Post by Sorcha'Rei on Dec 29, 2005 0:31:57 GMT -5
((Okay, I'm done now. OOC.))
Druid Weapon Shopping List
OK, listen up, y'all. Shockingly, I have opinions about weapons for druids. I hope this list also includes some information you find useful.
First up, a discussion of weapons for feral druids . . .
Feral druids are carrying their weapons for the stats and on equip bonuses only. DPS, damage, and Use bonuses are not helpful to them when they are in forms. Some feral druids like to have one Cat weapon and one Bear weapon. This was smarter before the weapon-swap nerf in a patch last summer (there is now a cooldown after a mid-fight weapon swap before you can use a melee skill, and since feral druids rely on melee skills, this made mid-fight swapping a LOT less attractive than it used to be).
When it comes to stats, you are looking for the usual: strength, stamina, agility, +crit, +hit, +attack power, +dodge. Order these however you like.
The basic formula you need to hold in your mind is the one that tells you how stats convert to attack power.
Bear: 1 str = 2 attack power
Cat: 1 str = 2 attack power AND 1 agility = 1 attack power
(Talent points can affect these by making them a little higher -- specifically if you have enough points to get the strength bonus in cat, then your attack power from +str on gear will be higher than 2.)
[Warning!!! Huge opinion coming up!] Until your attack power is high enough that the WHITE part of it is around 1000, you should probably be favoring improving attack power over improving crit chance via agility. (However, +crit bonuses are always nice.)
Now, this does mean that agility is nice for Cats, but not, in general, nice enough to give up strength for. Therefore, for most feral druids, a weapon with a lot of strength is preferable to one with a lot of agility.
Now, about Moonkins. Moonkins actually hit with their weapons. If they have Omen of Clarity, they hit with them a lot. (I'm not yet convinced this is a worthwhile skill for a moonkin; Sorcha has it, and I will get back to you later about whether I'm going to keep it.) Moonkins hit to procc OoC, they hit to regen mana, they hit when they are OOM. They need a decent weapon to hit with.
Healbot druids don't hit with their weapons, and they get no melee benefit whatsoever from their weapons. A restro druid should choose a weapon based purely on stats, and the build they are trying to achieve.
Bear in mind that endgame weapons should always be enchanted. No level 60 druid should ever ever EVER have a +damage chant on his weapon (it doesn't affect feral attacks, and even for moonkin, the other chants are so much better . . . )
The chants you should choose from are:
+15 strength (usually the best choice for an all-purpose feral weapon)
+15 agility (if you have a special Cat weapon, this one is not bad)
+20 spirit (restro druids with spirit or mana regen builds)
+22 int (moonkins or restro druids)
+30 spell damage (moonkins)
+55 healing (healbots)
Whether you want +int or healing/spell damage will depend in part on your other gear and in part on whether you have a separate weapon for healing and one for general purpose casting. (For instance, at the pre-MC stage of her life, Ljanna used a Glowing Brightwood Staff with +healing for healbotting, and a Rod of the Ogre Magi with +int for when she's out fighting stuff -- +int instead of +spell damage because when she's out fighting, she needs to heal and do damage.)
There are +9 int and +9 spirit chants out there. They are a bit cheaper than the really high end ones, but in general, they cost a LOT more per point of improvement then the faction-related chants, so they aren't really worth it for an end-game weapon. (On the other hand, there seem to be VERY few people on FM who can do the +22 int chant. Sorcha has the +9 int chant on her current weapon because after three weeks of waiting around to find somene who could do +22 int, I gave up and spent the mats on the +9 instead. I'll worry about it again when I get her a better weapon than the one she has right now.)
Weapons are listed according to type. Daggers assume you will hold an appropriate off-hand item. I didn't bother putting in any daggers for feral druids, since maces and staves tend to have so much better stats for feral form support. Also, I didn't include maces without any stats buffs at all, because I'm biased that way.
Usual disclaimers: no MC/BWL/ZG/AQ or world dragon drops. Etc.
R == healbot
M == moonkin
F == feral
Bear in mind that MOST healbots will have a casting weapon and most moonkins will carry a healing weapon, so these letters are a guide to the FUNCTION, not the KIND of druid who will want them.
Staves
Glowing Brightwood Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5621
World drop.
