Marshal's silk cuffs are still the best Im pretty sure. Even more so in 2.1.0 with epic craftable gems.

Havent done the math, but I would suspect neths tear, and ring of the fallen god are also still tops pre-BT, TK loot.

If you assume an Elemental Shaman in the group, the optimal gear choices become:

Ancient Spellcloak of the Highborne - http://wowhead.com/?item=30735 (12 int, 16 crit, 33 dmg)
Adornment of Stolen Souls - http://thottbot.com/?i=59931 (15 sta, 17 int, 21 crit, 25 dmg)
Violet Signet of the Archmage - http://wowhead.com/?item=29287 (21 sta, 21 int, 14 crit, 26 dmg)
Sparking Arcanite Ring - http://wowhead.com/?item=28227 (13 sta, 14 int, 10 hit, 14 crit, 22 dmg)
Neltharion's Tear - http://wowhead.com/?item=19379 (44 dam, 16 spell hit)
Icon of the Silver Crescent - http://thottbot.com/?i=55084 (42 dmg & 153 dmg : 20 sec @ 2.00 min)
Nathrezim Mindblade - http://wowhead.com/?item=28770 (15 sta, 15 int, 21 crit, 178 dmg)
Fathomstone - http://wowhead.com/?item=30049 (15 sta, 14 int, 17 crit, 33 dmg)
(L) Antlers of Malorne - http://thottbot.com/?i=54925 (22 sta, 25 int, 19 spi, {RS MS: 4 hit}, 20 crit, 32 dmg)
---{Runed Living Ruby (R), Mystical Skyfire Diamond (M)}
(L) Pauldrons of Malorne - http://thottbot.com/?i=54934 (17 sta, 21 int, 14 spi, {BS YS: 4 dmg}, 33 dmg, 4 mp5)
---{Veiled Noble Topaz (RY), Glowing Nightseye (BR)}
(L) Chestpiece of Malorne - http://thottbot.com/?i=54932 (22 sta, 23 int, 16 spi, {YS YS BS: 4 hit}, 15 hit, 41 dmg)
---{Veiled Noble Topaz (RY), Veiled Noble Topaz (RY), Glowing Nightseye (BR)}
(C) Bracers of Havok - http://wowhead.com/?item=24250 (12 int, {YS: 2 crit}, 30 dmg)
---{Runed Living Ruby (R)}
(C) Soul-Eater's Handwraps - http://wowhead.com/?item=28780 (28 sta, 21 int, {YS BS: 4 dmg}, 18 crit, 34 dmg)
---{Veiled Noble Topaz (RY), Glowing Nightseye (BR)}
(C) Girdle of Ruination - http://wowhead.com/?item=24256 (18 sta, 13 int, {RS YS: 4 sta}, 20 crit, 39 dmg)
---{Glowing Nightseye (BR), Glowing Nightseye (BR)}
(C) Spellstrike Pants - http://wowhead.com/?item=24262 (12 sta, 8 int, {BS YS RS: 4 sta}, 22 hit, 26 crit, 46 dmg)
---{Runed Living Ruby (R), Runed Living Ruby (R), Runed Living Ruby (R)}
(C) Ruby Slippers - http://wowhead.com/?item=28585 (30 sta, 27 int, 13 hit, 32 dmg)

Same buffs, enchants, consumables.

Expected Char Sheet values:
497 int, 339 spi, 9.04% (+4% BoP, 3% totem of wrath) chance to hit, 19.69% (+4% FS, 5% moonkin, 3% ToW) chance to crit, 1538 +dmg (+101 wrath of air), 218 mp5 (inc. 3/3 intensity & 3/3 dreamstate)

No matter how you look at it, spellfire/spellstrike sets are better for dps, sustained or not.

Second of all, at least I am doing the calculation you bring up, and since my numbers match nikita's, I assume (s)he is doing it as well.

I could say fireball gets 1.15 * 1.1 * 1.15 * 1.03 * 1.05 *1.13 *1.04 spelldamage.

Chain-casting max-rank Starfire in this gear nets 1586.8 DPS.
Post 2.1 I think we can expect that Moonkin will not have Imp FF, and thus will not be keeping it up. As far as mana consumption... I'd have to leave that to someone with more patience than myself. My simplistic modeling below only suggests that the Moonkin will not OOM at an unreasonable rate.

