Engineering in PvE - An Accelerated Affair

Well, after extolling engineering as a good PvP profession, now it's time to trumpet its benefits for PvE. As you might know, the Hyperspeed Accelerators got buffed in patch 3.0.8 last week. HamSlammer over at the EJ forums answered a question in the ret thread about the Hyperspeed Accelerators (340 haste on use for 10 seconds, 1 minute cooldown), and how they now measure up against the Crusher glove enchant (44 AP), which is currently considered the "best in slot" glove enchant. Here's what he said:

Using Redcape's numbers, Hyperspeed is 25.5 DPS. +44 AP (Crusher, I believe) is 29.92 DPS. These have the benefit of stacking ALWAYS during Bloodlust and AW, so that brings it up a bit. All in all, I'd say whichever is easier to obtain. Hyperspeed might pull ahead on fights where your DPS time is limited, to where this tinker could have a high up time in comparison to your DPS time. Like... um... Heigan, possibly?

... and Gothik, and Sapphiron, and Malygos... I think you get the picture. Any boss that doesn't let you hit him/her for 100% of the fight ups the stock of this handy-dandy tinker.

Now, before everyone jumps on him and says "Haste sucks! Don't listen to him," think this out.

Hyperspeed has a 17% uptime over the course of a fight if used every cooldown. That's like giving yourself a 57 constant haste rating boost. Since haste rating conversion is 32.7 rating = 1% haste, you're looking at nearly 2% constant haste. It may only affect your Seal of Blood and auto-attack damage, but that's still an increase of 2% scaling damage to those two damage sources.

And, on top of that, you can stack the cooldown with your Avenging Wrath cooldown, as HamSlammer noted. Simple napkin math can't capture how much of a damage increase that is, but I'm willing to venture a bet that at tier 7 levels of gearing, getting an extra 10% haste from your Hyperspeed Accelerators for half the span of your wings can make up the 5 DPS difference between Crusher and the Accelerators that HamSlammer theorized.

In addition, as noted earlier, not every fight is like Patchwerk, where you can just flail away at the boss until it keels over. Sapphiron, for example, rotates like clockwork between air phase and ground phase, spending 45 seconds on the ground before taking off and doing his ice block thang. So, you can use your Accelerator during the ground phase, let it cool down during the air phase (when you can't hit him anyway), and then activate it again when he lands, giving the Accelerator haste effect more up-time and therefore more effective haste relative to your on-target time in comparison to the flat 44 AP from the Crusher enchant. With a 10 second up-time and a 45 second window to hit the target, you're talking about a relative up-time of 22% of your DPS presence. 10% haste for 22% of the fight? That's like a miniature, personal Heroism/Bloodlust for over one-fifth of the encounter, and who wouldn't like that?

Conclusion? I'm not investing in the Crusher enchant. I'm making use of my engineering goodies, gorramit! Patch 3.0.8 cutting the cooldown on the use effect of the Accelerators definitely made them a lot more useful. Even if it works out that stacking the Accelerators with wings doesn't make up the small amount of ground separating Crusher from patch 3.0.8 Accelerators, just the cheaper price of the engineering option makes it appealing. Plus, if what the crab said is true, haste might see a buff for melee in the forseeable future:

Haste is a worthwhile stat to some casters but it is not useful for many melee. We are trying some different things to make it more apealing. - Ghostcrawler, 1/24/09

If I may, my friendly crustacean-enamored game developer, I'd like to posit the suggestion that haste lower the global cooldown for melee as well as casters. It'd solve some rotational issues that us ret paladins run into, and I'm sure getting 7% (Note: completely fabricated number with no evidence to back it up) more Heroic Strikes or Sinister Strikes wouldn't be objectional. Am I right, warriors and rogues? (Note: I know that rogues and warriors are not the only other melee classes.)

On a broader note, I might even venture to say that the Personal Electromagnetic Pulse Generator might find a use in Ulduar, since it is a Titan-related instance and they tend to employ mechanicals, but I'll hold my tongue on that one until the instance is actually released.

