5.4.8 News for Warlocks

[Zagam 1,982]

Patch 5.4.8 feels very soonish, so here's what you need to know so far...

 

Boosted/Alt Warlocks

• Reputation gains with the Black Prince will be increased by 100%.  This means half of the grinding of the rep that was once needed.  No difficulty change here - just less of a time sink
• The drop rate on Sigils of Power, Sigils of Wisdom, Secrets of the Empire and Titan Runestones will be significantly increased.  This is a means to shorten the acquisition of the legendary cloak. 

All Warlocks

• There will be a new valor point exchange.  The exchange rate is 3,000 Timeless Coins for 100 Valor points.  This is great if you do all 14 SoO bosses, end up 400 short of cap, and don't want to do Heroic Scenarios.  Drop some coins and get your account-wide Valor buff on your main to speed up the Valor point acquisition on your other characters.
• All gear acquired on the Timeless Isle and up (496+ item level) will be granted 2 additional upgrade levels at an identical rate that exists today of 4 item levels per 250 Valor.  This means...

1. 496 Timeless Gear can be upgraded to 512.
2. 535 Timeless Gear can be upgraded to 551.
3. 528 LFR Gear can be upgraded to 544.
4. 540 Flex Gear can be upgraded to 556.
5. 553 Normal Gear can be upgraded to 569.
6. 559 Warforged Gear can be upgraded to 575.
7. 566 Heroic Gear can be upgraded to 582.
8. 572 Heroic Warforged Gear can be upgraded to 588.
9. 608 Legendary Cloaks can be upgraded to 616.

• Garrosh BoA items will automatically receive an additional 8 item levels.  This means your Flex items will be 556, Normals will be 569, and Heroics will be 582. 

What should you do to prepare?  You should save up your Valor points starting NOW.  Those at 3,000 Valor Points the Tuesday 5.4.8 goes live can upgrade EIGHT (8!) items beyond what is available now.  You'll drop 3,000 Valor on 6 items, turn in 30,000 Timeless Coins, and upgrade 2 more.  The Timeless Coin exchange is for those of us who have hundreds of thousands of coins...just makes it faster.

 

What should you upgrade first?  Here's your list of priority items...

 

1. Weapon - always weapon.  Spell Power is most important. 

2. Trinkets - PBI first, KTT/BBoY 2nd. 

3. Helm/Chest/Legs - these have the highest stat budgets.  If you have tier pieces, these can't be Warforged, so upgrade them ASAP.

4. Legendary Cloak

5. Warforged pieces

6. The rest

 

Upgrading your weapon is a no brainer - spell power scales with it all, so this should be your immediate upgrade. 

 

Upgrading your trinkets will create some very interesting values, particularly with Purified Bindings.  Here is the NEW proc/effective rates of your trinkets...

 

1. Purified Bindings of Immerseus - item level 588, Amplification effect = 9.699%, Intellect proc = 16,293 Intellect

2. Kardris' Toxic Totem - item level 588, Multistrike effect = 19.40%, Intellect proc = 16,293 Intellect

3. Black Blood of Y'saarj - item level 588, Haste = 2,714, Intellect proc at 10 stacks = 32,561 Intellect

 

The obvious first choice is PBI because it is going to increase your stats by an additional 0.7% across the board regardless of what version you have. 

 

Why are we seeing more upgrades available?  I believe this is their way of giving a lot of groups the extra push needed to tackle content.  Instead of imposing a raid-wide nerf of 20% or so, they're making the players feel more powerful.  For those of us who have 14/14H on farm, farm just got easier.  For those of us still progressing, this should be the nudge you need to tackle the boss you're on and the next few. 

 

Please stress to your raid teams and guilds to stock up on Valor points in order to maximize the benefit you can receive from this change when 5.4.8 goes live.  8 item levels is very significant.  If all 10 or 25 of you maximize this and increase your weapon, 2 trinkets, helm, chest, legs, and 2 other pieces, you will notice a VERY significant boost in your power and performance. 

