Thursday, January 24, 2008

Ready for Kara? Meh, not quite.

My current project is gearing up for Karazhan. Looking back, I sent Runic in there WAY too early. Sure, I got some Justicar Gauntlets, and some epic healing gear, but I was SO ineffectual in there. So gearing up will be simultaneous with knocking out quests, grinding faction, and actually completing the Key quest itself.

Gearing for Karazhan, I am using 3 tools:

1. Paladincraft.net's (dated, but still good) suggested Kara-entry Paladin guide. I think their benchmark stats are fair and functional, this is the guide I will be following into Karazhan.
2. Lootzor.com - to find the gear that will help me reach the benchmarks as defined by tool #1.
3. Gem Finder - because I don't think that the innate stats from tool #2 will quite get me to the objectives as defined by tool #1.

There are a few rules I am working by:

A. Don't screw yourself out of socket bonuses - if you can't find the exact stat for the exact color you need, get something else (and don't neglect your other stats).
B. Strength is preferable over Attack Power (in similar amounts), Agility is preferable over Crit Rating (in similar amounts) - because STR comes in larger numbers, and AGI helps with Parrying and Dodging too (and I don't use a shield in Ret Gear).

For Paladins, I believe the prime stat to subsequent stat is (theorycraft, lol):
1 points Strength = 2 points Attack Power
25 points AGI = 1% Crit = 22.08 Crit Rating

Do not quote me on those. I'm sure if I weren't at work I could probably go to elitistjerks.com or WoWWikki and find some exact calculations there; but I'm not so I can't.

Using the above calculations and the 3 aforementioned tools, I have compiled a list of gear that I will be chasing down before even trying to get into a Kara raid, ensuring that I meet Paladincraft's recommended benchmarks.

Head: Overlord's Helmet of Second Sight (Quest) (CHECK)
Neck: Natasha's Choker (Quest) (CHECK)
Shoulder: Ragesteel Shoulders (Craft) (CHECK)
Back: Cloak of the Inciter (Shadow Labirynth) or Auchenai Death Shroud ([Heroic?] Crypts)
Chest: Blackened Chestplate (Quest) (CHECK)
Wrist: Bracers of Just Rewards (Heroic Ramparts)
Waist: Deathforge Girdle (Seth Halls) (CHECK)
Legs: Legguards of the Shattered Hand (World) (CHECK)

Feet: Bloodsworn Warboots (Heroic Furnace) or Vortex Walking Boots (Exalted: Ogri'la)
Finger: Ring of the Shadow Deeps (Heroic Underbog) & Shaffar's Band of Brutality (Heroic Mana Tombs)
Trinket: Abacus of Violent Odds (Mech) & Hourglass of the Unraveller (Dark Portal)
Weapon: Thunder (Crafted, Hammersmith-Only)
(CHECK)

Looking over my gear right now, as of this initial writing, Hit Rating seems to be my biggest downfall. Obviously, I will need to compensate for that with gems (again, without screwing myself out of socket bonuses). But hopefully my Attack Power and Crit % won't suffer too badly as a result. This goes back to the reason why I won't mismatch sockets. There's other gems that could go in there for different stats!

1 comment:

Assbringer said...

The unbuffed objective, as laid out by Paladincraft.net:
1200-1300 Attack Power
23% Crit Chance
142 Hit Rating (9%)

The progress:
1458 Attack Power
26.62% Crit Chance
133 Hit Rating (8.43%)