Rambling the First, on Hybrids
My apologies to the author whose post inspired me, I cannot recall which blogger it was to give credit. I can, however, use a post from my own blog's history as a starting point.
In examining the fact that Druids simply don't follow the rules, I mentioned the fact that we can, to a certain extent, shift roles mid-fight by shifting forms. While this remains true and does showcase our hybrid capabilities, we aren't and can't be good enough at a backup role to be truly hybrid, with half an exception for bears and cats.
Blizzard has made a point of making characters with multiple roles specialize and remove their hybrid capabilities in order to be competitive with other classes. While this is a good thing in general - hybrids shouldn't be able to be the best simultaneously at 2 things - it has the (I hope) unintended consequence of removing some of what I consider the key benefits of playing a hybrid class. While being able to switch between tank, healer, and 2 different forms of DPS is nice, we can't effectively switch in the middle of a fight, which would seem to me to be one of the key benefits of being a shapeshifter.
The shifting of stats for bears means that bears and cats can fake it - the gear they want shares stats, with the exception of cloaks, amulets, rings, and trinkets - but you're not going to have "enough" survivability as a bear or be solid enough at DPS as a cat to make this worthwhile, and if you've taken the talents to be really great at one you're going to be missing key talents for the other, not to mention the glyph clashing. The other two forms that share key stats - boomkin and tree - cannot really share because the forms that make each great are not attainable at the same time, and even if they were, you need spirit as a tree and hit as a crit chicken, and each is not needed by the other. This means that unlike cats and bears, where the gear (if not the gems and enchants) can be shared, trees and boomkin are unable to really move between each other.
They are doing away with a number of secondary stats in Cataclysm. Perhaps some of the Druid's hybrid-ness will return, but I doubt it.
In this blogger's humble opinion, the era of the true hybrid is over, and has been for quite some time. Being one of the things that drew me to this class, I hope it can come back, but I mourn its loss and expect that it is gone for good.
Rambling the Second, on Dual-spec
On a side note, Blizzard can we please have 7 specs? I would so have one of each Druid spec and a PvP spec or three. I would even pay 1000g apiece, at least for 2 more than I have now, so I could have a cat and boomkin spec. What's that you said? No other class in the game could use more than 3, and most couldn't even really do that? So what, *I* could use it! ;)
Rambling the Third, on My Specs, My Guild, and Raids
Speaking of specs, I'm toying with a couple of ideas. While I enjoy making like a tree and leaving (ooooh, bad pun!), I have an issue that I've been pigeonholed into that role in my guild's raids (long story, if you've read my earlier posts you should have a taste) and it causes me to have an issue with gear. Specifically, I don't get the opportunity to roll on gear for my main spec.
I've attempted to discuss the issue with my guild and raid leader, and while a resolution may still be forthcoming, I'm not hopeful.
This leads me to some decision making regarding my options. The last resort, always, is to leave and try to find another guild. I'd like to avoid that if I can, because frankly I love my guild, I'm friends in real life with a number of the members, and I don't really relish the thought of trying to find a new one that I would fit in to. Since I don't want to do that, I'm left with trying to find options that simultaneously allow me to stay in the guild, continue running raids, and actually have a chance to roll on gear for my main spec sometime.
The second-most extreme (beyond /gquit) option I have thought of is removing the ability to do anything but tank by respeccing by secondary spec into another bear spec. I think I've just about ruled that out though, because I believe that would lead to no guild raids for me.
I could also forsake the 25-man raids to run my own 10-mans. However, with Wednesday and Thursday claimed for 25-man runs and Tuesday a hit-or-miss night to have the folks in my guild on to play, that seems like an iffy proposition at best. I tried running Mondays in the past, and by then most of our players have their mains locked. My Friday and weekend availability is not steady enough to run then. Plus, given that I have committed to my significant other that I will only raid on a regular basis on one night a week, that would preclude me from running in the guild 25-mans, which I also would like to continue doing.
The option that seems to present me with the best situation is to change my offspec from tree to kitty DPS. This would allow me to roll on leather gear and weapons that I would actually use for my main spec even if I'm in my offspec, because the two forms share stats now. The major downside to this plan is that I lose the flexibility of having a healing spec. If I'm not tanking I become just the meat in the room. (For all you DPS out there, I'm kidding. I love you guys.) Also, I still couldn't roll on tanking accessories for things such as the cloaks, rings, amulets, and trinkets, but I can get by with Emblem items for most of those.
Of course, this plan also requires me to do the research and take the time to learn how to be good with the class with the hardest DPS rotation in the game... or so I've been told it is. Stay tuned, my blog name may become somewhat of a misnomer.