So, fair reader, if you happen to be one of the tinkering few that remains faithful to M.E.G.A. or G.E.E.K., pop some Accelerators on your gloves and try it out. You might be surprised to find that it's as good if not better than your run-of-the-mill enchanting option. This won't outgain an extra two gem sockets or prismatic gems, but hey, it's something.

Engineering - Not For The Min/Max'ers

Everyone says that the Engineering profession is weak, needs buffing, yadda yadda yadda. Consider this:

• The Hand-Mounted Pyro Rocket is instant cast, one minute cooldown, and can be fired at (30 yard?) range to deal ~1150 fire damage. Great for firing at an opponent as you engage at the beginning of an arena match, or to harass a kiting opponent.
• The Nitro-Boosts for boots is a five two second duration run speed increaser with a five minute cooldown. Who needs Intercept or Death Grip? Click your heels together and you'll be 30 yards from here in a blink!
• The Sonic Booster is a stamina trinket with an AP-boosting proc. Great for entry-level arena!
• Saronite Bombs are grenades that can cause siege damage. If those pesky clothies keep hopping in the drivers seat of siege tanks, grab your bombs and blow up the walls of Wintergrasp Keep yourself!
• Charged Titanium Specs give you stealth detection and a nice amount of stamina/strength, which are three things that a PvP'ing ret paladin loves.

Engineering may not be the best profession for min/max'ing your gear in PvE, but it sure is handy in PvP! Sure, you won't be using most of this stuff in a raid, or even a 5-man, but for battlegrounds, arena, and Wintergrasp, I'd argue that Engineering is, in the nomenclature of the medium, "teh secks." Clutch rocket-boots usage can turn an arena match. Seeing/unstealthing a stealthed rogue before he saps you can really mess up an opponent's game plan. Or, my favorite, launching a pyro-rocket at a mage who just rooted you and blinked away with a little more than 20% HP, lighting up your Hammer of Wrath button for a quick finishing blow.

Don't write the tinkers off! We've got some cards up our sleeves that, when leveraged properly, might be qualititatively better than two extra gem sockets or some ring enchants.

Bottom line is this: the community is right, Engineering isn't strong from a min/max standpoint. However, it does bring to the table a few tricks, tools, and toys that cannot be found anywhere else. They are unique, situationally useful, and can grant the engineer the element of surprise (whoa, how'd that ret paladin end up 30 yards away? Or hit me with fire damage? WTF?) or quickly turn the tide of battle (how the f!@$ did he just see me in stealth?). You'd rather have those two extra gem sockets than two extra cooldowns? Fine, enjoy your extra points of strength - next arena season, we'll be back to matches where the team that runs out of cooldowns first loses, and I'm going to have a few extra.

E4AE concedes the point that Engineering stinks for PvE, but based upon the above, contends that Engineering is a great choice of profession for PvP providing the user knows how to employ his techie tools properly.

EDIT: As of 1/20/09, the Nitro-Boosts are a 2 second duration. The above post has been edited.
EDIT2: Lady Jess correctly informed me that the Noise Machine is the SP trinket, and the Sonic Booster is the AP trinket. I edited the above accordingly.

The Career Fair: Choosing your professions

Everyone in the World of Warcraft has a job. In fact, most people have at least two professions. We're all workin' stiffs, but we have flexible hours and no bosses. Plus, we take home every penny we earn - the only overhead we have to account for are auction house fees for posting our goods and services. The perfect job, right?

Choosing your professions on your Retribution Paladin is tough. Several of the crafting professions (which are composed of Tailoring, Leatherworking, Blacksmithing, Engineering, Alchemy, Enchanting, and Jewelcrafting) present excellent items for use in your raiding career, whether they be a sweet set of goggles or a stack of potions to chug furiously. Let's take a look around at the WoW career fair and see what each crafting profession has to offer, shall we? Let's head to the first table...

