And that doesn't take into account not having to socket two blue gems for the Meta gem, or a potentially missed socket bonus.

EDIT: I changed my post to be less plural, and more ambiguous.

Practically, those two clash. If you're not using prismatics, you need two blue gems to activate your meta, and you'd be an idiot to put them in non-blue sockets unless you don't have enough blue sockets on your gear. If that's the case, you're getting those socket bonuses anyway, so really you're only getting one extra socket bonus you wouldn't have without prismatics.

I think the "potential" missed socket bonus is not the real concern anyways. The big thing is the sheer fact you do not have to use a blue gem at all. So instead of a 9 SP 8 Spi (blue quality) you get a 32 spellpower gem. Doing that twice for the 2 blue requirement means you get 64 SP insead of 18 SP and 16 Spi. This leaves you your third prismatic vs. a runed (probably) so a 32sp vs 19sp.

Of course using a prismatic in a yellow socket for a bonus changes the number, but it is hard to quantify every case possible...


e: terrible typing is terrible

Ashaera- thanks for your example. In fact, there was nothing wrong with my example, only my interpretation. What I missed was that I need to compare the difference between 172-134 and 188-142. this yields 38 and 46, the same as your example.

Now my thought is, will blizz release new epic patterns for other professions to bring this increase in line. Otherwise, we are just trading Enchanting for Blacksmithing.

Although, I will not be one of those to abandon my non-JC profession, I do agree that a difference of 8 SP is noteworthy. I would still argue that the value of JC does not decline, it simply remains constant with the other professions while BS continues to increase in value.

Great guide, thanks for writing it up. Hopefully it will attract some of the posts that would otherwise be put into a thread designed for other topics.

Maybe someone wants to append it with gear recommendations? I realize moonkin gearing isn't brain surgery, but we don't have a thread discussing it.

For all gear levels this topic is hard to answer, I dont mind sharing the list im aiming for though.

This is roughly my idea of best in slot pre Ulduar.

[Valorous Dreamwalker Cover]- Kel'thuzad
[Wyrmrest Necklace of Power] - Sapphiron
[Valorous Dreamwalker Mantle] - Loatheb, Glyth, 25man badges
[Pennant Cloak] - Sartharion (2 adds+)
[Valorous Dreamwalker Vestments] - 4horsemen, Glyth
[Unsullied Cuffs] - Sartharion (2 adds+)
[Torch of Holy Fire] - Kel'thuzad
[Accursed Spine]
[Idol of the Shooting Star] -Razuvious
[Valorous Dreamwalker Gloves] - Sartharion (0 adds+)
[Leash of Heedless Magic] - Malygos
[Leggings of the Wanton Spellcaster] - Malygos
[Footsteps of Malygos] - Malygos 10man
[Band of Channeled Magic] - 25man badges
[Signet of Manifested Pain] - Kel'thuzad
[Dying Curse] - Naxx 25, various bosses
[Illustration of the Dragon Soul] - Sartharion (0 adds+)

275 hit rating = 10.48%.

----
An idea could be to swap out [Dying Curse] for [Embrace of the Spider] or [Sundial of the Exiled] & [Accursed Spine] for [Surplus Limb].
Landing on 236 hit rating = 9%.

One other thing I just noticed regarding your generic spec - isn't it 'standard' to only have 2 points in eclipse? Or has someone discovered something indicating otherwise?

Edit: And I'm sure you know this, but that necklace comes from Naxx/Malygos, not sapphiron.

Depends. If you're using Starfire to proc Eclipse, the last point is of very small value. If you're using Wrath, it's about the same value as all of the other points.

Gear selections:

I like to play around with the Loot Rank site, I have 2 different set ups.

The first set-up values hit more than anything else, so I can maximize the best in slot gear that has hit on it.

I also use a second set that values hit at 0 to find pure best in slot gear.

I try and get a mix of these to make sure I stay at the hit cap and also am maximizing other stats:

Hit Loot Rank:
Loot Rank - Hit

No Hit Loot Rank:
Loot Rank - No Hit

Note:
I ignore the gems section and elxirs and such, it is just a good gear comparison tool for the weights I have used.

Yes, Necklace is the reward for a quest you finish by killing Malygos, but the item which begins this quest drops from Sapphiron.

And this is what I am currently wearing/planning to get to my char:

Head: [Valorous Dreamwalker Cover]
Neck: [Wyrmrest Necklace of Power]
Shoulders: [Valorous Dreamwalker Mantle]
Back: [Pennant Cloak]
Chest: [Valorous Dreamwalker Vestments]
Wrist: [Unsullied Cuffs]
Hands: [Gloves of Grandeur]
Belt: [Leash of Heedless Magic]
Legs: [Valorous Dreamwalker Trousers]
Feet: [Footsteps of Malygos]
Ring: [Signet of Manifested Pain]
Ring #2: [Band of Channeled Magic]
Trinket: [Dying Curse]
Trinket #2: [Illustration of the Dragon Soul] (although I may keep current [Sundial of the Exiled])
Main Hand: [Hammer of the Astral Plane]
Off Hand: [Surplus Limb]
Relic: [Idol of the Shooting Star]

4 T7
2053 spell power (2111 on Moonkin)
17.24% (454) crit (+5% on Moonkin)
10.03% (263) hit
16.25% (533) haste

Gemmed with non prismatic gems nor extra BS sockets.

