You thought I forgot, didn't you?
Before I begin with the Tree stuff, while not exactly a retraction, a... change of heart... on the items from the Bear accessories post. I stated that I would likely buy the Corroded Skeleton Key fairly early in my purchases. On further review, I made the mistake of looking at the ridiculously high Stamina number, combining it with another item and thinking, "Wow, I can get that much Stamina AND some other stats for the same cost (or less) as another item..." forgetting that, there's no need to buy this in addition to the other item, and Stamina doesn't get me anything substantial except the ability to take a bigger hit (or more smaller hits) before dying. While I will still have this on my list of things to purchase - 3000+ health in bear form from a single trinket is not to be laughed at - it has been moved far down to the end, because it is more beneficial to buy the other items that provide a (smaller) stamina boost in addition to stats which improve survivability over the long term instead of just against burst damage. As such I'm drawing close to 95 Frost Emblems and trying to decide what to buy to give me the best improvement fastest (yes, I know, isn't that what that post was all about? HUSH YOU my gear has a few pieces that differ from that analysis and I have to take that into account.... sheesh!)
Here we go with an examination of Back, Neck, Rings, and Trinkets purchasable with Frost Emblems for Trees, follow up from the post on Tier 10 and the Tree. Much like the Bear posts before it, this carries the same disclaimers.
Trinket
Purified Lunar Dust
Stats: 153 spell power, your spell casts have a chance to gain 305 mana per 5 seconds for 15 seconds.
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
The only trinket of note available for Frost Emblems is Purified Lunar Dust. Talisman of Resurgence is available for Triumph but I'm not 100% sold on it... Int is nice but I think I would rather have spell power in my trinkets. Perhaps I'll pick that one up later, but I really do like the Dust. Big chunk of spell power, and a fairly significant mana regen ability. If this procs at ANY decent rate, it will be up for the entirety of any boss fight. This will be relatively high on my list of items to pick up... but that might be just because I'm still using an iLevel 200 trinket.
Idol/Relic
Idol of the Black Willow
Stats: The periodic healing from Rejuvenation grants 32 spell power for 15 sec, stacks up to 8 times.
Cost: 30 Emblem of Frost
Quick math, 32 * 8 = 256 spell power. The Triumph item (Idol of Flaring Growth) grants 234 spell power for 9 seconds, but has a chance instead of being definite, but it's a fairly high percentage proc, which means this essentially gets you 22 additional spell power for 6 additional seconds, but it has to "build up" anytime it falls off. I like it, but it's not a huge gain, and will probably end up fairly low on my list of items to replace.
Cloak
Drape of the Violet Tower
Stats: 177 armor, 69 Stamina, 69 Intellect, Blue socket, 52 crit, 30 mp5, 97 sp.
Cost: 50 Emblem of Frost
Volde's Cloak of the Night Sky
Stats: 177 armor, 69 Stamina, 69 Intellect, 60 Spirit, Yellow socket, 52 crit, 97 sp.
Cost: 50 Emblem of Frost
So here we have the choice between a Blue socket and 30 mp5 vs. a Yellow socket and 60 spirit. I'm a tree, I like me some Spirit, and it allows me to get some haste out of the deal. I'll take the second.
There are no rings or neck items available for Emblems of Frost, although for rings the Band of the Invoker and Heartmender's Circle and for Amulets the Evoker's Charm and Frozen Tear of Elune are worth mentioning from Triumph Emblems. (For that matter, I completely brain farted in the Bear accessories - Clutch of Fortification is da bomb, and Shard of the Crystal Heart ain't bad either, not to mention the AWESOME Glyph of Indomitability, all available via Emblems of Triumph.) Personally, I'd rather have the Spirit items than the mp5 ones, but I don't think any of them are outright bad choices.
One final random note... if you get this far please let me know if the WoWHead popup tooltips are working... they should be, now (*GASP!*)
Hope you found this worthwhile and enjoyable! Thanks for reading!
Showing posts with label Emblem of Frost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emblem of Frost. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tier 10 and the Tree
I'm going to try to mirror my post on Emblems and Bears with one about Emblems and Trees! The same restrictions apply, and if you need it there's an abbreviation glossary of sorts at the bottom. Here's the restrictions disclaimer, quoted from the other post:
Head
Tier 9: Malfurion's Headpiece of Conquest
Stats: 485 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 64 Sp, M/B sockets, 72 crit, 113 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Helm of Abundant Growth
Stats: 506 a, 103 Sta, 103 Int, 82 Sp, M/Y sockets, 74 haste, 131 SP
Cost: 75 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Helmet
Stats: 517 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 88 Sp, M/R sockets, 80 crit, 140 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available
Here we go again! Similar to what I pointed out for Bears, items available via Emblems of Triumph, at least, tend to be better than the lowest-level Tier items (the ones being considered here!) without considering the set bonus. I tend to think the Restoration set bonuses are in general fairly strong *but* I tend to focus more on primary stats in my analysis. Keep that in mind!
