Spriest Suggestions Beginning HMs

[wargodx]

Our 10m core recently cleared 12/12 normal mode (I know I know a little slow but we got there finally), and will begin content in HMs tonight. I am interested to hear any tips that the resident Spriest pros may be able to throw out there (ie incorrect reforge on a certain item). I am mainly mean inspection wise, as I dont have any problems with DPS per say (18-19k sustained w/o DPS buffs such as Magmaw or Halfus etc, fight dependent of course).

In addition, I do have the 4 pc tier set, but I am not impressed with the values on the helm and gloves, nor the 4 pc bonus.

Please understand that I am nowhere even close to an 'elitist', just a dedicated raider, and simply trying improve my game by every means available to me. I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one out there that has wiped to a boss at 1%, where that extra 1-2k DPS difference from the raid DPS could have made the difference.

Thank you in advance for the replies.

Shadowgodx / Dark Iron / Horde

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...dowgodx/simple

[rhyliss]

Without going into great detail (I'm at work), you appear to be "doing it right" for the most part. You could drop some of the reforges to spirit (your chest) because you don't -really- need to be exactly at 17% hit. But that can be more of a preference than anything and you won't see a huge DPS bump.

Since your reported DPS values aren't bad at all, the biggest issue with Hard-Modes will be getting used to the new abilities/issues and adapting your playstyle. I wouldn't sweat it too much. You may want to consider reviewing the BiS list and trying for the tier bonuses, as they can provide a solid DPS boost depending on your off-set selections.

If you're really into min/max'ing, you could drop Alchemy and pick up Jewelcrafting/Tailoring.

[oatmealpoet]

Very minor, but your pants shouldn't be reforged out of Haste. Also you can get by at ~15% hit rating and do more DPS then being at 17% assuming you catch misses right away. That's just preference though.

[rhyliss]

Very minor, but your pants shouldn't be reforged out of Haste. Also you can get by at ~15% hit rating and do more DPS then being at 17% assuming you catch misses right away. That's just preference though.

I didn't even notice his reforge out of haste on his pants. Good call.

Since you can afford to drop some spirit, you could swap your ring (Twined Band) for the vendor ring (Band of Secret Names).

If you're going to reforge for spirit, I prefer reforging Master -> Spirit, not Crit -> Spirit. You could do some changing there if you wanted, too.

[Keosen]

Get rid of the stuff and get incineratus/hammer and book of binding will and aim a ~15% hit, you can easily get better shoulder's (master's cho) and better neck (smoke pendant) and fix the reforge on the pants never reforge out of haste, if you can get more haste do it

[cruxxy]

If finance are available, a race change would be a DPS boost. I don't know the exact numbers of which is better but troll or goblin (haste buffs) would be a boost.

And just keep grabbing items with haste as a primary stat as you gear up.

[Milkshake86]

Very minor, but your pants shouldn't be reforged out of Haste. Also you can get by at ~15% hit rating and do more DPS then being at 17% assuming you catch misses right away. That's just preference though.

Assuming you dont miss a Mindblast crit O.O , if anything makes me rage more than missing a mindblast which coulda been a 100k+ crit idk wtf it is. Seem my dps go from 16k-21k in a single MB so really i wouldnt play the feral card w/ hit. When u wiff u sure as hell dont get ur mana back and u could have missed a big hit.

The 15% hit idea literally comes from the sims doing a 100% hit assumption, actual in game RNG you could miss 5 times in a row NOT crazy likely but thats randomness for you it could happen hell you could miss everything the whole fight and its still random.

[wargodx]

Yes, good call on the pants (knew i was missing something...mmo forums win)!

The MH/OH combo will have to wait, as I always pass on gear when someone else in core doesnt have an epic in that slot (Core>Individual stats IMO).

Great, I'll switch out neck for Smoke Pendant. I switched that out for the spt to hit cap, but seeing as how you recommend closer to 15%, I wont need it.

As far as shoulders...I havent gotten the Atra drop once (but of course i see it every week on alts)...and I cant win a Cho token roll to save my life (single digit rolls ftw lol).

