I've been looking for a post and have either missed it or there isn't one on the armor from the RingWar/Gorge PQs. Is this stuff any good for a SF raid armor equipped Mystic? Most of my SF stuff is T1 with just a couple T2 pieces. I keep inspecting every mystic/defiler I see at a PQ event and nobody is wearing the armor from those. The exceptions being those shaman that weren't raid equipped to begin with. My guild keeps telling me I should be equipping this because of all the "wonderful" crit bonus on it. So what's up with the new armor? Should I be equipping it and losing some red adorns or not?
Crit Bonus is crap for a Shaman, and in general, the absolute worst stat for early DoV for all classes. Consider: Crit Bonus has absolutely NO EFFECT unless you crit. Mobs in the x2 zone are running about 60% Crit Avoidance, and early x4 mobs running anywhere from 70 - 90%. In short, your Crit Bonus is only as good as your Crit rate, which is going to be weak until you really start gearing up in the Crit itemized slots. Further, Shaman should be looking at Crit Bonus as their LEAST desired stat even when Crit rate is where it needs to be. Our Wards only get half the normal bonus. So, if you have 100 Crit Bonus as a Shaman, your Wards only get 50. My early DoV goals as a Shaman healer are: Crit Rate = 185% Potency = 100% Re-Use = 65% Cast Speed = 85% Whatever Crit Bonus I get in reaching those goals is fine, but I'm certainly not going to spend any time worrying about whether I have enough of it. As far as the PQ armor goes? Bah. It's decent if you have nothing else, but my SF armor has better overall stats for me, and it has Red Adorns and Focus Effects not found on the PQ gear.
What kind of yellow slots are available? I haven't seen any yellow class focus effects, but if there are comprable yellow adorns for the non class focus (IE potency, flurry, whatever) I could at least consider upgrading some of my SF raid armor with the PQ stuff. Mystic is an alt, so dov raid armor will be a long time coming. heck, I've still got WOE shoulders on.
PQ armor is ok. In relation to WoE gear, yea, I'd definitely upgrade. Yellow adorns generally aren't all that spectacular, and if I had SF raid / red adorn I'd probably keep that. They are a solid addition, but nothing that will make you give up a red focus for.
I have replaced nearly all of my T2+ gear with PQ armor Triumphant pieces and faction gear from merchants and a couple of quest gear pieces (gloves from KD). I have easily obtained 185% crit chance, 120%ish crit bonus and potency and 95% cast speed. Additionally, my hitpoints and power have increased nearly 12k. I sit at around 35k hps/34k power ungrouped and around 40k in a standard group (50k if I bolster). There are only two pieces I have not swapped and that is a T3 neck (Torque of Handling) and a T2 charm (Enoxus charm). As soon as I have faction with Ry'gor the charm will go. The neck will go with completion of the Fallen Swords quest line. The concern about loosing red adorns? None here. There are some very nice yellow runes that provide additional 4k ward procs, heals and hots for the charm/weapon/secondary slots. Try getting Aegis, Restorative Counter and Mending. Some of the old red adorns can now be found as blue stats on some armor pieces. Take a look at the ones in EW at Clan Ry'gorr In a recent group, my group ward and oberion were landing for 55k+, single target ward was landing for 30K+. Thats mostly in part to the group makeup, but its an eye opener if your see your only warding for about 15-20k. Thats at the start of the expac and i suspect will substantially change as we get raiding more in Eastern wastes.