 

Note to any non-Warlocks reading this...your Multistrike proc rate will go up exactly like KTT's does, except yours will be Agility.  Your Amplification trinkets will go up exactly the same as PBI, except you'll see Strength instead.  For you guys using Cleave trinkets, quit.  If you have any questions on what your gear will look like at 588, leave a comment and I'll calculate it for you.

[Lockybalboa 618]

For you guys using Cleave trinkets, quit.

 

[Desos 18]

Ahh, the update on the Garrosh Heirlooms, which will automatically get those 8 additional iLvl, confuses me for my choice of weapon.
currently I got the Preserved Wand from Spoils in heroic + Garrosh offhand in heroic warforged. Of course I got the Garrosh Heirloom in heroic ;)
I remember reading about stat budgets on items on EJ for 2 handers  to be 1.0 and for wands 27/64 and for offhands 9/16, just putting main- plus offhand combinations in favor due to the extra socket and enchant on the offhand.

Now the confusing part is, if the 582 staff will outweigh the combination of 582 mh + 588 offhand, since the staff should have more mastery and the same number of sockets, that mainhand plus offhand are having.

 

B2T: I will follow a different upgrade approach. Mainly because I´m a little lazy now on farm. 
It goes like this: Unless I´m not capping on VP I will just upgrade BIS pieces, that means set pieces, cloak and hc wf BIS pieces.  If I´m about to cap, I will upgrade accordingly to the priority provided by Zagam .

 

Since my guild is able to clear SoO hc in about 4 hours/one evening with current gear, there is no real incentive for me to upgrade the pieces which I will replace eventually even before WoD drops. This of course works just under my assumption that I will end up with only BIS pieces.
 

[Rawsons 0]

This is truely awesome news for us boosted locks behind the tire and still pushing for the cloak. Really curious how this will work out and when the patch is planned to be released. Any guesses?

 

Edit: I just spend my last 50k timeless coins after desperately farming any kind of PBI trinket.. Maybe today, just maybe. :)

Edited May 14, 2014 by Rawsons

[Zagam 1,982]

Ahh, the update on the Garrosh Heirlooms, which will automatically get those 8 additional iLvl, confuses me for my choice of weapon.

currently I got the Preserved Wand from Spoils in heroic + Garrosh offhand in heroic warforged. Of course I got the Garrosh Heirloom in heroic

I remember reading about stat budgets on items on EJ for 2 handers  to be 1.0 and for wands 27/64 and for offhands 9/16, just putting main- plus offhand combinations in favor due to the extra socket and enchant on the offhand.

Now the confusing part is, if the 582 staff will outweigh the combination of 582 mh + 588 offhand, since the staff should have more mastery and the same number of sockets, that mainhand plus offhand are having.

 

B2T: I will follow a different upgrade approach. Mainly because I´m a little lazy now on farm. 

It goes like this: Unless I´m not capping on VP I will just upgrade BIS pieces, that means set pieces, cloak and hc wf BIS pieces.  If I´m about to cap, I will upgrade accordingly to the priority provided by Zagam .

 

Since my guild is able to clear SoO hc in about 4 hours/one evening with current gear, there is no real incentive for me to upgrade the pieces which I will replace eventually even before WoD drops. This of course works just under my assumption that I will end up with only BIS pieces.

 

In what world would a 582 staff > 582 MH + 588 OH?  The only time you debate 2H vs MH + OH is when the item levels are the same; otherwise, you always go for the higher item level combination.  Don't forget that Intellect is more important than any secondary stat and downgrading item level is downgrading Intellect.

 

The incentive to upgrade should be decreasing the amount of time you spend on farm - or perhaps giving you the freedom to play another spec to keep things fun.  You're going to be in SoO for at least another 16 weeks - might as well spend your capped Valor on something. 

 

This is truely awesome news for us boosted locks behind the tire and still pushing for the cloak. Really curious how this will work out and when the patch is planned to be released. Any guesses?