[Deleted]

Just a small tip, i'd recommend reforging the hit rating from your boots into spirit. It will give some bonus mana regen, Also, as mentioned, a race change would be benefitial for your DPS.

[Xcuse]

If you're really into min/max'ing, you could drop Alchemy and pick up Jewelcrafting/Tailoring.

Changing Alchemy to Jewelcrafting wouldn't change anything? :3

[wargodx]

Well, I'm the only alch in core, so dropping alch would mean no cauldron....

[HeatM1ser]

Just a suggestion, but if you have a warlock in the raid giving you dark intent, you'll get 2 extra ticks out of VT, SW: P and DP when you hit 2140 haste, and a 3rd tick from DP when you hit 2283 haste. I would reforge some of that spirit to at least get to 2140 haste.

I overanalyze my combatlogs, and even when I go into a raid at 11% hit, my miss rate in boss fights is normally around 1.5% despite being so low on hit value. There is much debate over whether or not hit rating is important to shadow priests, and I;ve teetered back and forth, but have concluded that 12-14% hit is really al that a shadow priest needs, since empowered shadows is still applied even if a mind blast misses. Sure, missing a mind blast still hurts, but since an estimated 73% of our damage comes from out DoTs, having empowered shadows applied despite a mind blast miss makes hit ratin rather irrelevant---especially to a good shadow priest who reacts quickly when they apply a DoT/Mind flay and it misses and can respond immediately to apply it again.

As far as my miss percentage, I can always show you combatlogs which should indicate that hit and spirit can be reforged for more haste, and wind up in a DPS increase for you....but even with a 1.5% miss rate @ 11-12% hit people will still advise you to aim for the hit cap, while others will advise you differently.

Well, I'm the only alch in core, so dropping alch would mean no cauldron....

Who cares if they have to buy their own flasks...gold is easy to come by. Don't sacrifice your value to the raid just so you can save 9 other people some gold. I'm sure they will still save gold by getting the mats and having another elixir master in the guild create flasks. Besides, if they QQ about having to pay for their own flasks, would you really want to raid with someone who is more concerned about a few gold than being the best raider they can be and progress at a faster level? Another solution to this is to just have another alchemist join the raid and drop a cauldron for the raid and then leave the raid.

[rhyliss]

Changing Alchemy to Jewelcrafting wouldn't change anything? :3

Technically, it does.

Unless I'm incorrect (and I could be), the Mixology benefit is +80 intellect to Draconic Mind flasks for a total of +380 intellect.

With chimera's eyes for jewelcrafting, you receive +67 int, as opposed to +40 int, for up to three gem slots. That's a +27 intellect difference, multiplied by 3, for a total of +81 intellect.

81 > 80.

Hence the "If you're really into min/max'ing..."

[HeatM1ser]

Technically, it does.

Unless I'm incorrect (and I could be), the Mixology benefit is +80 intellect to Draconic Mind flasks for a total of +380 intellect.

With chimera's eyes for jewelcrafting, you receive +67 int, as opposed to +40 int, for up to three gem slots. That's a +27 intellect difference, multiplied by 3, for a total of +81 intellect.

81 > 80.

Hence the "If you're really into min/max'ing..."

My prot pally is an alchemist, and I have never seen a flask give me 80 more of that stat than advertised. Maybe I just haven't noticed....but we do get a flask that you do not lose when consumed and gives us 80 of a stat depending on our spec which can be used over and over...but I havent seen flasks of steelskin give me and extra 80 stamina....I'll double check next time.

[rhyliss]

My prot pally is an alchemist, and I have never seen a flask give me 80 more of that stat than advertised. Maybe I just haven't noticed....but we do get a flask that you do not lose when consumed and gives us 80 of a stat depending on our spec which can be used over and over...but I havent seen flasks of steelskin give me and extra 80 stamina....I'll double check next time.

Check your pre-flask stamina, then check again after you use the flask.

My understanding is that it's bugged and doesn't show on the buff, but you get the mixology bonus (at least as of 4.03). Like I said before, I could be wrong. I haven't bothered leveling my alt's Alchemy since WotLK.