So, for the things that we care most about here, you're looking at a difference of 9-16 Int, 18-24 Spirit, 18-27 spell power, plus your choice of socket and haste vs. crit. (Or if you look at it a little differently and use the T10 as the target if you will, with the other two items as starting points, 7 to 16 Int, 6 to 24 Spirit, and 9 to 27 spell power... depends on how you look at it!) With what I've been reading lately about the benefits of haste, I might try to stay with the Helm of Abundant Growth for awhile and make this one of my later upgrades, but we'll have to see how the other stats pan out versus later upgrades; 95 Frost Emblems is a LOT. For the record I prefer red sockets over any other - spell power being king of all things spellish - but I don't have much of a preference for blue or yellow over each other. Then again, if what I've read about haste is to be believed, maybe I should be looking to yellow gems...
Shoulder
Tier 9: Malfurion's Spaulders of Conquest
Stats: 447 a, 68 Sta, 68 Int, 52 Sp, B socket, 60 haste, 96 SP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Shoulders of the Fateful Accord
Stats: 467 a, 77 Sta, 77 Int, 67 Sp, Y socket, 59 crit, 109 SP
Cost: 45 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Pauldrons
Stats: 477 a, 81 Sta, 81 Int, 71 Sp, R socket, 63 crit, 116 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available
We have a fairly similar stat progression on our shoulders, including choice of socket, but instead of having the choice of haste or crit, it's a straight move from haste to crit or stay at crit. 9-13 (4-13?) Int and 15-19 (4-19?) Spirit isn't incredibly compelling, although 13-20 (7-20?) spell power is a better deal at 60 Frost Emblems than the previous item at 95. I think for now, I put this item *slightly* ahead of the head, especially if you already have the Shoulders of the Fateful Accord, as you're not losing haste coming from that item (unless of course you've gemmed for it.)
Chest
Tier 9: Malfurion's Robe of Conquest
Stats: 596 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 72 Sp, R/Y sockets, 72 Crit, 122 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Robes
Stats: 636 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 96 Sp, R/Y sockets, 80 crit, 149 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Vestments of Spruce and Fir
Stats: 665 a, 123 Sta, 123 Int, 84 Sp, B/Y/R sockets, 108 haste, 162 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Having done the research that I have, I'm struck by the eerie similarity between my thoughts on Tier gear for bears and trees. Perhaps it was Blizzard's itemization decisions this time around, but just the same as for my bear set, I want to get the four piece bonus for my tree gear, and the chest is *probably* the piece I'm going to leave out.
For the same cost, you get 14 more Sta and Int, and if you count +20 Spirit for the blue socket (leaving the same remaining sockets), you also get +8 Spirit, not to mention the 13 spell power. Considering that the lesser of these upgrades was already a 17 point, 24 point, and 27 point upgrade (looking at Int, Spirit, and SP), that's huge. In addition, it gets you haste, which I think you want over crit. Sound familiar? This takes the cake, I think, over either other piece for my first tree target.
Wrist
There is a wrist item available for Emblems of Valor, or the PvP Titan-Forged Armwraps of Salvation from Wintergrasp... but nothing for the Emblems we're covering, and those PvP wraps aren't all that helpful.
Hands
Tier 9: Malfurion's Handguards of Conquest
Stats: 373 a, 68 Sta, 68 Int, 60 Sp, R socket, 52 crit, 96 SP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Gauntlets
Stats: 398 a, 81 Sta, 81 Int, 71 Sp, R socket, 63 haste, 116 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Gloves of the Great Horned Owl
Stats: 416 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, B socket, 80 crit, 72 haste, 132 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
The Gloves are indeed a straight upgrade from the Lasherweave Gauntlets for the same cost, but I want that 4-piece Tier bonus and unlike the chest upgrade, this one doesn't offer you something you want more for the cost of moving away from the Tier pieces. Instead, it takes a red socket and replaces it with a blue one. Unless by some chance I end up with the chest piece (VoA new boss drop?), I'm going to stick with the Lasherweave Gauntlets and leave the Great Horned Owl on the shelf.
As for the order in which to purchase... 13 Int, 11 Spirit, and 20 SP place it firmly in the middle of the Shoulder and Head class. Much like the shoulders, depending on what has happened with the head I'll probably take this ahead of it, to keep the haste bonus longer, because the difference in stats to Emblem cost just isn't all that different.
Waist
There's not much available here. Belt of Petrified Ivy doesn't really look all that great to me due to its lack of Spirit, but otherwise it does have a significant amount of haste and spell power, which is good. Belt of the Living Thicket for Conquest Emblems or Furious Gladiator's Belt of Salvation from PvP might be better (or at least not worse) options. Personally, I'm probably going to be holding out for a boss drop as none of these really strike me as must-have... unless I really have emblems to spend, then I might give the Ivy a shot. That'll be quite awhile, though, as I have a lot of gear ahead of it.
Legs
Tier 9: Malfurion's Leggings of Conquest
Stats: 522 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 72 Sp, R/B sockets, 72 haste, 122 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Legplates
Stats: 577 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 96 Sp, R/Y sockets 78 haste, 149 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
I like this upgrade, it's solid, but it just doesn't offer the same level of bonuses as the chest piece does for the same cost, so it doesn't get placed ahead of it in line. 17 Int, 24 Spirit, and 27 SP do make it a little more attractive than the head, shoulders, or hands, although not by much. It probably gets put second in line.
Feet
There are no items available for Emblems for feet. There's the crafted Blessed Cenarion Boots, but that's about it other than boss loot.
