Ulduar Paladin Checklist, Part III

Warning! Long post ahead!

So I didn't expect there to be a Part III but I was writing my gear list and it got longer and longer with all my additional comments so here is Part III =X Parts I & II here if you missed them.

Gear, continued

Weapon: Replacing Hammer of the Astral Plane +42 crit/+31 haste/+461 SP/+44 int

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  Turning Tide -5 crit/+17 haste/+59 SP/+6 int Perfect itemization right here. Only thing better is the legendary!
  
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  Runescribed Blade +10 crit/-31 haste/+89 SP/+7 int With so much haste on Ulduar gear, maybe having a weapon with a lot of crit is the way to go, plus that spell power upgrade is nothing to sneeze at =X There is spirit on this weapon though so let the priests/druids/locks/mages get this weapon first if they need it as they benefit more from spirit than us paladins.
  
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  Guiding Star -42 crit/+18 haste/+89 SP/+4 int Loss in crit but in this case, the sheer gain in SP can tip the scale in favor of this as an upgrade.
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  Torch of Holy Fire -42 crit/+17 haste/+59 SP/+3 int The Guiding star is better so I'm sort of meh about this weapon.
  
• Furious Gladiator's Salvation -31 crit/-31 haste/+131 SP/+10 int (Dazzling Forest Emerald) So no crit or haste but even more SP gain than the legendary! Well, I still wouldn't use this weapon personally but if you can make up for the loss of haste and crit elsewhere, this weapon can be a great asset for you.
• Constellus -13 crit/-31 haste/+131 SP/+9 int (Dazzling Forest Emerald) The sheer gain of SP might make the loss of crit and haste worth it but I feel the next weapon on the list is better despite it being a lower item level.
  
• Aesuga, Hand of the Ardent Champion +3 crit/-9 haste/+89 SP/+21 int (Brilliant Autumn's Glow) Negligible loss of haste for other stats, =)
  
• Val'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings +5 crit/+15 haste/+126 SP/+10 int Legendary, baby!!! Perfect paladin itemization and a nice proc! New BIS for sure.

Shield: Replacing Aegis of Damnation +36 crit/+28 haste/+60 SP/+39 int

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  Shield of Assimilation -36 crit/+10 haste/+6 SP/+4 int I feel the loss of crit is important as our gear tends to have tons of haste now while the gain of SP and int is very minor.
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  Ice Layered Barrier -36 crit/+18 haste/+14 SP/+10 int Again there is a trade off for haste over crit but the gain in int and SP makes this choice more viable than Shield of Assimilation.
• Pulsing Spellshield +10 crit/+8 haste/+13 SP/+2 int Keep in mind that this shield also gives a lot of stamina and if you don't mind the loss of SP, this is a good alternative. As of patch 3.1.2, this shield is comparable to Voice of Reason, which only has a gain of +1 SP and +8 int but it has way more stam!! This shield is nearly on par with Voice of Reason now =) (In patch 3.1.3, the stats are being changed yet again to "69 spell power, 34 haste rating, 42 critical strike rating, 45 intellect, and 45 stamina" so keep this in mind)

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  Voice of Reason +10 crit/+3 haste/+14 SP/+10 int I have never seen this drop in all the weeks farming 25 man Kel'Thuzad but grab it if it does!! Really good itemization.
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  Wisdom's Hold +4 crit/+19 haste/+20 SP/+17 int (Dazzling Forest Emerald) OMG *Drool* I've been waiting for an upgrade to Voice of Reason, seeing as I will never see that item drop =X This is current best in slot for holy paladins in my book!

Libram: My current libram, Libram of Renewal, is just way too good to be replaced even without the synergistic combination of the T7 4 piece set bonus.

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  PVP Libram - for situational use or if your healing style is predominantly FoL use
  
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  Libram of Tolerance Increases SP of HL by 141. How about no. Like I need to overheal more with my “nuke” heal.