 

Edit: I just spend my last 50k timeless coins after desperately farming any kind of PBI trinket.. Maybe today, just maybe.

My best guess is next Tuesday or the Tuesday after that (May 20/27) because it's not a very difficult patch to implement.  This change should be sooner than later.

[Twinkielock 15]

Just wondering why you have the cloak at #4.   Since it increases all stats shouldn't it go after trinkets?

[Zagam 1,982]

Cloak should be within your first upgrades if you pool your Valor appropriately.  You can upgrade 8 pieces right off the bat - weapon (OH), trinkets, helm, chest, legs, cloak.  It's #4 because it's on a list, but it is technically tied at #1 with all the pieces I just listed.

[Espiee 161]

If you have any questions on what your gear will look like at 588, leave a comment and I'll calculate it for you.

 

 

I've been trying to figure this out for myself but have had a hard time figuring out how to handle sockets.

 

I know stats are handled on the formula of V_463*1.15^((ilvl-463)/15). If you treat every socket as a +80 to mainstat it works for intellect, but the model breaks when it comes to secondary stats such as mastery and crit on Akolik's Acid-Soaked Robes. How would you calculate these?

[JvChequer 43]

I'll upgrade my:

 

Weapon, both trinkets, cloak, Helmet, Gloves, Boots and Chest

 

Or if I drop BBOY Heroic this or nest week I'll upgrade ASAP.

 

I Guess with my 588 HWF KTT my 561 BBOY will be leave in Oblivion even for affliction because i'll not upgrade it and a proc of KTT it's like ~7 stacks of BBOY. 561

Edited May 14, 2014 by JvChequer

[Zagam 1,982]

I've been trying to figure this out for myself but have had a hard time figuring out how to handle sockets.

 

I know stats are handled on the formula of V_463*1.15^((ilvl-463)/15). If you treat every socket as a +80 to mainstat it works for intellect, but the model breaks when it comes to secondary stats such as mastery and crit on Akolik's Acid-Soaked Robes. How would you calculate these?

You're using the wrong formula if trying to handle trinkets.  Trinket base item level for SoO trinkets is calculated around 553.  The formula is as you said, but out of 553 instead of 463. 

 

Sockets have no bearing on the stats in regards to item level.  This should be independent of your base calculations.  Mastery, Hit, Expertise, Crit, Haste, Stamina, Intellect, and Spirit will grow with item level - your sockets will not.  The calculations can be done similarly to the trinkets using the logrithmic formula noted for the trinkets but the base value is unknown to me.  If it's 463, then it should be easy to calculate, but I don't think that sounds accurate.

 

I'll upgrade my:

 

Weapon, both trinkets, cloak, Helmet, Gloves, Boots and Chest

 

Or if I drop BBOY Heroic this or nest week I'll upgrade ASAP.

 

I Guess with my 588 HWF KTT my 561 BBOY will be leave in Oblivion even for affliction because i'll not upgrade it and a proc of KTT it's like ~7 stacks of BBOY. 561

Why are you upgrading gloves and boots before legs?  Higher stat budget on legs = larger overall upgrade.  Boots and Gloves are 2nd tier in regards to stat budget.

[Soulzar 42]

Given the timing on the announcement, I suspect we will see the patch first reset of June.  When making any Valor related announcements they normally do so with enough advanced notice for players to cap in preparation.

 

That said, this did make it sound sooner than 3 weeks.....

 

Ironic that I've been VP capped for months and decided 2 weeks back to get a haste set going and burned it all.  lol now I may be left short of VP cap come patch if its soon :D

[Twinkielock 15]

Would you consider heroic vs normal vs warforged in what to upgrade?  For example my guild is 5/14H, and unlikely to be any further this week due to roster issues  (LFM raiders!!!!)