Tailoring
We here at the Clothier's Coven weave and sew the finest garments to be found in Azeroth! A bevy of bodacious bodices are begging you to bedazzle your foes with... wait, you're a what? A Paladin? Don't you wear plate armor? And get up real close to big hairy monsters that could impale you with sharp pikes? Sorry hun, I think you're at the wrong table.
Tailoring does not have much to offer a raiding Ret Paladin in terms of usable items, either in the consumable realm or in gear. It is suited for the spell-casters only. Don't become a tailor.

Leatherworking
Ah, a fresh face! I wish to welcome to you to the Leatherworking Shop. We take the hides and skins of the fauna from both Azeroth and Outland and create an assortment of leather goods with them - from tunics to drums to capes! I know you wear plate mail - not to worry, we have some great options for you, even though you may not want to wear a lot of the armor produced in our shop. Do you consider yourself the musical sort? Here, hold these drums for a bit...
The Leatherworking profession offers one of the most powerful raid consumables available: [Drums of Battle]. 4 leatherworkers in the same group can cycle their drums and keep the haste buff up for the entire duration of a raid encounter. Many DPS'ers, regardless of their armor class, take up leatherworking for drums alone. In addition, you would be able to create armor patches for leg armor that tanks and physical DPS classes will need any time they upgrade their armor. If you're looking to min/max to the fullest, becoming a leatherworker for one of your professions is an excellent idea.

Blacksmithing
Oi! Paladin! I know you're goin' to like my wares. Have ya ever considered becomin' a blacksmith? Look at all the great stuff we can hammer out from raw metal! I can make you armor so tough you'll think it's made of hardened adamantite. And some of it is! And the weapons! Oh the weapons! Have you ever heard of the fabled mace, Stormherald? I can teach you the secret to crafting it. Just sign right here and I'll open a world of possibilities for you.
Being a plate-wearing class, blacksmithing seems like a no-brainer profession choice. It is a solid option - there are a few bind-on-pickup blacksmithing items that are excellent for Retribution Paladins. The weaponsmith progression for swordsmith and hammersmith yield excellent t5-t6 level weapons at the end ([Lionheart Executioner] and [Stormherald], respectively), and there are a few Sunwell patterns that yield best in slot plate DPS items, like the [Hard Khorium Battleplate] and [Hard Khorium Battlefists]. No one can fault you for hanging out by the ol' anvil.

Engineering
My, you're a tall one! Excuse me, let me readjust my goggles, you're a bit out of focus. Ah, there we go! Welcome to Tinker Togglecog's Engineering Emporium! We here at Tinker's strive to make the most ingenious contraptions that Azeroth has ever known! Have you ever seen a Battle Chicken stride into battle and peck away your opponents' will to live? Or do you have the testicular fortitude to lob highly combustible detonatory demolitions devices at short range into a crowd? Have I got a deal for you! Here, take my card, and come back later! We'll talk gears and Goblin Sapper Charges.
Engineering is a quirky profession. It has something to offer to every armor class in its epic goggle patterns, creates one of the best tanking guns in the game pre-Black Temple ([Gyro-Balanced Khorium Destroyer]), is the only profession who can enhance ranged weapons through the creation of scopes, and offers a wide range of trinkets and explosives for use. It even doubles as a gathering profession with the [Zapthrottle Mote Extractor]. All in all, you can get a lot of bang for your buck out of engineering. As for raid benefits to a Retribution Paladin, however, the goggle crafts are the only tangible benefit you can reap, and they are often side-grades to raid drops. One thing you do bring that no one else can, though, is [Field Repair Bot 110G] (or 74A, if you like), which can repair and refresh your raid.