I did it! I did it!
*looks up*
... and the sky didn't fall after all. Imagine that!
As I finish up this part of my venture, there's something I'd like to mention. I've seen a couple of other blogs post lists for whom the priorities on items differ vastly from mine... And wonderful Meka commented to such an effect on the bear gear post.
They're not wrong. The key is always that the "best" upgrade is not necessarily the one with the best stats, it's the one for which you gain the most benefit. I'm examining primarily what gets you the most base stats per Emblem spent and the most base stats per single upgrade, because this is how I want to spend my Emblems and is what I think is the best way to go about things. If you think it's more important to stay haste or expertise capped, then it drastically changes the priority in which you purchase items! I really hope you've enjoyed my comments and I hope you found some value to my (less than scientific) analysis, but I encourage you to take it into consideration and make your own decisions! I'm just somebody who rambled on those newfangled blog-thingies!
Abbreviation Glossary:
a: Armor
SP: Spell Power
Stat Abbreviations:
Sta: Stamina
Int: Intellect
Sp: Spirit
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
I'll be comparing this gear to the Tier 9 level gear as well as trying to decide what's the best value - the most bang for your Emblem buck, if you will. Of course, this will depend on the gear you're currently wearing. If I say a particular piece is the best upgrade, but you're wearing an item from ToGC in that slot and still using blues elsewhere, replace the blues first.
The Tier 9 level I'll be using is the base level - for those of us that did some 25-man ToC (or heroic ToC at all) and may have picked up trophies or heroic versions of gear, remember that your mileage will vary, because your Tier 9 gear is a little better than what I'm putting forth here. Also note that I'm not examining accessories (back, neck, rings, and trinkets) yet. If I can work up the courage I might tackle that later.
Head
Tier 9: Malfurion's Headpiece of Conquest
Stats: 485 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 64 Sp, M/B sockets, 72 crit, 113 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Helm of Abundant Growth
Stats: 506 a, 103 Sta, 103 Int, 82 Sp, M/Y sockets, 74 haste, 131 SP
Cost: 75 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Helmet
Stats: 517 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 88 Sp, M/R sockets, 80 crit, 140 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available
Here we go again! Similar to what I pointed out for Bears, items available via Emblems of Triumph, at least, tend to be better than the lowest-level Tier items (the ones being considered here!) without considering the set bonus. I tend to think the Restoration set bonuses are in general fairly strong *but* I tend to focus more on primary stats in my analysis. Keep that in mind!
So, for the things that we care most about here, you're looking at a difference of 9-16 Int, 18-24 Spirit, 18-27 spell power, plus your choice of socket and haste vs. crit. (Or if you look at it a little differently and use the T10 as the target if you will, with the other two items as starting points, 7 to 16 Int, 6 to 24 Spirit, and 9 to 27 spell power... depends on how you look at it!) With what I've been reading lately about the benefits of haste, I might try to stay with the Helm of Abundant Growth for awhile and make this one of my later upgrades, but we'll have to see how the other stats pan out versus later upgrades; 95 Frost Emblems is a LOT. For the record I prefer red sockets over any other - spell power being king of all things spellish - but I don't have much of a preference for blue or yellow over each other. Then again, if what I've read about haste is to be believed, maybe I should be looking to yellow gems...
Shoulder
Tier 9: Malfurion's Spaulders of Conquest
Stats: 447 a, 68 Sta, 68 Int, 52 Sp, B socket, 60 haste, 96 SP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Shoulders of the Fateful Accord
Stats: 467 a, 77 Sta, 77 Int, 67 Sp, Y socket, 59 crit, 109 SP
Cost: 45 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Pauldrons
Stats: 477 a, 81 Sta, 81 Int, 71 Sp, R socket, 63 crit, 116 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available
We have a fairly similar stat progression on our shoulders, including choice of socket, but instead of having the choice of haste or crit, it's a straight move from haste to crit or stay at crit. 9-13 (4-13?) Int and 15-19 (4-19?) Spirit isn't incredibly compelling, although 13-20 (7-20?) spell power is a better deal at 60 Frost Emblems than the previous item at 95. I think for now, I put this item *slightly* ahead of the head, especially if you already have the Shoulders of the Fateful Accord, as you're not losing haste coming from that item (unless of course you've gemmed for it.)
Chest
Tier 9: Malfurion's Robe of Conquest
Stats: 596 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 72 Sp, R/Y sockets, 72 Crit, 122 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Robes
Stats: 636 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 96 Sp, R/Y sockets, 80 crit, 149 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Vestments of Spruce and Fir
Stats: 665 a, 123 Sta, 123 Int, 84 Sp, B/Y/R sockets, 108 haste, 162 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Having done the research that I have, I'm struck by the eerie similarity between my thoughts on Tier gear for bears and trees. Perhaps it was Blizzard's itemization decisions this time around, but just the same as for my bear set, I want to get the four piece bonus for my tree gear, and the chest is *probably* the piece I'm going to leave out.
For the same cost, you get 14 more Sta and Int, and if you count +20 Spirit for the blue socket (leaving the same remaining sockets), you also get +8 Spirit, not to mention the 13 spell power. Considering that the lesser of these upgrades was already a 17 point, 24 point, and 27 point upgrade (looking at Int, Spirit, and SP), that's huge. In addition, it gets you haste, which I think you want over crit. Sound familiar? This takes the cake, I think, over either other piece for my first tree target.
