Monday, June 9, 2008

Gear Check

Is needing to do a check here, help me figger out what upgrades to look fer, all that. Is mainly fer me, so feels free ta skip if ya don't care. These is all based on rankings at shadowpriest.com, although I done left a few items out cause of pfffft! ain't gonna happen. Also, assumes goal is max spell damage - fer some fights is needed to exchange damage fer stamina, but I ain't talkings 'bout that here.

Current Head: Evoker's Helmet of Second Sight
Upgrade: Lots of possibilities here. Several drops from Kara (inc T4), SSC (T5), TK, and ZA, crafted ones like Spellstrike Hood, even the S1 hat would be an upgrade (mainlies fer the Stamina though).
Best pre-T6 option: Hood of Hexing (ZA)

Current Neck: Ritssyn's Lost Pendant
Upgrade: Vindicator's Pendant of Subjugation (PvP reward)
Best pre-T6 option: Brooch of Nature's Mercy (ZA) Yeah, is healy gear, but haste rocks

Current Shoulders: Frozen Shadoweave Shoulders
No pre-T6 upgrades

Current Back: Ruby Drape of the Mysticant
Upgrades: Shadow-Cloak of Dalaran (Moroes), Cloak of Arcane Alacrity (60 Badges)
Best pre-T6 option: Royal Cloak of the Sunstriders (TK - Kael'thas)

Current Chest: Frozen Shadoweave Robe
Only pre-T6 upgrade: Vestments of the Sea-Witch (SSC - Vashj)

Current Wrist: Runed Spell-cuffs
No pre-T6 upgrades

Current Gloves: Handwraps of Flowing Thought
Upgrades: Soul-Eater's Handwraps (Magtheridon), badge gear
best pre-T6 option: Studious Handwraps (60 Badges)

Current Waist: Belt of Blasting
No pre-T6 upgrades

Current Legs: Trousers of the Astromancer
Upgrades: Leggings of the Seventh Circle (Doom Lord Kazzak), badge gear
Best pre-T6 option: Pantaloons of Arcane Annihilation (75 badges)

Current Feet: Frozen Shadoweave Boots
No pre-T6 upgrades

Current Rings: Violet Signet, Band of Crimson Fury
Upgrades: many
Best practical pre-T6 option: Signet of Ancient Magics (ZA)

Current Trinkets: Glowing Crystal Insignia, Icon of the Silver Crescent
Upgrade: Darkmoon Card: Crusader
Best pre-T6 option: Hex Shrunken Head

Current Weapon: Staff of Infinite Mysteries
Upgrades: drops in Kara, ZA, Heroic MrT, badge gear
Best pre-T6 option: Scryer's Blade of Focus (150 badges) and Fetish of the Primal Gods (35 badges)

9 comments:

Trollin' said...

For the helm, definitely go for Spellstrike. It's amazing.

For neck, get the PVP neck if you're going to stack haste. I don't use it because my connection is weird and I wouldn't see any benefit from it because of hiccoughs. Rittstn's is really nice.

For the cloak, it depends on if you get hit from your other gear. If you can get to 76 with your other gear (with or without gems) then drop it and go after Kael's or Moroes's.

Vestments of the Sea-Witch are a much bigger upgrade for Mages/Locks than it is for you. Hit and Crit are really not that useful, just put +dmg gems in FSW and you're set till Tier 6.

You're gloves are good unless you have absolutely nothing to spend badges on. You're gaining 5 dmg and losing hit and gaining crit. The other badge upgrades are better. Once you've got them all though, Studios Handwraps are a solid upgrade.

For leggings, I'd recommend the pantaloons if you're stacking haste, or grabbing the badge leggings if you're not.

There are *no* upgrades for Frozen Shadoweave Boots. =(

For rings, shoot for the two from ZA, the timed chest one and the drop.

Getting Hexlord to drop his trinket is annoying. I've not managed to do it, but if you can, all power to you. If you can't, I have another alternative though. If you're having mana problems at all (including using a more efficient/less damaging rotation), try picking up Mark of Defiance from Zangarmarsh PVP. It's got like 36 damage in addition to a proc on spell cast for 140-ish mana. I get mana returns in the five digits from that trinket during long boss fights.

For weaps, go for the Badge dagger and either the haste or shadow damage offhand. Both are good.

Anonymous said...

Quite the impressive list there. Surprised at this point you actually still have a green trinket. Though trinkets are replaced at a much slower rate then any gear in my experience.

Chris said...

Hey Ratshag, dont steal my thunder, I just started a Shadow Priest Blog :-D

shadowypower.blogspot.com

Check it out! Need help with anything just let me know.

Just to throw a few thoughts out there for you though. T5 shoulder is better then the FSW just because once you get the T5 Legs, the set bonus really helps with mana consumption. Also, the neck is a keeper, Spell haste is only good for a shadow priest if you can stack over 100+ of it, IMO.

you dont need spell crit as a shadow priest because if your SW:D crits to oftan, your screwed.

Armond said...

[Quick Lionseye] says PvP necklace. You give up what ends up being 2 haste for 31 stam (give or take a bit of spirit, resil, etc, that I would think would even out). Consider also [Reckless Pyrestone] (or its blue equivalent, [Reckless Noble Topaz]) and [Forceful Seaspray Emerald]/[Forceful Talewhatsit]. There's a few others that give spell hit, but you get the idea.

Other than that, listen to the other people. They know more than me.

Anonymous said...

As for trinkets go heroic mgt and get http://www.wowhead.com/?item=34470. Its amazingly good. And relatively easy to get.

Mana Battery Bitch said...

What on earth are you talking about, Ratter? What is this mumbo jumbo about there not being any pre T6 upgrade to Runed Spell-cuffs? You go on and find yourself a crafter for the Bracers of Nimble Thought and you won't look back until you have Kalecgos on farm. Pfft. Silly Orc. What are you waiting for? Go!

Anonymous said...

Hey, just adding some quick research:

MaxDPS.com suggests that the Shadowcaster's Drape (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=33591) is the best overall cloak until T6, beating out Kael's cloak by a small amount. If you're doing ZA, worth trying to pick it up.

Ratshag said...

@MBB - Ya, yer right. I could get Nimble Thoughts now, if I hads the mats. But right now I's spending everything I gots on enchants and gems fer me current gear, and flasks fer raiding, so HoD's is way, way outside current budget. Plus, even if I had'em, I'd be using them fer SR gear first. So, I filed thems under the "Ain't gonna happen before T6" category.

@Des - yup, yer right too. But the guild runs ZA on thursdays, which I can't make, so hitting a timed run is another "Ain't happening" item.

N said...

moar ZA pugs.

pugged 2 this week, both times got 2nd timer.

ezcakes w/chocolate frosting.

key is this: pally tank.

good one. muchos epics, for sure.

2nd key: resto shammies.

go pwn troll face, you'll get upgrades so fast your purple-receptor's'll burn out.

for your hyjal woes, i recommend investing a few hours in PvP and getting yourself some stam-heavy pvp gear to swap in on boss fights that leave you wishing you had more of that tank stuff. saved my squishy mage-butt more than once.