Question about Recommended Frost Spec Gems

[galaxybird 0]

Hi there,

This site has been incredibly helpful in playing and gearing up my Frost Mage, but I've got one question.

Why does the recommended Gem's section say this for red gems?

• Having issues reaching the hit cap?
  • → Precise Primordial Ruby/Perfect Precise Pandarian Garnet, Precise Pandarian Garnet (cheaper), or Precise Serpent's Eye (JC)
• Otherwise
  • → Brilliant Primordial Ruby/Perfect Brilliant Pandarian Garnet, Brilliant Pandarian Garnet (cheaper), or Brilliant Serpent's Eye (JC)

The Precise Primordial Ruby offers +320 expertise. I don't understand why you wouldn't get a +Hit gem if you were struggling to reach the hit cap. Brilliant Primordial Ruby makes total sense, if you don't need +Hit, +int is the best way to go.

Veiled Imperial Amethyst

+80 Intellect and +160 Hit

Veiled Imperial Amethyst seems like a much better choice.

Without really thinking, I purchase the Precise Primordial Ruby on the AH. Does it affect Hit in some way other than +hit? Like my armory shows, I'm at about +11% hit.

Thanks for the advice!

[MichaelTheys 10]

Expertise these days gives also spell hit so 1expertise is the same as 1hit point so if you got gear with for example hit and mastery on it you can reforge teh mastery to expertise to get more hit chance. So the expertise gems are now pretty nice for any caster . But you only use it in red socket gems if the socket bonus is pretty nice or you really miss like 320points in hit to reach cap

Edited December 18, 2012 by MichaelTheys

[Damien 1,514]

As Michael said, Expertise now gives you spell hit, so you can consider, as a DPS caster, that Precise Primordial Ruby gives you +320 Hit Rating. Also, as a Frost Mage, 320 Hit Rating (or 320 Expertise Rating, it's the same thing) is better than 160 Intellect. This is why we advise you to gem for pure Expertise, rather than advising the purple Int/Hit gem.

[Sagetastic 20]

As Michael said, Expertise now gives you spell hit, so you can consider, as a DPS caster, that Precise Primordial Ruby gives you +320 Hit Rating. Also, as a Frost Mage, 320 Hit Rating (or 320 Expertise Rating, it's the same thing) is better than 160 Intellect. This is why we advise you to gem for pure Expertise, rather than advising the purple Int/Hit gem.

I'd like to point out that if you have no trouble reaching the hit cap, then this does not need concern you. When the stat with a cap is abundant, it loses its inherent value to you.

Gotta play that one by eye.

~Sage

Edited December 21, 2012 by Sagetastic