Wrist
There is a wrist item available for Emblems of Valor, or the PvP Titan-Forged Armwraps of Salvation from Wintergrasp... but nothing for the Emblems we're covering, and those PvP wraps aren't all that helpful.
Hands
Tier 9: Malfurion's Handguards of Conquest
Stats: 373 a, 68 Sta, 68 Int, 60 Sp, R socket, 52 crit, 96 SP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Gauntlets
Stats: 398 a, 81 Sta, 81 Int, 71 Sp, R socket, 63 haste, 116 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Gloves of the Great Horned Owl
Stats: 416 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, B socket, 80 crit, 72 haste, 132 SP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
The Gloves are indeed a straight upgrade from the Lasherweave Gauntlets for the same cost, but I want that 4-piece Tier bonus and unlike the chest upgrade, this one doesn't offer you something you want more for the cost of moving away from the Tier pieces. Instead, it takes a red socket and replaces it with a blue one. Unless by some chance I end up with the chest piece (VoA new boss drop?), I'm going to stick with the Lasherweave Gauntlets and leave the Great Horned Owl on the shelf.
As for the order in which to purchase... 13 Int, 11 Spirit, and 20 SP place it firmly in the middle of the Shoulder and Head class. Much like the shoulders, depending on what has happened with the head I'll probably take this ahead of it, to keep the haste bonus longer, because the difference in stats to Emblem cost just isn't all that different.
Waist
There's not much available here. Belt of Petrified Ivy doesn't really look all that great to me due to its lack of Spirit, but otherwise it does have a significant amount of haste and spell power, which is good. Belt of the Living Thicket for Conquest Emblems or Furious Gladiator's Belt of Salvation from PvP might be better (or at least not worse) options. Personally, I'm probably going to be holding out for a boss drop as none of these really strike me as must-have... unless I really have emblems to spend, then I might give the Ivy a shot. That'll be quite awhile, though, as I have a lot of gear ahead of it.
Legs
Tier 9: Malfurion's Leggings of Conquest
Stats: 522 a, 92 Sta, 92 Int, 72 Sp, R/B sockets, 72 haste, 122 SP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Legplates
Stats: 577 a, 109 Sta, 109 Int, 96 Sp, R/Y sockets 78 haste, 149 SP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
I like this upgrade, it's solid, but it just doesn't offer the same level of bonuses as the chest piece does for the same cost, so it doesn't get placed ahead of it in line. 17 Int, 24 Spirit, and 27 SP do make it a little more attractive than the head, shoulders, or hands, although not by much. It probably gets put second in line.
Feet
There are no items available for Emblems for feet. There's the crafted Blessed Cenarion Boots, but that's about it other than boss loot.
I did it! I did it!
*looks up*
... and the sky didn't fall after all. Imagine that!
As I finish up this part of my venture, there's something I'd like to mention. I've seen a couple of other blogs post lists for whom the priorities on items differ vastly from mine... And wonderful Meka commented to such an effect on the bear gear post.
They're not wrong. The key is always that the "best" upgrade is not necessarily the one with the best stats, it's the one for which you gain the most benefit. I'm examining primarily what gets you the most base stats per Emblem spent and the most base stats per single upgrade, because this is how I want to spend my Emblems and is what I think is the best way to go about things. If you think it's more important to stay haste or expertise capped, then it drastically changes the priority in which you purchase items! I really hope you've enjoyed my comments and I hope you found some value to my (less than scientific) analysis, but I encourage you to take it into consideration and make your own decisions! I'm just somebody who rambled on those newfangled blog-thingies!
Abbreviation Glossary:
a: Armor
SP: Spell Power
Stat Abbreviations:
Sta: Stamina
Int: Intellect
Sp: Spirit
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
Monday, January 4, 2010
Frost Emblem Accessories
*EDIT*
I've changed my mind a bit about the importance of the Corroded Skeleton Key. Please see this post for details.
*END EDIT*
As a followup to Tier 10 and the Bear, I'd like to take a quick look at what is available from an Accessories standpoint for bears. There's not a lot so this should go quick!
Trinket
Corroded Skeleton Key
Stats: +228 Sta, Use: Absorbs 3200 damage, lasts 20 sec.
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Great trinket, gives a purchasable upgrade from the Coren Direbrew stamina trinkets. Meh-inducing use ability, but better again that the Direbrew ones. Will purchase sometime in the middle of my planned leather item upgrades. The issue at hand is that the only significant increase is in stamina, which will only help in that it will let me back off some of my two-color gems to single color because I won't need the stamina bump as much.
None of the other trinkets are worth talking about.
Idol/Relic
Idol of the Crying Moon
Stats: Periodic damage from Rake or Lacerate causes you to gain 44 Agi for 15 seconds. Stacks 5 times.
Cost: 30 Emblem of Frost
I like this item a LOT. I'll take 220 Agi over the 135 from Idol of the Corruptor or 200 dodge rating from the Idol of Mutilation any day. I'm probably going to insert the combination of this and the trinket (90 badges) at the top of my list, ahead of my leather items, as the next leather item on my list is 95 badges.
