Ive been playing WoW for a while now and I'm having trouble getting my gear score high enough to participate in some of the higher end content. I pretty much solo 99.99% of the time and I know that's a big downfall. I am ready to start grouping more often now and I need some gear advice. I'm trying to get my gear score to 5500 as a healthy starting point. Below is a link to my armory page. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please don't hold back. If it's noob, then its noob. Let me have it. Thanks in advance for all the replies =)
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Thrall&cn=Varten
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1.) Stop gemming haste, AP, expertise, stam, and crit. If you want the simple version, gem strength. If you want the more detailed version, gem strength unless the socket is yellow and the socket bonus is strength, then gem strength/crit. Your runeforge, talents, and ghoul all scale with strength, not any of the before mentioned gems. Haste is only good for unholy as it increases the attack speed of your pets, and even then it's valued less than strength, armor pen, and crit.
2.) Respec. Take dancing rune weapon. DRW damage is way way better than unholy blight's damage, especially since you don't have the unholy talents to increase magic damage. Drop outbreak, that's a talent geared towards unholy and is a dps loss for blood. If I were blood today (and I use unholy and frost, not blood) I would do something like this: http://www.wowhead.com/talent#jfVMVh0IcfofostMZfM0hxc:IGbMmV
3.) lose the death grip glyph. If you're insistent on staying blood, pick up the DRW glyph.
4.) Change your glove enchant. Your hit cap is 265, you're at 340. Enchanting for hit rating is a dps loss. Hit about 265 is a dps loss.
5.) Go back and get the 245 sigil. Unless you're doing a fight with no movment and that lasts longer than 3 full rotations, you're not going to get the benefit out of the 264 sigil. I think the only difference between that and the 245 one is about 13 strength, and you don't have to wait for it to build up. I have both sigils and swap according to the fight (though the hanged man is only useful on about 3 fights in ICC)
6.) Ditch the tanking ring. Get a dps ring from badges.
2.) Respec. Take dancing rune weapon. DRW damage is way way better than unholy blight's damage, especially since you don't have the unholy talents to increase magic damage. Drop outbreak, that's a talent geared towards unholy and is a dps loss for blood. If I were blood today (and I use unholy and frost, not blood) I would do something like this: http://www.wowhead.com/talent#jfVMVh0IcfofostMZfM0hxc:IGbMmV
3.) lose the death grip glyph. If you're insistent on staying blood, pick up the DRW glyph.
4.) Change your glove enchant. Your hit cap is 265, you're at 340. Enchanting for hit rating is a dps loss. Hit about 265 is a dps loss.
5.) Go back and get the 245 sigil. Unless you're doing a fight with no movment and that lasts longer than 3 full rotations, you're not going to get the benefit out of the 264 sigil. I think the only difference between that and the 245 one is about 13 strength, and you don't have to wait for it to build up. I have both sigils and swap according to the fight (though the hanged man is only useful on about 3 fights in ICC)
6.) Ditch the tanking ring. Get a dps ring from badges.
Dilbert said most of what I would. But I'd spec a little differently. Corpse Explosion is a personal thing and that point can be moved to Epidemic if you have issues keeping diseases up, which is made a lot simpler with the Glyph of Disease. If you do not want the disease glyph (i.e. you want to IT/PS more), then go with Dark Death. While I have seen 50/0/21 builds that have performed very well, I don't recommend that build until you're deeper into ICC25 gearing. At which point you will have learned enough to know when it's a DPS increase to try it.
Gem strength. You don't have anywhere near enough ArPen to consider gemming for that yet. The Str vs. ArPen thing is Blood dps only though, keep that in mind if you swap specs.
Drop the defensive gear. Hit is way over.... I'm just echoing Dilbert at this point.
The other things I suggest are vital to really improving your performance:
Research. If you want to min/max and get the most from your toon you need to learn the mechanics more thoroughly. Read Elitist Jerks, Here, WoWHead, even Arena Junkies can teach you things.
Practice. Read a strategy or a gearing plan and practice it. Learn different rotations with different talent/glyph set ups. It's one thing to read about how incredibly awesome AMS soaking is. It's something entirely different to actually do it (omg it's pure sex when you get it working right though!) Knowing the little tricks is what separates good players, from great players.
And finally: Ignore Gear Score. Seriously. It's a stupid, tangential itemization affect that doesn't really tell you anything of substance about a player. It only tells people the item level you have equipped. I've seen too many people get into raids because of their 5800+ gear score from completely inappropriate gear choices to have any faith, whatsoever, in the current lust-fest that so many pug raid leaders have for gear score. Instead focus on final stats. 263 hit, 26 expertise, and more AP (there is never enough AP), etc.
Good luck!
edit: Gah, typo!
Edited, May 9th 2010 7:01pm by TherionSaysWhat
Gem strength. You don't have anywhere near enough ArPen to consider gemming for that yet. The Str vs. ArPen thing is Blood dps only though, keep that in mind if you swap specs.
Drop the defensive gear. Hit is way over.... I'm just echoing Dilbert at this point.
The other things I suggest are vital to really improving your performance:
Research. If you want to min/max and get the most from your toon you need to learn the mechanics more thoroughly. Read Elitist Jerks, Here, WoWHead, even Arena Junkies can teach you things.
Practice. Read a strategy or a gearing plan and practice it. Learn different rotations with different talent/glyph set ups. It's one thing to read about how incredibly awesome AMS soaking is. It's something entirely different to actually do it (omg it's pure sex when you get it working right though!) Knowing the little tricks is what separates good players, from great players.
