I know people who collect swords (in game!), folks who are eternally searching for the perfect hat, guildies who change hairstyles on a daily basis. The fact is that WoW has a very visual component, and I think it’s fair to say that most frequent players develop an attachment to their main and want to see them look coordinated or pretty or badass. I am a big fan of min-maxing, theorycrafting, and using math voodoo to make Liore the best she can be at healing or DPS, but there is one area where my resolve weakens, and that area is staves.
I love staves. They are big and fantastical and often iconic. Think of priests running around with Benediction, or the corn staff from the green dragons. Ever since I first set eyes upon Will of Arlokk (can we get the Zul’Gurub armor designers to come back, please?), I was sold on Liore being a staff wearer. This wasn’t a very controversial decision in Classic WoW, particularly with Benediction around.
Maces plus an offhand gained some traction in TBC, although Solarian’s Ethereum Life-Staff and the Priest on a Stick were still pretty competitive weapon choices for their armor tiers.
So here we are in Northrend, and, sadly, maces really are the way to go. There are plenty of good weapon choices and lots of great offhands floating around, whether you’re healing or DPSing. And I had indeed remained true to my inner min-maxer and stuck with my mace. Oh sure, I managed to fairly obtain a Spire of Sunset and a Staff of Restraint, but although both are gorgeous they currently sit in my bank, two more exhibits in Liore’s Gallery of Staves. They just .. weren’t.. quite enough.. to make me switch.
Then, last night, Gluth fell and suddenly IT entered my life. My precious! You can keep your theorycrafting, jack, because I have DAMNATION. Oh, sweet Damnation. My new weapon math goes as such:
(awesome name + badass model + spinny bits) > dumb mace
I lost some spell power and am going to have to regem a couple of sockets for +hit, but la la la I do not care. Sometimes a girl just needs a big fancy stick.
I know JUST how you feel. I still have my Pillar of Ferocity http://www.wowhead.com/?item=30883 in the bank, enchanted with… um… that one on-proc enchant that makes weapons all sparkly and lightning-ey… yeah, I fondly call that my sparkle-stick.
I also have the candlestick from 4-horsemen even though I don’t heal. I like to wear it with my little black dress and Don carlos’ famous hat, though my husband repeatedly tells me that a sombrero does NOT go with a little black dress.
I don’t care, it comes with a puppy.
Tigerfeet’s last blog post..I Killed A Dragon, And Learned Something New
You know they're coming out with new staff enchants (+6x spell power and +8x spellpower I believe), right?
Hey, Liore! I heard Rogers & Hammerstein played WoW, so I did some searching and found the lyrics to Cant Say No (to Staves!), a song from their popular off-Broadway musical, Azeroth!
Yer jist a girl who cain't say no, (to staves!) Yer in a turrible fix.
You always say "I'll bid half!" Jist when ya orta say "Pass!"
When a priest sees a shiny staff, Ya know ya orta save your points fer tier.
But as soon as a purple staff drops, Ya somehow, sorta, wanta hug it near!
Yer jist a fool when new staves show. You cain't be patient an' abstain.
You ain't the type that can refrain. How c'n ya be whut ya ain't? You cain't say no! (ta staves!)
(cont. next post)
Whut you goin' to do when a staff is all shiny, and moves like a Gnome's hiney? Whut you goin' to do?
S'posin' 'at it glows o'er yer shoulder like fairies, er torches, all scary? Whut you goin' to do?
S'posin' 'at it looks around, shootin' laser beams. And you gotta have it er die?
Whut you goin' to do when it shimmers that way, Pass fer an app? Yer jist a girl who cain't say no, (to staves!)
Healin's yer favourite task. Even as the guild maestro, you always reach an impasse.
Other priests are nice and defer to alts, but other priests aint collectin' staves!
Every time ya pass on a bid, I have a funny feeling that ya checked and saw ya didn't have enough points. [wow, couldn't make that fit]
Although we can feel the undertone, Cats never make a complaint.
We know yer not much fer restraint. That when ya wanna ye caint. Ya caint say no! (to staves!)
Cheers, Mo