 

http://www.askmrrobot.com/wow/gear/usa/hyjal/twinkielock

 

I would upgrade 

Weapon BIS

Chest - Heroic tier

Legs - normal, but won't get heroic down any time soon

Cloak 

Head normal, but won't get heroic down any time soon

Both trinkets - Heroic Warforged PBI, normal KTT. 

 

After that I don't know.  One piece left.  

[Zagam 1,982]

Would you consider heroic vs normal vs warforged in what to upgrade?  For example my guild is 5/14H, and unlikely to be any further this week due to roster issues  (LFM raiders!!!!)

Trinkets are exponential in growth, but they become exponential mostly tied to the Amplification trinket.  A jump from 553 -> 561 is more than 540 -> 548 despite both being 8 item levels because you amplify a larger number.  The jump from 580 -> 588 is going to be HUGE compared to say 553 -> 561.  I'm not sure which value is used as the base for gear growth, but it'll be one of the following...

 

463 - P(ilvl) = P(463) * 1.15^((ilvl - 463)/15)

528 - P(ilvl) = P(528) * 1.15^((ilvl - 528)/15)

553 - P(ilvl) = P(553) * 1.15^((ilvl - 553)/15) <- confirmed for trinket formula

 

If 553 is the base, then the upgrade from 553 to 561 would look like this...

P(561) = P(553) * 1.15^((561-553)/15).  For example, 553 BBoY has 1959 Haste.  Plug 1959 into P(553) to solve for P(561).  Formula would look like this...

P(561) = 1959 * 1.15^(8/15) = 2,111, which is accurate if you double upgrade it.  The % gain from 1959 to 2111 is 7.76%, but the rating gain is 152.

 

Now let's take a look at 580->588 using a base of 553. 

 

P(580) = P(553) * 1.15^((580-553)/15) -> P(580) = 1959 * 1.15^(27/15) = 2519. 

P(588) = P(553) * 1.15^((588-553)/15) -> P(588) = 1959 * 1.15^(35/15) = 2714.

% gain from 2519 to 2714 is 7.74%, but the rating gain is 195.

 

For emphasis, let's look as if we were upgrading from 700->708.

P(700) = 1959 * 1.15^((700-553)/15) = 7707

P(708) = 1959 * 1.15^((708-553)/15) = 8303

% gain from 7707 to 8303 = 7.77%, but the rating gain is 596.

 

You can see that these values are largely linear in respects to % gain but exponential in regards to their numerical value.  For gear, I'm unsure on the exact formula.  Whatever it is, the values of your bigger pieces create bigger gains.  So, to answer your question, always upgrade your biggest piece as long as you follow the weapon > trinket > cloak = helm = chest = legs > rest mentality.

[Zagam 1,982]

Actually have a break at real work, so I'm going to try to derive the base value for gear scaling...

[Zagam 1,982]

Taking a pair of boots, I see that 553's Intellect value is 1466 and 561's value is 1585.  I should be able to reverse engineer the base level...

 

1585 = 1466 * 1.15^((561-x)/15)

 

Holy shit, I forget this math - I hope this is right.  Please correct if you see an error (this is why I type out my calculations and "think outloud" so you can follow haha)

 

1585/1466 = 1.15^((561-x)/15)

1.081173 = 1.15^((561-x)/15)

 

Ok, since I don't remember this bullshit from college/high school, I'm plugging in an excel formula with trial and error...

 

Using 553 as a base -> 1.077388.  This number is 0.35% off from 1.081173, so I'm going to count that close enough for government work.  By using this value, I'll test it and approximate the gain from a 572 neck to a 580 neck.

 

Intellect(572) = 1384

Intellect(580) = 1490

 

Base for a 553 Neck is 1159.  Now we test.

 

Intellect(572) = 1159 * 1.15^((572-553)/15) = 1383.4 *BINGO!*

Intellect(580) = 1159 * 1.15^((580-553)/15) = 1490.5 *BINGO!*

 

So, this proves that gear is used on a basis of 553 item level.  Curious how much Intellect you'll have on your 588 Neck?