And finally: Ignore Gear Score. Seriously. It's a stupid, tangential itemization affect that doesn't really tell you anything of substance about a player. It only tells people the item level you have equipped. I've seen too many people get into raids because of their 5800+ gear score from completely inappropriate gear choices to have any faith, whatsoever, in the current lust-fest that so many pug raid leaders have for gear score. Instead focus on final stats. 263 hit, 26 expertise, and more AP (there is never enough AP), etc.
Good luck!
edit: Gah, typo!
Edited, May 9th 2010 7:01pm by TherionSaysWhat
TherionSaysWhat, Goblin in Disguise wrote:
36 expertise
Why you trying to sell me an extra 10 expertise?
Silly goblin. Always trying to make quick gold.
Hellbanned
idiggory wrote:
Drinking at home. But I could probably stand to get laid.
Whoops! Fixed =)
Actually, I'll probably be selling heals in the LFG system more than stats. 5g = Lesser Healing Wave, 10g = Chain Heal... etc.
GOGO TEAM GOBLIN!
Actually, I'll probably be selling heals in the LFG system more than stats. 5g = Lesser Healing Wave, 10g = Chain Heal... etc.
GOGO TEAM GOBLIN!
Yeah--GS sucks. For example, take these two trinkets a Mage could use:
Nevermelting Ice Crystal
+110 Spell Power
Use: Increases your critical strike rating by 920 for 20 sec. Every time one of your non-periodic spells deals a critical strike, the bonus is reduced by 184 critical strike rating. (3 Min Cooldown)
Epic ilvl 232
Or...
Forge Ember
+73 Crit
Equip: Your damaging and healing spells have a chance to increase your spell power by 512 for 10 sec.
Rare ilvl 200
The Forge Ember proc is equivalent to about 114 Spell Power--more than the NEIC trinket.
Now, that Use effect on the crystal is just bad. Like, seriously AWFUL. If you get no crits in the 20 seconds it is active, it's only 103 crit rating equivalent. Getting crits reduces this. And, because you can feasibly crit 5 times (easily) as a Mage in 20 seconds, due to Arcane Missiles, you could easily use up the bonus without it even having done anything (meaning, those 5 spells would have crit even without it).
So, the end result is that the BLUE item 32 ilvls lower is superior by a decent margin. Yet tons of mages run around with the NEIC, because they are either ignorant of how bad it is or because it gives them a much higher GS.
So, please, PLEASE, always choose the better item rather than the one with the higher ilvl.
[EDIT]
Reduced it to a 2 trinket comparison.
Edited, May 10th 2010 12:14am by idiggory
Nevermelting Ice Crystal
+110 Spell Power
Use: Increases your critical strike rating by 920 for 20 sec. Every time one of your non-periodic spells deals a critical strike, the bonus is reduced by 184 critical strike rating. (3 Min Cooldown)
Epic ilvl 232
Or...
Forge Ember
+73 Crit
Equip: Your damaging and healing spells have a chance to increase your spell power by 512 for 10 sec.
Rare ilvl 200
The Forge Ember proc is equivalent to about 114 Spell Power--more than the NEIC trinket.
Now, that Use effect on the crystal is just bad. Like, seriously AWFUL. If you get no crits in the 20 seconds it is active, it's only 103 crit rating equivalent. Getting crits reduces this. And, because you can feasibly crit 5 times (easily) as a Mage in 20 seconds, due to Arcane Missiles, you could easily use up the bonus without it even having done anything (meaning, those 5 spells would have crit even without it).
So, the end result is that the BLUE item 32 ilvls lower is superior by a decent margin. Yet tons of mages run around with the NEIC, because they are either ignorant of how bad it is or because it gives them a much higher GS.
So, please, PLEASE, always choose the better item rather than the one with the higher ilvl.
[EDIT]
Reduced it to a 2 trinket comparison.
Edited, May 10th 2010 12:14am by idiggory
IDrownFish wrote:
Anyways, you all are horrible, @#%^ed up people
lolgaxe wrote:
Never underestimate the healing power of a massive dong.
I've been seriously tempted to deck my DK out in cloth once he hits 80 and getting into a PUG raid just to see how far he gets before someone notices.
Hmm....I think you messed up.
Frost spec has glyph of: DS, DRW, ghoul. Blood has glyph of: Oblit, FS, Pest.
Replace your bracers.
Frost spec has glyph of: DS, DRW, ghoul. Blood has glyph of: Oblit, FS, Pest.
Replace your bracers.
Also, for your Frost spec, you want to move a point from KM to Black Ice.
For your Blood spec, lose the 2 points in Frost. If you want to run with Glyph of Disease, move them both to Morbidity. If you want to run with Glyph of Dark Death instead, move both to Morbidity along with one from Epidemic.
As Cestin pointed out, you applied your glyphs to the wrong specs.
Blood should have: ERW, Death Strike and either Dark Death or Disease, according to which spec you choose.
Frost should have: GoD, Frost Strike and Obliterate. IT is a really attractive glyph, but GoD beats it, as it means you never lose your 20% haste buff and you also refresh Blood Plague.
For your Blood spec, lose the 2 points in Frost. If you want to run with Glyph of Disease, move them both to Morbidity. If you want to run with Glyph of Dark Death instead, move both to Morbidity along with one from Epidemic.
As Cestin pointed out, you applied your glyphs to the wrong specs.
Blood should have: ERW, Death Strike and either Dark Death or Disease, according to which spec you choose.
Frost should have: GoD, Frost Strike and Obliterate. IT is a really attractive glyph, but GoD beats it, as it means you never lose your 20% haste buff and you also refresh Blood Plague.
IDrownFish wrote:
Anyways, you all are horrible, @#%^ed up people
lolgaxe wrote:
Never underestimate the healing power of a massive dong.
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