29 WW Monk guide

[Zirano]

Hey!

After seing the increased interest in ww monks, I've decided to make a little guide.
I'll be going over gear, both what I would consider BiS and some alternatives.
I'll also be going over enchants, proffesions, consumables, race and some tricks/info

Gear
I'll be adding multiple items to each item slot, and the item furthest to the left will be what I consider Bis and the items to the right will be decent alternatives. I'll also try to mainly include items that are still obtainable, but there might be a gf'eed item or two.

Stat priority: Agi > Vers > Crit

Head: https://www.wowhead.com/item=16008/master-engineers-goggles / https://www.wowhead.com/item=15339/pathfinder-hat of the quickblade / any BoE helm with 9 agi / 13 stam and 12 secondary stats
Neck: https://www.wowhead.com/item=122666/eternal-woven-ivy-necklace&bonus=0
Shoulder: https://www.wowhead.com/item=15140/cutthroats-mantle of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=7408/infiltrator-shoulders of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=122358/stained-shadowcraft-spaulders&bonus=0
Cloak: https://www.wowhead.com/item=10518/parachute-cloak / https://www.wowhead.com/item=9860/archers-cloak of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=122261/inherited-cape-of-the-black-baron&bonus=0
Chest: https://www.wowhead.com/item=134647/rookies-tunic&bonus=1723:1812 of the quickblade (with 12 secondaries) / https://www.wowhead.com/item=9835/scaled-leather-tunic of the quickblade / any BoE chest with 9 agi / 13 stam and 12 secondary stats
Bracers: https://www.wowhead.com/item=9857/archers-bracers of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=134650/rookies-bindings&bonus=1723 of the quickblade
Gloves: https://www.wowhead.com/item=59065/sparkproof-gloves&bonus=3646 (quest must be done at level 29 for them to be BiS) / https://www.wowhead.com/item=6408/insignia-gloves&bonus=3834
Belt: https://www.wowhead.com/item=20117/highlanders-leather-girdle
Legs: https://www.wowhead.com/item=13114/trolls-bane-leggings (14 agi / 13 stam) / https://www.wowhead.com/item=15139/cutthroats-pants of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=7414/infiltrator-pants of the quickblade
Boots: https://www.wowhead.com/item=20114/highlanders-leather-boots
Ring 1: https://www.wowhead.com/item=134659/recruits-ring of the quickblade
Ring 2: https://www.wowhead.com/item=160601/tumultuous-ring&bonus=1812:4243 of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=9447/electrocutioner-lagnut&bonus=4017 (16 vers)
Trinket 1: https://www.wowhead.com/item=126948/defending-champion&bonus=0 / https://www.wowhead.com/item=126949/returning-champion&bonus=0 / https://www.wowhead.com/item=128318/touch-of-the-void&bonus=0
Trinket 2: https://www.wowhead.com/item=126949/returning-champion&bonus=0 / https://www.wowhead.com/item=19024/arena-grand-master / https://www.wowhead.com/item=122530/inherited-mark-of-tyranny&bonus=0
Weapon 1: https://www.wowhead.com/item=9485/vibroblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=2080/hillborne-axe of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=135481/recruits-quickblade&bonus=1723 of the quickblade
Weapon 2: https://www.wowhead.com/item=2080/hillborne-axe of the quickblade / https://www.wowhead.com/item=135481/recruits-quickblade&bonus=1723 of the quickblade

I have personally not played that much with https://www.wowhead.com/item=9485/vibroblade but I did do the math with some substantial testing with the help of a ret pally, and the proc gave me a damage increase of 26 %. I also saw similar results on a resto shaman (mail wearer with shield) and therefor I'd say it's safe to assume Vibroblade is BiS

