I would like to add an alternate way to get the Darkmoon rep since Cataclysm. I dont know however if I am allowed to submit this here, so please if not... I will be more than happy to submit this elsewhere. This method however is a goldmine, and makes the DMF grind 10X easier than its ever been, and dare I say.... profitable and enjoyable! Without further adieu I present - Revains Guide to Insane: DMF edition.
Please forgive me for grammar errors and typos, its kinda early for me, and I will try to proofread this. Also much of my data in terms of math is presented in a combination of wowhead records and personal experience (in which i did take the time to document my progress). As anyone who seriously pursues The Insane SHOULD do, take the time to study the best method.
First off, I would like to present the basic math (as loose as it is). Lets discuss how you need to first approach DMF; Disclaimer: This guide approaches DMF as if you were making the cards yourself. This does not account for minor decks (25 rep), or buying DMF turn-ins.
Cata decks require: Inferno Ink + Volatile life + heavy competition
Northerend decks require: Snowfall ink + eternal life
TBC decks require: Darkflame ink + primal life
Vanilla decks require: Ink of the sky + NO SECOND INGREDIENT
If you just begin approaching this rep and making the cards from that point of view, you can see the biggest difference is that Vanilla decks require no unique second ingedient. Lets review the breakdown chances of each of the herbs involved in making the pigments.
The following data is taken from wowhead. It goes in order of Herb/Zone/Chance to mill into rare pigment
Cata Decks/Herbs
Note: This is where I have spent very little time trying to produce. While it is the most profitable, it is also the most time consuming if for nothing else the sheer competition. The one big boon this method has is the amount of people who will trade cards.
Twilight Jasmine - Twilight Highlands - 50%
Whiptail - common cata - 50%
Azshara's Veil - lolcommon - 25%
Cinderbloom - common - 25%
Heartblossom - common - 25%
Stormvine - common - 25%
Northerend Decks
Note: prior to Cataclysm, this is what I farmed. Sholazar was great for Adder's Tounge, but also for the herbs with a very low breakdown (25%). It made the ratio of time spent farming to results of rare pigments on a rough scale of a 15%-20% return. Thats not terrible.
Adders Tounge - Sholazar - 50%
Icethorn - Stormpeaks/Icecrown/Wintersgrasp - 50%
Lichbloom - Stormpeaks/Icecrown/Wintersgrasp - 50%
Deadnettle - Sholazar/Common - 25%
Golclover - Common/Sholazar - 25%
Talandra's Rose - Zuldrak/Common - 25%
Tiger Lily - Sholazar/Common - 25%
Burning Crusade Decks
Note: I spent some time trying to farm TBC decks, even with no competition the ratio of time spent farming to results was so off, I found this type of deck to be the worst to focus on farming.
Nightmare Vine - SMV - 53%
Netherbloom - Netherstorm - 51%
Ancient Lichen - Dungeons primarily - 49%
Mana Thistle - Common - 48%
Dreaming Glory - semi-common - 25%
Felweed - very common - 25%
Ragviel - Zangar - 25%
Terocone - Terokar/Common - 25%
Vanilla Decks
Note: This is how I finished the Insane. I ended up grinding somewhere in the ballpark of 30k rep in a little over 2 months. There are also to additional perks to this method that I will discuss later. Besides this, it is also a great way to avoid spending money, or large amounts of money. The return on this method is also huge. I will discuss that as well after I list the breakdown.
Icecap - Winterspring - 50%
Mountainsilversage - Largely found in Winterspring/Medium amounts Ungoro - 50%
Sorrowmoss - Swamps of Sorrows - 50%
Dreamfoil - HFP/Ungoro - 25%
Golden Sansam - Swamps of Sorrows - 25%
So besides not needing a second unique ingedient (primal/volatile/eternal life), we also see our %'s of breakdown on the herbs is far better on Vanilla deck farming,
just due to the zones farmed in alone.
Winterspring - 1 pass along the walls of the zone = 25-35 mins. Yield is 7-9 stacks of Mountain Silversage and 4-6 stacks of Icecap. If you just stay on the walls, the yield is a ton higher if you farm the entirety of the zone. An entire sweep of of Winterspring can take 30-45 mins with a yield of 9-11 stacks of Mountain Silversage and 8-13 stacks of Icecap. The average's of the breakdown SHOULD be around a 50% yield of rare inks (I found it to be closer to 30%-41% return which is still amazing).
Swamps of Sorrows - 1 pass along the walls will yield roughly 9-11 stacks of each Sorrowmoss and Golden Sansam, for roughly 25-40 mins a pass. The yield on this zones herbs SHOULD be around 37.5%, I found it to be closer to 20%-27%. This is a fairly big difference between Winterspring.
Both zones are usually void of other people farming, and even when their are the respawns are so quick it doesnt really matter.
Now there is a second beneficial point to using the Vanilla deck method. And it comes from the common product Shimmering Ink. I was able to sell nearly 7k of these inks in bulk, and I still have another 3k in the bank. I was able to sell them for roughly 3g a unit. Thats 60g a stack!!! Why do people buy these you ask? The guild achievment for 25,000 glyphs. Yes thats right, there are guilds who buy this crap up to get that achievment. And at a price of 3g a unit, ya cant blame them.
Some other quick backround about my experience with Insane, and some data from what I recorded. First off, when I picked up Insane it was July of 2010. By September of 2010 I had completed Bloodsail, The Cartel, and Ravenholdt. I did have all of the materials for Shendralar farmed up as well, and the day I was set to turn it all in.... Blizzard announced Shendralar was going away. I realised the gold mine I had sitting in my bank, and went off a hunch that they wouldnt screw over the Insane achievment, and even if they did... I just became 150k gold richer.... I could live with that. When I fully came to a halt of doing Insane in October of 2010, I did so for Herald of the Titans. I sold off my entire card stock as well, figuring that if I wanted to begin again later I could. By January 20th I resumed my Insane endeavors, and realised the gold mine that Winterspring or Vanilla DMF farming was.
So the point is, when I re-began Insane in mid January I had zero cards.
I turned in my final deck April 3rd at midnight. That is a little over 2 months with around 30k rep to turn in using this method.
I hope this helps on what I feel is a far more efficient way to farm the DMF rep now that Cataclysm has come. That is if ya dont mind living in Winterspring for a few months
Good luck Insaners!