In-depth guide to speed scaling and gearing advices

glancealot

Legend
  1. Speed enchants increase your speed by a flat percentage, i.e., this percentage is added to your base speed (determined by speed points, we will cover this in great detail below). Keep in mind that when we say 3 speed, we refer to 3 speed points, not 3% speed increase, these are completely different things.
  2. All the boot speed enchants give 10% speed increase
  3. Only https://www.wowhead.com/item=38837 stacks with cape enchant/travel form/https://www.wowhead.com/item=13505
  4. https://www.wowhead.com/item=38837 does not stack with https://www.wowhead.com/item=28557/ (havn't tested other meta gems, but i would assume it's the same case)

Scaling of base speed and speed points at level 29 for level 20 twinks (stats shown are inside BGs)

dQ5ebQV.jpg


how to read the chart:
  • for every additional speed point between 27 and 30, you get 0.39% speed increase (on average)
  • for every additional speed point after 30, you only get 0.27% speed increase (this may change after 43)
As you can see, as soon as you reach 30+ points, the marginal benefit goes from 0.39% per speed point down to 0.27% per speed point. i believe at that point, you are not benefiting from speed points enough to justify equipping socket + speed gears that you could sell for 100k+. that is, once you hit 30 speed points, you can start equipping socket (+ leech) over socket + speed.

Here are the optimal cut-off points (% shown is before https://www.wowhead.com/item=38837 /cape enchant/https://www.wowhead.com/item=13505 etc), whether you benefit from the apparent rounding of the speed percentage I am not sure (i.e., is 18% really 0.4% faster than 17.6%, or the server treats 18% the same as 17.6%? need more testing to be sure). Disclaimer, only the numbers shown above are observed inside BGs, the cut-off points presented below are based on my calculation and may be incorrect, although the chance of that is low as i am a fully qualified actuary (fellow).

  1. 32: speed % rounds up to 18%
  2. 29: speed % rounds up to 17%
  3. 26: speed % rounds up to 16%
  4. 24: speed % rounds up to 15%
  5. 22: speed % rounds up to 14%
  6. 20: speed % rounds up to 13%
  7. 18: speed % rounds up to 12%
  8. 16: speed % rounds up to 11%

Gear slots analysis:

Chest/helm/leggings (28 BOEs offer 6 speed), even if you get socket + speed 28 gears for these slots, you are still sacrificing 2 sockets for 6 speed, that is only 3 speed for each socket loss which you can achieve with much cheaper speed-only gears listed below. so stick to BC gears.

Gloves/belt/shoulder/boots (28 BOEs offer 5 speed): these are good slots for socket + speed gears because you sacrifice only 1 socket for 5 speed. however, if you cannot get socket + speed, then speed alone may not be worth it because you would only get 5/2=2.5 speed for each socket loss.

Ring (28 BOEs and 25 BOPs offer 4 speed): these are good slots for speed-only gears because you get 4 speed for each socket loss. they are also good slots for socket + speed gears because you don't lose anything for the additional speed.

Trinket (28 BOEs offer 5 speed, 25 BOPs offer 4 speed): this is the best slot for speed-only gear because you get 5 speed for each socket loss. this is also a good slot for socket + speed because you don't lose anything for the additional speed.

Cape/bracers (28 BoEs and 25 BoPs offer 3 speed for these slots): they are good slots for socket + speed gears because you don't lose anything for the additional speed. however, if you cannot get socket + speed, then speed alone is still worth it, because you would get 3 speed for each socket loss without paying a huge amount of gold (unlike chest/helm/leggings as mentioned above).

In terms of weapons, ilvl 25~26 1-h weapons/shields/offhands offer 3 speed points, ilvl 25~26 2-h weapons offer 6 speed points, https://www.wowhead.com/item=117551 offers 10 speed (yes, 10). The best weapon for speed is https://www.wowhead.com/item=13505, a flat 10% speed increase can be seen as 15~30 speed points (it's a range because 10% speed increase becomes harder and harder to get, as indicated by the chart above), there is a reason why some hunters and some hpals (actually, only myself) use it.

Example:

Let's say you want 26 speed for 16% base speed, then what is the optimal budget way to get it given that speed + socket gears are so expensive / hard to come by?

Shell out money for speed+socket versions of any two of gloves/belt/shoulder/boots, 10 speed

pick up 2 speed rings (no socket required, rezan ring works, if you get socket+speed, more power to you), 8 speed

pick up a speed 28 trinket (no socket required, if you get socket+speed, more power to you), 5 speed

pick up speed wrist, 3 speed

10+8+5+3=26

let's say you want 29 speed for 17% base speed, then pick up speed cape in addition for 26+3=29 speed.
 
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Why don't you just give this info to somebody who is compiling a data list and not have another thread closed because you cant help yourself getting into arguments over nonsense :p

Not sure why another thread is necessary.
 
Nice, I can imagine putting together a speed set for doing things like farming mats and stuff would be sick.
 
not gonna lie, i have revisited this thread probaly 20 times now, not to check out the replies, but to look at the break points as i am finalizing my hpal's set-up with less than 24 hours of sub time remaining, can't like or rate my own thread but i would if i could.
 
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accel said:
You promised a video of the gameplay. No pushing, just saying that if you decide to do it, I for one would be very interested to watch - in a good way, if it works, great, if it doesn't work, fine as well, no big deal.
Click to expand...

i will start recording this weekend.
 
Chops said:
it_s_been_84_yeras-DMID1-5gvl1hy01-245x245.gif
Click to expand...

cut me some slack, i have only been back 3 months and my first project (the druid) was abandoned. i still need quite a few pieces but i think i now have the gears to make a meaningful video.
 
I don't play SL, but isn't the entire point of movement speed in general to be sure you don't get outpaced by your opponent? By this logic, doesn't everyone HAVE to ALWAYS have ALL move speed equipped to not fall behind? No matter how negligible, a non-null increase in speed is going to mean you outpace someone. Unless everybody has tons of gap closers now that makes this less relevant?
 
Chops said:
its really only a thing in pugs
Click to expand...

which is the sole reason this bracket is active?

is there another active bracket where there is no pug, but only arena / wargames?

i would say if you twink to strictly play arena/wargames, then you might as well do it at max level where there are tangible rewards.
 
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