Rambling the Fourth, on Blog Changes
Check out some changes on the site, I added some perma-links to the bear and tree primers on the right, and a real blogroll and limited the blogroll updates to the latest 5. Also, I actually touched my profile. No pics yet, but I'm working on it!
Rambling the Fifth.... ok I'm done.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week!
Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Frost Emblem Accessories Redux
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!
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!
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
Friday, November 20, 2009
A Primer on Tree Healing (Part 3, Gear, Gems, and Enchants)
Here we go again.
Gear
Trees can use both leather and cloth armor, although if we do roll on the lower armor cloth pieces, we often annoy our slightly squishier friends. I would recommend, if you want your priests, mages, and warlocks to LIKE you, that you pass on that and focus on the leather pieces.
Also, I know that some guilds, like mine, prioritize gear with hit rating on it for DPS casters, since healers do not need that statistic, and crit rating for healers, since it's more important for them than DPS. Keep that in mind as well when rolling for gear.
In the interests of ranking stats, I've put an importance on each of them below. But much like with tanking, in my humble opinion the selection of gear is all about finding the right balance. Thankfully most selections are quite clear; one piece is a strict upgrade over another. But what separates good players from great players in this department are those that can examine two pieces that are sideways upgrades of each other - lose in one area and gain in another - and make the choice that helps them the most. As healers, we need to balance our mana regeneration with the power of our heals and the size of our mana pool, keeping in mind that the power of our heals will affect how much mana we need to be regenerating.
All that being said, trees should look for, in order: spell power, spirit, crit rating, and intellect. If the gear doesn't have spirit, it might be ok if it has MP5 to make up the mana regen difference, but you need to take into account the spell power from spirit in addition to that. If the spell power listed on two items is the same, but one has mp5 and no spirit, and the other has spirit but no MP5, take the one with spirit.
Spell power is not as important for trees as it is for other casters - but it is still the granddaddy of stats. There's a wrinkle for us, though, since we get 15% of our spirit as spellpower in tree form. Thus, when evaluating gear, remember that it's ok to lose a (very) small amount of spell power for a reasonable gain in spirit (quickest, easiest math is 3 points of spell power = 20 points of spirit). Counting gems for spell power, spirit, or mp5 becomes tricky as there are a lot of options for gems. More on that later.
Spirit helps our mana regen in addition to our spell power, and it the long fights of both Ulduar and ToC, that's greatly needed. After spirit, it's important to look for crit rating and intellect. We already get quite a bit of crit rating for various spells from our talents, but the closer we can push ourselves to 100% crit, the more healing we're going to be putting out and the more procs we'll get out of Living Seed and other abilities.
Intellect increases both our crit chance and our mana pool, and to a much lesser extent, our mana regneration. Mana pool is important - the larger our mana pool, the longer we can cast continuously without needing mana help. We should focus more on mana regeneration that mana pool size, because we need to have continuous production over the course of very long fights. If you have enough mana regen that you can go the length of an innervate cooldown without completely running oom, then focus on increasing intellect.
Gems
Gems give you the flexibility you need to make up shortcomings from your gear selection, and while this is true for everybody, it is especially true for the tree.
I mentioned before that gear selection is all about balance for us - tanks generally stack as much stamina as they can, and most casters stack as much spell power as they can, but we need to be more careful if we want to be as good as we can be. In my bear gear, I often recommended using the 2-color gems, but here I highly recommend using single-color gems matching the socket, to best match your needs, with one possible exception.
Red gems should always be spell power gems. There really isn't anything else in red that helps us.
Blue gems should be spirit or mana per 5 seconds - the split needs to be determined by your individual casting habits and mana regeneration needs. I split mine about half and half.
Yellow gem slots are the ones you might consider using 2-color gems for, to get a little more spell power, spirit, or MP5 out of them. The yellow part, whether a single-color or 2-color gem, should either be critical strike rating or intellect, but I wouldn't place a particular importance on one over the other.
Also don't forget the Unique-Equipped Nightmare Tear for +10 all stats.
I'll talk about how the jewelcrafter only gems play into this a bit later.
There are quite a few meta gems that are available for consideration. I'm currently using the Bracing Earthsiege Diamond for spell power and reduced threat. The critical strike rating and mana gem Beaming Earthsiege Diamond probably isn't a bad choice, nor is spell power and intellect with Ember Skyflare Diamond. Intellect and chance to restore mana on spell cast from Insightful Earthsiege is probably worth taking a look at although I don't think it will rank too terribly high. MP5 and increased critical healing from Revitalizing Skyflare Diamond is probably first on the list of things I may test if I decide to change. I'm not a big fan of the minor run speed increase but pair it with spell power in Tireless Skyflare Diamond and it might also be worth looking at.
