I'm still here, just a combination of being very busy at work and technical issues ( Mozex + Firefox 3.6.2) have left me struggling to update. Here's a quick update on how things are going with Onaara.
Up to level 46! Onaara made it to level 40 a week or two ago. It was a pretty big mile-stone. I would describe it as "When the game really opened up." I bought dual-spec, so now I'm Enhancement/Restoration, which in principal I already was before the dual-spec. Except this time I'll have the talent points to back up the gear change.
Dual-Spec
As I mentioned before, I bought dual-spec, to go Enhancement/Restoration. I have already been healing dungeons with a gear change up to this point. But I figured it was time to actually spec into it, hoping that some of my mana issues would be straightened out.
Enhancement
Dual-Wield I've finally got dual-wield. This was probably the main reason I started the shaman in the first place. I wanted a character that could dual-wield and just go nuts on an enemy. The shaman doesn't disappoint. With Windfury on my main-hand and the melee haste totem, she goes pretty nuts. Mana was an issue in dungeons though, because things didn't last long enough that I had to constantly pick up and drop totems ( which cost quite a bit of mana). Even with Water Shield and Mana Spring totem out.
Improved Stormstrike Correction, Mana WAS an issue, until I put 2 talent points into this gem. Every time I hit with Stormstrike ( which I do off every cooldown) I get back 20% of my mana. This plus Water Shield and Mana Spring totem, I rarely have to drink now. I haven't had a chance to take it into a dungeon yet, but I think it will go well. I'm considering going into the resto tree and picking up 5/5 Totemic Focus, which would reduce my mana cost for totems by 25%. I have it on my resto tree and it really helps.
Restoration
Chain-Heal I received chain heal at level 40 also. My first true, honest to goodness, AOE heal. Or at least thats what I thought. In its most basic form it heals 3 people,the first person being healed the most and each person after that the effectiveness goes down 40%. Unfortunately the spell has a long cast time, doesn't heal for very much, and doesn't feel very mana-efficient. In the amount of time it would take me to cast a chain-heal, I could cast almost 2 lesser healing waves. Those two would probably heal for more, and I could control who gets them. Currently I only chain-heal in conjunction with Nature's Swiftness, to make it instant cast. Maybe in higher levels of gear, chain-heal will be more useful ( I always hear about people advocating not chain-heal spamming, so I'm guessing it becomes much more attractive later on), but as of now it's my least used spell.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Huntry to Onaara Re: Hi!
Hey Sis!
Greetings from... Stormwind. Yeah I got back in town a few days ago. I took the Gryphon service back, it costs more than the tram but a bit more scenic. Bubu wasn't a big fan of having to make the trip on a smaller, chase Gryphon. Do you believe they charged me an extra 1g for Bubu! This Wildhammer clan sure does know how to turn a profit, I should take notes!
Ironforge was nice, yes it really is underground. Its actually really warm there, not surprising considering there's lava flowing underneath your feet. I think the dwarves like it that way. It wasn't uncomfortably warm, the constant snowfall outside kept everything pretty temperate. I stayed at the Inn close to the Ironforge Central Bank and their Auction House. They have some extended stay rooms in the back. I do miss having some padding on the chairs, it seems dwarves don't believe in having cushions.
On a brighter note they do love pets. I think its because dwarves have quite a few hunters also. They loved Bubu. I'm pretty sure he got better treatment in some places than I. Dwarves love bears.
As for the Glyph business, its slowing. At my highest I made about 1000g in a day. Now its dropping to about 200-300g on a good day. Uncle Waash sent me a fresh batch so I've been going through those. I saw a few that you might need, so I'm attaching them with this letter, I'm sure Uncle won't mind. There must be a few other Glyph businesses running, I sometimes see the same 3-4 names undercutting my auctions. I'm not particularly worried, I've earned quite a bit up to now. We should have enough to cover any upcoming expenses. Hooff told me that Hot still hasn't trained for her Artisan Riding. I guess she doesn't feel like she's missing it. If she is, she hasn't mentioned it. Not that Hot really talks much at all. She's always been very quiet, just kinda stares at you with those frosty blue eyes. Its a toss-up between her and Bob for most stoic.
