WoW - Updated: Gems and Enchants for Your Shaman

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Updated Tue, Aug 04, 2009 by Bluto

Pimp your gear, stand out from your peers

Make the ordinary, Extraordinary.

Well by now I hope your WoW experiences have begun to yield some good gear for you folks. Even if you are lucky enough to have scored some Tier 8.5 gear, it can always be better. It can be difficult to decide exactly when and how to enhance your gear. Don’t be afraid to spend some of that gold you’ve been amassing. Of course that’s no reason to spend your cash haphazardly. You can down rank some of those gems and enchants until you get an item you are sure is going to last for awhile. If you get a Tier 8.5 piece, you SHOULD enchant it to the best possible, since there’s nothing better than Tier 8.5 at the moment. As a rule, if you have any socketed items, get a gem into them ASAP. Not only will it assist you on your path to greatness, you won’t instantly lose the confidence of your fellow players for walking around that way. Good Raid leaders are going to inspect your armor and if it appears that you don’t care about your gear, chances are they won’t care about you. Most folks are more understanding about enchantments, since it requires an Enchanter. You can usually find one around. Although they never seem to be around when you’re looking for one, they have some nerve.

So in my typical table format system and without further ado, here are some quick ways to boost your items effectiveness.

Restoration Build

As a rule, you can “ignore” hit more than your Shaman brethren. You will always succeed in “hitting” friendly targets for healing. Spell Power, Spell Crit, Mana per 5 Seconds, and Intellect is historically considered the most important stats. Keep in mind as a healer you are sometimes better served ‘knowing’ how much your heals will hit for, rather than hoping for the critical heal.

Enchantments

Gloves	Exceptional Spellpower - +28 to spellpwer
Weapon	Mighty Spellpower - +63 to spellpower
Boots	Greater Vitality - +6 mana and health per 5 seconds *Tuskarr's Vitality - minor speed increase and +15 to stamina
Bracers	Superior Spellpower - +30 to spellpower Greater Stats - +6 to all stats
Cloak	Greater Speed - +23 to haste rating
Shield	Greater Intellect - +25 to intellect
Chest	**Powerful Stats - +10 to all stats Greater Mana Restoration - +8 mana per 5 seconds

* Never hurts, even for a healer, to increase your run speed and your stamina. There are several boss fights in PvE that require quick reaction and "Get the Hell out of there" movement.

** In my opinion, use Powerful Stats for only the high end game gear. The mats used for this enchant are very expensive. For any gear lower than high end game you should probably use Super Stats Enchant - +8 to all stats.

Gems: Focus on spell power, intellect, spell crit, and mana per 5 secs

Slot	Name
Red	Runed Scarlet Ruby - +19 spell power Luminous Monarch Topaz - +9 spell power and +8 intellect
Yellow	Brilliant Autumn’s Glow - +16 intellect Luminous Monarch Topaz - +9 spell power and +8 intellect
Blue	Dazzling Forest Emerald - +8 intellect and +3 mana per 5 secs Glowing Twilight Opal - +9 spell power and +12 stamina Royal Twilight Opal - +9 spellpower and +3 mana per 5 secs
Meta Gem	Insightful Earthsiege Diamond - +21 intellect and chance to restore mana on spellcast Ember Skyfire Diamond - +25 spellpower and +2% intellect

Item Enhancements

Legs	Sapphire Spellthread - +50 spell power and +30 stamina Runic Spellthread - +35 spell power and +20 stamina *Azure Spellthread (for the cheap folks) - +35 spell power and +20 stamina
Shoulder	Greater Inscription of the Crag - +24 spell power and +6 mana per 5 secs Greater Inscription of the Storm - +24 spell power and +15 critical strike
Helm	*Arcanum of Blissful Mending - +30 spell power and +8 mana per 5 secs **Arcanum of Burning Mysteries - +30 spell power and +20 critical strike

* Requires Tailor Profession to make

** Requires Exalted with Sons of Hodir

*** Requires Revered with The Wyrmrest Accord

**** Requires Revered with Kirin Tor

Enhancement Build

The melee side of being a Shaman. You want to focus on hit rating, expertise, critical strike and attack power when buffing your Enhancement Shaman.

