How much mastery is too much mastery?
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How much mastery is too much mastery?
Apologies I can't link armory at work.
I'm in average heroic gear - i344 average:
140K HP + 39k armour.
Parry - 12.9%
Dodge 12.1%
Block 44%
Expertise 22 (with SoT)
Hit - 5% ish
Now excellent guides I've read on here suggest stacking mastery to achieve block of 40% and dodge/parry at 25% combined, so I reforged early gear into mastery. However, now I'm well over the 40% block yet I'm below soft caps on expertise and hit. I'm not concerned about hit too much but would it ever be OK to reforge mastery into expertise to reach soft caps? The next upgrades I'm due = more mastery/avoidance but not threat stats.
I'd like to join the "I have no problems with threat" gang but in reality low latency and middle aged reactions mean my threat ain't that hot against heroic geared players. In previous expansions I've compensated for my dotage by gearing for threat.
Would this be foolish now and should I just keep stacking mastery up to 50%+?
I'm in average heroic gear - i344 average:
140K HP + 39k armour.
Parry - 12.9%
Dodge 12.1%
Block 44%
Expertise 22 (with SoT)
Hit - 5% ish
Now excellent guides I've read on here suggest stacking mastery to achieve block of 40% and dodge/parry at 25% combined, so I reforged early gear into mastery. However, now I'm well over the 40% block yet I'm below soft caps on expertise and hit. I'm not concerned about hit too much but would it ever be OK to reforge mastery into expertise to reach soft caps? The next upgrades I'm due = more mastery/avoidance but not threat stats.
I'd like to join the "I have no problems with threat" gang but in reality low latency and middle aged reactions mean my threat ain't that hot against heroic geared players. In previous expansions I've compensated for my dotage by gearing for threat.
Would this be foolish now and should I just keep stacking mastery up to 50%+?
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
My block's at 51%, I think, and I haven't regretted it yet. I don't think I'll stop piling on mastery until/unless I start having threat problems.
"It is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and cushion the shock..."
1.0 Paladin: Never forget. Never forgive.
1.0 Paladin: Never forget. Never forgive.
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Arcand wrote:My block's at 51%, I think, and I haven't regretted it yet. I don't think I'll stop piling on mastery until/unless I start having threat problems.
I sit at over 55% block and 80% CTC in my heroics set and the only time I've ever had issues in a heroic was going for the beam boss and my EH was low in that set for an uninterrupted shadowstrike spike off a dragonoid + ~100% chance hit(s) to my back. swapping back to stam trinkets did the trick though.
Amirya wrote:some bizarre lovechild of Hawking, Einstein, and Theck
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majiben - Moderator
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
majiben wrote: I sit at over 55% block and 80% CTC in my heroics set and the only time I've ever had issues in a heroic was going for the beam boss and my EH was low in that set for an uninterrupted shadowstrike spike off a dragonoid + ~100% chance hit(s) to my back. swapping back to stam trinkets did the trick though.
Off topic, if they evolve, it's going to be rough whatever your gear in my experience. Better if your party can stop them evolving at all.
For me, the only time I've worried about my HPs was with those ridiculous gilgoblin pulls in Throne of Tides. But a pet pull works fine and they are getting nerfed next patch.
- econ21
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Forgot to mention that I was going for the achievement. one evolving by accident isn't too bad, since you'll have ample CDs, more than that and you have to be very stingy. On the Gil goblin pull, if you party backs off, you can bubble run in and/or use a speed boost to get you there faster before the spears become an issue.econ21 wrote:majiben wrote: I sit at over 55% block and 80% CTC in my heroics set and the only time I've ever had issues in a heroic was going for the beam boss and my EH was low in that set for an uninterrupted shadowstrike spike off a dragonoid + ~100% chance hit(s) to my back. swapping back to stam trinkets did the trick though.
Off topic, if they evolve, it's going to be rough whatever your gear in my experience. Better if your party can stop them evolving at all.
For me, the only time I've worried about my HPs was with those ridiculous gilgoblin pulls in Throne of Tides. But a pet pull works fine and they are getting nerfed next patch.
