Ret Gems question

[SFJake]

Using Spiked Titansteel Helm: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41386#comments:40

What are the best gems to put in there?

Chaotic Skyflare Diamond (+21 Critical Strike Rating and 3% Increased Critical Damage - Requires at least 2 Blue gems).

Loot Rank recommended...

Swift Skyflare Diamond (+42 Attack Power and Minor Run Speed Increase - Requires at least 2 Yellow gems and 1 Red gems)

The first seems much better. If there are others even better, please tell me.

For the blue socket, a +16 strength but lose the bonus (and I'll need Blue Gems anyway for the meta gem), or put on a +8 str/12 stam, keep the bonus and thats one out of two blue gems I need.

Now this really is giving me a headache, so can anyone just tell me what gems they would put in there?

[Whoopzz]

If you're not a JC, use the agility meta w/3% increased crit, and socket 1 of the prismatc +6 stats gems in a blue slot. g2g. Strength in everything else.

[Gnasanbandam]

Yeah, get the +21 Agi/3% increased crit damage because with it, you can get more Str gems, making up for the minor loss in dps that you'd get otherwise if you used +21 Crit rating/3% increased crit damage.

[SFJake]

The +6 stats gem count as all colors, but if I understand this correctly: that mean that gem alone will count as a blue gem (giving me the socket bonus) AND, by itself, activate that meta gem? (which requires 1 of each color).

If so, clever. +16 Str everywhere else is obvious. Thanks.

[deebee]

You should aim for expertise cap (26) before gemming str IMO.

[SFJake]

You should aim for expertise cap (26) before gemming str IMO.

As ret? Aim for expertise with gems?

What? Why? I always thought of Expertise FAR less useful than Strength or Hit for Ret, and even Hit is not worth gemming for (but thats because the right gear gives plenty).

[iktankniet]

You should aim for expertise cap (26) before gemming str IMO.

i lolled...

no dont ever ever ever(!) gem expertise. with strength gems your dps will go up way faster then with expertise. gear with expertise on it is a good thing. like the ring ruthlessness. its the best in-game so far.

[deebee]

As ret? Aim for expertise with gems?

What? Why? I always thought of Expertise FAR less useful than Strength or Hit for Ret, and even Hit is not worth gemming for (but thats because the right gear gives plenty).

Why? Sure gear gives plenty but you can always adjust later once you get the gear. Most ret abilities can be dodged or miss, hence you aim for hit and expertise cap. But its your choice anyway.

[Tural]

Why? Sure gear gives plenty but you can always adjust later once you get the gear. Most ret abilities can be dodged or miss, hence you aim for hit and expertise cap. But its your choice anyway.

You're going to gain more DPS from gemming Strength than from reducing Dodges/Parries.

[deebee]

Interesting, thats nice to know I assume 1 STR > 1 Hit rating also.

[Omatre]

You should have sufficient, or reasonably so, expertise and hit on gear w/o the need to gem for it. Secondly, yes, point for point its apparently true that STR will beat out the other stats even if you are not capped.

Because STR affects all attacks, judgements cannot be dodged or parried, therefore, the point for point increase in dps from them is only going to be noticed in white attack hits.

Judgements are weird creatures, they used to be spells, now I think they're melee attacks, but work like a spell in the sense they can be resisted or miss, but they cannot be dodged or parried.


While you can go with a 6 stats gem, another option is the recently available 8 str / 12 stam gem. Sovereign Twilight Opal. its less of the other stats sure, but its 2 more str, which is roughly 5-6AP. Its a toss up, but either one is not a bad choice, compared to say a 8 expertise 12 stam gem.
If you have 0 hit, adding some will not hurt you, but if you already have 6-7% hit from gear, that 1-2% to cap you will not give you an exponential increase in dps (assuming humans, having Draenei around for 1% hit included in that figuring)

[deebee]

If he uses Sovereign, he still needs a yellow gem heh.