 

Intellect(588) = 1159 * 1.15^((588-553)/15) = 1606.

 

You can use these formulae to calculate any gain from any piece you want.  All you have to do is use wowhead or some other source and find the base stat on the 553 equivalent piece.  In my next post, I'll take all of my gear, use this formula, and find out how much stats I'll gain the very first week upgrading based on my strategy in this thread.

[Zagam 1,982]

Actually, I'm not because this is a LOT of work.  You get the overall feel of it.  If you want to approximate what 8 item levels feels like, bump your stats about 7.7% before Amplification.  Take your Amplification and multiply it by 7.7%, but only for secondary stats.

 

After 5.4.8, expect the following values per piece of gear, total if you 4/4 upgrade each piece...

 

Intellect + 7.7%

Stamina + 7.7%

Haste/Mastery/Crit + 7.7% + 9.7% (588 PBI), or about 18.1% (effects multplicative, not additive).

 

You're going to like the power you gain.  I guarantee it.

[Kazistrasz 216]

Why are we seeing more upgrades available?  I believe this is their way of giving a lot of groups the extra push needed to tackle content.  Instead of imposing a raid-wide nerf of 20% or so, they're making the players feel more powerful.  

[Lockybalboa 618]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v57sUtvNa5o

[Desos 18]

In what world would a 582 staff > 582 MH + 588 OH?  The only time you debate 2H vs MH + OH is when the item levels are the same; otherwise, you always go for the higher item level combination.  Don't forget that Intellect is more important than any secondary stat and downgrading item level is downgrading Intellect.

 

The incentive to upgrade should be decreasing the amount of time you spend on farm - or perhaps giving you the freedom to play another spec to keep things fun.  You're going to be in SoO for at least another 16 weeks - might as well spend your capped Valor on something. 

 

 

Just wondered, because the heirloom staff got 2 sockets instead of the standard 1 socket-staff.

Did the math, secondary stats-wise both combos are pretty close, MH+OH offering more sec stats overall, but the staff got more Mastery. The amount of Int decides the winner, with MH+ OH netting over 200 Int more.

I don´t want to cap on VP, maybe I was a little bit blurry in pointing it out: I want to upgrade pieces that I don´t want to exchange before WoD drops. Should I get unlucky and no upgrade drops for 3 weeks, of course I´m not going to sit on those VP and upgrade something which is not the absolute BIS for my current spec and will yield the most power by upgrading it(i.e. weapons, trinkets).

My guild can not go lower than 1 raid event per ID and for me it does not matter if we are a mere 15-20 minutes earlier to call it an evening. We run on a DKP system, so every offspec piece cost me half of that raids attendance(20 DKP per raid, 10 as minimum offer, no other source of gaining DKP ). Therefore I prefer to spend my DKP on BIS pieces instead of actively accumulating an offspecc gear set. Of course every item I have and am not using in my main spec gear set is put in my off spec gear pool. 

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by check0790

[Gnar 26]

Well the 3 mil CB club is about to get some more love! Can't wait to see the new faces.

[Zilthy 36]

One thing I plan on doing is doing those Timeless Isle weekly quests for the 200 and 50 valor.  Might as well have instant valor available from a quick turn in. :D

[Zagam 1,982]

One thing I plan on doing is doing those Timeless Isle weekly quests for the 200 and 50 valor.  Might as well have instant valor available from a quick turn in.

Level your pets and do the Celestial Tournament.  It's like 10 minutes for 125 Valor plus a token for sweet pets/leveling items.

[Zilthy 36]

Level your pets and do the Celestial Tournament.  It's like 10 minutes for 125 Valor plus a token for sweet pets/leveling items.

 I actually just started working on that.  I have been pretty lazy when it comes to my pets.

[Zagam 1,982]

Let me know if you need help or have questions!

[Twinkielock 15]

Let me know if you need help or have questions!

 

I need help finding more raiders for my team! :)