Amirya wrote:some bizarre lovechild of Hawking, Einstein, and Theck
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majiben - Moderator
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Keep stacking it. Currently 3200 mastery buffed and looking for more.
I do swap to a threat set or stam set or mix of them for some fights. But for melee fights were I am in actual danger, all mastery.
I do swap to a threat set or stam set or mix of them for some fights. But for melee fights were I am in actual danger, all mastery.
- DJSticky
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Yeah, just reforged earlier today:
(Image was taken for my guild, hence the highlight, please forgive)

(And above numbres are with basic buffs, Kings/Horn of winter)
Mastery stacking is great --
My only recommendations are not completely neglecting stamina. I gem always for stamina socket bonuses, and (most) of my gems are Stam/something.
I also don't recommend hit -- some people find this controversial, but in *raid* situations, Exp > Hit as Crusader Strike (the stronger single-target high-vengeance ability), benefits more per rating point for expertise then hit
Personally, All my gear is Mastery + (Dodge/Parry).. and I would *NEVER* drop my mastery. I mean, eat a 90 mastery food and look at what it does to your block %... I can't imagine dropping 400 mastery for expertise or hit...
Mastery simply is the most efficient stat for covering the combat table... ~2.5% dodge (or parry, or combination) = expertise soft cap.. otherwise it's ~9-10% block to do the same thing
(Image was taken for my guild, hence the highlight, please forgive)

(And above numbres are with basic buffs, Kings/Horn of winter)
Mastery stacking is great --
My only recommendations are not completely neglecting stamina. I gem always for stamina socket bonuses, and (most) of my gems are Stam/something.
I also don't recommend hit -- some people find this controversial, but in *raid* situations, Exp > Hit as Crusader Strike (the stronger single-target high-vengeance ability), benefits more per rating point for expertise then hit
Personally, All my gear is Mastery + (Dodge/Parry).. and I would *NEVER* drop my mastery. I mean, eat a 90 mastery food and look at what it does to your block %... I can't imagine dropping 400 mastery for expertise or hit...
Mastery simply is the most efficient stat for covering the combat table... ~2.5% dodge (or parry, or combination) = expertise soft cap.. otherwise it's ~9-10% block to do the same thing
- Sur-Pseudo
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
^ What the belfadin said. Really, we're far too early in progression in this expansion to worry about having too much mastery. Basically, when our combat tables finally (maybe?) get filled up, say with a hypothetical 17% Dodge, 18% Parry, 5% Miss, and 62.4% block, would we worry about it.
Then we'll move mastery over (slowly) to dodge and parry. But with diminished returns and all that nonsense, it'll take a lot of converted mastery to make much in the way of pure avoidance. That's just how good mastery is. It increases at a linear rate, and at a much faster progression than dodge and parry combined.
Now 40% block isn't AS good as an avoided attack, but think of it as the new crushing blow. We didn't wanna get smacked with 150% strength attacks then, why would we want to get hit with 166% strength attacks now?
TL;DR
Fill up that combat table!
Then we'll move mastery over (slowly) to dodge and parry. But with diminished returns and all that nonsense, it'll take a lot of converted mastery to make much in the way of pure avoidance. That's just how good mastery is. It increases at a linear rate, and at a much faster progression than dodge and parry combined.
Now 40% block isn't AS good as an avoided attack, but think of it as the new crushing blow. We didn't wanna get smacked with 150% strength attacks then, why would we want to get hit with 166% strength attacks now?
TL;DR
Fill up that combat table!

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Solare - Posts: 130
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Solare wrote:^ What the belfadin said. Really, we're far too early in progression in this expansion to worry about having too much mastery. Basically, when our combat tables finally (maybe?) get filled up, say with a hypothetical 17% Dodge, 18% Parry, 5% Miss, and 62.4% block, would we worry about it.
Moments before Cataclysmic Radiance kicks in.
"It is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and cushion the shock..."
1.0 Paladin: Never forget. Never forgive.
1.0 Paladin: Never forget. Never forgive.
- Arcand
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Arcand wrote:Solare wrote:^ What the belfadin said. Really, we're far too early in progression in this expansion to worry about having too much mastery. Basically, when our combat tables finally (maybe?) get filled up, say with a hypothetical 17% Dodge, 18% Parry, 5% Miss, and 62.4% block, would we worry about it.