Rings:

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  Signet of Manifested Pain +46 crit/+26 haste/+74 SP/+49 int Very nice ring with perfect itemization
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  Pyrelight Circle +46 crit/+36 haste/+74 SP/+42 int – Another very nice ring with great itemization
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  Inscribed Signet of the Kirin Tor +37 crit/+38 haste/+66 SP/+38 int (Use: Teleports caster to Dalaran) – You have to buy the lower item level version first for 6,800 gold if you are exalted with Kirin Tor and then spend another 1,000 gold to upgrade it. It's a lot of gold to spend but free hearth stone! Well now that hearths are 30 min CD, perhaps the free hearthstone is not worth as much anymore. This is a nice ring if the above 2 rings are not available to you.
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  Glowing Ring of Reclamation +39 crit/+0 haste/+74 SP/+49 int - Pretty nice ring if you ask me though because of the spirit, it feels like it is more for the priests/druids and locks/mages.
• Fire Orchid Signet +0 crit/+30 haste/+74 SP/+65 int (Brilliant Autumn's Glow) - This is an absolutely great ring if you actually need some haste and not the crit since you get so much intellect from this ring due to the gem socket.
  
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  Radiant Seal +0 crit/+46 haste/+74 SP/+42 int – This is a good ring for you if you have enough crit but want a little bit more haste. Otherwise I tend to think that rings should have crit rather than haste because this is the area where you make up for crit if most of your gear has alot of haste but no crit as is the case in Ulduar.
  
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  Ring of the Faithful Servant +36 crit/+0 haste/+74 SP/+42 int – Very nice ring even with the lack of haste.
  
• Signet of Soft Lament +32 crit/+0 haste/+74 S/+54 int (Dazzling Forest Emerald) - This ring is very nice if you don't need the haste and it has a bunch of intellect. This ring however has spirit so it is best to let other classes such as druids, priests, locks or mages get this ring as they would benefit more overall from this ring.
• Nebula Band +50 crit/+36 haste/+74 SP/+52 int (Brilliant Autumn's Glow) This ring is very, very nice. Much nicer than the KT ring or 25 man Ignis ring and is the new BIS ring.
  

Trinkets: I have 4 trinkets currently but I am interested in only one trinket from Ulduar so far. I will also list the other trinkets I have that I switch in and out depending on the situation. Trinkets I currently possess will have a * at the end. List here

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  Pandora's Plea 108 int, passive proc of 850 SP for 10 sec. I like this trinket just for the massive amounts of intellect, the 850 SP proc I find to be excessive but this is perhaps an extra oomph that is needed for the more heal intense Ulduar. I would regard this as a best in slot trinket.
  
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  Figurine – Sapphire Owl* (2x Brilliant Autumn's Glow) 74 int, on use regain 2340 mana over 12 seconds (5 min CD). I love this trinket because it is like a free mana pot. I like to pop this when I use Divine Plea and Arcane Torrent. I can go from 40% mana to nearly full! The only drawback is that it is on a very long CD for the amount of mana that it regains though the advantage is that you gain 74 int which will benefit Divine Plea and Replenishment gains. I basically use this trinket for long fights or mana intensive fights or progression attempts.
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  Darkmoon Card: Greatness* 90 int and random proc to gain 300 of your highest stat, which will be intellect, for 15 seconds. This is a very expensive trinket (~10k gold on AH and even to farm if you are a scribe) but I would love to have this trinket. Odds are you would do best to time a Divine Plea with the trinket proc to regen the most mana.
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  The Egg of Mortal Essence* 90 SP, passive proc of 505 haste over 10 seconds. In TBC, I loved my Scarab, which this trinket is the direct upgrade of and I still like this trinket. However, I find myself liking mana regen or int trinkets more so than throughput trinkets like this trinket nowadays. There is also a similar version if you don't have the badges to buy this trinket from 10 man Naxx. I tend to use this trinket for short, heal intense fights or on trash.
  
