Patch 3.0 - badge gear trade in or re-itemization ?

[Hierax]

Picking up on a topic from yesterday regarding the upcoming loss of defense due to the changes to Anticipation.....

If this does happen pre-WotLK release - w/o new craftable gear , quests, etc...etc...

Do folks think Blizzard will offer any option to folks like myself who can't just swap in a few pieces to regain the loss of 20 Def. rating ? (think it works out to be about finding +48ish defense in my case - playing on warcrafter.)

I got some good suggestions yesterday regarding getting the Chestplate of Stoicism to rep. the stoic guardian (plus a Defense enchant) - which is doable - but I'd really like NOT to save 100 more badges to replace a piece I just got - due to mechanic/talent changes.

Is there any chance I'll be able to trade in my 75 badge bp for any credit towards the 100 badge BP ?? (full credit being ideal...)

Or does anyone think they might re-itemize any badge gear accordingly ?

The changes from spell threat to STR/AP seem to be a gradual , progression - which they planned for - and seem to initially up my threat.

However I tried - I just can't - with the items in my bank - swap any gear to get back the 490 defense needed to continue to grind Kara.

(you may ask why am I grinding Kara pre-patch - but , well - that's where I'm at...)

[Yinramu]

My gut tells me no, probably not. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that they might not revisit some pieces and raise defense or something else. I know one of the things I've done in my recently limited playtime is play around with my spec and armor a bit in Live to figure out where I can replace pieces, etc.

Regardless, you still have some time - no matter where you are in progression or whatever, you have notice that a change is coming, and so it's time to start preparing for it. Even if this change wasn't coming, it might have been a good idea to start looking for some more defense pieces for things like resist sets, threat sets (where you might give up some other pieces), or some other specialized set I might not be thinking of.

Time to start grinding and stocking up on new pieces pre-patch. I know I'll be grabbing some badges and looking towards that lovely badge gavel...

[Kroda]

probably not

just pick up http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32652 or get a bit more Sha'tar faction and pick up http://www.wowhead.com/?item=29176

and replace one of your trinkets with a +def one

[Hierax]

ty - I believe I had the ogrila shield - but most likely destroyed/vendored it after numerous trade ups

Unfortunately - I no longer have the adamantine figurine either.

Once I hit that 490 cap and could balance it - I did not think of overcapping or holding on to +defense gear. I do have block/dodge/healing gear to swap - but I've consistantly made choices of buying 'pally' rewards vs what I viewed more as warrior pieces

I guess I screwed myself be destroying old Q/reward items . (shatar is doable - 1k from exalted...)

[durenas]

Honestly defense is the second most efficient stat to stack on, the first most efficient being dodge. Personally, I have too MUCH defense, and I think I'm going to have more than enough to level with for quite a while to come. I think this dilemma people have is due to the fanatic desire to stack on so much stamina, too early, and ending up with not enough avoidance.

[Dragonzbane]

Do folks think Blizzard will offer any option to folks like myself who can't just swap in a few pieces to regain the loss of 20 Def. rating ? (think it works out to be about finding +48ish defense in my case - playing on warcrafter.)

Don't bet on it.

I can't see your armory but if you switched enchants around with a gem or two I would think you could hit the mark, no?

Chest, Bracers, Back and 2 gems should get your where you need to be with ease. You could even consider switching Metagems. Sure you'll have to sacrifice some stamina for a little while but you'll get over it.

[Harlequina]

I enchanted my cape and CURRENT chest (stoic guardian) with defense, and now I'm at exactly 500 defense skill. And now I'm gathering badges for the chest of stoicism, which will land me somewhere abit above 510 def


Though this means I also have to wear the nightbane shield... Hehe. ZA shield haven't dropped yet, and it won't.


And you know, if you have some dodge gems, or dodge trinket, or some item with alot of dodge etc.... You can always switch that for something with def. Because you'll get 5% dodge anyways from the new anticipation. Know what I mean?

[Harlequina]

And as Dragonz above said, you can also just sacrifice some stamina somewhere, for extra def. Like that metagem, yes?


It won't kill you. :p


I'm personally getting that stoicism chest for the sake of more block value... Starting to like it. But also for the def, of course.

[Arjuna]

thank the light for my Turtle!

[thegreatheed]

Honestly defense is the second most efficient stat to stack on, the first most efficient being dodge. Personally, I have too MUCH defense, and I think I'm going to have more than enough to level with for quite a while to come. I think this dilemma people have is due to the fanatic desire to stack on so much stamina, too early, and ending up with not enough avoidance.

You started off right... then repeated the misconception.


YOU CANNOT HAVE TOO MUCH DEFENSE. That's like saying, "I have too much health." There is NEVER a point where defense is not a worthwhile stat to seek on gear.

You also said there's only 1 better stat avoidance wise... and its dodge. That is partially true. Before uncrushable, defense is the BEST stat, hand down. It gives miss, dodge, parry and block. And per ilvl cost on gear, it is the cheapest stat per avoidance statistic. After uncrushable, dodge is a LITTLE better than defense. But don't you dare take off defense for ANYTHING OTHER THAN DODGE. Once you reach sunwell, and get slapped with the 25% avoidance nerf, it is once again an amazing stat.

[Eanin]

Don't forget that after the patch, Merciless Gladiator's Longblade will be a great tank weapon, and that gives resilience which can help with uncrittability.

[Boldbeard]

Don't forget that after the patch, Merciless Gladiator's Longblade will be a great tank weapon, and that gives resilience which can help with uncrittability.

Resil is suppose to be nerfed for pve. Are there any specifics on this yet??

[Snake-Aes]

Whatever it is, Wrath of the Lich King will care about lvl 70 tanks about as much as BC cares about lvl 60 tanks: It doesn't.

Who cares if we were uncrit at 70? Uncrit at 80 is what matters. They'll give us uncrit gear at 80.


I'm truly not worried about any kind of damage output a non instanced mob can has on the leveling procedure, really. And it's not even my gear, it's just that anyone past Kara won't replace their epics for the very first green they find, meaning most of us are overgeared for leveling.

[Chunes]

i think the biggest issue is this:

it's shitty to have to gem for defense to clear a gap left from talent changes when 3.0 drops and WotlK has still not.

Tanking bloodboil is going to f*cking suck if i don't rethink my gear a little. i think i'm only at like 504 def in the set i use to tank him...

[Snake-Aes]

<3 my 513 def