Badass (?) BoE Blues in Wrath!

[Kelaan]

Blizzard said the gear reset would not be as dramatic as it was in TBC but we can see that's clearly false now :/ Looks like there will be dungeon blues that are better than the Illidan and Sunwell shields.

When I hear "gear reset" I don't think "my gear will last until 80", but rather "level 71 blues/greens won't replace my T5". There won't be greens that are >>> the T4-ish stuff...though it will likley be on par. As others mention (and ilevels/gear-stats seem to confirm), I expect most gear to last us until ~75ish -- maybe 78-80 if you've T6 gear. The primary stats (stamina, armor, defense, etc) will likley find pieces where one or two are better on the New (blue) Stuff, but it's unlikely that we will see as many of them together.

That said, the apparent buffage of str->block value (cool? maybe!) means that we will be likely able to benefit very well from high block values. I am curious as to how threat will work out, though. As Dorvan pointed out, we'll have retarded high threat early on; I just hope we will have the survivability to match (now that warriors will have crazy BV). /shrug, I'm faithful.

[ElSid]

does their stam seem a tad low to anyone else? :S

[Seloei]

Unless there is a real big change in tanking mechanics, t6 will still be "bordeline ready" for heroics(Epic mode in wotlk). Just like normal instance gear (65+ instances) is what you aim for before you start them in tbc. So the ones who are raiding SWP will be able to tear through the expansion and maybe pick up a few blue pieces, but still can keep their t6/swp loot if they wish.

Also, the trinkets and other tidbits may last for a lot longer. Remember the BV/BR trinket from saph? it's lvl60 but still best in game. Theres a few other old Naxx loot that is better than even MH/BT/SWP drops.

Same will be with TBC items, a few rare trinkets/armor pieces/weapons, even tho massively lower in Ilevel will be useful even at early/mid/endgame raiding.

Also, blizzard didn't lie... the "gear reset" was not that bad, since most are rocking in atleast a few badge/pvp pieces, if not raid gear at the end of TBC.
Pre-tbc... how many guilds in reality, did reach Naxx? How many even got C'thun or Nefarion down? Everyone was a lot less geared so the jump was huge for most. Now it's not that huge

[Nicki]

From what i can see its roughly the same as pre bc -> BC gear tuning (apart from stamina not being dramaticly changed)

IF you were in BWL gear most of it would be replaced before 70 (Remember at level 60 there were shoulders that were better than a razorgore drop for casters however most of those doing razorgore would have had them enchanted with 18 spell damage so taking them wasn't worth it)
If you were in naxx gear some of it would last past karazhan

I expect sunwell gear to have some staying power in wotlk, trinkets from BT and possibly DST lasting a while..

Though i think mostly it will be enchants already on items making the difference as to why they stay or not.

[Manius]

I never saw the problem with the whole thing.

New expansion means completely new progression. "Gear Resets" are just that, progression resets. And seeing as there are hunters out there that leveled to 60 naked, gear just doesn't matter that much in WoW's leveling.

At least Blizzard are making a lot of the achievements in BC, like the war bears and titles BC-only. In the end it's all about how badass you are, and riding a bear around in Dalaran will just show how badass you were pre-WOTLK.

[Ryuusuke]

yeah, especially since most of us are selling bears for 5k+ on a regular basis to stupid green guys xD


Well as of now i seem pretty optimistic with my gear. Sunwell Gear will last until some pretty good blue / first Epics on lvl 80 Heroics.
I can REALLY live with that =)

[Petrus]

The item scaling is (from what I can see) very similar to the pre-bc scaling, at least weapon-wise.

Unrelenting Blade: http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/ima ... em_065.jpg
117 DPS one-hander
Level 78

Crux of the Apocalypse (from Kil'jaeden: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=34329
114.2 DPS one-hander
Level 70

Compare that scaling to

The Oathkeeper: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31299
93.3 DPS 2h (Same dps as other 70 blue 2h weapons)
Level 68

Might of Menethil (from Kel'thuzad): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=22798
95.3 DPS 2h
Level 60

That said, people were starting Kara in their Naxx/AQ gear, so we might be starting Naxx (again, lol) in MH/BT/SWP gear? Sounds about right for a gear reset.