Alchemy
A potential brewer! Quick Beaker, bring the flasks! Welcome, fair paladin. I know you're going to like our goods. You seem a bit tired, may I offer you a pick-me-up? Here, drink this potion, I'm sure it'll invigorate you. Hits the spot, doesn't it? That's just a taste of what we can mix! I can teach you to brew the finest flasks, the most potent potions, and the craziest concoctions known to man or Orc! Have some samples - I know you're going to love 'em!
Alchemists are necessary for any raider. They brew up our mana, health, haste, and destruction potions. In addition, they can create a variety of flasks and elixirs to boost our stats and make us harder, better, faster, and stronger. "But Josh," you're thinking, "all of that stuff is transferable between players! I don't need to be an alchemist to use potions and flasks!" You're correct, the base stuff is not alchemist-specific. BUT, there are special alchemy products that only the alchemist can benefit from, like epic trinkets that boost the mana/health gain from potions, alchemist-only potions that grant extra buffs beyond mana/health, and being able to brew your own drinks instead of finding a mixologist to do it for you is a big plus.

Enchanting
Elune guides us, mighty warrior. You have no doubt seen others striding about town with an aura about them, or a glow emanating from their weaponry. That is our doing. We of the Enchanter's Society have the power to imbue weapons and armor with blessings of unspeakable power. That mace you possess? We know the secrets to making it pass through armor as if it were not there, or to granting it the quickness of a mongoose. Do you wish to know this gift? We can teach you the secrets of our trade.
Enchanters hold a special place in the Azerothian community. Their's is the only profession which gathers its own materials. Jewelcrafters require raw gems, which are from prospecting raw ore or mining ore veins; leatherworkers require hides procured by skinners, and so on. Enchanters simply take old gear and turn it into dust and essence, which they employ in their enchants. They also are much sought after, as no serious raider leaves their gear unenchanted if they intend to wear it. What can you gain from being an enchanter yourself that you could not if you got your enchants from another? Enchanters can enchant their rings, something that cannot be done for others. Plus, you are granted the ability to turn your outdated soulbound gear into enchanting materials, which you can put toward the enchant for your new piece of gear. For the min/max'ers among us, the ring enchants alone are reason enough to become an enchanter, as they provide a little extra in terms of stats that could not be had otherwise.

Jewelcrafting
The Jewelcrafter's Guild welcomes you, esteemed Paladin. You have no doubt heard of our services, have you not? We can shape the rarest of gems into powerful foci to enhance your armor. I see that your chestplate has a few indentations in it - what would you say if I told you that I could fit a ruby in there that could make you feel as though you had the strength of 10 men? Okay, not 10 men, but certainly stronger! Come, let us discuss the finer points of gem carving.
The jewelcrafters of Azeroth, much like the enchanters, are in high demand. Any time a new piece of armor is acquired that has gem slots, a jewelcrafter's services will be required to cut, shape, and carve an appropriate gem to fit into the slots. We're not here to talk about the business end of jewelcrafting, however. What can this profession do for you as a raider? Well, bind-on-pickup JC-only gems can be made that are the most powerful single gems in the game, which can provide that extra little oomph to your armor. Several epic trinkets are available, one of which that can boost your attack power and summon a pet to fight alongside you ([Figurine: Khorium Boar]). Not to mention the jewelry that can be crafted from Sunwell patterns. Jewelcrafting is a very potent profession.
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So, what can we take away from all this? Well, first and foremost, you can gain a benefit from any of the crafting professions as a Retribution Paladin (except for tailoring). Whatever your fancy is, go with it! You can make it work.

Most players choose to pair a gathering profession (Herbalism, Skinning, or Mining) with a crafting profession. If you choose this route, I recommend taking the gathering profession that finds raw materials for your craft of choice - Herbalism for Alchemists, Skinning for Leatherworkers, and Mining for Blacksmiths/Engineers/Jewelcrafters. Enchanters don't have a gathering profession to pair up with. There is merit to this choice, as it provides a steady stream of materials with which to create your gear/consumables.

