If you can only pick one, choose Quick Recovery; it's better in every way. You can pick it up earlier (lvl12 vs lvl20), it has no prerequisites (0 vs 2), and it's stronger to boot (30% vs 25%).
As for whether you'll want/need both, that I cannot answer since I don't have a WP/DB. You mentioned potentially dropping a primary power, the only one I'd suggest is Resurgence. (Some people debate SoW, but I personally think it's invaluable for the STF and ITF.)
When you tank, you could be turning the NPCs backs to the team having their cone attacks point away from them and towards you, likewise you could be using cone attacks on them and I say this because, you don't actually need all the chains, there is one chain that does the most aoe dps over time with blinding feint and so you could be using that. Attack Vitals is for me having worked it out the one combo you can come down to.
Blinding Feint>Ablating Strike>Vengeful Slice>Sweeping Strike.
That could be your attack chain, this recurring on multiple targets, that are tight should be great DPS.
4 Attacks and taunt, frees up power choices. You will be forced into having one other though, the tier 1.
Ofc if you wanted to keep all the chains then so be it, I would on one build.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
You really shouldn't need Strength of Will or Resurgence if you're grabbing Tough and Weave, so you can leave those out easily enough. I'm debating what to take on my last power for my WP/DB Tanker, as he hit 49 the other day. I might pick Resurgence or Strength of Will, just for those "oh, nuts" situations that you run into occasionally. I don't have too many of those, though, and WP with Tough and Weave is really easy mode for tanking.
I only have Quick Recovery on my WP/DB Tanker, and do just fine. I DO have IO sets for +recovery, though. All of 7.5%, but worth noting... I think any accolades you can get for +endurance will make a bigger difference. I have 113.6 Endurance total on mine (I have a couple set bonuses, but the 10 of those points come from the Atlas Medallion, which isn't hard to get, and Portal Jockey, which is admittedly harder to get) as well.
Even before getting the Accolades, though, I was okay with the Primary toggles running and just Tough. I really only noticed my blue bar going down when I was fighting for a long time stretch while solo (trying to clear War Wolf spawns in Striga in the 20s for those missions... ugh). I also tend to keep Sprint running, as I don't have the Fitness pool and this guy runs too slow without Sprint on. I try to remember to turn it off for longer fights, but even when I don't, my blue bar is just fine: which is saying something.
Stamina + Quick Recovery can make it so you never have to worry about your blue bar again. I prefer not having to take Stamina, though, as it frees up a power choice, and you can do fine without it by slotting your attacks and toggles well (don't forget end reducs in your attacks!). I may try revamping the build a bit so I can fit in Health and get even more Regen, but I really don't want to have to cram in Stamina, too.
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
I skipped Fitness pool on my Wp/Fire (also an AoE-heavy character, so similar situation), but on one build I am considering adding it back in for Health as I use her to tank Hami and the additional regen will give me more time in the jell-o (not much, but any extra I can get helps).
For regular use you will not need it though, as long as you make sure to slot endreds in your attacks, and a couple each in Tough and Weave (assuming you take them, which is a good idea). IOs are a different case, of course.
both..but like above..if you skip one skip stamina
I am playing around with my 50 WP/DB tank and I want to find a way to include the fighting pool in the build, but I am having a hard time figuring out the powers I need to drop in order to fit in tough and weave. The Taunt aura is so weak on RttC, I feel I have to take Taunt in the secondary. Chaining Sweeps and attack vitals makes the rest of the secondary necessary as well. That means I either need to drop a primary power or stamina. Outside of regen and WP, most toons rely on stamina alone to overcome end issues. Can a WP/DB tanker rely on only one, and if so, would it be better to take quick recovery or stamina.