WoW Guides: Gems and Enchants for Your Paladin
Updated Tue, Jan 17, 2012 by Messiah
*Updated for Patch 4.3*
In this section of the Paladin class guide we look at how to improve the gear that you’ve worked so hard to get. Gear enhancements include gems, enchants, crafted items and reputation rewards. While these enhancements can really boost productivity, they can’t completely overhaul your gear for a different spec (i.e. your healing legs won’t turn into great tanking legs by re-gemming and putting some enchants on them). While you can’t rely on enhancements to provide a complete make-over, you can really fill in the gaps of your gear with the right decisions.
First and foremost your crafting professions will determine the ease of gathering some of the gear enhancements. In addition to Belt Buckles from Blacksmithing (discussed below), Tailors may create special “threads,” Jewelcrafters can make self-applied gems, Inscribers create self-applied glyphs, and even Engineers have a few tricks that only they can use. We’ll list out these crafter-specific items later, but keep them in mind when evaluating which gems and enchants you plan on using.
The goal is to use gear enhancements to fill in the gaps in your gear and if you have no gaps then it should be used to maximize your most important stats. In general you want to focus on your main stat and use reforging to ajust other stats to fill in what you can, but that is best explained in our reforging guide: Reforge This. For enhancements just keep in mind, reforge first, then gem and enchant to fill in holes and then focus on core stats.
Gems
The first thing you will notice is that most gear does not have gem sockets. Not until you get all the way to the late 70's or late 80's or near 85 do most pieces of gear come with gem sockets. Luckily Blacksmiths can make Belt Buckles (yeehaw!) which will add a gem socket to your belt. As soon as your level allows you should attach a belt buckle to your belts! This gem slot is very useful.
Which gems you can use with obviously depend on what level you are since you cna not use high level gems when you are low level. Therefore keep in mind that this is written for level 85 players but you can be looking for the same type of gem just a lower level version.
mastery - crit
Once a Paladin starts receiving gear with gem sockets, there are plenty of options. The choices made will of course depend on the play style and talent spec chosen, but following is a handy reference for you at level 85, when you’re standing at the auction house trying to decide which gems to choose:
|
Gems |
|||
| Gem Types |
Holy |
Protection |
Retribution |
|
Blue |
|||
|
Good |
Sparking Ocean Sapphire (+40
Spirit)
|
Solid Ocean Sapphire (+60 Stamina)
|
Use a red gem |
|
Best |
Sparking Deepholm (+50
Spirit)
|
Solid Deepholm Iolite (+75 Stamina)
|
Use a red gem |
|
Red |
|||
|
Good |
Brilliand Inferno Ruby (+40 Intellect)
|
Use an orange or purple gem | Bold Inferno Ruby (+40 Strength)
|
|
Best |
Brilliant Queen's Garnet (+50 Intellect)
|
Use an orange or purple gem |
Bold Queen's Garnet (+50
Strength)
|
|
Yellow |
|||
|
Good |
Use an orange gem |
Fractured Amberjewel (+40 Mastery)
|
Use an orange gem |
|
Best |
Use an orange gem
|
Fractured Lightstone (+50
Mastery)
|
Use an orange gem |
|
Purple |
|||
|
Good |
Purified Demonseye (+20 Intellect and +20 Spirit)
|
Defender's Demonseye (+20
Parry and +30 Stamina)
|
Etched Demonseye (+20 Strength and +20 Hit) |
|
Best |
Purified Shadow Spinel (+25 Intellect and +25 Spirit)
|
Defender's Shadow Spinel (+25
Parry and +37 Stamina)
|
Etched Shadow Spinel (+25 Strength and +25 Hit) |
|
Orange |
|||
|
Good |
Reckless Ember Topaz (+20 Intellect and +20 Haste Rating)
|
Fine Ember Topaz (+20
Parry and +30 Stamina)
|
Skillfull Ember Topaz (+20 Strength and +20 Mastery) |
|
Best |
Reckless Lava Coral (+25 Intellect and +25 Haste)
|
Fine Lava Coral (+25
Parry and +37 Stamina)
|
Skillful Lava Coral (+25 Strength and +25 Mastery) |
|
Green |
|||
|
Good |
Use a red gem |
Puissant Dream Emerald (+20 Mastery
and +30 Stamina)
|
Use a red gem |
|
Best |
Use a red gem |
Puissant Elven Peridot (+25
Mastery and +37 Stamina)
|
Use a red gem |
|
Meta |
|||
|
Good |
Insightful Earthsiege Diamond
(+21 Intellect and chance to restore mana on spellcast)
|
Austere Shadowspirit Diamond (+81
Stamina and 2% increased armor from items)
|
See below. |
|
Best |
Ember Shadowspirit Diamond (+54 Intellect and +2% maximum mana) |
Eternal Shadowspirit Diamond (+81
Stamina and +1% block value)
|
Reverberating Shadowspirit Diamond
(+54 Strength and +3% Increased Critical Damage)
|
If you can't cut your own gems, make sure to stay up on the latest prices at the Auction House. Sometimes you can set yourself up without breaking the bank.
Once the gems are socketed, it’s time to evaluate enchants that are available. Enchanting has come a long way and now provides some significant bonuses to your gear.
Recommended Enchants for each of the talent specs:
|
Enchants |
|||
|
Holy |
Protection |
Retribution |
|
|
Head |
Arcanum of Hyjal: +60 Intellect and +35 Crit |
Arcanum of the Earthen Ring: +90 Stamin and +35 Dodge
|
Arcanum of the Dragonmaw: +60 Strength and +30 Mastery
|
|
Shoulder |
Greater Inscription of Charged Lodestone: +50 Intellect and +2 5 Haste
|
Greater Inscription of the
Unbreakable Quartz: +75 Stamina and +25 Dodge
|
Greater Inscription of Jagged Stone: +50 Strength and +25 Critical Strike
|
|
Chest |
Peerless Stats: |
Greater Stamina: +75 Stamina
|
Peerless Stats: |
|
Cloak |
Greater Intellect: |
Protection: +250 Armor
|
Greater Critical Strike: +65 Critical Strike |
|
Wrist |
Mighty Intellect: |
Superior Dodge: +50 Dodge
|
Major Strength: |
|
Hands |
Haste: |
Greater Mastery: +65 Mastery |
Mighty Strength: |
|
Legs |
Powerful Ghostly Spellthread: |
Drakehide Leg Armor: +145 Stamina
and +55 Dodge
|
Dragonscale Leg Armor: +190
Attack Power and +55 Critical Strike
|
|
Waist |
Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
|
Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
|
Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
|
|
Boots |
Haste: |
Mastery: +50 Mastery |
Mastery: +50 Mastery |
|
Weapon |
Power Torrent: |
Windwalk: Chance to increase Dodge by 600 for 15 seconds. |
Landslide: Chance to increase attack power by 1000 for 12 seconds. |
|
Shield |
Superior Intellect: |
Mastery: +50 Mastery |
N/A |
World of Warcraft offers plenty of ways to outfit a
character and they pay special attention to provide alternate paths to
the same
conclusion. With this guide and some elbow grease, there is no reason
you can’t
be ready to raid with the best of them.
Comments
Post your comments »
Add your thoughts to the discussion! »