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  Scale of Fates 125 SP, on use of 432 haste for 20 seconds (2 min CD). Similar to the Egg, it gives more SP and allows you to control the haste proc, which is slightly lowered but of double duration. I tend to not like on use trinkets because I can't guarantee that I will use it every single time it is up, especially if it is a shorter CD such as this one. Despite the higher SP, I would regard the Egg's proc as being more powerful since it is passive and requires no input from the player. If you are very good about your trinkets then, this is an upgrade over the Egg.
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  Sif's Remembrance 110 SP, passive proc 156 mp5 for 10 seconds. I dislike the passive proc as it is mp5 and I tend to dislike trinkets that work on mp5 but it has potential. This is a great trinket for those that predominantly use FoL since mp5 will benefit FoL usewhile crit tends to benefit those that cast HL more while healing.
  
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  Forethought Talisman* 111 SP, passive proc of a HOT healing for 3572. If you just want a SP trinket then this is the trinket for you but I got to say the passive proc is really bad in my experience (Ex: procced 1x in a Sapphiron fight, rather use the egg then since it will allow me to do more healing).
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  Vanquished Clutches of Yogg-Saron 136 crit, passive proc summon forth tentacle of Yogg-Saron to serve you! This trinket rocks! I heard about the C'Thun trinket that would gank people in BGs so this must be a throwback to that level 60 trinket. This trinket seems really fun, even if the proc is not going to help your healing =P
  
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  Eye of the Broodmother 85 crit, passive proc of 25 SP for 10 seconds up to 10 stacks. Though the crit is nice, the stacking of SP I find unnecessary since I don't find the amount that I am healing for to be a problem while I am raiding. I suggest you leave this trinket for the DPS as they will probably see more benefit from it and look into getting the next trinket on this list. BTW, it does stack with the Sarth trinket as well as the proc from Pandora's Plea.
  
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  Soul of the Dead* 95 crit, passive proc to restore 900 mana. This trinket rocks! Whenever I look at mana returns in WWS, it returns almost as much mana as Divine Plea! This is a great mana regen trinket and it increases your crit chance too so you get more mana back. What's not to like?
• Illustration of the Dragon Soul Each time you cast a spell, stacks 20 SP for 10 seconds up to 10 stacks (total = 200 SP for 10 seconds). This trinket is purely for throughput and it may be helpful if you have low SP but I feel that as for longevity of use, this trinket is easily outgrown once you get more gear. Thus, let your DPS get this trinket since they will benefit much more from this trinket. There are also better trinkets out there that I have mentioned above.
• Meteorite Crystal 111 int, passive proc stacks of 60 mp5 for 20 seconds within 20 seconds of casting. This trinket I can see being very, very powerful. I really want to get my hands on this trinket to see how powerful it is and if holy paladins do get fundamentally changed in terms of their mana regen, this trinket will be all the more attractive. The 111 intellect is also damn nice.
  

Item Enhancements

Head: Kirin Tor enchant, SP & crit

Shoulders: Sons of Hodir enchant, SP & crit

Chest:

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  8 mp5 – You all should know what I think about mp5 by now...
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  +10 stats – The best enchant by default
• +8 stats - If you can't afford+10 stats then this is the next best option
  

Belt: Belt Buckle, socket this with Brilliant Autumn's Glow!

Wrists:

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  +16 int – I prefer this enchant since I am at a point where stacking more SP is not as beneficial to me.
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  +30 SP – I see many paladins using this enchant and it isn't bad but I don't feel it is great either.
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  +6 stats – I wouldn't pick this one as it only benefits our healing output minimally with +6 int so why not just go for the +16 int enchant?

Cloak:

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  +23 haste – The best enchant
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  +10 Spr & reduced threat – We have no need for spirit and if heal aggro is a problem, that is the tank's fault.

Gloves:

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  +28 SP – The only enchant out there for us.

Legs: Sapphire Spellthread, SP & stam

Boots:

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  Icewalker – The best enchant IMO as it gives us 12 crit and 12 hit, which we need a little of to make sure our judgements doesn't miss so we can proc our haste buff.
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  Tuskarr's Vitality – If you want to have an easier time surviving in raids with the increased run speed, then this is for you.
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  Greater Vitality – 6 mp5/hp5, not worth it

Rings: +19 SP, enchanter only enchant!