Cloak
There are a few options here which seem promising, but probably only one we want. Each of them costs 50 Emblem of Frost. Here they are:
Might of the Ocean Serpent
Stats: 177 a, 95 Str, 103 Sta, Y socket, 45 exp, 65 ArP
Recovered Scarlet Onslaught Cape
Stats: 177 a, 90 Agi, 90 Sta, B socket, 60 crit, 105 AP, 52 ArP
Sentinel's Winter Cloak
Stats: 737 a, 90 Str, 124 Sta, Y socket, 48 def, 48 dodge
At first, I thought this was a slam dunk, but on second thought I'm not quite as certain. I like the Might's expertise, but it is otherwise inferior to the Cloak. We'll rule that out. The Cloak nets you 139 Sta (assuming 15 from a 2-color gem), while the Cape nets you only 120 (assuming 30 from the socket). I like the dodge rating, but 90 Agi will net you more dodge than that 48 dodge rating. 560 more armor is nice, but it's not affected by our multiplier. I don't think either one is a bad choice, but I think I may be going for the Cape rather than the Cloak.
There are no rings or neck items available via Frost Emblems. Given my current items, the cloak will probably come after I've manage to upgrade most of my leather items.
The tree post is coming soon!
Abbreviations Glossary:
a: armor
AP: Attack Power
ArP: Armor Penetration
exp: expertise
Stat Abbreviations:
Agi: Agility
Sta: Stamina
Str: Strength
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
I've changed my mind a bit about the importance of the Corroded Skeleton Key. Please see this post for details.
*END EDIT*
As a followup to Tier 10 and the Bear, I'd like to take a quick look at what is available from an Accessories standpoint for bears. There's not a lot so this should go quick!
Trinket
Corroded Skeleton Key
Stats: +228 Sta, Use: Absorbs 3200 damage, lasts 20 sec.
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Great trinket, gives a purchasable upgrade from the Coren Direbrew stamina trinkets. Meh-inducing use ability, but better again that the Direbrew ones. Will purchase sometime in the middle of my planned leather item upgrades. The issue at hand is that the only significant increase is in stamina, which will only help in that it will let me back off some of my two-color gems to single color because I won't need the stamina bump as much.
None of the other trinkets are worth talking about.
Idol/Relic
Idol of the Crying Moon
Stats: Periodic damage from Rake or Lacerate causes you to gain 44 Agi for 15 seconds. Stacks 5 times.
Cost: 30 Emblem of Frost
I like this item a LOT. I'll take 220 Agi over the 135 from Idol of the Corruptor or 200 dodge rating from the Idol of Mutilation any day. I'm probably going to insert the combination of this and the trinket (90 badges) at the top of my list, ahead of my leather items, as the next leather item on my list is 95 badges.
Cloak
There are a few options here which seem promising, but probably only one we want. Each of them costs 50 Emblem of Frost. Here they are:
Might of the Ocean Serpent
Stats: 177 a, 95 Str, 103 Sta, Y socket, 45 exp, 65 ArP
Recovered Scarlet Onslaught Cape
Stats: 177 a, 90 Agi, 90 Sta, B socket, 60 crit, 105 AP, 52 ArP
Sentinel's Winter Cloak
Stats: 737 a, 90 Str, 124 Sta, Y socket, 48 def, 48 dodge
At first, I thought this was a slam dunk, but on second thought I'm not quite as certain. I like the Might's expertise, but it is otherwise inferior to the Cloak. We'll rule that out. The Cloak nets you 139 Sta (assuming 15 from a 2-color gem), while the Cape nets you only 120 (assuming 30 from the socket). I like the dodge rating, but 90 Agi will net you more dodge than that 48 dodge rating. 560 more armor is nice, but it's not affected by our multiplier. I don't think either one is a bad choice, but I think I may be going for the Cape rather than the Cloak.
There are no rings or neck items available via Frost Emblems. Given my current items, the cloak will probably come after I've manage to upgrade most of my leather items.
The tree post is coming soon!
Abbreviations Glossary:
a: armor
AP: Attack Power
ArP: Armor Penetration
exp: expertise
Stat Abbreviations:
Agi: Agility
Sta: Stamina
Str: Strength
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tier 10 and the Bear
I'd like to take an in-depth look at the stat bonuses on Tier 10 gear and the other items available with Emblems of Frost for bear tanks. If you've read this blog at all, you probably know already that fairly soon I'll follow up with a look at the gear with respect to trees.
Bear with me, these are going to be long. Perhaps not quite Bearwalls, but long.
I'll be comparing this gear to the Tier 9 level gear as well as trying to decide what's the best value - the most bang for your Emblem buck, if you will. Of course, this will depend on the gear you're currently wearing. If I say a particular piece is the best upgrade, but you're wearing an item from ToGC in that slot and still using blues elsewhere, replace the blues first.
The Tier 9 level I'll be using is the base level - for those of us that did some 25-man ToC (or heroic ToC at all) and may have picked up trophies or heroic versions of gear, remember that your mileage will vary, because your Tier 9 gear is a little better than what I'm putting forth here. Also note that I'm not examining accessories (back, neck, rings, and trinkets) yet. If I can work up the courage I might tackle that later.
If you are confused as to any abbreviations, please see the end for a glossary.
