Gear Optimization
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Understanding Stats
Setting up the correct stats for your character's gear can drastically increase your damage, survivability, and overall performance in PvP. The stats you choose to prioritize can change depending on the meta and your playstyle.
Primary Stats
increases your spell power and damage.
increases your health pool.
Secondary Stats
increases your casting speed and reduces the global cooldown.
increases your chance to critically hit with spells.
increases your damage and healing done and decreases damage taken.
increases the damage of your spells during eclipse.
Tertiary Stats
These stats only work when they are enchanted or gemmed. Tertiary stats on gear by random do not work in PvP.
reduces the damage taken from AoE attacks.
heals for a portion of damage done.
increases your movement speed.
Stat Priority
Common Builds
You want to build 3 sets of gear for the 3 most common builds. The first two are the most common to be played, while the third is more for fun.
Cycling / Cycloning
Dampening / Counterpressure
Rated Battlegrounds
Understanding Tempo
Tempo
The tempo of the game is based on the frequency of game-changing decisions that need to be made. For example, a small map like Dalaran Sewers versus a Dev/DH/Fistweaver requires high-tempo game-play from a Balance Druid. Any mistake can lead to an instant loss. While a larger map like Tol'viron Arena versus a Destro/Shadow/Rsham has a low tempo. The game is slower, more methodical, and commonly won in dampening. Tempo says less about game length and more about the volatility of a map/matchup.
The higher the tempo, the more vers/haste is required to win. The lower the tempo, the more mastery needs to be swapped in for vers to win.
Why These 3 Builds
Using high haste/vers enables a Balance Druid to play more agro for Cyclones while withstanding more damage. On the other hand, using slightly less versatility and playing further away for damage with higher mastery is another viable option. Given a small map, the tempo of the game is fast which makes a haste/vers build better. While a larger map, having more mastery and doing damage from afar is better. The final talent build for rated battlegrounds is for dealing maximum damage but has the downside of being very squishy if used in an arena.
Stat Diminishing Returns
Stat DRs are applied to secondary stats when you have too much of one stat. Install the addon True Stat Values to see when you are hitting a DR. Then use gems, enchants, and gear to avoid stat DRs. Trade out versatility for mastery when hitting the versatility stat DR. Haste up to the 20% DR is still beneficial.
Challenge Time!
Apply what you've learned and test your skills:
- Obtain Cycling / Cycloning:This gear set is best to start off with as it is the most common build to play.
- Obtain Dampening / Counterpressure:This gear set is less common, however with some experience, you can leverage more wins in this higher damage build.
- Obtain Rated Battlegrounds:Playing a few RBGs will help you understand the importance of having a high mastery build for maximum damage output.
Note: The difference between using the correct gear sets stat wise, can often be the difference between winning and losing a game.