Is this a upgrade ?

[Roothar 0]

Hello,

I've got from our last hc protectors  Purehearted Cricket Cage  and my question is : is this upgrade from my : Visage of the Monstrous. If i simply calculated stats the shield was better but .. ?

my armory:

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/the-maelstrom/Noorth/advanced

[Stoove 347]

How is the Shield better in any way but the armour? The Cricket Cage clearly has stronger stats in all other areas, with the exception that the gem socket is Blue rather than Red.

 

I'd take the Heroic loot.

[Hybrys 199]

Right out of the gate, I think the OH is better because it has 150 extra int.

 

If you're worried about it having less Haste, it has more spirit to compensate.  You can drop spirit elsewhere (such as from gems) and gain those or different stats back.

 

The Purehearted Cricket Cage is definitely better.

[Stoove 347]

Oh no it does have more Haste. My mistake.

 

OTOH that kind of Haste drop is what Ask Mr Robot is good for dealing with.

[Roothar 0]

Thanks for response - haste ain't big issue for me - can't get last breakpoint now and i can reach the lower breakpoint easly. I;ll take it then :P.

[SparkSovereign 61]

Re: armor, almost all the physical damage you care about in SoO is armor-piercing, because reasons.  Blood Rage, anything with the word "sonic" in it, all armor-piercing.  Armor helps you with actually getting melee'd by adds, throwing axes on Galakras (most people don't even know those exist they do so little), and... um... I think Iron Juggernaut has some raid damage that allows armor too, can't remember off the top of my head.  A number of encounters have incidental damage that allows armor (Thok adds, the whirlwind move that one paragon has, etc) but the primary fight damage tends not to (so as to not overly penalize clothies, usually), and most of the stuff that does is stuff you shouldn't be getting hit by in the first place (Juggernaut mines, Blackfuse missiles, etc).

 

If you're getting wrecked by physical damage on a fight for whatever reason, try the shield, and check your logs to see if the meaningful hits are smaller.  Otherwise, go for the stats.

[kitsu 55]

juggernaut has lots of physical damage that armor helps with, nazgrim adds will hit you, and buzzsaws from siegecrafter are about it.

 

i only noticed a shield helping when i was fresh out of tot and my health pool was low. once you have enough hp to take a hit and live without a shield, you'll be fine without one on any fight, normal or H.