Without further ado, let me begin.
Head
Tier 9: Malfurion's Headguard of Conquest
Stats: 485 a, 104 Agi, 120 Sta, M/Y sockets, 80 crit, 64 exp., 129 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Hood of Lethal Intent
Stats: 506 a, 120 Agi, 136 Sta, M/Y sockets, 82 hit, 165 AP, 64 ArP
Cost: 75 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Headguard
Stats: 517 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, M/R sockets, 88 crit, 143 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
I'm going to go ahead and mention something here at the top that I've noticed across the board. Take a look at the Tier 9 vs. Hood of Lethal Intent. I didn't put the iLevel of the items in my summary. Hood is an iLevel 245, while the Tier 9 is a 232. Something they did with the purchasable gear is that the individual items are generally better than the tier pieces in-slot if you don't raid enough to get the Trophies (or Marks of Sanctification for Tier 10). The 2nd level non-heroic tier gear is approximately on par with the pieces you can buy without having to raid. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but that's what you see here. The only reason to stay with the T9 gear is if you desperately need the expertise...
It is also good to note that the Hood is a bit more DPS-centric, with hit vs. crit and ArP vs. expertise. The major stats win out though, and you should take the Hood unless you feel that the Tier bonus is worth the stat drop and you can't afford to lose another piece.
You lose expertise for ArP in the step up to Tier 10 from Tier 9, or hit for crit coming from the Hood. I'm not excited by the loss either way, but the nice step up in base stats - +40 or 24 Agi, +24 or 8 Sta - far outweighs the loss. If this pulls you off your hit or expertise caps, try to shift your gems or enchants to compensate. The downside is that it costs you 95 Frost Emblems to do this step - that's a fairly huge cost. Let's see how that pans out as we go forward.
Shoulder
Tier 9: Malfurion's Shoulderpads of Conquest
Stats: 447 a, 81 Agi, 89 Sta, Y socket, 60 haste, 119 AP, 52 ArP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Duskstalker Shoulderpads
Stats: 467 a, 93 Agi, 101 Sta, Y socket, 67 crit, 135 AP, 59 ArP
Cost: 45 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Shoulderpads
Stats: 477 a, 107 Agi, 107 Sta, R socket, 71 crit, 126 AP, 63 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
Here we see again the disparity in items available with Triumph Emblems... And again, unless you want the set bonus, take the Duskstalker piece instead of the Tier-9.
The step up to Tier 10 nets you +26 or +14 Agi, and +18 or +6 Sta. It has the same secondary stat set as the Duskstalker piece, which loses haste for crit, an acceptable change as a bear. It also has a red socket instead of yellow, which I consider a plus for a bear - yellow gives us crit or hit, red gives us Agi or dodge.
To compare spending 95 Frost for the head vs. 60 Frost for the shoulders... Comparatively, 35 badges gets you 10 to 14 Agi and 2 to 6 Sta (depending on which piece you're coming from for each choice.) That doesn't seem like a lot, but it's more stats per Emblem used to spend the 95 Frost, provided you're making the same jump (T9 to T10 or Emblem piece to T10). Not by much, and I'd probably go ahead and spend the badges early anyway to get the boost while I rebuild to the bigger number.
Chest
Tier 9: Malfurion's Raiments of Conquest
Stats: 596 a, 104 Agi, 120 Sta, R/Y sockets, 74 crit, 70 haste, 161 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Raiment
Stats: 636 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, R/Y sockets, 96 crit, 159 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Shadow Seeker's Tunic
Stats: 665 a, 162 Agi, 162 Sta, R/Y/B sockets, 108 crit, 92 exp, 184 AP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
There's a solid upgrade here no matter which way you go, but the Shadow Seeker's Tunic is clearly a MUCH better upgrade than the T10 piece. +40 or +58 Agi, +24 or +42 Sta, AND an additional blue socket (which equals +30 Sta).
Continuing to examine against the previous most-efficient use of Emblems... I'm taking this over the head item or the shoulders. It's definitely more efficient than the head, and enough of a boost over the shoulders that it is worth it to me to wait for 95 badges.
I'd also like to point out that I think the secondary stats are better for bears on the Tunic rather than the T10 Raiment. I want the 4-piece T10 set bonus. This very well might be the only piece I don't pick up.
Wrist
None. Oddly enough, the highest wrist purchasable with Emblems require only Emblems of Valor. I'm moving on...
Hands
Tier 9: Malfurion's Handgrips of Conquest
Stats: 373 a, 81 Agi, 89 Sta, Y socket, 52 hit, 60 crit, 119 AP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None Available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Handgrips
Stats: 398 a, 107 Agi, 107 Sta, R socket, 63 haste, 126 AP, 71 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Cat Burglar's Grips
Stats: 416 a, 120 Agi, 120 Sta, Y/Y sockets, 80 crit, 129 AP, 64 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
I see an interesting dilemma here. Multiple sockets and 13 better each Agi and Sta, as well as crit vs. haste in secondary stats. I like the red socket better - I'll use it for an Agi or Agi + Sta gem - but multiple sockets may outweigh it. It won't outweigh the set bonus in my mind, though, and this isn't enough of an upgrade to make me choose the Cat Burglar's Grips over the T10 piece.
