Gear Enchants – Head slot

Here is the first post in a new series on enchantments to help increase your effectiveness in the game, end-game instancing and raiding in particular.  I’m breaking these posts up by gear slot for a number of reasons.  The primary two reasons are those long posts I wrote summarizing bear and cat gear were 1) exhausting to write, and 2) very long to keep track of by you all.  Hopefully, keeping these posts smaller they will be more useful to you. 

I’m creating a new category of “Enchants” to help you (and I) keep track of these posts.

I’ll be presenting slot enchantments along the following guidelines:

1. I’ll be focusing on upper-level enchantments.  Probably more than just the highest level, but I will definitely be disregarding many lower level enchantments.  Typically this will mean enchantments requiring 250 skill or better.  Faction rewards and crafted items will be evaluated on their merits regardless of reputation or level.
2. Based on blog feedback, I’ll expand my inquiries beyond feral druids and discuss enchants of interest to resto and balance Druids.
3. I’ll be avoiding resistance enchants.  It just doesn’t make sense to enchant items with resistance vs. using a potion, except for very special occasions. 
4. I’m going to fit all the enchants I find interesting into our three main specs, even if some look out of place.  It’s just simpler that way.  Feel free to pick and choose and debate what belongs where.

You can’t do simple research on enchantments by slot.  Since the slot it affects is in the text of the enchantment, you have to look at all enchantments and ferret out the ones you want.  You can however, get two simple lists of Enchanter enchantments and crafted items (i.e. made or applied by an Enchanter) and “use” enchantments (i.e. spellthread, armor kits, etc.) that can help the process.  Click the links for the two lists.

There are also “temporary” enchantments that I did not include in this research.  Click the link if you’re interested.

Feral Enchants

Arcanum of Protection – +12 dodge.  Quest reward, Dire Maul.
Arcanum of Rapidity – +10 haste rating.  Quest reward, Dire Maul.  (Can anyone verify haste ratings benefit us in feral forms?)
Death’s Embrace – +28 attack power, +12 dodge.  Quest reward, Zul’Gurub.
Glyph of the Defender – +16 defense, +17 dodge.  Vendor purchase.  Keepers of Time, Revered. 
Glyph of Ferocity – +34 attack power, +16 hit rating.  Vendor purchase.  Cenarion Expidition, Revered.
Lesser Arcanum of Constitution – +100 hit points (every little bit helps).  Quest reward, Burning Steppes.
Lesser Arcanum of Tenacity – +125 armor.  Quest reward, Burning Steppes.  (Can any verify that even though this is an enchant, it still gets the gear bonus multiplier?)

Balance Enchants

Arcanum of Focus - +8 to healing and damage from spells.  Quest reward, Dire Maul.
Glyph of the Outcast – +17 strength, +16 Intellect.  Vendor Purchase.  Lower City, Revered.  This looks like something a Paladin would like, but there might be a Resto out there that likes to mix it up a bit that would be interested in this.
Glyph of Power – up to +22 spell damage and healing, +14 spell hit rating.  Vendor Purchase.  The Sha’tar, Revered.
Lesser Arcanum of Rumination – +150 mana.  Quest reward, Burning Steppes.

Resto Enchants

Animist’s Caress – +10 Stamina, +10 intellect, up to +24 healing.  Quest reward, Zul’Gurub.
Glyph of Renewal – +35 healing, +7 mp5.  Honor Hold, Revered, for Alliance (vendor purchase).  Thrallmar, Revered, for Horde (vendor purchase).
Lesser Arcanum of Rumination – +150 mana.  Quest reward, Burning Steppes.

I’m just a simple Bear, so here’s what I propose…

So, a couple days ago I posted a message asking what you would like to hear about next – builds, enchantments, etc.  Since most of my postings involve research or are feral-related, I thought I’d see what you wanted.  Based on the comments that got left, there is a great interest in other builds and play styles (healing and resto), and some PvP info maybe along with the feral information.

Well, here’s the deal.  I’ve played feral since the day I got my first talent point with Amanna.  While I have done some healing in instances and am familiar with the damage-dealing spells we all have, those areas are certainly not my speciality.  While at some point I may play around with some re-specs just to try those abilities out more fully, I don’t anticipate that being anytime soon, nor do I believe I will ever move away from feral.

In addition to playing and writing about feral, the other thing I enjoy doing for this blog is extensive research and summarization, like the bear and cat gear lists.  I’ve already started the research on a series of posts concerning enchants by gear slot that I think you will all find interesting.

This blog has really grown since I first started it, and with the recent WoW Insider exposure, it’s running around 900 views a day.  I’d like to offer more to all those visitors than just feral and general game-play thoughts and information.

So in order to make this blog more well-rounded and a “destination” resource for all World of Warcraft Druids, I’ve been thinking it may be time to add a couple new contributors to the blog.   I’d like to hear from you out there, particularly the regular commentors, if you would be interested in contributing to this blog to fill in one or more of the following content areas:

1. Detailed information and strategy around being a “healing” Druid.   Along with feral, I think this is the other most viable Druids orientation, and is the information most missing from this blog.  I’d be looking for someone who can speak to gear, talents and builds, and the mechanics of being a good healing Druid.
2. Druid strategy in end-game raiding.  We all know that end-game raids can be much different than soloing and instances.  Adding this perspective to the blog I think would be of great interest to the readership.
3. PvP - I don’t PvP myself and really don’t have much interest to.  It just doesn’t appeal to me.  But I know it does to a number of you out there, so it would be great if someone could bring that perspective to the blog.
4. A really good mechanics perspective would add a lot to the blog.  I can read and summarize wowwiki.com just like the rest of you, but I don’t have the passion to play around with theorycrafting or dig into what one more point in defense really means to my character.  If there is someone out there that likes the mechanics of the game, let me know.
5. Lastly – The Horde perspective – I’m really not sure if it differs from The Alliance perspective, especially the closer to end-game you get.  If it is different, then we should talk about it.

I’m not looking to add a ton of folks to the blog at this point until we both see how this works out.  One person may be able to write about more than one of the topics above.  Also, be aware that I will still retain creative control over the blog – the look and feel and information displayed are solely at my discretion.  You would be added as a contributor to the blog and I would certainly respect your suggestions, but as the end product reflects mainly on me, I plan on retaining control.  I do believe in giving credit where credit is due, so you will be free to represent yourself however you want on the blog (assuming it’s in good taste) and sign your own posts.

With the addition of are more well-rounded Druid information, I think we could really turn this blog into a great resource for all Druids.  If you are interested, and committed, to contributing to that process, please use the contact form below to send me an E-Mail.  In the comments tell me what you feel you could offer the blog, how often you would post, and why you would like to contribute.

I’ve turned comments off for this post so only the Contact Form is displayed, so please only use the Contact Form if you are interested in being a contributor.  Once I see how many, if any, potential contributors step virtually forward, then I’ll open the door for comments on what additional material you would like to see.   For now, let’s just take one step at a time…

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