necroaqua
Grandfathered
Latest Updates:
Google Doc Master Copy (Always up-to-date)
With the release of legion, I've decided to retire my WoD Quick Start Guide and create a new guide for legion. This guide is intended to be for new twinks to easily find a set of gear to quickly be able to jump into BGs/arenas. It will also list the BiS items that might be harder to obtain, like Lucky Fishing Hat. It will NOT list grandfathered items - though I may include them in weapon damage rankings in the theorycrafting section.
Glossary:
Introduction
Theres a few things you should know before jumping in. Due to Principles of War, instanced pvp stats are almost exclusively based off your average equipped item level. This guide only covers instanced pvp (BGs and arenas). You need to equip an item in each slot in order for that item slot to count towards the template's stats. The base average equipped ilvl for this bracket is ilvl 24. Even if your ilvl is below 24, you will have the same stats as if you had an ilvl of exactly 24. Each ilvl above that increases your primary stats (armor/stam/int/agi/str) by .1%. Wearing all of your class's designated armor spec gives you a 5% bonus to your primary stat (int/agi/str).
The four laws of gearing a 19. Follow each law without breaking the previous ones.
Some other things to note:
I’m not going to go into wpvp gear due to how difficult of a task it is. I will instead leave you with some pointers so you can hopefully determine which of your gear is best for wpvp.
If you see any typos or broken links, please let me know. More importantly - if you disagree with certain gear choices or think I missed something, please post that as well, along with the reasoning behind that gear piece!
- Due to the website drama, I have made a google doc for this guide. This google doc will be the "master" and will always have the latest changes. Please feel free to add comments/suggestions for any talents or errors. Google doc link
- It looks like not all 2Hers are created equal. Use 2H swords/axes over a 2H mace/staff/polearm for a 1-2 damage increase. Make sure not to use caster versions of weapons (with int)
- http://www.wowhead.com/spell=59625/black-magic procs off of harmful spells and certain racials. It is the only known enchant to work in BGs.
- 7.3.5 changes scaling. Weapons no longer scale by rarity, only by type (1h/dagger/2h axe,sword/ranged). Dungeon blues are now ilvl 25. Lots of quest items are scaling to ilvl 25. It shouldn't be too hard to get ilvl 25 or better in every slot. AGM and many higher ilvl quest items are now GFd.
- Viable Talent choices for lots of specs
- Are windwalker monks limited to certain weapon types? Is there any reason to use 2 1hers over 1 2her?
Google Doc Master Copy (Always up-to-date)
With the release of legion, I've decided to retire my WoD Quick Start Guide and create a new guide for legion. This guide is intended to be for new twinks to easily find a set of gear to quickly be able to jump into BGs/arenas. It will also list the BiS items that might be harder to obtain, like Lucky Fishing Hat. It will NOT list grandfathered items - though I may include them in weapon damage rankings in the theorycrafting section.
Glossary:
- Introduction
- 30 Second 19 Twink Guide and Condensed Gear Guide
- Druid
- Hunter
- Mage
- Monk
- Paladin
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
- Theorycrafting - (optional and number-heavy)
Introduction
Theres a few things you should know before jumping in. Due to Principles of War, instanced pvp stats are almost exclusively based off your average equipped item level. This guide only covers instanced pvp (BGs and arenas). You need to equip an item in each slot in order for that item slot to count towards the template's stats. The base average equipped ilvl for this bracket is ilvl 24. Even if your ilvl is below 24, you will have the same stats as if you had an ilvl of exactly 24. Each ilvl above that increases your primary stats (armor/stam/int/agi/str) by .1%. Wearing all of your class's designated armor spec gives you a 5% bonus to your primary stat (int/agi/str).
The four laws of gearing a 19. Follow each law without breaking the previous ones.
- Don't leave any slots empty. Anything is preferable to empty (tabard and shirt don't count).
- Special Cases. If you can use wands, use a wand. Prefer shields over offhands. Rogues, Warriors, Hunters, Retribution/Protection Paladins and Enhance Shamans should use the correct category of weapon (1h/dagger/2h axe,sword/ranged). For example, an outlaw rogue shouldn't use a dagger.