It's also not enough of a bonus to make me spend my hard-won, precious Emblems of Frost here before spending them on the Tunic either, though. Still going for the chest.
Waist
There are no Tier pieces here, and nothing is available from Triumph Emblems either. There is a Frost Emblem item, and for comparisons of Emblem spending here it is...
Frost Emblems: Vengeful Noose
Stats: 374 a, 120 Agi, 120 Sta, R/Y sockets, 64 haste, 129 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
For me, and the item I'm coming from, this provides a boost of nearly 50 Agi and 25 Sta, as well as another socket. That's about the same boost as I'd get out of my chest item with 35 less badges. We have a new front-runner.
Legs
Tier 9: Malfurion's Legguards of Conquest
Stats: 522 a, 102 Agi, 120 Sta, R/B sockets, 64 hit, 80 crit, 129 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Legguards
Stats: 577 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, R/Y sockets, 80 exp, 159 AP, 96 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
Here we get it easy, a straight Tier 9 to Tier 10 comparison. Solid statistical upgrade in Agi and Sta. I like the expertise on the T10 item, but I like the blue socket on the T9. 38 Agi and 24 Sta for 95 Emblems is not as strong as either the Tunic or the Vengeful Noose. This might be the 3rd or 4th upgrade I target from among this group of items.
Feet
There are no Tier items for feet, and nothing is available for Emblems of Triumph or Frost.
So, among these items, I'll be targeting the Vengeful Noose first, followed by the Shadow Seeker's Tunic next. I'll have to examine my secondary stat layout at the time to determine the next upgrade from among the hands, legs, head, and shoulder items. At that point, I will likely buy them from the cheapest to the most expensive, because there isn't particularly a huge difference in cost to benefit ratio.
Look back soon for the Tree version... or perhaps the Accessories! Thanks for reading!
Abbreviations Glossary:
a: armor
AP: Attack Power
ArP: Armor Penetration
exp: expertise
Stat Abbreviations:
Agi: Agility
Sta: Stamina
Str: Strength
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
Bear with me, these are going to be long. Perhaps not quite Bearwalls, but long.
I'll be comparing this gear to the Tier 9 level gear as well as trying to decide what's the best value - the most bang for your Emblem buck, if you will. Of course, this will depend on the gear you're currently wearing. If I say a particular piece is the best upgrade, but you're wearing an item from ToGC in that slot and still using blues elsewhere, replace the blues first.
The Tier 9 level I'll be using is the base level - for those of us that did some 25-man ToC (or heroic ToC at all) and may have picked up trophies or heroic versions of gear, remember that your mileage will vary, because your Tier 9 gear is a little better than what I'm putting forth here. Also note that I'm not examining accessories (back, neck, rings, and trinkets) yet. If I can work up the courage I might tackle that later.
If you are confused as to any abbreviations, please see the end for a glossary.
Without further ado, let me begin.
Head
Tier 9: Malfurion's Headguard of Conquest
Stats: 485 a, 104 Agi, 120 Sta, M/Y sockets, 80 crit, 64 exp., 129 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Hood of Lethal Intent
Stats: 506 a, 120 Agi, 136 Sta, M/Y sockets, 82 hit, 165 AP, 64 ArP
Cost: 75 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Headguard
Stats: 517 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, M/R sockets, 88 crit, 143 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
I'm going to go ahead and mention something here at the top that I've noticed across the board. Take a look at the Tier 9 vs. Hood of Lethal Intent. I didn't put the iLevel of the items in my summary. Hood is an iLevel 245, while the Tier 9 is a 232. Something they did with the purchasable gear is that the individual items are generally better than the tier pieces in-slot if you don't raid enough to get the Trophies (or Marks of Sanctification for Tier 10). The 2nd level non-heroic tier gear is approximately on par with the pieces you can buy without having to raid. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but that's what you see here. The only reason to stay with the T9 gear is if you desperately need the expertise...
It is also good to note that the Hood is a bit more DPS-centric, with hit vs. crit and ArP vs. expertise. The major stats win out though, and you should take the Hood unless you feel that the Tier bonus is worth the stat drop and you can't afford to lose another piece.
You lose expertise for ArP in the step up to Tier 10 from Tier 9, or hit for crit coming from the Hood. I'm not excited by the loss either way, but the nice step up in base stats - +40 or 24 Agi, +24 or 8 Sta - far outweighs the loss. If this pulls you off your hit or expertise caps, try to shift your gems or enchants to compensate. The downside is that it costs you 95 Frost Emblems to do this step - that's a fairly huge cost. Let's see how that pans out as we go forward.
Shoulder
Tier 9: Malfurion's Shoulderpads of Conquest
Stats: 447 a, 81 Agi, 89 Sta, Y socket, 60 haste, 119 AP, 52 ArP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: Duskstalker Shoulderpads
Stats: 467 a, 93 Agi, 101 Sta, Y socket, 67 crit, 135 AP, 59 ArP
Cost: 45 Emblem of Triumph
Tier 10: Lasherweave Shoulderpads
Stats: 477 a, 107 Agi, 107 Sta, R socket, 71 crit, 126 AP, 63 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
Here we see again the disparity in items available with Triumph Emblems... And again, unless you want the set bonus, take the Duskstalker piece instead of the Tier-9.