[Splug]

Most likely Sunwell equipment will last through until early Naxx. While it's possible the old gear will be a couple stat points behind, a lot of the set bonuses from t6 are really backbreaking to lose - things like +5% frostbolt/fireball damage will require a fairly sizable amount of spellpower to regain.

And as mentioned already, certain trinkets will prove to still be amazing. Let's not forget the Rejuvinating Gem phenomenon - that sucker can last until the Memento of Tyrande.

-Splug

[Nathanniel]

I agree that people in tier 6/Sunwell gear will be ready for Naxxramas and heroics, even if there's a shift in the strength as a threat stat.

Only thing where I'm predicting a huge shift is between the gem quality.

Right now some of the best gems, excluding the ones you get from tier 6 content/shattered sun offensive are the unique-equipped gems from Jewelcrafting, like the one that gives +18 stamina.

Well, a Solid Calcidony (a green quality gem from WotLK) gives +18 stamina. And that's just a measly green item. From the best gems being the unique equipped to the starting green gems being of the same quality... that's... wow, huge! I guess everyone will be replacing gems very early on

[Petrus]

Most likely Sunwell equipment will last through until early Naxx. While it's possible the old gear will be a couple stat points behind, a lot of the set bonuses from t6 are really backbreaking to lose - things like +5% frostbolt/fireball damage will require a fairly sizable amount of spellpower to regain.

And as mentioned already, certain trinkets will prove to still be amazing. Let's not forget the Rejuvinating Gem phenomenon - that sucker can last until the Memento of Tyrande.

-Splug

And I'm guessing things like Memento of Tyrande and Crystal Spire of Karabor as well as the Skull of Gul'dan will last for quite a while into Lich King as well.

[Nottebella]

The lesser gear reset has much more to do with more people having good gear, than with the amount the gear is changing. The percentage of players in iLvl 141 gear is drastically higher than the number of players that were even in BWL gear, much less AQ40. The stats scaling is very harsh though, at level 80 it will take double the amount of dodge/def/parry/etc rating to get 1% than it does now.

[Dragonzbane]

Blizzard said the gear reset would not be as dramatic as it was in TBC but we can see that's clearly false now :/ Looks like there will be dungeon blues that are better than the Illidan and Sunwell shields.

How is that false?

L76?
That's a pretty solid way through the exp before I'm dump my Sunwell gear.

I was replacing most of my AQ/Naxx gear before I hit L64.

[Dragonzbane]

And as mentioned already, certain trinkets will prove to still be amazing. Let's not forget the Rejuvinating Gem phenomenon - that sucker can last until the Memento of Tyrande.

-Splug

Lol, I still have mine and won't replace it til I get an off-spec Memento of Tyrande. It's still the only trinket with Equip: +Heal and Mp5 as opposed to on use.

[Petrus]

And as mentioned already, certain trinkets will prove to still be amazing. Let's not forget the Rejuvinating Gem phenomenon - that sucker can last until the Memento of Tyrande.

-Splug

Lol, I still have mine and won't replace it til I get an off-spec Memento of Tyrande. It's still the only trinket with Equip: +Heal and Mp5 as opposed to on use.

Something similar could be said about Neltharion's Tear and Styleen's Impeding Scarab's value, though the Tear is replaced by Skull of Gul'dan's value and the Scarab by Shadowmoon Insignia's value.

[PsiVen]

Scarab is completely different from the Insignia and I still don't have a $#*@$#*!@ second block value trinket.

Trinkets from pre-TBC are only better because they weren't required to have a click-to-use or proc function. We won't have that phenomenon in WotLK unless they make all trinkets have 2 of those, even perfectly itemized things like the Skull of Gul'dan won't last long.