-Hinge Chain of Valor (Mekgineer Steamrigger, Steamvault)
• Maimfist’s Choker/Medallion of the Valiant Guardian (Quest Reward)

Shoulders

• Spaulders of the Righteous (Laj, Botanica)
• Shoulderguards of the Bold (Murmur, Shadow Labyrinth)

• Enchant: Greater Inscription of the Knight

Back

• Devilshark Cape (Warlord Kalithresh, Steamvault)
• Cloak of Eternity (Tailoring)
• Burnoose of Shifting Ages (Chrono Lord Deja, Black)

• Enchant: Dodge

Chest

• Jade-Skull Breastplate (Nethermancer Sepethrea, Mechanar)
• Breastplate of the Warbringer (Quest Reward)
• Breastplate of the Righteous (Warlord Kalithresh, Steamvault)
• Vindicator’s Hauberk (Revered with Aldor)

• Enchant: Exceptional Health

Wrist

• Bracers of the Green Fortress (Blacksmithing)
• Sha’tari Wrought Armguards (Quest Reward)

• Enchant: Major Defense

Hands

• Felsteel Gloves (Blacksmithing)
• Gauntlets of the Chosen (Revered with Scryer)
• Thatia’s Self-Correcting Gauntlets (Dalliah the Doomsayer, Arcatraz)
• Dauntless Handguards (Alliance Quest Reward)

• Enchant: Superior Agility/Major Spellpower

Waist

• Sha’tari Vindicator’s Waistguard (Quest Reward)
• Lightwarden’s Girdle (Quest Reward)
• Starcaller’s Plated Belt (Quest Reward)

Legs

• Timewarden’s Leggings (Revered with Keepers of Time)
• Legguards of the Resolute Defender (Quest Reward)
• Greaves of the Shatterer (Warchief Kargath Bladefist, Shattered Halls)
• Felsteel Leggings (Blacksmithing)

• Enchant: Clefthide Leg Armor

Boots

• Flesh Beast’s Metal Greaves (Quest Reward)
• Bloodguard’s Greaves (Quest Reward)

• Enchant: Fortitude

Rings

• Elementium Band of the Sentry (Harbinger Skyriss, Arcatraz)
• Protector’s Mark of Redemption (Quest Reward)
• Dath’Remar’s Ring of Defense (Pathaleon the Calculator, Mechanar)
• Delicate Eternium Ring (Jewelcrafting)
• Band of Impenetrable Defenses (Random World Drop)
• Andormu’s Tear (Quest Reward)

Trinkets

• Adamantite Figurine (Blackheart the Inciter, Shadow Labyrinth)
• Figurine of the Colossus (Warchief Kargath Bladefist, Shattered Halls)
• Regal Protectorate (Quest Reward)
• Goblin Rocket Launcher (Engineering)
• Gnomish Poultryizer (Engineering)
• Dabiri’s Enigma (Quest Reward)
• Dawnstone Crab (Jewelcrafters only)

Shield

• Crest of the Sha’tar (Exalted with Sha’tar)
• Platinum Shield of the Valorous (Ambassador Hellmaw, Shadow Labyrinth)
• Aegis of the Sunbird (High Botanist Freywinn, Botanica)
• Netherwing Defender’s Shield (Quest Reward)
• Ogri’la Aegis (Revered with Ogri’la)

• Enchant: Shield Block/Major Stamina

Weapon

• Continuum Blade (Revered with Keepers of Time)
• Mana Wrath (Pathaleon the Calculator, Mechanar)
• Greatsword of Horrid Dreams (Murmur, Shadow Labyrinth)

• Enchant: Major Spellpower

Libram

• Libram of Eternal Rest (Darkweaver Syth, Sethekk Halls)
• Libram of Repentance (G’eras, Shattrah City)

NOTE: Libram of Repentance can only be bought using Badges of Justice obtained by heroic instances, you should get this libram AS SOON AS POSSIBLE as it increases your Holy Shield block chance from 30% to 35%.

To find out whether you are at 102.4% avoidance, use this macro:

/script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(”Need 102.4 combined avoidance. Currently at:”,0.8,0.8,1)
/script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(GetDodgeChance()+GetBlockChance() + GetParryChance() +5+(GetCombatRatingBonus(CR_DEFENSE_SKILL) + 20)*0.04,1,0.5,0)

It will display your current avoidance percentage. Credits to Blessing of Kings, found this macro there.