Enchantments

Gloves	Expertise - +15 Expertise Crusher - +44 attack power
Weapon	Bezerking - +400 attack power Mongoose - + 120 agility and slight increase to attack speed
Boot	Superior Agility - +16 agility Greater Assault - +32 attack power
Bracers	Expertise - +15 expertise Greater Assault - +50 attack power
Cloak	Major Agility - +22 agility
Shield	If you have a shield as Enhancement, you will be hunted down and given a wedgie.
Chest	*Powerful Stats - +10 to all stats

* In my opinion, use Powerful Stats for only the high end game gear. The mats used for this enchant are very expensive. For any gear lower than high end game you should probably use Super Stats Enchant - +8 to all stats.

Gems: Focus on hit, critical strike, expertise, and attack power.

Slot	Name
Red	Wicked Monarch Topaz - +16 attack power and +8 critical strike Bright Scarlet Ruby - +32 attack power Precise Scarlet Ruby - +16 Expertise
Yellow	Quick Autumn's Glow - +16 haste rating Rigid Autumn's Glow - +16 hit rating
Blue	Jagged Forest Emerald - +8 critical strike and +12 stamina Vivid Forest Emerald - +8 hit rating and +12 stamina
Meta Gem	Relentless Earthsiege Diamond - +21 agility and 3% increase critical strike damage

Item Enhancement

Legs

*Icescale Leg Armor - +75 attack power and +22 critical strike

*Nerubian Leg Armor - +55 attack power and +15 critical strike

Shoulders

**Greater Inscription of the Axe - +40 attack power and +15 critical strike

Helms

***Arcanum of Torment - +50 attack power and +20 criticial strike

* Requires Leatherwork Profession to make

** Requires Exalted with Sons of Hodir

*** Requires Revered with Knights of the Ebon Blade

Elemental Build

The Elemental build is very similar to the Restoration build, the notable exception is to fill in some extra Hit where possible. As opposed to the Resto Shammy you will need it. Spellpower and critical stike is also your friend.

Enchantments

Gloves	Exceptional Spellpower - +28 spellpower
Weapon	Mighty Spellpower - +63 spellpower
Boots	Greater Vitality - +6 mana per 5 secs Tuskarr's Vitality - minor speed increase and +15 stamina
Bracers	Superior Spellpower - +30 spell power Greater Stats - +6 to all stats
Cloak	Greater Speed - +23 haste rating
Shield	Greater Intellect - +25 intellect
Chest	*Powerful Stats - +10 to all stats

Gems: Focus on mostly spell crit, haste rating, and spell power here. Some extra Hit won’t hurt you either.

Slot	Name
Red	Veiled Pyrestone - +5 hit rating and +6 spell power Runed Scarlet Ruby - +19 spell power
Yellow	Potent Monarch Topaz - +9 spell power and +8 critical strike Rigid Autumn's Glow - +16 hit rating
Blue	Energized Forest Emerald - +8 haste rating and +3 mana per 5 secs Royal Twilight Opal - +9 spell power and +3 mana per 5 secs
Meta Gem	Chaotic Skyflare Diamond - +21 critical strike and 3% increased critical strike Bracing Earthsiege Diamond - +25 spell power and 2% threat reduction

Item Enhancements

Legs	Sapphire Spellthread - +50 spell power and +30 stamina Runic Spellthread - +35 spell power and +20 stamina *Azure Spellthread (for the cheap folks) - +35 spell power and +20 stamina
Shoulder	Greater Inscription of the Crag - +24 spell power and +6 mana per 5 secs Greater Inscription of the Storm - +24 spell power and +15 critical strike
Helm	*Arcanum of Blissful Mending - +30 spell power and +8 mana per 5 secs **Arcanum of Burning Mysteries - +30 spell power and +20 critical strike

* Requires Tailor Profession to make

** Requires Exalted with Sons of Hodir

*** Requires Revered with The Wyrmrest Accord

**** Requires Revered with Kirin Tor

Please keep in mind that these are only suggestions to move you in what I think is a positive direction. This is by no means scriptures. As always the readers’ input is welcome and appreciated in the Ten Ton Hammer WoW Forums.

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