Moments before Cataclysmic Radiance kicks in.
In my current unhittable set, I'm at 71.5% to block.
Also, I'm trademarking Derpwing Radiance.
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fuzzygeek - Maintankadonor
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Arcand wrote:Solare wrote:^ What the belfadin said. Really, we're far too early in progression in this expansion to worry about having too much mastery. Basically, when our combat tables finally (maybe?) get filled up, say with a hypothetical 17% Dodge, 18% Parry, 5% Miss, and 62.4% block, would we worry about it.
Moments before Cataclysmic Radiance kicks in.
they said they are thinking about adding in expertise for bosses so higher teir ones ignore part of our avoidance...i bet if avoidance is too high they will just give T13-14 bosses a ton of expertise so they can make it look like they didnt need to add in that silly mechanic again
- Jaitee
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Jaitee wrote:Arcand wrote:Solare wrote:^ What the belfadin said. Really, we're far too early in progression in this expansion to worry about having too much mastery. Basically, when our combat tables finally (maybe?) get filled up, say with a hypothetical 17% Dodge, 18% Parry, 5% Miss, and 62.4% block, would we worry about it.
Moments before Cataclysmic Radiance kicks in.
they said they are thinking about adding in expertise for bosses so higher teir ones ignore part of our avoidance...i bet if avoidance is too high they will just give T13-14 bosses a ton of expertise so they can make it look like they didnt need to add in that silly mechanic again
I'm pretty sure reducing our avoidance by x, and making the bosses ignore x avoidance, is the same thing.

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Solare - Posts: 130
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Solare wrote:Jaitee wrote:they said they are thinking about adding in expertise for bosses so higher teir ones ignore part of our avoidance...i bet if avoidance is too high they will just give T13-14 bosses a ton of expertise so they can make it look like they didnt need to add in that silly mechanic again
I'm pretty sure reducing our avoidance by x, and making the bosses ignore x avoidance, is the same thing.
not if you get free expertise out of it. nerf the avoidance but make us less likely to be parried is far better than just nerfing our avoidance at the same amount
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
Atm i am sporting the following Defense stats:
Armor: 40104
Dodge: 9.75%
Parry: 10.26%
Block: 53.67%
Hit: 8.41%
Exp: 25 / 35 depending if i use SoT or SoI
Flask: 300 stamina
Food: Mastery / Stamina
Gems: Mastery / Stamina + 1 parry / Stamina
I reforge all parry / dodge (whichever is the highest) to Mastery since i'd rather have steady 30% avoidance than spikey dmg. I'm not sure if it is the best way to go at it but thats how my gear is reforged.
Armor: 40104
Dodge: 9.75%
Parry: 10.26%
Block: 53.67%
Hit: 8.41%
Exp: 25 / 35 depending if i use SoT or SoI
Flask: 300 stamina
Food: Mastery / Stamina
Gems: Mastery / Stamina + 1 parry / Stamina
I reforge all parry / dodge (whichever is the highest) to Mastery since i'd rather have steady 30% avoidance than spikey dmg. I'm not sure if it is the best way to go at it but thats how my gear is reforged.
- Firann
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Re: How much mastery is too much mastery?
I reforge all parry / dodge (whichever is the highest) to Mastery since i'd rather have steady 30% avoidance than spikey dmg. I'm not sure if it is the best way to go at it but thats how my gear is reforged.
That's brave - my thread was really about whether to re-forge expertise/hit to mastery - I've never been brave enough to reforge avoidance stats to mastery.
The question was kind of answered for me with the latest patch. I know other tankadins in the realm were moaning about lots of misses/difficulties in reliably stacking Holy Points to 3 since they'd reforged all their hit/expertise to mastery but I didn't have the issues.
From memory I have roughly 13% parry, 12% dodge and 44% mastery. The mastery is a bit low I know but I don't raid, just heroics, and my health is at 165k with kings which seems to keep our healers happy.
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