Speaking of Bob, Hooff mentioned that Bob told him, that I should tell you, that the family bank will pay for your Riding training and even training for Erin! I'm sure she'll appreciate the armor and everything she gets. I have sneaking suspicion that Bob didn't really tell Hooff to tell me, to tell you, but whatever, the point is you're set for Riding training!
Hooff also showed me the armor he got you before he sent it off, amazing how it fits me perfectly also. I figured you wouldn't mind me borrowing your gear when you're done with it right? *snicker snicker*
Hope to hear from you soon,
- Hunt
Greetings from... Stormwind. Yeah I got back in town a few days ago. I took the Gryphon service back, it costs more than the tram but a bit more scenic. Bubu wasn't a big fan of having to make the trip on a smaller, chase Gryphon. Do you believe they charged me an extra 1g for Bubu! This Wildhammer clan sure does know how to turn a profit, I should take notes!
Ironforge was nice, yes it really is underground. Its actually really warm there, not surprising considering there's lava flowing underneath your feet. I think the dwarves like it that way. It wasn't uncomfortably warm, the constant snowfall outside kept everything pretty temperate. I stayed at the Inn close to the Ironforge Central Bank and their Auction House. They have some extended stay rooms in the back. I do miss having some padding on the chairs, it seems dwarves don't believe in having cushions.
On a brighter note they do love pets. I think its because dwarves have quite a few hunters also. They loved Bubu. I'm pretty sure he got better treatment in some places than I. Dwarves love bears.
As for the Glyph business, its slowing. At my highest I made about 1000g in a day. Now its dropping to about 200-300g on a good day. Uncle Waash sent me a fresh batch so I've been going through those. I saw a few that you might need, so I'm attaching them with this letter, I'm sure Uncle won't mind. There must be a few other Glyph businesses running, I sometimes see the same 3-4 names undercutting my auctions. I'm not particularly worried, I've earned quite a bit up to now. We should have enough to cover any upcoming expenses. Hooff told me that Hot still hasn't trained for her Artisan Riding. I guess she doesn't feel like she's missing it. If she is, she hasn't mentioned it. Not that Hot really talks much at all. She's always been very quiet, just kinda stares at you with those frosty blue eyes. Its a toss-up between her and Bob for most stoic.
Speaking of Bob, Hooff mentioned that Bob told him, that I should tell you, that the family bank will pay for your Riding training and even training for Erin! I'm sure she'll appreciate the armor and everything she gets. I have sneaking suspicion that Bob didn't really tell Hooff to tell me, to tell you, but whatever, the point is you're set for Riding training!
Hooff also showed me the armor he got you before he sent it off, amazing how it fits me perfectly also. I figured you wouldn't mind me borrowing your gear when you're done with it right? *snicker snicker*
Hope to hear from you soon,
- Hunt
Monday, March 01, 2010
Letter: Onaara to Huntry
My Dear sister Huntry,
Hello Sister, I hope this letter finds you well. How is your business trip to Ironforge? I hope the Glyphs that Uncle Waash sent you to sell are moving. How are the dwarves treating you? Is it true that Ironforge is underground? It must truely be a sight to see. I hope to one day travel there myself.
How amazing are these mailboxes, no matter where I am, it feels like I simply have to drop a letter into a mailbox and some gryphon, somewhere will ensure its arrival. It almost seems to shrink the distance between us!
If you run into Hooff the Elder before I, please extend my gratitude for the gear he sent me. He must have gone through great lengths and expense to acquire them for me. The chestguard has the buzz of enchantment, and the mace seems to have an eerie white glow about it. I'm sure Bob had something to do with that. I don't think he likes me, he's always so quiet. I get along with Kragner his Voidwalker well enough though.Its amazing how well a demon from the twisting nether can play cards. I'm rambling, please let Hooff know that I will make good use of the armor here in Duskwood.
Currently I am staying in at the Scarlet Raven Tavern in Duskwood. Its a far cry from the Inn we stayed at in Azuremyst Isle. Remember when we used to joke about having Ghosts and Ghouls under our beds as children? Well here its a possibility. I've only been here a few days but I've already seen a few ghosts, and even combed ones hair! Don't ask how I did it, I think it was some kind of enchanted brush or something.