Weapon:

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  +50 SP, the most accessible enchant in terms of materials needed.
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  +63 SP, the best enchant but expensive in terms of materials needed

Shield: +25 int, the only enchant available to us but I like it =)

Flasks/Elixirs

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  Flask of Distilled Wisdom +65 int for 1 hour – This flask is the best imo for holy paladins but it requires materials from the old world and that can be kind of bothersome if you are buying off the AH.
  
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  Flask of the Frost Wyrm +125 SP for 1 hour – This flask is the best alternative since it increases throughput.
  
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  Flask of Pure Mojo +38 mp5 – Unless you solely use FoL to heal, this is not the flask for paladins to use.
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  Elixir of Lightning Speed +45 haste for 1 hour (Battle) – Good for when you need to land your heals in time but as always with elixirs, if you are expecting to wipe a lot, flasks are the way to go.
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  Elixir of Mighty Thoughts +45 int for 1 hour (Guardian) – It is cheaper to make than the +65 int flask but it is not nearly as good. As always, flasks are better than elixirs for when you expect to wipe a lot.
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  Elixir of Mighty Mageblood +24 mp5 (Guardian) – Pretty crappy elixir in my book.
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  Spellpower Elixir +58 SP (Battle) – If you want a combination of int/SP, then perhaps you would like this elixir paired with Mighty Thoughts.
• Guru's Elixir +20 stats (Battle) - First time I heard of this elixir but it is very nice in combination with Mageblood! If you die or wipe alot, this combination will be expensive upkeep.
  

Food Buffs

Food buffs always gives us stam, either 30 or 40 stam depending on the food. There are many different secondary buffs that food also gives us though.

Crit:

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  Spiced Wyrm Burger – 40 crit/40 stam
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  Spicy Blue Nettlefish – 40 crit/40 stam
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  Wyrm Delight – 30 crit/30 stam
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  Poached Nettlefish – 30 crit/40 stam
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  Succulent Orca Stew – 30 crit/30 stam

Haste:

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  Imperial Manta Steak – 40 haste/40 stam
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  Very Burnt Worg – 40 haste/40 stam
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  Roasted Worg – 30 haste/30 stam
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  Baked Manta Ray – 30 haste/40 stam

SP:

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  Firecracker Salmon – 46 SP/40 stam
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  Tender Shoveltusk Steak – 46 SP/40 stam
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  Fish Feast – 80 AP/46 SP/40 stam
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  Smoked Salmon – 35 SP/40 stam
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  Great Feast – 60 AP/35 SP/30 stam
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  Shoveltusk Steak – 35 SP/30 stam
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  Dalaran Clam Chowder – 60 AP/35 SP/30 stam

Professions

In my opinion, Jewelcrafting and Blacksmithing are the best 2 professions to have in combination for a Holy paladin. I currently have Mining/Jewelcrafting because I don't have the luxury of having a high level alt be my gathering bot. With Blacksmithing allowing extra sockets, you can gain extra gems and therefore extra stats, there is such a gem that grants +6 to all stats though I wouldn't recommend its use over a Brilliant Autumn's Glow.

In addition to gaining extra gem sockets with Blacksmithing, as a JC you are allowed to have 3 prismatic Dragon Eye gems in your set of gear. Thus, 3 of the blue sockets that are awkward to gem for a Holy paladin can be gemmed with Brilliant Dragon's Eye. Keep in mind that if you switch gear in and out often that you make sure you can wear certain pieces together due to the 3 Dragon Eye gems constraint on the gear set. (In patch 3.2, the prismatic Dragon's Eyes will no longer be prismatic! Instead, the gem color will now correspond to their normal counterparts so that a Runed Dragon's Eye will be a red gem.)

Anyway, I think this is it so please leave any feedback or critiques! Thanks for reading my loooonnng checklist. I will most likely refer to this myself.

Till next time!

Updated 5/31/09