Enchants
Not so many comments this time around...
Head - Arcanum of Blissful Mending (Wyrmrest Accord)
Shoulders - Greater Inscription of the Crag (Sons of Hodir)
Chest - Powerful Stats or Greater Mana Restoration
Hands - Exceptional Spellpower
Legs - Brilliant Spellthread
Feet - Greater Spirit
Wrist - Fur Lining - Spellpower (for leatherworkers), Superior Spellpower or Major Spirit (for everybody else)
Back -Wisdom (+10 spirit)
Weapon - whichever spellpower enchant is the best for the weapon you're using
Professions
I still like Leatherworking and Jewelcrafting. Although LW only grants you spellpower, it's a HUGE chunk, and JC allows you the flexibility to select the gem that balances out your abilities. If you're fine on your spirit and mana regen, you can use your red slots to pump your spellpower, but if you're having issues, say, regenerating mana, you can drop the JC-only spellpower gem down to a normal purple one, and replace a blue MP5 with the more powerful JC-only. In the bear posts, I was looking at what got me the maximum of something - here I'm looking at flexibility, and that's one of the biggest advantages of JC.
...and once again I'm done.
Still out of town, will be back on Monday, but I can't promise a reasonably decent post then. I should have something by Tuesday. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have a comments, flames, or suggestions feel free to let loose!
Gear
Trees can use both leather and cloth armor, although if we do roll on the lower armor cloth pieces, we often annoy our slightly squishier friends. I would recommend, if you want your priests, mages, and warlocks to LIKE you, that you pass on that and focus on the leather pieces.
Also, I know that some guilds, like mine, prioritize gear with hit rating on it for DPS casters, since healers do not need that statistic, and crit rating for healers, since it's more important for them than DPS. Keep that in mind as well when rolling for gear.
In the interests of ranking stats, I've put an importance on each of them below. But much like with tanking, in my humble opinion the selection of gear is all about finding the right balance. Thankfully most selections are quite clear; one piece is a strict upgrade over another. But what separates good players from great players in this department are those that can examine two pieces that are sideways upgrades of each other - lose in one area and gain in another - and make the choice that helps them the most. As healers, we need to balance our mana regeneration with the power of our heals and the size of our mana pool, keeping in mind that the power of our heals will affect how much mana we need to be regenerating.
All that being said, trees should look for, in order: spell power, spirit, crit rating, and intellect. If the gear doesn't have spirit, it might be ok if it has MP5 to make up the mana regen difference, but you need to take into account the spell power from spirit in addition to that. If the spell power listed on two items is the same, but one has mp5 and no spirit, and the other has spirit but no MP5, take the one with spirit.
Spell power is not as important for trees as it is for other casters - but it is still the granddaddy of stats. There's a wrinkle for us, though, since we get 15% of our spirit as spellpower in tree form. Thus, when evaluating gear, remember that it's ok to lose a (very) small amount of spell power for a reasonable gain in spirit (quickest, easiest math is 3 points of spell power = 20 points of spirit). Counting gems for spell power, spirit, or mp5 becomes tricky as there are a lot of options for gems. More on that later.
Spirit helps our mana regen in addition to our spell power, and it the long fights of both Ulduar and ToC, that's greatly needed. After spirit, it's important to look for crit rating and intellect. We already get quite a bit of crit rating for various spells from our talents, but the closer we can push ourselves to 100% crit, the more healing we're going to be putting out and the more procs we'll get out of Living Seed and other abilities.
Intellect increases both our crit chance and our mana pool, and to a much lesser extent, our mana regneration. Mana pool is important - the larger our mana pool, the longer we can cast continuously without needing mana help. We should focus more on mana regeneration that mana pool size, because we need to have continuous production over the course of very long fights. If you have enough mana regen that you can go the length of an innervate cooldown without completely running oom, then focus on increasing intellect.
Gems
Gems give you the flexibility you need to make up shortcomings from your gear selection, and while this is true for everybody, it is especially true for the tree.
I mentioned before that gear selection is all about balance for us - tanks generally stack as much stamina as they can, and most casters stack as much spell power as they can, but we need to be more careful if we want to be as good as we can be. In my bear gear, I often recommended using the 2-color gems, but here I highly recommend using single-color gems matching the socket, to best match your needs, with one possible exception.
Red gems should always be spell power gems. There really isn't anything else in red that helps us.
Blue gems should be spirit or mana per 5 seconds - the split needs to be determined by your individual casting habits and mana regeneration needs. I split mine about half and half.
