Challenge Mode Itemization

[Deleted]

It's struck me that the automatic item level scaling isn't the end of itemization for challenge modes. I've looked around for information but without luck. Here's what I've found:

1. Since ilvl no longer matters (as long as it's 463+), you might as well use the items with the best secondary stats.

2. Scenario reward chests appears to contain loot with a higher total stat budget than other equal ilvl items.

In this case, I'm losing 1 primary stat to gain 39 secondary stats.

3. Since gems are not scaled, socketed items generally have a higher stat budget than unsocketed ones.

As a combat rogue I'd socket Korloff's Raiment with a 320 haste gem, giving me 222 secondary stats at the cost of 20 primary stats - a clear winner.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

Other than the Scenario rewards, I've been going with numbers 1 and 3. Can't say I've been going for the bleed edge farming every amazing piece of gear, but will keep stuff in my bags that I replaced with raid gear.

Simcraft has a challenge mode setting, not sure how accurate it is but will probably be a good yard stick. All I know is, Sha needs to give up the Jaws of Terror.

[Deleted]

I've actually just zoned into a CM dungeon for my comparisons. All items show their 463 stats in there.

[Berthold]

the simcraft setting is mostly there for seeing whether, say Arms performs better than Fury after downscaling. I wouldn't use it for calculating haste plateaus, etc.

[Nivrax]

Sha touched gem doesn't seem to work at all in CMs, although I tested it only briefly once. Maybe prismatic socket would.

[Dorfie]

I've just run with the assumption that the more sockets the better. Really though you don't have to min max unless you are going for rank 1 times, just getting the golds are pretty simple.

[Deleted]

Sure, I just like to improve where I can. If I can do more DPS for 'free', that's something I'll aim for.

[Deleted]

Any item with additional sockets is good, even though trinkets get downscaled take trinketprocs into account.

For engineers, using engineering helm also helps for the 2x 600 secondary stats

[theyanger]

Just FYI, unless it's been fixed in the last few days, higher ilevel gear doesn't scale perfectly. Make sure you're checking your own stats on things and not just assuming the scaling is correct. Specifically, you absolutely do get more stats from better gear than you would from the same 463 blue, or even the heroic version of an item vs the lfr version.

[Harsesis]

Just FYI, unless it's been fixed in the last few days, higher ilevel gear doesn't scale perfectly. Make sure you're checking your own stats on things and not just assuming the scaling is correct. Specifically, you absolutely do get more stats from better gear than you would from the same 463 blue, or even the heroic version of an item vs the lfr version.

This is probably due to the way the scaling rounds/truncates numbers.