Comments on: Mail Call: Gem Choices http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/ Feral Druids in World of Warcraft Wed, 23 May 2012 05:49:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Nelfbarine-Nagrand http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-30594 Nelfbarine-Nagrand Mon, 05 Apr 2010 03:14:21 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-30594 I have been tanking on my druid for a while and my experience has started to show as i am often beating some of the dps in heroics pulling 4k+ dps at times. The best way i can simplify it is stack stamina until you have 40k hp in bear form unbuffed after that i started changing out the +30stam gems for hit and stamina (yellow sockets) and expertise and stamina (red sockets) so that now i have set bonuses on all my gear, so something like this 40k hp > 263 (8%) hit > 40% dodge > 150 rating (7%) expertise, this is the soft cap for expertise after obtaining this you can choose to increase you health pool for those hard hitting boss fights or top up your expertise to reach hard cap, which stops enemies from parrying your attacks and increases your threat something chronic, the hard cap is 443 rating. As a miner jewlcrafter my druid tank is currently sitting at 39250hp, 43% dodge, 7% hit and 7% expertise this is all obtained without and icc gear, simply gemming with expensive epic gems and enchants that are fitting for the class, these stats have proven time and time again to be plenty for tanking VoA ToC and Ony i am yet to try out Icc. -Cheers Nelf I have been tanking on my druid for a while and my experience has started to show as i am often beating some of the dps in heroics pulling 4k+ dps at times. The best way i can simplify it is stack stamina until you have 40k hp in bear form unbuffed after that i started changing out the +30stam gems for hit and stamina (yellow sockets) and expertise and stamina (red sockets) so that now i have set bonuses on all my gear, so something like this

40k hp > 263 (8%) hit > 40% dodge > 150 rating (7%) expertise, this is the soft cap for expertise

after obtaining this you can choose to increase you health pool for those hard hitting boss fights or top up your expertise to reach hard cap, which stops enemies from parrying your attacks and increases your threat something chronic, the hard cap is 443 rating.
As a miner jewlcrafter my druid tank is currently sitting at 39250hp, 43% dodge, 7% hit and 7% expertise this is all obtained without and icc gear, simply gemming with expensive epic gems and enchants that are fitting for the class, these stats have proven time and time again to be plenty for tanking VoA ToC and Ony i am yet to try out Icc.

-Cheers Nelf

]]> By: Silm http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12697 Silm Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:43:29 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12697 Stacking only Stam/Agi is fine for when you're just getting started. But as your gear improves via raiding/heroics etc, you're going to start suffering from diminishing returns in how much actual dodge you're going to get for each point of agi/dodge rating. At which point, it's a good thing to start working on maxing out your expertise, so as not to get penalized by the parry haste mechanic almost all bosses/mobs in game currently have. Stacking only Stam/Agi is fine for when you’re just getting started. But as your gear improves via raiding/heroics etc, you’re going to start suffering from diminishing returns in how much actual dodge you’re going to get for each point of agi/dodge rating. At which point, it’s a good thing to start working on maxing out your expertise, so as not to get penalized by the parry haste mechanic almost all bosses/mobs in game currently have.

]]> By: Eberron of Boulderfist http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12690 Eberron of Boulderfist Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:40:41 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12690 From what I've found on Elitist Jerks strict Dodge rating per point and Agility both equal essentially the same number, except that Agility will benefit from Kings and talents. Do you have any other numbers to change my mind? :) From what I’ve found on Elitist Jerks strict Dodge rating per point and Agility both equal essentially the same number, except that Agility will benefit from Kings and talents.

Do you have any other numbers to change my mind? :)

]]> By: bigbearbutt http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12687 bigbearbutt Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:34:20 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12687 Loquat, I'll say that you are absolutely correct that if you are working at maximizing your three key tanking goals, health, armor and dodge, then taking tons of nothing but Agi is the best way to gem. Personally, much like health, I like to guage where the group I regularly run is at, compared to my gear, and then buff what I feel is lacking. After tanking Heroic Nexus and Utgarde Keep like it was a summer fair, I decided I'd like to increase the likelihood of my Mauls htting home, and my Swipes causing hits. That's all. Cannot agree with you more that taking solid agi is a more effective way to maximize dodge. Loquat, I’ll say that you are absolutely correct that if you are working at maximizing your three key tanking goals, health, armor and dodge, then taking tons of nothing but Agi is the best way to gem.

Personally, much like health, I like to guage where the group I regularly run is at, compared to my gear, and then buff what I feel is lacking.

After tanking Heroic Nexus and Utgarde Keep like it was a summer fair, I decided I’d like to increase the likelihood of my Mauls htting home, and my Swipes causing hits. That’s all.

