2.3 Shaman PvP sets

[Kevin]

So I summed some stuff up between the healing and the caster sets for shaman. I'm not sure that for PvP that even the caster shaman would want the caster set of the healing set.

I summed up the totals for the arena set + belt, bracers, and boots that you get with honor, so 8 slots.

Code:

Set      Int   Stam  MP/5  Res   Heal  Dam  Crit  2pc      4p
Caster   206   389   24    206   309   309  213   35 res  70% avoidance when casting LB
Healer   214   380   24    204   577   194  208   35 res  2s faster cooldown on grounding totem

That is without sockets filled. They both have the same sockets and socket bonuses. 1 meta, 2 red, 3 yellow. If you get all the socket bonuses both sets give 7 more res and 4 more crit rating.

The caster gloves give you 5 more yards on shocks and the healer gloves are 2% more crit on lesser healing wave.

I guess 115 +damage and 5 crit rating is nice, but is it worth losing 268 healing for? Maybe I just heal too much in PvP when I'm on a toon that can heal, but that seems to be a bad trade to me. I could see wearing the caster gloves over the healing gloves (caster gloves are 39 dam, healing are 77 heal, 26 damage) for that shock range. And I could see where avoiding push back while casting LB is nice. But the ability for your spot cast of LHW to hit for 115 more healing, seems nice to me. I don't see you melting faces that much slower with that lower damage. LB is 85% coef and that will get lower with the changes so you drop 90 or so damage per LB hit. Virtually the same crit rating. You could fill the sockets on the healing gear with damage gems if you wanted to.


I admit I might be clueless here but this sure seems to make the healer set seem superior for PvP even if you aren't a healer. Maybe the fact that I live in the 1650-1750 range on my arena teams is coloring my thoughts badly as well. But healing in arenas seems more valuable to me and it seems even more valuable in BG's.

I imagine the druid, pally and priest might have some similar issues or thoughts.

[Concillian]

I imagine the druid, pally and priest might have some similar issues or thoughts.

Well at least with druids they got smart and put the uber 4 piece bonus that was on the other sets onto the caster set (+15% speed in travel / cat / bear).

Original bonus was -10% base mana to moonfire (yay)
they tried some equally bad bonus in the first PTR build, but I guess they wised up and realized druids would all get healing gear anyway

As for my priest, the 4piece of either set is -2 seconds off weakened soul, which is a good bonus, but since I have 2 pieces of S2 caster set I'll probably get 2 pieces of healer set at start of S3, and one of S1, that will stack the two +35 resilience bonuses

2 piece / 4 piece works for S1 / S2 / S3 matching the same 'type' of set. But you can still do 2 caster / 2 healer to get the double +35 resilience bonuses. I'm not too sure which is best.

[Taelas]

You won't be able to stack two different seasons for an extra 35 resilience -- they will count as one set. I imagine the same is true for the sets that have the same bonuses.

[Bolty]

You won't be able to stack two different seasons for an extra 35 resilience -- they will count as one set. I imagine the same is true for the sets that have the same bonuses.

That would make sense, but Blizzard hasn't always made sense. Anyone test or know this?

They already fixed the Priest gloves. The healer ones were giving -3 seconds off the Psychic Scream cooldown, while the DPS ones were giving a really lame, useless bonus. Most shadow Priests were going to get the healer gloves until Blizzard made them match.

As for the original post - AFAIK elemental Shamans are there for burst damage. They run out of mana too quickly and need to get as much damage as they can to try to burst someone down. That would be my thinking when considering whether or not to go for the dps vs healer Shaman gear. Additionally, the 70% avoidance of pushback on LB is gargantuan. Many teams will plaster an elemental Shaman first because they can provide such huge offense if left alone and their DPS approaches zero currently if they get focused. I'm also sort of surprised that the healer gloves wouldn't have more range on shocks as well. Any good healer Shaman is also on shock duty at all times and actively disrupts the opponent as often as they can, just as a Priest looks to mana burn and dispel when not actively healing.

Sure, I don't play a Shaman, but I've played with Shamans in every bracket - and especially in 2v2, that 70% pushback thing seems too enormous to pass up. If a Shaman gets focused in 5v5 they should probably be self-healing instead anyway.

-Bolty

[oldmandennis]

Personally I don't pvp much on my shaman any more. But I think the range on gloves is pretty dominant - I just got them on a resto shaman. I'm pretty sure that getting 2xresto and 2xelemental gives you 70 resil, other wise what bonus would it give you? That's why I have the elemental shoulders. I'll start picking up the more expensive, stat heavy pieces in the resto set next.

I find that LHW is pretty useless in arenas. It's just not enough throughput to keep anybody up. A better glove bonus might make me rethink it.

If I was pew pewing, that 4pc bonus is pretty hot. The change to healing gear would make me consider the healing shoulders.