Yellow gem slots are the ones you might consider using 2-color gems for, to get a little more spell power, spirit, or MP5 out of them. The yellow part, whether a single-color or 2-color gem, should either be critical strike rating or intellect, but I wouldn't place a particular importance on one over the other.
Also don't forget the Unique-Equipped Nightmare Tear for +10 all stats.
I'll talk about how the jewelcrafter only gems play into this a bit later.
There are quite a few meta gems that are available for consideration. I'm currently using the Bracing Earthsiege Diamond for spell power and reduced threat. The critical strike rating and mana gem Beaming Earthsiege Diamond probably isn't a bad choice, nor is spell power and intellect with Ember Skyflare Diamond. Intellect and chance to restore mana on spell cast from Insightful Earthsiege is probably worth taking a look at although I don't think it will rank too terribly high. MP5 and increased critical healing from Revitalizing Skyflare Diamond is probably first on the list of things I may test if I decide to change. I'm not a big fan of the minor run speed increase but pair it with spell power in Tireless Skyflare Diamond and it might also be worth looking at.
Enchants
Not so many comments this time around...
Head - Arcanum of Blissful Mending (Wyrmrest Accord)
Shoulders - Greater Inscription of the Crag (Sons of Hodir)
Chest - Powerful Stats or Greater Mana Restoration
Hands - Exceptional Spellpower
Legs - Brilliant Spellthread
Feet - Greater Spirit
Wrist - Fur Lining - Spellpower (for leatherworkers), Superior Spellpower or Major Spirit (for everybody else)
Back -Wisdom (+10 spirit)
Weapon - whichever spellpower enchant is the best for the weapon you're using
Professions
I still like Leatherworking and Jewelcrafting. Although LW only grants you spellpower, it's a HUGE chunk, and JC allows you the flexibility to select the gem that balances out your abilities. If you're fine on your spirit and mana regen, you can use your red slots to pump your spellpower, but if you're having issues, say, regenerating mana, you can drop the JC-only spellpower gem down to a normal purple one, and replace a blue MP5 with the more powerful JC-only. In the bear posts, I was looking at what got me the maximum of something - here I'm looking at flexibility, and that's one of the biggest advantages of JC.
...and once again I'm done.
Still out of town, will be back on Monday, but I can't promise a reasonably decent post then. I should have something by Tuesday. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have a comments, flames, or suggestions feel free to let loose!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A Look at Tier 10 Set Bonuses for Trees
Following up on the T10 set bonus for bears post, another short one to cover trees...
Thanks to the kind folks over at the Daily Druid for the current T10 set bonuses from the PTR... For reference here are all of them:
Druid T10 Restoration
I also like the 4-piece bonus, but I'm not really sure how great it will be. Certainly, in 25-man raids it will have the greatest strength, as you'll be throwing more Rejuvenations out there. With 6 ticks for a properly talented Rejuvenation, it will take roughly 8 full duration Rejuvs to get a jump, on average. That's a lot of investment for a free Rejuvenation. Then again, with all the healing that flies around in raids, maybe you'll get more than you realize, and I'm always a proponent of more random free healing. If it's a smart jump - it jumps to people needing heals more, or only to people that don't already have Rejuv ticking on them - this gets better, but I don't have enough information yet to rule clearly on how powerful I think this is. Free healing is always good, and shouldn't be overlooked.
Tune in soon for more on bears, trees, and everything Druidic!
Thanks to the kind folks over at the Daily Druid for the current T10 set bonuses from the PTR... For reference here are all of them:
Druid T10 Restoration
- 2P Bonus – The healing granted by your Wild Growth spell reduces 0% less over time.
- 4P Bonus (Rejuvenation) – Each time your Rejuvenation spell heals a target, it has a 2% chance to jump to a new target at full duration.
- 2P Bonus – When you gain Clearcasting from your Omen of Clarity talent, you deal 10% additional Nature and Arcane damage for 6 sec.
- 4P Bonus – Reduces the cooldown on your Eclipse talent by 6 seconds.
- 2P Bonus – Your Swipe (Bear) and Lacerate abilities deal 20% additional damage and the cost of your Rip ability is reduced by 10 energy.
- 4P Bonus – Your Enrage ability no longer decreases your armor and instead decreases all damage taken by 12%, and the periodic damage done by your Rake ability can now be a critical strike.