The step up to Tier 10 nets you +26 or +14 Agi, and +18 or +6 Sta. It has the same secondary stat set as the Duskstalker piece, which loses haste for crit, an acceptable change as a bear. It also has a red socket instead of yellow, which I consider a plus for a bear - yellow gives us crit or hit, red gives us Agi or dodge.
To compare spending 95 Frost for the head vs. 60 Frost for the shoulders... Comparatively, 35 badges gets you 10 to 14 Agi and 2 to 6 Sta (depending on which piece you're coming from for each choice.) That doesn't seem like a lot, but it's more stats per Emblem used to spend the 95 Frost, provided you're making the same jump (T9 to T10 or Emblem piece to T10). Not by much, and I'd probably go ahead and spend the badges early anyway to get the boost while I rebuild to the bigger number.
Chest
Tier 9: Malfurion's Raiments of Conquest
Stats: 596 a, 104 Agi, 120 Sta, R/Y sockets, 74 crit, 70 haste, 161 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Raiment
Stats: 636 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, R/Y sockets, 96 crit, 159 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Shadow Seeker's Tunic
Stats: 665 a, 162 Agi, 162 Sta, R/Y/B sockets, 108 crit, 92 exp, 184 AP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
There's a solid upgrade here no matter which way you go, but the Shadow Seeker's Tunic is clearly a MUCH better upgrade than the T10 piece. +40 or +58 Agi, +24 or +42 Sta, AND an additional blue socket (which equals +30 Sta).
Continuing to examine against the previous most-efficient use of Emblems... I'm taking this over the head item or the shoulders. It's definitely more efficient than the head, and enough of a boost over the shoulders that it is worth it to me to wait for 95 badges.
I'd also like to point out that I think the secondary stats are better for bears on the Tunic rather than the T10 Raiment. I want the 4-piece T10 set bonus. This very well might be the only piece I don't pick up.
Wrist
None. Oddly enough, the highest wrist purchasable with Emblems require only Emblems of Valor. I'm moving on...
Hands
Tier 9: Malfurion's Handgrips of Conquest
Stats: 373 a, 81 Agi, 89 Sta, Y socket, 52 hit, 60 crit, 119 AP
Cost: 30 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None Available
Tier 10: Lasherweave Handgrips
Stats: 398 a, 107 Agi, 107 Sta, R socket, 63 haste, 126 AP, 71 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: Cat Burglar's Grips
Stats: 416 a, 120 Agi, 120 Sta, Y/Y sockets, 80 crit, 129 AP, 64 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
I see an interesting dilemma here. Multiple sockets and 13 better each Agi and Sta, as well as crit vs. haste in secondary stats. I like the red socket better - I'll use it for an Agi or Agi + Sta gem - but multiple sockets may outweigh it. It won't outweigh the set bonus in my mind, though, and this isn't enough of an upgrade to make me choose the Cat Burglar's Grips over the T10 piece.
It's also not enough of a bonus to make me spend my hard-won, precious Emblems of Frost here before spending them on the Tunic either, though. Still going for the chest.
Waist
There are no Tier pieces here, and nothing is available from Triumph Emblems either. There is a Frost Emblem item, and for comparisons of Emblem spending here it is...
Frost Emblems: Vengeful Noose
Stats: 374 a, 120 Agi, 120 Sta, R/Y sockets, 64 haste, 129 AP, 80 ArP
Cost: 60 Emblem of Frost
For me, and the item I'm coming from, this provides a boost of nearly 50 Agi and 25 Sta, as well as another socket. That's about the same boost as I'd get out of my chest item with 35 less badges. We have a new front-runner.
Legs
Tier 9: Malfurion's Legguards of Conquest
Stats: 522 a, 102 Agi, 120 Sta, R/B sockets, 64 hit, 80 crit, 129 AP
Cost: 50 Emblem of Triumph
Triumph Emblems: None available.
Tier 10: Lasherweave Legguards
Stats: 577 a, 144 Agi, 144 Sta, R/Y sockets, 80 exp, 159 AP, 96 ArP
Cost: 95 Emblem of Frost
Frost Emblems: None available.
Here we get it easy, a straight Tier 9 to Tier 10 comparison. Solid statistical upgrade in Agi and Sta. I like the expertise on the T10 item, but I like the blue socket on the T9. 38 Agi and 24 Sta for 95 Emblems is not as strong as either the Tunic or the Vengeful Noose. This might be the 3rd or 4th upgrade I target from among this group of items.
Feet
There are no Tier items for feet, and nothing is available for Emblems of Triumph or Frost.
So, among these items, I'll be targeting the Vengeful Noose first, followed by the Shadow Seeker's Tunic next. I'll have to examine my secondary stat layout at the time to determine the next upgrade from among the hands, legs, head, and shoulder items. At that point, I will likely buy them from the cheapest to the most expensive, because there isn't particularly a huge difference in cost to benefit ratio.
Look back soon for the Tree version... or perhaps the Accessories! Thanks for reading!
Abbreviations Glossary:
a: armor
AP: Attack Power
ArP: Armor Penetration
exp: expertise
Stat Abbreviations:
Agi: Agility
Sta: Stamina
Str: Strength
Socket Abbreviations:
B: Blue
M: Meta
R: Red
Y: Yellow
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