[Concillian]

I imagine the same is true for the sets that have the same bonuses.

Imagine whatever you like, it's not true on the PTR.

The S1 / S2 / S3 caster sets have a different name from the healer sets

For example, priests are gladiator mooncloth and gladiator satin
Any <prefix> Gladiator Mooncloth pieces satisfy the set bonuses for the healer
And <prefix> Gladiator Satin pieces satisfy the set bonuses for the caster set

They do not mix. Gladiator Mooncloth and Gladiator Satin pieces are different.

[Taelas]

Imagine whatever you like, it's not true on the PTR.

The S1 / S2 / S3 caster sets have a different name from the healer sets

For example, priests are gladiator mooncloth and gladiator satin
Any <prefix> Gladiator Mooncloth pieces satisfy the set bonuses for the healer
And <prefix> Gladiator Satin pieces satisfy the set bonuses for the caster set

They do not mix. Gladiator Mooncloth and Gladiator Satin pieces are different.

The different season sets also have different names. This does not stop them from acting as one set for the purposes of the set bonuses on the PTR. (At least, that's what I read from the patch notes that they should.)

Unless you've tested it, I would hesitate to act so certain.

[Delc]

The different season sets also have different names. This does not stop them from acting as one set for the purposes of the set bonuses on the PTR. (At least, that's what I read from the patch notes that they should.)

Unless you've tested it, I would hesitate to act so certain.

The 4pc bonuses are different on the sets for some classes (shaman for example). It would have to give you 2x 2-piece bonuses or just give you both 4pc, or one at random.

[Artega]

Yeah, the additional shock range should be the standard for all three sets; IIRC, shammy healers don't gear for crits as much as pallies due because their only crit-based skill is Ancestral Healing, and 25 yard shocks would be worth far more to Enhancement than a glorious 8% extra damage to Lightning Shield.

[Taelas]

The 4pc bonuses are different on the sets for some classes (shaman for example). It would have to give you 2x 2-piece bonuses or just give you both 4pc, or one at random.

Or the only sets that would act in this manner would be the ones that have the same 4-piece bonus.

[Concillian]

Unless you've tested it, I would hesitate to act so certain.

Re-read my last post. Notice the part where I say "It's not true on the PTR" How can I be so confident in that assertation? Hmm.. I wonder.

Yes I've tested it with my preist, which is why I used the priest set as an example. This isn't the WoW forums where wild speculation is the norm. Stop with the assumptions, it only takes 3 minutes on the PTR to find someone standing around the battlemasters to determine this.

In fact it really only takes looking at the screenshots on mmo-champion to see how the set bonuses are linked now.

S1 = gladiator's xxx yyy
S2 = merciless gladiator's xxx yyy
S3 = vengeful gladiator's xxx yyy

Set bonus shows no prefix, just Gladiator's xxx yyy
the set bonuses work for any prefix with the same full name

but the different sets show different names for xxx, so they are incompatible with each other.

[Taelas]

You simply said 'It's not true on the PTR'. I assumed you had tested it, but I wasn't certain.

I am not 'speculating wildly'. I didn't assume anything. My computer couldn't go on the PTR at the time due to a bugged installation, which is why I didn't check it myself. I'd appreciate it if you could stop the patronizing tone.

[Concillian]

You simply said 'It's not true on the PTR'. I assumed you had tested it, but I wasn't certain.

I am not 'speculating wildly'. I didn't assume anything. My computer couldn't go on the PTR at the time due to a bugged installation, which is why I didn't check it myself. I'd appreciate it if you could stop the patronizing tone.

#1) The wild speculation comment was not directed at your comments but rather at your disbelief of my comments. When someone on the LL says "It works like this," and their language is precise and certain, you can be reasonably certain that it's at least pretty close to how it works. This is because these forums are not full of people who routinely wildly speculate about game mechanics, it's generally full of people who teorize, test, and prove game mechanics. I didn't think it would be necessary to explain my comments in such detail. I am sorry you misread them.

#2) I am being patronizing? You are the one telling me not to act so certain, as if you were my parent! You think that comment wasn't patronizing?

[Taelas]

#1) The wild speculation comment was not directed at your comments but rather at your disbelief of my comments. When someone on the LL says "It works like this," and their language is precise and certain, you can be reasonably certain that it's at least pretty close to how it works. This is because these forums are not full of people who routinely wildly speculate about game mechanics, it's generally full of people who teorize, test, and prove game mechanics. I didn't think it would be necessary to explain my comments in such detail. I am sorry you misread them.

Fair enough. I apologize.

#2) I am being patronizing? You are the one telling me not to act so certain, as if you were my parent! You think that comment wasn't patronizing?

I take that comment back. I thought it was patronizing because I read it in a different manner than you meant it.

Though no, I do not think my first comment was patronizing.