I also like the 4-piece bonus, but I'm not really sure how great it will be. Certainly, in 25-man raids it will have the greatest strength, as you'll be throwing more Rejuvenations out there. With 6 ticks for a properly talented Rejuvenation, it will take roughly 8 full duration Rejuvs to get a jump, on average. That's a lot of investment for a free Rejuvenation. Then again, with all the healing that flies around in raids, maybe you'll get more than you realize, and I'm always a proponent of more random free healing. If it's a smart jump - it jumps to people needing heals more, or only to people that don't already have Rejuv ticking on them - this gets better, but I don't have enough information yet to rule clearly on how powerful I think this is. Free healing is always good, and shouldn't be overlooked.
Tune in soon for more on bears, trees, and everything Druidic!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Look at Tier 10 Set Bonuses for Bears
Fairly short post today...
Thanks to the kind folks over at the Daily Druid for the current T10 set bonuses from the PTR... For reference here are all of them:
Druid T10 Restoration
The 2-piece bonus seems pretty solid. The damage bonus to Swipe should enable us to have an easier time maintaining AOE aggro. Adding damage to Lacerate helps a little bit on single-target aggro. We shouldn't have had problems already, but this will help ease any tensions if we have to stop our threat rotation (i.e. if someone pulls a secondary mob off us....) All in all, I think it's a nice little 2-piece bonus, but nothing to write home about.
When I first saw the 4-piece bonus, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. After some further thought, I'm not quite as stoked about it as I was, but I'm still excited. The first half is rather innocuous - removing the armor penalty from Enrage just means we can use it without fear of overwhelming our healers. But since we shouldn't be having rage issues anyway (unless our silly healers are shielding us too often), that's not really all that big a deal, in my eyes. The second part, however, means that we'll use enrage pretty much as often as we can. Free rage plus damage reduction... where can I sign up?
It makes Enrage useful in a number of ways that it couldn't dream about before. If I get to the point that I have this bonus, Enrage will get added to the list of abilities macro'd into my emergency button. Rather than being a rage generator with a drawback, it's an actively good ability with rage generation tacked on for free. I already use Barkskin at semi-regular intervals during most fights. While not quite as effective as Barkskin, the new and improved Enrage will give you a similar effect. I will probably be using Enrage as often as possible during fights, and instead of stacking Barkskin on top of it, I will use Barkskin once the Enrage bonus has ended and it's on cooldown.
I like it, and I think it's a solid bonus to look at as an upgrade from the T9 sets.
Tune in soon for some thoughts on fandom by the WoW developers, and my primer for the OTHER role I play as a druid - tree!
Thanks to the kind folks over at the Daily Druid for the current T10 set bonuses from the PTR... For reference here are all of them:
Druid T10 Restoration
- 2P Bonus – The healing granted by your Wild Growth spell reduces 0% less over time.
- 4P Bonus (Rejuvenation) – Each time your Rejuvenation spell heals a target, it has a 2% chance to jump to a new target at full duration.
- 2P Bonus – When you gain Clearcasting from your Omen of Clarity talent, you deal 10% additional Nature and Arcane damage for 6 sec.
- 4P Bonus – Reduces the cooldown on your Eclipse talent by 6 seconds.
- 2P Bonus – Your Swipe (Bear) and Lacerate abilities deal 20% additional damage and the cost of your Rip ability is reduced by 10 energy.
- 4P Bonus – Your Enrage ability no longer decreases your armor and instead decreases all damage taken by 12%, and the periodic damage done by your Rake ability can now be a critical strike.
The 2-piece bonus seems pretty solid. The damage bonus to Swipe should enable us to have an easier time maintaining AOE aggro. Adding damage to Lacerate helps a little bit on single-target aggro. We shouldn't have had problems already, but this will help ease any tensions if we have to stop our threat rotation (i.e. if someone pulls a secondary mob off us....) All in all, I think it's a nice little 2-piece bonus, but nothing to write home about.
When I first saw the 4-piece bonus, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. After some further thought, I'm not quite as stoked about it as I was, but I'm still excited. The first half is rather innocuous - removing the armor penalty from Enrage just means we can use it without fear of overwhelming our healers. But since we shouldn't be having rage issues anyway (unless our silly healers are shielding us too often), that's not really all that big a deal, in my eyes. The second part, however, means that we'll use enrage pretty much as often as we can. Free rage plus damage reduction... where can I sign up?
It makes Enrage useful in a number of ways that it couldn't dream about before. If I get to the point that I have this bonus, Enrage will get added to the list of abilities macro'd into my emergency button. Rather than being a rage generator with a drawback, it's an actively good ability with rage generation tacked on for free. I already use Barkskin at semi-regular intervals during most fights. While not quite as effective as Barkskin, the new and improved Enrage will give you a similar effect. I will probably be using Enrage as often as possible during fights, and instead of stacking Barkskin on top of it, I will use Barkskin once the Enrage bonus has ended and it's on cooldown.
