[Ret-PVE] Need Geming/enchants advice.

[solayman]

My updated profile:
http://www.wowhead.com/?profile=20971418

been working on my paladin ret gear for pve during the last week, and i think more or less i got best gear i could before toc/icc.
I only need help with gemming, since the current ones are low level and chosen without to much thinking.
should i just buy all +20 strength and 2 blue gems for the meta?
I'm looking to make all gems high level.

i know back and wrist are missing enchants, gems and BS socket, I'm just waiting for your comments to fill them.

[Boyfriend]

You use the 21 agi 3% crit meta, always. It only requires 1 blue; which is a Nightmare's tear. Put it in the slot with the biggest bonus.

For the rest:
Red slots - 20 str
Yellow slots :
--if good socket bonus (str)?
----do you need more hit? -> str/hit
----you are hitcapped -> str/crit
--if bad socket bonus (not str)
----20 str
Blue slots - 20 str, except for that one nightmare's tear

As soon as you get 2Pc T9 (and all the way through T10) str/crit will surpass pure str with socket bonus.

[solayman]

I managed to build a gem set using Rawr according to your tips.

Head: Relentless Earthsiege Diamond/Inscribed Ametrine
Shoulders: Inscribed Ametrine
Back: Bold Cardinal Ruby
Chest: Bold Cardinal Ruby/Inscribed Ametrine/Nightmare Tear
Wrist: 2X Bold Cardinal Ruby
Hands: Inscribed Ametrine/Bold Cardinal Ruby
Waist: Bold Cardinal Ruby
Legs: Inscribed Ametrine/Bold Cardinal Ruby
Feet: Inscribed Ametrine
Weapon: Inscribed Ametrine

Have two blue sockets, chest & wrist, but first one gives more Strength so placed the Nightmare Tear in it. so nearly all socket bonuses are now active, beside wrist (since it's a blue gem). stats seems really good in Rawr, now i only need to grind more gold/honor/emblems to buy gems .
thanks for helping.

[Kelaan]

You use the 21 agi 3% crit meta, always. It only requires 1 blue; which is a Nightmare's tear. Put it in the slot with the biggest bonus.

For frugality, put it in the helm's gem slot, regardless of color or bonus, and then you don't have to potentially regem every time you upgrade.

[solayman]

I did some testing using Rawr again, and according to it, if i use the gems setup above DPS will be around 4091. but if i Gems only +20 strength in all, it will go up to 4179 DPS. should i relay on it? Rawr considers the extra Crit as well?

I'm postponing everything until i get some more info on this matter, to much gold at risk:P.

[Boyfriend]

I did some testing using Rawr again, and according to it, if i use the gems setup above DPS will be around 4091. but if i Gems only +20 strength in all, it will go up to 4179 DPS. should i relay on it? Rawr considers the extra Crit as well?

I'm postponing everything until i get some more info on this matter, to much gold at risk:P.

Those dps numbers seem extremely low.

If your dps is that low then yes pure strength will be better due to how crit scales. You're basically in naxx gear. If you do 4000 dps, and if you do that low dps then naxx rules apply which were gem red in everything.

Did you, by chance forget to turn on buffs in rawr?

[solayman]

All buffs were off, my bad .
I turned on only "might+IMP" and dps got to 4441.
should i turn more buffs? the raids are random, so I'm never sure which class i will be grouped with.
you can check my armory btw for updated gear gems .

http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Ragnaros&cn=Solayman

[Boyfriend]

Generally people make the assumption they will have all (or most) buffs.
I cannot give you gem advice if you don't know what kind of buffs you will have, as optimal gemming will depend on buffs.

Gemming for socket bonuses (through str/crit) becomes better as your dps goes higher; I don't know the exact crossover point (it also depends on 2P T9, which boosts crit effectiveness) but I'd guess before T9 levels of dps (7k or so) you will be better off with str gems, while somewhere past that point str/crit will win out in yellow sockets.
Once you go over 9k dps str/crit is clearly better if they achieve a str socket bonus.

[rodos]

I would just gem as indicated in the first reply. Any difference between pure str or str/crit, or a socket bonus is going to be completely swamped the first time your mouse sticks and you end up facing away from the boss for half a second.

The real reason to buy epic gems and gem the "correct" stats is so that other players don't laugh and call you a noob. This is particularly true of non-progression and pug raiding. If your Ret Paladin is gemmed out with R.E.D., Nightmare Tear, and a mix of epic str and str/crit gems, then nobody's going to call you out.