Cannot agree with you more that taking solid agi is a more effective way to maximize dodge.

]]> By: Drazmor http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12686 Drazmor Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:24:39 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12686 It feels like everyones crowding at a door, watching for that patch to creep in. I think Blizzard is gonna wait for us to lose interest, then stealth patch. Along with the stealth nerf of Fear. It feels like everyones crowding at a door, watching for that patch to creep in.

I think Blizzard is gonna wait for us to lose interest, then stealth patch. Along with the stealth nerf of Fear.

]]> By: Loquat http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12681 Loquat Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:44:38 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12681 I love the blog BBB but I have to disagree with you here. Don't bother with hit for bears, and expertise is well below Agi or even Stam. Threat is not an issue. If you are losing mobs during swipe AOE it is much more efficient to tell your group to wait a few sec or actually use CC than to waste stats on Expertise or Hit. I tank all heroics and do it in my sleep as well as MT many bosses in Naaxx. Most of the gear has plenty of stamina on it. If you follow the gear recommendations on this and other blogs for pre-naaxx you will be fine for stamina. I have one stam gem and that is only for activating my meta gem. Most of the socket bonuses are pretty useless, stacking agility will be much more effective. Stack agil till 50% then use defense or dodge rating. The stats I work for with gems and enchants are in order of importance: Agil Stamina Dodge Rating Expertise Def Rating Strength Attack Power Hit Mitigation is our primary issue with armor nerfs and not having parry or block. Agil is still our magic stat, threat since the patch is rarely a problem for myself or any of the other bear tanks i've talked to. Since 3.0 tanking has gotten a hell of a lot easier, i worry a lot more about positioning than i do my attack rotation to keep threat. I love the blog BBB but I have to disagree with you here. Don’t bother with hit for bears, and expertise is well below Agi or even Stam. Threat is not an issue. If you are losing mobs during swipe AOE it is much more efficient to tell your group to wait a few sec or actually use CC than to waste stats on Expertise or Hit. I tank all heroics and do it in my sleep as well as MT many bosses in Naaxx. Most of the gear has plenty of stamina on it. If you follow the gear recommendations on this and other blogs for pre-naaxx you will be fine for stamina. I have one stam gem and that is only for activating my meta gem.

Most of the socket bonuses are pretty useless, stacking agility will be much more effective. Stack agil till 50% then use defense or dodge rating.

The stats I work for with gems and enchants are in order of importance:

Agil
Stamina
Dodge Rating
Expertise
Def Rating
Strength
Attack Power
Hit

Mitigation is our primary issue with armor nerfs and not having parry or block. Agil is still our magic stat, threat since the patch is rarely a problem for myself or any of the other bear tanks i’ve talked to. Since 3.0 tanking has gotten a hell of a lot easier, i worry a lot more about positioning than i do my attack rotation to keep threat.

]]> By: bigbearbutt http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12677 bigbearbutt Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:49:49 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12677 Ah, thanks Endas, yeah I was talking about socket color matching, not gem quality. I pertty much assume that everyone uses rare quality gems or better, on gear they intend to hang onto for a while. Maybe that's not normal, but I got a JC so I roll my own. Ah, thanks Endas, yeah I was talking about socket color matching, not gem quality.

I pertty much assume that everyone uses rare quality gems or better, on gear they intend to hang onto for a while.

Maybe that’s not normal, but I got a JC so I roll my own.

]]> By: Endas http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12676 Endas Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:45:04 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12676 Well, the actual color of the gem is purple, but it is a blue "quality" gem. I'm guessing this is where the confusion comes from. Well, the actual color of the gem is purple, but it is a blue “quality” gem. I’m guessing this is where the confusion comes from.

]]> By: bigbearbutt http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12674 bigbearbutt Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:21:45 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12674 Yeah Bob... they should be coming very quick. I can't see it being more than another week before the patch finally hits. Are they really blue? I thought they were purples... hmm, lemme go check. Yeah Bob… they should be coming very quick. I can’t see it being more than another week before the patch finally hits.

Are they really blue? I thought they were purples… hmm, lemme go check.

]]> By: Beathooven http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/comment-page-1/#comment-12673 Beathooven Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:17:56 +0000 http://thebigbearbutt.com/2009/01/05/1145/#comment-12673 Did you too get a huge kick out of seeing Northrend gems for the first time? My first thought was "OMG! I can socket for <i>expertise</i>, and sh*tloads of it" Did you too get a huge kick out of seeing Northrend gems for the first time?
My first thought was “OMG! I can socket for expertise, and sh*tloads of it”

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