I like it, and I think it's a solid bonus to look at as an upgrade from the T9 sets.
Tune in soon for some thoughts on fandom by the WoW developers, and my primer for the OTHER role I play as a druid - tree!
Monday, November 9, 2009
A Primer on Bear Tanking (Part 4: Gear, Gems, and Enchants)
With my previous three posts covering the rest of my primer, it's finally time to get down to the nitty gritty of selecting gear as a bear. Since I don't intend to waste my time (and yours) with a long list of "Best in Slot" gear, I'll try to cover what I see as the important things to focus on, then swing through how to gem and enchant your gear to get the most out of it.
The Gear
The proverbial elephant in the room as far as stats bears look for on gear is, of course, stamina. Due to the boosts bears get, they get more out of every point of stamina than any other class. Being a tank, this is a good thing - tanks LOVE stamina. The dangerous part, the hole that far too many people fall into, is that you can't focus on stamina to the abandonment of your other stats. It doesn't matter if you have a million hit points if you can't mitigate or dodge any incoming attacks.
As such, always remember that if you can't do direct upgrades to stamina and other stats at the same time, it's ok to lose a small amount of stamina for a larger chunk of agility, for example. These sideways upgrade leave you with a little lower ability to survive burst damage, but higher long-term survivability, as increased dodge, crit rating, and attack power mean you'll take less damage over the course of a long fight, which reduces the stress of healing you and the mana cost to your healers of keeping you alive. Higher stamina does contribute to that as well (due to Improved Leader of the Pack), but less so than other stats. This will really be important when I talk about gemming and enchanting.
Outside of stamina, of course, the most important two stats are armor and agility. Armor is your best and primary source of damage mitigation. Agility is your primary source of dodge and critical strike chance, and adds to your armor. Thankfully items with higher armor are generally going to have higher stamina and agility, making *most* item choices in that respect easy. So the short version of things to pay attention to is stamina, agility, and armor, in that order.
Keep in mind, of course, that you need to factor in the effect gems have. An item with 100 stamina and a blue gem slot that is otherwise identical to an item with 120 stamina and no gem slot is better, because you put a solid majestic zircon in that item slot and boom! 130 stamina!
Secondary and tertiary stats you'll want to pay attention to are hit rating, dodge rating, crit rating, and expertise rating, in no particular order. Hitting the hit cap is good as it removes your miss chance, and expertise removes the opponent's parry and dodge chances (although you're highly unlikely to hit the 400+ expertise rating to completely remove enemy dodge chance.) Crit rating, as mentioned previously, is a mitigation stat for bears, and dodge helps out our one avoidance stat.
The Gems
Gemming goes hand-in-hand with gear selection, but there's a lot less choices to make. Blue gems should (almost) always be solid majestic zircon (or solid dragon's eye, if you're a jewelcrafter). Red gem slots should be filled with regal or shifting dreadstones (dodge/agility + stamina). Yellow gem slots should be jagged or vivid eye of zul (crit rating/hit rating + stamina). Notice that I've used purple and green gems to get stamina along with the other stats in non-blue gem slots. Despite what I said earlier, stamina is still the most important thing out there.
As far as meta gems go... The only meta gem worth mentioning is the austere earthsiege diamond. A bunch of stamina and 2% additional armor on top of our other armor bonuses is awesome.
What I see a lot of folks do (looking at armory profiles) is stack stamina to the exclusion of all else. No matter what color gem slot, unless they need something else to satisfy the requirements of a meta gem, they have a solid majestic zircon there. The really sad part, IMO, is that because these folks have a really high hp pool, they will get taken on a lot of raids in which their healers will struggle to keep them alive, because they've ignored their avoidance and mitigation needs. The socket bonuses and gem bonuses to get those socket bonuses (in my case) boost my agility by 50+ points and my crit rating by 30+. Do not ignore your other stats!
The Enchants
Enchants are almost impossible to cover without going slot-by-slot, so here goes.
The best head and shoulder enchants are all arcanums/inscriptions, purchasable from various quartermasters. For head items, despite the +20 defense rating being mostly useless to us, the +37 stamina makes Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector our best option. For shoulders, you have a choice between a Sons of Hodir Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle for dodge and defense rating, or my choice, the Greater Inscription of the Gladiator for the stamina.
For the chest slot, powerful stats for +10 all stats is probably the best choice, although you can use a Heavy Borean Armor kit for +18 stamina.
On the back side, there are a couple of options, but I believe the +22 to agility trumps the others.