Starting mana in said gear: 497*15 + 2370 = 9825
Total casts on base mana: 9825 / 336 = 29 (81 mana left)
Total cast time = 20 * 3 sec + 9 * 2.5 sec = 82.5 sec
Expected mana return from char sheet mp5 = 82.5 sec * (218 + 37.5) /5 = 4216 + 81
Addt'l casts afforded by regen: 4216 / 336 = 12 (184 mana left)
Total cast time = 8 * 3 sec + 4 * 2.5 sec = 34 sec
Expected mana return from char sheet mp5 = 34 sec * (218 + 37.5) /5 = 1737 + 184
Addt'l casts afforded by regen: 1921 / 336 = 5 (241 mana left)
Total cast time = 3 * 3 sec + 2 * 2.5 sec = 14 sec
Expected mana return from char sheet mp5 = 14 sec * (218 + 37.5) /5 = 715 + 241
Addt'l casts afforded by regen: 956 / 336 =~ 3
Total cast time: 2 * 3 sec + 1 * 2.5 sec = 8.5 sec

82.5 + 34 + 14 + 8.5 =~ 139 sec until OOM with 0 mana pots/dark runes & no innervate, shadow priest or JoW

EDIT: D'oh, I forgot to model meta-gem procs. DPS higher, OOM sooner.

Change offered by 3/3 Spellfire (including set bonus) and changes to other slots to accommodate loss of +hit

Expected Char Sheet values:
491 int, 321 spi, 9.20% (+4% BoP, 3% totem of wrath) chance to hit, 20.75% (+4% FS, 5% moonkin, 3% ToW) chance to crit, 1581 +arcane dmg (+101 wrath of air), 201 mp5 (inc. 3/3 intensity & 3/3 dreamstate)

-6 int, -18 spi, negligible +hit (both exceed cap), +1.06% crit, +43 arcane dmg (-129 nature dmg), -17 mp5

The lack of a meta socket on the the Spellstrike Hood makes it seem entirely undesirable.

As buffed (and with appropriate debuffs on the mob) Starfire(10) with this gear set is hitting for 3415 avg. non-crit for 1594 DPS (ignoring, as you note, latency). You'd expect Mystical Skyfire to add 2.5% DPS on average, or ~40 DPS.

Is (C) Spellstrike Hood - http://wowhead.com/?item=24266 (16 sta, 12 int, {BS YS RS: 4 sta}, 16 hit, 24 crit, 46 dmg)
really 40 more DPS than
(L) Antlers of Malorne - http://thottbot.com/?i=54925 (22 sta, 25 int, 19 spi, {RS MS: 4 hit}, 20 crit, 32 dmg) ?

1538 +dmg, 19.69% crit with 0.2 sec latency: 1481.1 DPS (adding in idol: without is 1443.9 DPS)
1538 +dmg, 19.69% crit with 0.4 sec latency: 1388.6 DPS (w/o idol: 1353.8 DPS)

If you're socketing for full dps - you won't be able to use a meta gem anyways.

With the set bonus, the fact you can get more dmg/crit on it on top of that base as well, and the fact that you won't have the ability to use a metagem unless you sacrafice insanely on the rest of your gear -

yes.

1538+dmg, 19.69 crit. I'm not sure what the idol you're talking about does - but if it's a +dmg gain you should just add it onto the top anyways >.<.

I'll assume you mean the 55 dmg starfire one...

Analyzing sequence: starfire
Spell=starfire Rank=8 Dmg=3211/3337 CritDmg(32.0%)=6423/6673 Avg=4279 DPS=1507 DPM=13.93 MPS=108.17 Cast=2.8
Sequence Results: DPS=1506.5 DPM=41.1 MPS=36.7 DS=72% D/C=15.8 D/H=21.1 OOM=2505sec DoT-Refresh=0%



Now, show me a ctprofile with 1538+dmg with 20 crit and 16 hit....

I think he is calculating flasks in, nikita. Flasks and shama totem, etc.

Also, we must understand that a proper cycle does involve a ff/insect swarm (Because we do not actually WANT a druid doing 1300 dps, because of a lack if a 10% reduction talent like mages/locks have)

Honestly, it's great theory craft, but you're going to be threat limitted not dps limitted in that gear, as Bias said in post #1.

From the patch notes:

Druids
...
- "Subtlety" (Restoration Talent) now applies to all spells, not just healing spells.

http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=17122

Subtlety Rank 5
Reduces the threat generated by your spells by 20% and reduces the chance your spells will be dispelled by 30%.