I think the titan rune stones are for the 5.3 step as you get the Gem after the secrets with no 5.2 prize later on until 5.3. and as for not having the problem of 6k valor the problem was not the time it took to do it it was the time it took doing that step after 5.2 it was insanely long. for the 2 marks you needed for step one they just upped the drop chance and boom a 6 week quest became a 3 week one and they are doing that in 5.3 for the valor you will only need 3k (the 6k valor achievement needs to move to a feat then too).
so the 5.0 step was dropped in time during 5.2 (much grater drop chance)
and the 5.1 step will be dropped in 5.3 (only need 3k valor)
i can see the 5.2 step getting dropped in 5.4 (much grater drop chance)