Enchants

Neck: https://www.wowhead.com/item=128553/enchant-neck-mark-of-the-hidden-satyr
Shoulder: https://www.wowhead.com/item=87579/tiger-claw-inscription / https://www.wowhead.com/item=83007/greater-tiger-claw-inscription They're the same +3 agility +1 crit
Cloak: https://www.wowhead.com/item=38893/enchant-cloak-stealth +4 Agility +4 dodge
Chest: https://www.wowhead.com/item=74708/enchant-chest-glorious-stats +7 Stats
Bracers: https://www.wowhead.com/item=38987/enchant-bracer-greater-stats +3 Stats
Gloves: https://www.wowhead.com/item=44458/enchant-gloves-crusher +6 Attack power / https://www.wowhead.com/item=34207/glove-reinforcements +11 Stamina (If using BoE gloves)
Legs: https://www.wowhead.com/item=83764/shadowleather-leg-armor +4 Agility +2 crit
Boots: https://www.wowhead.com/item=52757/enchant-boots-major-agility +3 Agility / https://www.wowhead.com/item=52743/enchant-boots-earthen-vitality +3 Stam 8% movement speed
Ring 1: https://www.wowhead.com/item=128544/enchant-ring-binding-of-versatility +2 Versatility
Ring 2: https://www.wowhead.com/item=128544/enchant-ring-binding-of-versatility +2 Versatility
Weapon 1: https://www.wowhead.com/item=74725/enchant-weapon-elemental-force
Weapon 2: https://www.wowhead.com/item=74725/enchant-weapon-elemental-force

Proffesions

300 Alchemy: https://www.wowhead.com/item=75525/alchemists-flask +11 Agility
300 Engineering: https://www.wowhead.com/item=16008/master-engineers-goggles / https://www.wowhead.com/item=10518/parachute-cloak
I'd also recomend having 200 blacksmithing on an alt for: https://www.wowhead.com/item=7964/solid-sharpening-stone

Consumables

https://www.wowhead.com/item=75525/alchemists-flask +11 Agility
https://www.wowhead.com/item=7964/solid-sharpening-stone +5 weapon damage
https://www.wowhead.com/item=109076/goblin-glider-kit Great utility for objective controll in AB
https://www.wowhead.com/item=89595/novices-tiger-brew +8 Agility and is basically free (+16 if you're pandaren)
https://www.wowhead.com/item=14530/heavy-runecloth-bandage

I also recently disovered that monk's https://www.wowhead.com/spell=116670/vivify has a hidden scaling with weapon damage. This means that not only does sharpening stone give us extra damage, but it also increases the healing of https://www.wowhead.com/spell=116670/vivify by 30.

Race

The monk have the luxuary of having a +8 main stat food (pretty much free). This means that with the pandaren racial https://www.wowhead.com/spell=107072/epicurean , we essentially get a +16 agility buff for free. Therefor I'd argue that pandarens are superior to any other of the races. And yes, I also hate how pandaren look but for 8 extra agility I'll just farm all the shapeshifting toys I can and live with it. https://www.wowhead.com/spell=107079/quaking-palm also helps now that https://www.wowhead.com/spell=115078/paralysis has a 45 sec cooldown.

Ending

Windwalker shines in 1v1 because of the ability to kite and decent self heals, so they make for great base defenders. They can also be played effectively in teamfights if you cordinate your damage with a rogue stun or other cc. While playing windwalker in teamfights, you'll always have to be ready to roll out because you're a pretty squishy melee and you'll flop in an instant to arcane mages and other casters.

Windwalker monks are definitely not the strongest spec in this bracket, but they certainly have potential. With decent gear they deal good damage and with fists of fury we have high burst. You could almost compare it to fury warrior with the exception that we do not have a kick and therefor less pressure on healers. But even with it being a mediocre spec, it's the spec I've enjoyed the most in this bracket and I'd encourage anyone with a monk to try it out.

If anyone is interested, the link to my monk is in my signature

Edit: Typos

 

[Leek]

If they just reverted that chi change so that blackout kick costs 1 chi WW would be in S tier already

 

[Zirano]

If they just reverted that chi change so that blackout kick costs 1 chi WW would be in S tier already

Blackout kick only costs 1 chi atm. The problem is that we have no stun or interrupt so it feels like playing a crippled warrior :/

 

[busgaga]

No point doing guides.. anyone with a Brain cam figured it out.

As a mw the only choise is to go for stam and versa..