Interesting--I'd slated the dream set to include Embrace instead of Dying Curse, allowing use of some of the great items with hit on them (Wanton Spellcaster, Cincture of Polarity, and Surplus Limb).

His numbers (idol gives 73'ish damage) are very close to what you'd exect from the BC [Ivory Idol of the Moongoddess].

55 * 1.1 (moonfury) * 1.13 (E&M) * 1.03 (more E&M) * 1.04 (MsS) = 73.2

My plan is basically above, but since I don't like wearing cloth, using the following instead:

[Dark Shroud of the Scourge] - Noth, Gluth
[Esteemed Bindings] - Instructor Rasuvious, Gluth
[Surplus Limb] - Patchwerk
[Unravelling Strands of Sanity] - Malygos
[Valorous Dreamwalker Leggings] - Thaddius

Which gets me 273 Hit Rating (10.41%).

So even post nerf, where does Illustration land between Dying Curse, Embrace of the Spider, and Sundial of the Exiled?

Way above all of them.

I would like to point out a correction. Keeping IS up only during attempts at proccing eclipse is not wrong, you can't put 2 insect swarms side by side next to 1 noncrit or crit starfire and say 1 method (keeping it up 100% or not) is better than the other.

The following doesn't even include having to cast it during eclipse or heroism/bloodlust, which would just bolster this argument even moreso.

For example, using my most recent web stats:

206 second fight, that's 103 ticks if i kept it up the whole time, assuming no overlap, no casting during eclipse, and 0 downtime whatsoever (basically, ideal conditions that will never happen). 103x932 = 95,996 damage done.

Now, I needed 15 casts to keep that up the whole time - 15 casts x 1.5 = 22.5 seconds to do that damage.


Okay then - moving onto starfire. Not including eclipse, with a 50% crit rate, every other cast will be a crit.

22.5 seconds with a 2.46s cast - That's 9.5 casts without crits.
Including crit casts, that's just over 10 casts.
My avg crit on last patchwerk being 11779 and avg noncrit being 5574

2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574

That adds up to 86,765.

Add in any IS downtime whatsoever, throw in having to cast during eclipse v a starfire during eclipse, or add in a heroism, bloodlust or speed pot, even just a lucky crit rate, and insect swarm doesn't hold its value to keeping 100% uptime.


Now let's take a look at a longer fight, 300 seconds, or 5 minutes.

300 second fight equals 150 ticks x 932 = 139800 damage done for insect swarm.

That's 25 casts or 37.5 seconds. My avg crit on last patchwerk being 11779 and avg noncrit being 5574,

The equivalent number of starfire casts would be 17:

2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779
1.96 5574
2.46 11779

That's 150,603 damage versus keeping IS up 100% of the time at 139,800 damage. And this second example doesn't even include eclipse, heroism, bloodlust, speed pot, etc etc.

Neither of these accounts for having more haste and same crit as I do, which would skew it in my favor even more. You can't just say across the board 'oh anyone who doesn't keep it up 100% of the time is doing it wrong,' because you yourself are just outright wrong by saying that. You have to compare the damage done between the two over the whole fight, every single time, not just put 2 casts v 1 cast side by side and say one or the other is better.

150/7 = 21.4 casts. Also, if you count your haste for SF, you should probably count it for IS also.

Ailetha:
a) GCD is affected by haste. This means that you GCD will be less than the 1.5 seconds you're using for Insect Swarm - it should be closer to 1.3 or even 1.2 raid buffed.
b) NG doesn't remove exactly 0.5 seconds on Starfire when critting. My base cast times are 2.47 and 2.06 seconds, which is consistent with a 1/6th reduction (from 3.0 - 0.5 = 1/6th reduction).
c) You've also messed up your second case. 150 ticks is only 21.4 casts, not 25. In your scenario the 22 casts required would take 33 seconds, significantly reducing the starfire damage done.

Using the WrathCalcs Spreadsheet and my current stats, comparing a [Legguards of the Boneyard] swap for [Leggings of Mortal Arrogance] I show:

Non-Jewelcrafters receive a -0.97096813 DPS decrease. This is due to gemming differently for socket/meta requirements.

Jewelcrafters receive a 7.164812247 DPS increase.

I would also like to point out as spell power increases, haste becomes even more desireable over crit. I am sticking with [Legguards of the Boneyard] as my spell power increases, the DPS gap decreases. This is rougly only a 0.15% variation. I will pick up [Leggings of Mortal Arrogance] only once all othet casters who want it, have it.

I would like to add under consumables or under professions [Fire Seed] for herbalism.


Since 3.0 came out there has been a increase in moonkin threads and i have been trying to read alot of them.
I never see any one make mention of using the fire seed in conjunction with haste pots.
So I thought i would post it here first.
I use a simple macro to bind them together.

/use Potion of speed
/use Fire seed

Hope maybe for a few out there this helps with dps.

Fire seed does nothing at the moment (as I understand it) and will be turning into a grey item with the next patch.

Correct, Fire Seed doesn't do anything at all, which is why you haven't seen anything about using it.