Technical details on spell downranking

[Warlock]

Oh, I don't doubt that there are more then a couple completionists around here. I just really doubt that that you can find an entire, multiday per week, farming tons of pots, gutting it out through the wipes group of 40-60 people who will not level their mains.

Unless I'm mistaken it's not so much "will not level their mains" as "are willing to miss out on all the new content in order to avoid outlevelling Naxx" since they'll start gaining experience and hence levels once the expansion is installed.

I expect even the high 5-mans to be pretty much abandoned - with vastly better rewards available from an instance one level higher Strath will only be run for fun. Maybe we'll see hard mode versions some time.

[oldmandennis]

I expect even the high 5-mans to be pretty much abandoned - with vastly better rewards available from an instance one level higher Strath will only be run for fun. Maybe we'll see hard mode versions some time.

Other then enchants, pretty much. You will still need orbs for crusader, and they haven't revealed a replacement for the ZG head enchant or legs for noncasters that I am aware of. Maybe people will still do Ony for Nexous the back enchants are still needed, and noncasters still need them for gloves.

[Arnulf]

Other then enchants, pretty much. You will still need orbs for crusader, and they haven't revealed a replacement for the ZG head enchant or legs for noncasters that I am aware of. Maybe people will still do Ony for Nexous the back enchants are still needed, and noncasters still need them for gloves.

Is there already a blue replacement for Rhok'delar in TBC? If not I suspect that hunter still want to pay Onyxia a visit now and then...

Edit: just remembered the leaf in MDs strong box. And what about Benediction? I doubt that new Blood elf priests want to miss out on that one. So I guess that MC still holds some value in the future. Blizzard, you are a wicked lot.

[teske]

Is there already a blue replacement for Rhok'delar in TBC? If not I suspect that hunter still want to pay Onyxia a visit now and then...

Kind of offtopic. Still, this is the new Rhok'delar
Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers
108 - 201 Damage Speed 2.90
(53.3 damage per second)
Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 14.
Equip: Increases ranged attack power by 17.
Item Level 75

And this drops from a level 64 boss in one of the new 5mans.
Coilfang Needler
Crossbow
124 - 187 Damage Speed 2.90
(53.6 damage per second)
+12 Agility
Durability 75 / 75
Requires Level 62
Equip: Increases attack power by 22.
Item Level 91

Which is basically comparable. From looking at the items in the thottbot beta data base, hunter itemization seems to be unfinished. I found just one blue crosbow, two blue bows and two blue guns.

Anyway, I just did the quest for Rhok'Delar last week on a twink. It is one of the most fun experiences in this game.

As to the downranking nerf. Well it had to happen. The far more drastic change is that everyone will have twice the health.

[oldmandennis]

I really doubt it would be worth it. Hunters are solo beasts anyways, they don't need help leveling. Besides, the change to mechanics will open up some other options for bows that weren't suitable before for speed reasons.

As far as bene goes... AQ40 is a much better place for twinking your leveling healers up. You have guaranteed drops on 5 items suitable for healing or leveling, with a decent shot at regalia for a weapon. Maybe it might be worth taking new pallys/shammys for a couple of trips through Nax if that gear turns out to be better then the blues for raiding.

The only reason I said Ony was because she is the fastest place to get items you know will shard to nexus.

[Kevin]

I really doubt it would be worth it. Hunters are solo beasts anyways, they don't need help leveling. Besides, the change to mechanics will open up some other options for bows that weren't suitable before for speed reasons.

As far as bene goes... AQ40 is a much better place for twinking your leveling healers up. You have guaranteed drops on 5 items suitable for healing or leveling, with a decent shot at regalia for a weapon. Maybe it might be worth taking new pallys/shammys for a couple of trips through Nax if that gear turns out to be better then the blues for raiding.

The only reason I said Ony was because she is the fastest place to get items you know will shard to nexus.

And I've talked to someone who did Ony in a 7 man PuG with L62-64 toons without any real issues. So she'd be a pretty quick once or twice a week source of nexus or some OK twink gear for a guild.

[Flymo]

Take the Priest spell Heal 2 as an example:

The spell is learned at level 22, and the base points for healing on the spell keep increasing until level 27. So, level 27 is considered the spell’s max level in our calculation.

Does anyone know if all healing spells increase their healing for 5 levels after you get them, and how much the increase is?

[Delc]

And I've talked to someone who did Ony in a 7 man PuG with L62-64 toons without any real issues. So she'd be a pretty quick once or twice a week source of nexus or some OK twink gear for a guild.

The quest chain to get the key would be the major road block to taking a new toon there. I've never done it alliance side, but the horde one is a pain, and given the design (world dragons) would still be even with lv 70 cheese.

[Kevin]

The quest chain to get the key would be the major road block to taking a new toon there. I've never done it alliance side, but the horde one is a pain, and given the design (world dragons) would still be even with lv 70 cheese.

I find the horde questline worse than the alliance side, but the spawn rate on the world dragons you have to kill for test of skulls is all of about 5-10 minutes. But yeah the 2 hours of travel time that you can expect for that is still problematic, but I don't see it being a major stumbling block you can get PuG groups to help out with it as, you'll still be able to do so. And heck we've 3 manned all of those dragons without having anything better than end game blues so, that one L70 shammy in your guild could probably solo them for that new L58-60 warlock.