(R, M)
Headmaster's Charge
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=26135
Gandling in Scholo. Weird weird weird.
(R, M)
Argent Crusader
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19796
Quest reward.
(R, M)
Amethyst War Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=52121
Templar in Silithus.
(R, M)
Guiding Staff of Wisdom
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6121
Emperor in BRD. Really rude to roll on this against a spirit build priest, in my opinion.
(R)
Quel/Dorai Channeling Rod
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35686
I use this for my priests, who are all mana regen builds. LJ carried it until she got the Glowing Brightwood Staff, but now it's in her bank. Lethendris in DM East.
(R, M)
Rod of the Ogre Magi
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35933
Tribute or Mizzle in DM North. My favorite casting weapon for a druid at this stage.
(M)
Soulkeeper
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6760
World drop. Basic decent staff until you get something better. Usually available in AHs for around 40-80g.
(R, M)
Spire of the Stoneshaper
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6030
Random guys in BRD.
(R, M)
Staff of Hale Magefire
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19726
World drop.
(R, M)
Trindlehaven Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5291
Wyrmthalak in LBRS.
(R, M)
Warden Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=12314
World drop. Perhaps the best weapon for most feral druids from level 43 to about 55. May be best for some feral druids, even into level 60. Note the armor bonus. Stick a +15 strength chant on this, and you're good to go for a good long while.
(F)
Daggers
Gift of the Elven Magi
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=17773
Balnazzar, Strat SM.
(R, M)
Witchblade
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19083
Gandling in Scholo.
(M)
Lorespinner
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35617
Quest reward for killing Lethtendris in DM East.
(R, M)
Maces
Crystal-Spiked Maul
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=52134
Quest reward (sort of) for killing the Dukes in Silithus.
(F)
Fist of Omokk
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5127
LBRS, drops off Omokk.
(F)
Hammer of the Grand Crusader
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=37263
Balnazzar in Strat SM.
(R)
Impervious Giant
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=9941
Chest of the Seven in BRD.
(F)
Twig of the World Tree
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=9923
World drop.
(F)
Unyielding Maul
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=36117
Tribute, the King, and Mizzle, in DM North.
(F)
Druid Weapon Shopping List
OK, listen up, y'all. Shockingly, I have opinions about weapons for druids. I hope this list also includes some information you find useful.
First up, a discussion of weapons for feral druids . . .
Feral druids are carrying their weapons for the stats and on equip bonuses only. DPS, damage, and Use bonuses are not helpful to them when they are in forms. Some feral druids like to have one Cat weapon and one Bear weapon. This was smarter before the weapon-swap nerf in a patch last summer (there is now a cooldown after a mid-fight weapon swap before you can use a melee skill, and since feral druids rely on melee skills, this made mid-fight swapping a LOT less attractive than it used to be).
When it comes to stats, you are looking for the usual: strength, stamina, agility, +crit, +hit, +attack power, +dodge. Order these however you like.
The basic formula you need to hold in your mind is the one that tells you how stats convert to attack power.
Bear: 1 str = 2 attack power
Cat: 1 str = 2 attack power AND 1 agility = 1 attack power
(Talent points can affect these by making them a little higher -- specifically if you have enough points to get the strength bonus in cat, then your attack power from +str on gear will be higher than 2.)
[Warning!!! Huge opinion coming up!] Until your attack power is high enough that the WHITE part of it is around 1000, you should probably be favoring improving attack power over improving crit chance via agility. (However, +crit bonuses are always nice.)
Now, this does mean that agility is nice for Cats, but not, in general, nice enough to give up strength for. Therefore, for most feral druids, a weapon with a lot of strength is preferable to one with a lot of agility.
Now, about Moonkins. Moonkins actually hit with their weapons. If they have Omen of Clarity, they hit with them a lot. (I'm not yet convinced this is a worthwhile skill for a moonkin; Sorcha has it, and I will get back to you later about whether I'm going to keep it.) Moonkins hit to procc OoC, they hit to regen mana, they hit when they are OOM. They need a decent weapon to hit with.
Healbot druids don't hit with their weapons, and they get no melee benefit whatsoever from their weapons. A restro druid should choose a weapon based purely on stats, and the build they are trying to achieve.