The Night watch here has asked me to help out with some problems they've been having. They're woefully understaffed. I mostly try to shuttle food and supplies between Darkshire and Night Watch outposts on the Western edge of Duskwood. The soldiers are always happy to see me, I think its because they know once they hear Erin stomping her feet and trumpeting her trunk, they'll have their lunch soon.
I did find a gravesite that was a bit disturbing, the entire area had such an air of lonelyness. I asked some officials in town about the grave, and they told me a sad tale about a fallen hero, risen as an undead, roaming the graveyard. Hopefully I won't meet that spirit on my deliveries.
I think I've rambled on enough for one letter, until I see you again.
Give my best to Bubu,
- Ona
Hello Sister, I hope this letter finds you well. How is your business trip to Ironforge? I hope the Glyphs that Uncle Waash sent you to sell are moving. How are the dwarves treating you? Is it true that Ironforge is underground? It must truely be a sight to see. I hope to one day travel there myself.
How amazing are these mailboxes, no matter where I am, it feels like I simply have to drop a letter into a mailbox and some gryphon, somewhere will ensure its arrival. It almost seems to shrink the distance between us!
If you run into Hooff the Elder before I, please extend my gratitude for the gear he sent me. He must have gone through great lengths and expense to acquire them for me. The chestguard has the buzz of enchantment, and the mace seems to have an eerie white glow about it. I'm sure Bob had something to do with that. I don't think he likes me, he's always so quiet. I get along with Kragner his Voidwalker well enough though.Its amazing how well a demon from the twisting nether can play cards. I'm rambling, please let Hooff know that I will make good use of the armor here in Duskwood.
Currently I am staying in at the Scarlet Raven Tavern in Duskwood. Its a far cry from the Inn we stayed at in Azuremyst Isle. Remember when we used to joke about having Ghosts and Ghouls under our beds as children? Well here its a possibility. I've only been here a few days but I've already seen a few ghosts, and even combed ones hair! Don't ask how I did it, I think it was some kind of enchanted brush or something.
The Night watch here has asked me to help out with some problems they've been having. They're woefully understaffed. I mostly try to shuttle food and supplies between Darkshire and Night Watch outposts on the Western edge of Duskwood. The soldiers are always happy to see me, I think its because they know once they hear Erin stomping her feet and trumpeting her trunk, they'll have their lunch soon.
I did find a gravesite that was a bit disturbing, the entire area had such an air of lonelyness. I asked some officials in town about the grave, and they told me a sad tale about a fallen hero, risen as an undead, roaming the graveyard. Hopefully I won't meet that spirit on my deliveries.
I think I've rambled on enough for one letter, until I see you again.
Give my best to Bubu,
- Ona
Heirlooms and Enchants
Heirlooms and Enchants
Personally, when leveling I rarely ever enchant any of my gear, at least not until I get into northrend. The reason being that, they don't seem particularly worth it. The enchanting mats are expensive, the gear you enchant will inevitably be replaced very quickly, and the enchants themselves are somewhat lack-luster. Spending 40-100g to get +3 or +4 of something on a piece of gear I'd use for a level or two just isn't practical.
This changed with the advent of Heirlooms. Heirlooms effectively negates the last concern, since theoretically it will be used from level 1-80. Because of this suddenly spending 100g on an enchant doesn't seem so unreasonable, provided the benefits are worth it. To this end I started looking for an enchant that would be beneficial for Onaara, wasn't too difficult to obtain, and was relatively "cool".
Enchants
All heirlooms count as having an iLevel of 1. This means that only pre-bc ( Vanilla) enchants will work on heirloom items. This has not always been the case but as of this writing, this is current. There are no obtainable enchants for the Heirloom Shoulders, so that piece is ruled out. The best choices for enchants for chest pieces are:
Greater Stats ( +4 all stats )
Major Mana ( +250 Mana )
Major Health ( +100 Health )
Of those three, Greater Stats seems the most useful. Unfortunately the formula for that enchant seems to only frop off 5-man or Raids in BC. In fact, its basicaly a world drop and thus not realistically farmable. The +3 all stats enchant on the other hand, Bob already had so I decided that was the better option.