For the feet and hands, the Heavy Borean Armor kit is not a bad choice, although there is a direct upgrade on the feet for 22 stamina. I've seen several folks take the boot enchant that grants 15 stamina and a minor run speed increase, but I've never felt that's really worth it. I believe there is an agility enchant for the hands that might be a small upgrade, but I'm still using the HBA kit.
For your legs, the leatherworking upgrade that grants +55 stamina and +22 agility is by far the best option available to you. It's jormungar leg reinforcements for those of us that are leatherworkers, frosthide leg armor for everybody else.
On your wrists, the best enchant for non-leatherworkers is the +40 stamina one. For leatherworkers who get Fur Lining - Stamina, we can get +102.
If you are an enchanter, you can enchant your rings, there (might) be a better shoulder inscription for inscriptionists, blacksmiths can add a couple extra sockets (and don't forget that everybody can buy an eternal belt buckle to add a socket to your belt). But I'm getting a little ahead of myself, because I'm going to add a short discussion on...
The Professions
I originally chose skinning and leatherworking as my professions because hey, I wear leather and that way I can get mats for my leatherworking without spending money. I've since become a leatherworker / jewelcrafter for reasons that I'll get to in a minute.
The gathering skills used to do just that - gather mats and nothing else. Blizzard has since given them each their own unique benefits. Skinning grants critical strike rating, Mining grants 60 stamina, and Herbalism gives you an instant self-HoT.
When looking for ways to improve my tanking abilities, I came to the subject of professions and decided that a) I wanted to have professions that were useful to me for both healing and tanking, and b) I wanted to get the most stamina that I could out of my professions. As such, while critical strike rating is useful for healing and tanking, it doesn't get me any more stamina. So I decided to get something that would help me across the board, while still getting me more stamina. I came to the following conclusions regarding the stamina professions gain you. I did not seriously investigate other professions, but it is my understanding that none of them provide you with as much as a 60 stamina bonus.
Mining: 60 stamina.
Enchanting: 60 stamina. Both rings can be enchanted with +30 stamina.
Blacksmithing: 60 stamina. Two additional sockets for solid majestic zircon.
Leatherworking: 62 stamina. The only thing you get that cannot be achieved by anyone else is the +102 stamina wrist enchant. The next best enchant is +40.
Jewelcrafting: 63 stamina. Replace 3 of your +30 solid majestic zircon with +51 solid dragon's eye.
Since leatherworking and jewelcrafting also provided me with their maximum benefits for my healing and DPS gear sets, I settled on the two of them.
... and at long last, I'm done. I'll review some T10 gear from the PTR soon, and maybe get into some real life commentary. Maybe. If I feel like it.
Hope everybody had a safe and fun weekend!
The Gear
The proverbial elephant in the room as far as stats bears look for on gear is, of course, stamina. Due to the boosts bears get, they get more out of every point of stamina than any other class. Being a tank, this is a good thing - tanks LOVE stamina. The dangerous part, the hole that far too many people fall into, is that you can't focus on stamina to the abandonment of your other stats. It doesn't matter if you have a million hit points if you can't mitigate or dodge any incoming attacks.
As such, always remember that if you can't do direct upgrades to stamina and other stats at the same time, it's ok to lose a small amount of stamina for a larger chunk of agility, for example. These sideways upgrade leave you with a little lower ability to survive burst damage, but higher long-term survivability, as increased dodge, crit rating, and attack power mean you'll take less damage over the course of a long fight, which reduces the stress of healing you and the mana cost to your healers of keeping you alive. Higher stamina does contribute to that as well (due to Improved Leader of the Pack), but less so than other stats. This will really be important when I talk about gemming and enchanting.
Outside of stamina, of course, the most important two stats are armor and agility. Armor is your best and primary source of damage mitigation. Agility is your primary source of dodge and critical strike chance, and adds to your armor. Thankfully items with higher armor are generally going to have higher stamina and agility, making *most* item choices in that respect easy. So the short version of things to pay attention to is stamina, agility, and armor, in that order.
Keep in mind, of course, that you need to factor in the effect gems have. An item with 100 stamina and a blue gem slot that is otherwise identical to an item with 120 stamina and no gem slot is better, because you put a solid majestic zircon in that item slot and boom! 130 stamina!
Secondary and tertiary stats you'll want to pay attention to are hit rating, dodge rating, crit rating, and expertise rating, in no particular order. Hitting the hit cap is good as it removes your miss chance, and expertise removes the opponent's parry and dodge chances (although you're highly unlikely to hit the 400+ expertise rating to completely remove enemy dodge chance.) Crit rating, as mentioned previously, is a mitigation stat for bears, and dodge helps out our one avoidance stat.