Bear in mind that endgame weapons should always be enchanted. No level 60 druid should ever ever EVER have a +damage chant on his weapon (it doesn't affect feral attacks, and even for moonkin, the other chants are so much better . . . )
The chants you should choose from are:
+15 strength (usually the best choice for an all-purpose feral weapon)
+15 agility (if you have a special Cat weapon, this one is not bad)
+20 spirit (restro druids with spirit or mana regen builds)
+22 int (moonkins or restro druids)
+30 spell damage (moonkins)
+55 healing (healbots)
Whether you want +int or healing/spell damage will depend in part on your other gear and in part on whether you have a separate weapon for healing and one for general purpose casting. (For instance, at the pre-MC stage of her life, Ljanna used a Glowing Brightwood Staff with +healing for healbotting, and a Rod of the Ogre Magi with +int for when she's out fighting stuff -- +int instead of +spell damage because when she's out fighting, she needs to heal and do damage.)
There are +9 int and +9 spirit chants out there. They are a bit cheaper than the really high end ones, but in general, they cost a LOT more per point of improvement then the faction-related chants, so they aren't really worth it for an end-game weapon. (On the other hand, there seem to be VERY few people on FM who can do the +22 int chant. Sorcha has the +9 int chant on her current weapon because after three weeks of waiting around to find somene who could do +22 int, I gave up and spent the mats on the +9 instead. I'll worry about it again when I get her a better weapon than the one she has right now.)
Weapons are listed according to type. Daggers assume you will hold an appropriate off-hand item. I didn't bother putting in any daggers for feral druids, since maces and staves tend to have so much better stats for feral form support. Also, I didn't include maces without any stats buffs at all, because I'm biased that way.
Usual disclaimers: no MC/BWL/ZG/AQ or world dragon drops. Etc.
R == healbot
M == moonkin
F == feral
Bear in mind that MOST healbots will have a casting weapon and most moonkins will carry a healing weapon, so these letters are a guide to the FUNCTION, not the KIND of druid who will want them.
Staves
Glowing Brightwood Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5621
World drop.
(R, M)
Headmaster's Charge
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=26135
Gandling in Scholo. Weird weird weird.
(R, M)
Argent Crusader
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19796
Quest reward.
(R, M)
Amethyst War Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=52121
Templar in Silithus.
(R, M)
Guiding Staff of Wisdom
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6121
Emperor in BRD. Really rude to roll on this against a spirit build priest, in my opinion.
(R)
Quel/Dorai Channeling Rod
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35686
I use this for my priests, who are all mana regen builds. LJ carried it until she got the Glowing Brightwood Staff, but now it's in her bank. Lethendris in DM East.
(R, M)
Rod of the Ogre Magi
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35933
Tribute or Mizzle in DM North. My favorite casting weapon for a druid at this stage.
(M)
Soulkeeper
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6760
World drop. Basic decent staff until you get something better. Usually available in AHs for around 40-80g.
(R, M)
Spire of the Stoneshaper
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=6030
Random guys in BRD.
(R, M)
Staff of Hale Magefire
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19726
World drop.
(R, M)
Trindlehaven Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5291
Wyrmthalak in LBRS.
(R, M)
Warden Staff
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=12314
World drop. Perhaps the best weapon for most feral druids from level 43 to about 55. May be best for some feral druids, even into level 60. Note the armor bonus. Stick a +15 strength chant on this, and you're good to go for a good long while.
(F)
Daggers
Gift of the Elven Magi
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=17773
Balnazzar, Strat SM.
(R, M)
Witchblade
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=19083
Gandling in Scholo.
(M)
Lorespinner
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=35617
Quest reward for killing Lethtendris in DM East.
(R, M)
Maces
Crystal-Spiked Maul
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=52134
Quest reward (sort of) for killing the Dukes in Silithus.
(F)
Fist of Omokk
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=5127
LBRS, drops off Omokk.
(F)
Hammer of the Grand Crusader
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=37263
Balnazzar in Strat SM.
(R)
Impervious Giant
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=9941
Chest of the Seven in BRD.
(F)
Twig of the World Tree
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=9923
World drop.
(F)
Unyielding Maul
www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=36117
Tribute, the King, and Mizzle, in DM North.
(F)