My road as mw was too easy against anything in 29 bracket even double bm. I Guess i was rank 1 IF the ladder meant anything by Then.

\ strongson

 

[Zirano]

No point doing guides.. anyone with a Brain cam figured it out.

As a mw the only choise is to go for stam and versa..

My road as mw was too easy against anything in 29 bracket even double bm. I Guess i was rank 1 IF the ladder meant anything by Then.

\ strongson

Saying "no point doing guides" doesn't sit right with me.
Yeah sure, people that have played the bracket for a while will know how to gear any class. But there are players that are unsure on what stats to go for, what gear is even out there and what enchants scale to what. So I think guides still help certain people out

 

[Leek]

Blackout kick only costs 1 chi atm. The problem is that we have no stun or interrupt so it feels like playing a crippled warrior :/

Guess the trade off is the super hamstring that slows forever, can root and I guess you can heal allies too
Edit: realised only 20s have the 2 chi blackout kick

 

[Zirano]

Guess the trade off is the super hamstring that slows forever, can root and I guess you can heal allies too
Edit: realised only 20s have the 2 chi blackout kick

Yeah the slow/root is nice for sure, but the fact that we have no interrupt nor stun basically makes it so we have no pressure when focusing healers alone. I'd easily trade away my hamstring for leg sweep, fists stun or interrupt.

And damn it must suck that blackout kick costs 2 chi, that actually sounds almost unplayable :/

 

[Cubbers]

Nice guide man, was unsure about enchants and shit. Maybe this thread can be used for presenting new builds in the future. Which one is the better helm according to you goggles or pathfinder?

 

[Zirano]

Nice guide man, was unsure about enchants and shit. Maybe this thread can be used for presenting new builds in the future. Which one is the better helm according to you goggles or pathfinder?

I'd go for Googles for sure.

 

[Cubbers]

Ait

 

[Ado]

if only FoF stunned...
[doublepost=1540820299,1540819870][/doublepost]

Guess the trade off is the super hamstring that slows forever, can root and I guess you can heal allies too
Edit: realised only 20s have the 2 chi blackout kick

The healing isn't that good, it costs energy and if you're going for crit/vers you'll have 1.5 sec casts and base energy regen.

 

[Roadwarrior]

100% Great.

And we do need guides (not for guides sake), what keeps this forum going and people interested and also growing the forum is this kind of thing and just random discussions. If it was not for this level of interest this would just be about 5 old school angry twinks not posting and occasionally calling each other "bruh". "But we gotten by that way forever!"... nobody cares.

*****

You should add: Soulrender Greatcloak from Scarlet Monastery (given that about 2 Versatility = 1 Agility its not a bad item).

I would also say that you should still use VibroBlade and Darkwater Talwar (giving up any proc for a tiny bit of damage is just not worth it, I would not just 100% try to copy a rogue build as you are playing completely different in an actual game).

Forest Tracker Epaulets for the Shoulders, again Agility > Secondary Stats.

Better Agility items might be BiS as well, Insignia Bracers and other items just give more Agility. While I don't like items that just give only Main stat at the expense of Stamina, I would always lose a secondary stat like Haste/Crit for more Agility. Parachute cloak with the old school broken enchant might be the only exception because that is just a bonkers amount of Agility.

 

[Zirano]

100% Great.

And we do need guides (not for guides sake), what keeps this forum going and people interested and also growing the forum is this kind of thing and just random discussions. If it was not for this level of interest this would just be about 5 old school angry twinks not posting and occasionally calling each other "bruh". "But we gotten by that way forever!"... nobody cares.

*****

You should add: Soulrender Greatcloak from Scarlet Monastery (given that about 2 Versatility = 1 Agility its not a bad item).

I would also say that you should still use VibroBlade and Darkwater Talwar (giving up any proc for a tiny bit of damage is just not worth it, I would not just 100% try to copy a rogue build as you are playing completely different in an actual game).

Better Agility items might be BiS as well, Insignia Bracers and other items just give more Agility. While I don't like items that just give only Main stat at the expense of Stamina, I would always lose a secondary stat like Haste/Crit for more Agility. Parachute cloak with the old school broken enchant might be the only exception because that is just a bonkers amount of Agility.