- Use the proper armor type. For a 5% boost to primary stats, wear the right armor type. It is an all or nothing bonus. For example, warriors with all plate armor receive a 5% STR bonus. Cosmetic items like Mist-Piercing Goggles will break this bonus (but are fine for jewelry).
- Increase your average equipped ilvl as much as possible without breaking the first 3 rules. This is a very small 0.1% stat increase for each average equipped ilvl above the level 19 template (24). A very geared twink might reach ilvl 44 - so only a 2% increase.
Some other things to note:
- Check your bank/bags for grandfathered gear, like your old Insiginia (60)! This list only contains items currently available to players.
- Weapon attack speed is now normalized. Rarity does not matter. Make sure you use the proper category (1h, 2h axe/sword, daggers, ranged). Otherwise use the highest ilvl.
- Moves that use offhand damage will actually use 50% of the mainhand damage. So you'll always want a high ilvl in your offhand. Don’t equip a lily instead of a dagger though - you’ll lose more in white damage than you gain in stats!
- Some addons (like Deja's character stats) will show your character's average ilvl.
- Enchants do not work in instanced pvp - with the possible exception of Black Magic.
- Wands currently contribute twice as much stats as any other 1h weapon. Try a wand/lily combo and see your stats go up about 5%. See why in the theorycrafting section.
- Dungeon rares and quests at 19 are now ilvl 25 blues for some slight upgrades. There is a drop in the 4 doable dungeons for basically every slot except trinkets and leather helm. So most slots should have at least an ilvl 25 option.
- Items like Mist-Piercing Goggles do not have an armor type, so equipping them will remove the armor-type bonus. The fraction of a percent from increasing ilvl isn't worth losing the 5% primary stats.
- Winning BGs will award Crate of Battlefield Goods which can drop green (ilvl 23) or blue (ilvl 27) weapons, offhand, shield, chest, legs, bracers, boots, and rings.
- Completing random dungeons will award a satchel which can drop ilvl 25 gear.
- Engineering is the only profession that unlocks additional gear (cloth goggles and trinket). Clothies will see the most benefit from engineering as they get both the goggles and the trinket upgrade. See this engineering leveling guide for a quick way to reach 150 (165 for gnomes).
- Engineers (explosive sheep and other bombs, jumper cables for gnomes), Alchemists (Mixology), and Jewelcrafters (stone statues) provide some small advantages in terms of consumables. But the advantages are rather small - no primary profession is required.
- First Aid should be leveled up on all twinks to allow the use of Runecloth Bandages (which are, surprisingly, better than Heavy Runecloth Bandages...). Go to dal and you can learn legion first aid (up to 800) and level it up with legion cloth.
I’m not going to go into wpvp gear due to how difficult of a task it is. I will instead leave you with some pointers so you can hopefully determine which of your gear is best for wpvp.
- Obviously, ilvl doesn’t matter over stats - so lose your white rings, neck, and offhand.
- The 5% for matching armor types doesn’t exist, so feel free to use other armor types if the item has better stats. Casters who wear plate/mail/leather should look at gear from all armor types they can wear. Hunters and Enhance Shamans will want to look at agility leather.
- Mastery does nothing at lvl 19. Gear with mastery should be replaced.
- Figure out if your class/spec prefers crit, haste, or versatility and focus gear and enchants on that.
- Minor speed to boots is the only boot speed enchant that stacks with the WoD cloak enchants that provide speed.
- Elemental Force, Crusader, and Landslide are all good weapon enchants depending on your class.
- Legion neck enchants like Mark of the Hidden Satyr are very good.
- Consider using an heirloom neck for the on-use potion or speed boost.
- You can use trinkets for the stat boost, but don’t forget the equip effects.
- Newer jewelry may not have a primary stat (agi/int/str) - consider finding old jewelry pieces that have that stat if it is higher priority than secondary stats.
- Look at gear/enchants used in WoD, and then consider the new gear and enchants available in legion. Remember that WoD had scaling in BGs, so some of the best BG/arena items might not be the best when there is no scaling.
If you see any typos or broken links, please let me know. More importantly - if you disagree with certain gear choices or think I missed something, please post that as well, along with the reasoning behind that gear piece!
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