If you're looking to become the absolute strongest raider you can be, however, you'll want to take two crafting professions. It becomes expensive to keep going, but such is the cost of being the best! As I mentioned, all the crafts have a benefit in a raid setting, but some are stronger than others. The single most beneficial profession to a DPS'er is currently leatherworking - Drums of Battle cycled between 4 leatherworkers creates 100% up-time for the haste buff, which is a big deal. After that, it is most likely a toss-up between blacksmithing, alchemy, jewelcrafting, and enchanting. The weapon crafts and Sunwell patterns for blacksmithing are very potent, but are rivaled in potency by raid drops. The advantage is that blacksmithing allows a Paladin to craft his weapon instead of cross his fingers for the gods of chance to smile upon him. Alchemy brings the [Assassin's Alchemist Stone], which is excellent for refilling your mana bar when you chug a potion, but there are other trinkets out there that provide very potent DPS buffs, like [Dragonspine Trophy] and [Berserker's Call]. And then there are the small stat boosts from the professional-only gems and enchants. It's wide open, and highly debatable.

If PvP is more your thang, then the crafts you'll want are very different. Most consumables are not usable in the arena, which is the most popular form of player vs. player combat. That makes alchemy and leatherworking a disadvantage for the PvP'er, since the benefits are all consumable based for Retribution Paladins. Blacksmithing, engineering, jewelcrafting and enchanting all have the same benefits they do for raiders, and engineers have the added benefit of grenades for use in battlegrounds (all though using them on a regular basis gets pricey). Blacksmithing and engineering, I think, tend to be weaker choices for PvP than jewelcrafting and enchanting, since the gear you can craft will not have resilience on it, so oftentimes you will end up using PvP gear instead. If you want to min/max a PvP Retribution Paladin, your choice will most likely end up as jewelcrafting and enchanting.

I hope you enjoyed your guided tour of the Azerothian Career Fair! Now starts our question and answer period. Questions, anyone?

A Pally, a Pole, and a Can o' Worms

When I first rolled my Paladin, I didn't quite understand the concept of secondary professions. I thought that First Aid, Fishing, and Cooking all counted toward the two-profession limit, just like Mining or Alchemy. So, I avoided them. Cathmor, as originally conceived, was a Miner/Blacksmith and that was that.

When I started getting into the upper 40's, however, and joined a guild with the intention to raid when I got to 60, I was informed of my mistake. The guild required all members to have maxed First Aid so that they could bandage themselves and save their own lives in Molten Core. Obedient holy man that I was, I went and bought cloth to grind my bandage ability up, despite possessing the ability to heal myself through holy magics. Fishing and Cooking, however, I didn't do anything about. I had no desire to stand around with my line in the water, waiting for fish I wouldn't want to eat, and I didn't know about the benefits of Well Fed buffs either. I was a noob, so sue me.

Today, I fully understand the benefits of the Well Fed buff, and am constantly scrounging for [Roasted Clefthoof] to munch on during raids. I can't cook it, so I always need to bug a guildie to be my personal chef. Last week, I decided to be more self-sufficient. I grabbed a fishing pole and resolved to grind my Fishing and Cooking up to 375, by hook or by c(r)ook!
(Get it? Hook & cook? Ah, nevermind. My puns are terrible...)

I'm working loosely from the Wowwiki page on powerleveling fishing and cooking. This personal quest has taken the place of leveling an alt, since I reaffirmed to myself my inability to stay focused on an alt. I just hate the concept of having to grind out another 70 levels and then grind reputation and gear all over again. My brain has no problem accepting silly side-quests for my Paladin though, as this Fishing/Cooking extravaganza will be. Over the weekend I was able to get both into the mid-200's - this week I'll be venturing with my [Seth's Graphite Fishing Pole] and a bunch of [Sharpened Fish Hook] or [Aquadynamic Fish Attractor] to the ends of Azeroth, seeking exotic new sushi and learning new ways to grill or saute my catch.

Hopefully, I'll stick with this mission and end up with the ability to participate in another random part of the World of Warcraft to which I previously had no access. Maybe I'll enter that fishing competition down in Booty Bay one o' these days! Or perhaps find the ring of legend... preeeecious...