I'm not a fan of the Darkwater personally, The proc seems way to inconsistent to me so I'd rather just have flat out more stats. And yeah the build is quite similar to a rogues but I am planning on adding some options like BoE gloves with reinforcment (11 stam) and such, just havent gotten that far yet. Wrote this earlier in the day so it's not complete yet.

I do appreciate the feedback tho and I'll update it with some more "tankier" options as well.

 

[Roadwarrior]

I'm not a fan of the Darkwater personally, The proc seems way to inconsistent to me so I'd rather just have flat out more stats. And yeah the build is quite similar to a rogues but I am planning on adding some options like BoE gloves with reinforcment (11 stam) and such, just havent gotten that far yet. Wrote this earlier in the day so it's not complete yet.

I do appreciate the feedback tho and I'll update it with some more "tankier" options as well.

Yeah, I would add a second list tho and call it just that "Tankier Build" (I do think the Agility/Stam only items are are serious option to be looked at, cause you can get your agility really high up there as a WW - Similar to Gucciglads "pathfinder" hunter build... it makes WW hit really hard)... too many items in one list is just confusing.

As you said before, you don't have anything like Pummel... and Roll is no Charge/Heroic Leap, you can't stunlock like a rogue, all WW can do is "More Damage" and when you are not doing "More Damage" you are just doing nothing... that is the entire specs main flaw... and it's all melee range ... sure you can off heal... which is very useful to a team, but ... meh.

WW is even in a worse situation that Ret is, Ret at least as 3 ranged attacks (if you take ES)... and has a slow/mega stun.

It ALWAYS feels like a Dragon Ball Z episode to me when I play WW when I hit a Fury with everything then the turn around slowly all angry/irritated and I get a cheesy Anime "oh shit grin" and then try to roll away.

 

[Zirano]

Yeah, I would add a second list tho and call it just that "Tankier Build" (I do think the Agility/Stam only items are are serious option to be looked at, cause you can get your agility really high up there as a WW - Similar to Gucciglads "pathfinder" hunter build... it makes WW hit really hard)... too many items in one list is just confusing.

Yeah for sure, Maybe I'll work on a "alternate set". but atm I have a pretty decent balance on my monk tho. Buffed my stats are 227 agi, 18,18 % crit and 17,42 % with 2250 health (no stam buff)

 

[Roadwarrior]

Yeah for sure, Maybe I'll work on a "alternate set". but atm I have a pretty decent balance on my monk tho. Buffed my stats are 227 agi, 18,18 % crit and 17,42 % with 2250 health (no stam buff)

What is your liking of Critical Strike versus just having 50 more agility (which you could get).

 

[Zirano]

What is your liking of Critical Strike versus just having 50 more agility?

well I don't think that would be possible tbh, because I only have 37 points of crit. But I see your point that you could sacrifice secondaries for main stats.

 

[Acerbytas]

Saying "no point doing guides" doesn't sit right with me.
Yeah sure, people that have played the bracket for a while will know how to gear any class. But there are players that are unsure on what stats to go for, what gear is even out there and what enchants scale to what. So I think guides still help certain people out

they still helps. Nice and interesting guide. thanks for it

 

[Cubbers]

Is scaled shadowfang maybe bis?

 

[Roadwarrior]

Is scaled shadowfang maybe bis?

It's Darkwater Talwar or the Hillborne axe as he posed at the top. Even the best scaled fang is worse than the Darkwater Talwar.

I think the proc on the Talwar is fine, if the OP does not like it you will get almost the EXACT same results from the hillborne axe. You just lose a small chance to get lucky for the occasional healer burndown.

The Vibroblade tho is hard to judge, I have an enhancement shaman that I use Two on... and the proc is still VERY BAD... I just don't think the Vibroblade can be BiS with a proc like it has. I like it more for ORGANIZED play where your team might actually take advantage of a healer that has the debuff on him and just kill that gimp... but, for pugs where people just do whatever its often a wasted debuff.. and all you did was wander around with a weapon with no stats and bad damage.