The Gems
Gemming goes hand-in-hand with gear selection, but there's a lot less choices to make. Blue gems should (almost) always be solid majestic zircon (or solid dragon's eye, if you're a jewelcrafter). Red gem slots should be filled with regal or shifting dreadstones (dodge/agility + stamina). Yellow gem slots should be jagged or vivid eye of zul (crit rating/hit rating + stamina). Notice that I've used purple and green gems to get stamina along with the other stats in non-blue gem slots. Despite what I said earlier, stamina is still the most important thing out there.
As far as meta gems go... The only meta gem worth mentioning is the austere earthsiege diamond. A bunch of stamina and 2% additional armor on top of our other armor bonuses is awesome.
What I see a lot of folks do (looking at armory profiles) is stack stamina to the exclusion of all else. No matter what color gem slot, unless they need something else to satisfy the requirements of a meta gem, they have a solid majestic zircon there. The really sad part, IMO, is that because these folks have a really high hp pool, they will get taken on a lot of raids in which their healers will struggle to keep them alive, because they've ignored their avoidance and mitigation needs. The socket bonuses and gem bonuses to get those socket bonuses (in my case) boost my agility by 50+ points and my crit rating by 30+. Do not ignore your other stats!
The Enchants
Enchants are almost impossible to cover without going slot-by-slot, so here goes.
The best head and shoulder enchants are all arcanums/inscriptions, purchasable from various quartermasters. For head items, despite the +20 defense rating being mostly useless to us, the +37 stamina makes Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector our best option. For shoulders, you have a choice between a Sons of Hodir Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle for dodge and defense rating, or my choice, the Greater Inscription of the Gladiator for the stamina.
For the chest slot, powerful stats for +10 all stats is probably the best choice, although you can use a Heavy Borean Armor kit for +18 stamina.
On the back side, there are a couple of options, but I believe the +22 to agility trumps the others.
For the feet and hands, the Heavy Borean Armor kit is not a bad choice, although there is a direct upgrade on the feet for 22 stamina. I've seen several folks take the boot enchant that grants 15 stamina and a minor run speed increase, but I've never felt that's really worth it. I believe there is an agility enchant for the hands that might be a small upgrade, but I'm still using the HBA kit.
For your legs, the leatherworking upgrade that grants +55 stamina and +22 agility is by far the best option available to you. It's jormungar leg reinforcements for those of us that are leatherworkers, frosthide leg armor for everybody else.
On your wrists, the best enchant for non-leatherworkers is the +40 stamina one. For leatherworkers who get Fur Lining - Stamina, we can get +102.
If you are an enchanter, you can enchant your rings, there (might) be a better shoulder inscription for inscriptionists, blacksmiths can add a couple extra sockets (and don't forget that everybody can buy an eternal belt buckle to add a socket to your belt). But I'm getting a little ahead of myself, because I'm going to add a short discussion on...
The Professions
I originally chose skinning and leatherworking as my professions because hey, I wear leather and that way I can get mats for my leatherworking without spending money. I've since become a leatherworker / jewelcrafter for reasons that I'll get to in a minute.
The gathering skills used to do just that - gather mats and nothing else. Blizzard has since given them each their own unique benefits. Skinning grants critical strike rating, Mining grants 60 stamina, and Herbalism gives you an instant self-HoT.
When looking for ways to improve my tanking abilities, I came to the subject of professions and decided that a) I wanted to have professions that were useful to me for both healing and tanking, and b) I wanted to get the most stamina that I could out of my professions. As such, while critical strike rating is useful for healing and tanking, it doesn't get me any more stamina. So I decided to get something that would help me across the board, while still getting me more stamina. I came to the following conclusions regarding the stamina professions gain you. I did not seriously investigate other professions, but it is my understanding that none of them provide you with as much as a 60 stamina bonus.
Mining: 60 stamina.
Enchanting: 60 stamina. Both rings can be enchanted with +30 stamina.
Blacksmithing: 60 stamina. Two additional sockets for solid majestic zircon.
Leatherworking: 62 stamina. The only thing you get that cannot be achieved by anyone else is the +102 stamina wrist enchant. The next best enchant is +40.
Jewelcrafting: 63 stamina. Replace 3 of your +30 solid majestic zircon with +51 solid dragon's eye.
Since leatherworking and jewelcrafting also provided me with their maximum benefits for my healing and DPS gear sets, I settled on the two of them.
... and at long last, I'm done. I'll review some T10 gear from the PTR soon, and maybe get into some real life commentary. Maybe. If I feel like it.
Hope everybody had a safe and fun weekend!
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