While the +3 all stats to chest would at least be useful, and not very difficult to obtain, it was not "cool". I wanted something a bit more flashy, maybe something with a proc. Looking through wowhead, I ran accross an enchant called Crusader. A previous post, Scarlet-cide, says a little of what I went through to get hte enchant. All of this lead me to the conclusion that... I need an heirloom weapon.
Heirlooms
As I mentioned before, at level 40 my choice for heirloom weapon(s) is clear. 2x Venerable Mass of McGowans. But from now until 40 my choices have been muddled. I originally wanted a 2-hand weapon, purchaseable with Stone Keeper's Shards, that would work well with Onaara and Huntry. I've found that there is no such weapon. The only Shard-purchaseable, melee, 2-hander is a sword ( which Onaara can't even weild). There is a decent, 2-hander, Axe available for 65 Emblems of Heroism, but the prospect of spending 65( Bloodied Arcanite Reaper) + 2x(40)(Venerable Mass of McGowan) Emblems seemed completely unreasonable. To this end I decided it wasn't worth stalling and just bought a Venerable Mass of McGowan. I will use that with a Shield or offhand until I can dual-weild at level 40.
On a related note, since Alliance on my realm was finally able to capture Wintergrasp over the weekend, I decided it was time to spend some shards. I decided to get Aged Pauldrons of the Five Thunders. If I hope to be able to heal instances, I'm going to need some dedicated caster gear. Hooff bought both pieces of Heirloom gear, and Bob enchanted the Mace.
Personally, when leveling I rarely ever enchant any of my gear, at least not until I get into northrend. The reason being that, they don't seem particularly worth it. The enchanting mats are expensive, the gear you enchant will inevitably be replaced very quickly, and the enchants themselves are somewhat lack-luster. Spending 40-100g to get +3 or +4 of something on a piece of gear I'd use for a level or two just isn't practical.
This changed with the advent of Heirlooms. Heirlooms effectively negates the last concern, since theoretically it will be used from level 1-80. Because of this suddenly spending 100g on an enchant doesn't seem so unreasonable, provided the benefits are worth it. To this end I started looking for an enchant that would be beneficial for Onaara, wasn't too difficult to obtain, and was relatively "cool".
Enchants
All heirlooms count as having an iLevel of 1. This means that only pre-bc ( Vanilla) enchants will work on heirloom items. This has not always been the case but as of this writing, this is current. There are no obtainable enchants for the Heirloom Shoulders, so that piece is ruled out. The best choices for enchants for chest pieces are:
Greater Stats ( +4 all stats )
Major Mana ( +250 Mana )
Major Health ( +100 Health )
Of those three, Greater Stats seems the most useful. Unfortunately the formula for that enchant seems to only frop off 5-man or Raids in BC. In fact, its basicaly a world drop and thus not realistically farmable. The +3 all stats enchant on the other hand, Bob already had so I decided that was the better option.
While the +3 all stats to chest would at least be useful, and not very difficult to obtain, it was not "cool". I wanted something a bit more flashy, maybe something with a proc. Looking through wowhead, I ran accross an enchant called Crusader. A previous post, Scarlet-cide, says a little of what I went through to get hte enchant. All of this lead me to the conclusion that... I need an heirloom weapon.
Heirlooms
As I mentioned before, at level 40 my choice for heirloom weapon(s) is clear. 2x Venerable Mass of McGowans. But from now until 40 my choices have been muddled. I originally wanted a 2-hand weapon, purchaseable with Stone Keeper's Shards, that would work well with Onaara and Huntry. I've found that there is no such weapon. The only Shard-purchaseable, melee, 2-hander is a sword ( which Onaara can't even weild). There is a decent, 2-hander, Axe available for 65 Emblems of Heroism, but the prospect of spending 65( Bloodied Arcanite Reaper) + 2x(40)(Venerable Mass of McGowan) Emblems seemed completely unreasonable. To this end I decided it wasn't worth stalling and just bought a Venerable Mass of McGowan. I will use that with a Shield or offhand until I can dual-weild at level 40.
On a related note, since Alliance on my realm was finally able to capture Wintergrasp over the weekend, I decided it was time to spend some shards. I decided to get Aged Pauldrons of the Five Thunders. If I hope to be able to heal instances, I'm going to need some dedicated caster gear. Hooff bought both pieces of Heirloom gear, and Bob enchanted the Mace.
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