Gems, Glyphs and Enchants

Gems, Glyphs and Enchants

Gems

Gem priorities are pretty simple right now:

BM: Meta requirements > Hit till capped > AP > Agility > Socket bonuses > crit
MM: Meta requirements > Hit till capped > Agility > AP > Socket bonuses > crit
MM ArP: Meta reqs > Hit till capped > ArP till capped > Agi > crit > AP > Socket bonuses
SV: Meta requirements > Hit till capped > Agility > AP > Socket bonuses > crit

When gemming, *always* use the Relentless Earthstorm Diamond as your meta.
Pick the socket with the best socket bonus and use a Nightmare Tear in it (which will satisfy your meta).
Don't bother gemming to hit other socket bonuses except in rare circumstances (such as being low on hit and dropping a agi/hit gem in a yellow socket to get a hit bonus).




Good (blue quality) gems to look for are:

Red: Delicate (16Agi) Bright (32 AP) and Fractured (16 ArP) Scarlet Ruby
Meta: Relentless Earthsiege Diamond (21Agi/+3% crit dmg)
Prismatic: Nightmare Tear (+10 all stats)

These guidelines are just that. In rare circumstances, you may be able to squeeze out 3 or 4 dps in the spreadsheet by hitting socket bonuses. If that sounds too difficult, just stick by the guidelines above. If you want to try to improve on the guidelines, try these gems:

Orange: Glinting (8Agi/8Hit) Monarch Topaz
Yellow: Rigid (16Hit) Autumn's Glow
Green: Vivid (8Hit/12Stam)
Purple: Shifting (8Agi/12Sta) Twilight Opal
Blue: Not advised

Finally, once you get into T8 quality gear, start looking for the epic versions of the blue gems above. They're cheap (10k honor or 10/20 badges), so there's no reason not to use them.

Glyphs

The new WotLK profession, Inscription, produces a multitude of "glyphs" that improve or change basic class abilities. The PVE hunter should be concerned by several in particular:

Kill Shot glyph is a must for any hunter in Ulduar. On any fight of more than 3 minutes you will see a much larger benefit from this glyph than from any other.

BM: Glyph of Bestial Wrath is a must-have, as is Glyph of Steady Shot. Glyph of Serpent Sting, Glyph of Improved Aspect of the hawk and Improved Aspect of the Viper are also good, but probably less useful for a normal BM hunter.

MM: Glyph of Chimera Shot is used by many MM hunters. Glyph of Steady Shot is good, but Glyph of Serpent Sting adds to the damage done by Chimera Shot - Serpent, and is therefore used by many MM hunters. Imp Aspect of the Hawk is useful for many MM hunters, and every raid can use a hunter who takes both the Imp Hunter's Mark talent and Glyph.

SV: Glyph of Explosive Shot is a must-have for a SV hunter. Serpent Sting is a good glyph once again, and Steady Shot may be useful as well. As with MM, imp AotH is a good glyph if not haste softcapped.



Enchants

Following the guidelines that we have established for gear and gems, we'll look first for AP and then Agility enchants. There are two levels of WotLK enchants available for most slots- the higher one will grant you around 10 AP more, but it is also prohibitively expensive. I may be an elitist prick, but I still wouldn't advise getting the high end one until you have best in slot or close to it (unless you have a few thousand gold to burn).


Weapons

There is no 2H Agility enchant in WotLK as of yet, so SV hunters will want to take an AP enchant rather than resort to the +35Agi TBC enchant.

The required materials for each enchant are outdated. I will fix them when I have time.

Massacre
+110 AP Requires 40 Infinite Dust, 6 Greater Cosmic Essence, 6 Abyss Crystal
This is the best 2H enchant. On my server this will run about 900g.

Accuracy
+25Hit / 25 Crit Requires 40 Infinite Dust, 8 Greater Cosmic Essence, 6 Abyss Crystal
The best 1H enchant if you can use the +hit. In fact, 2x Accuracy is considerably better than any other DW combo or any 2H enchant. Your max dps setup would be to DW 1handers and use this enchant. The downside is that it will run you close to 1k gold.

Greater Savagery
+85 AP Requires 6 Dream Shard, 20 Infinite Dust
This is the lower grade 2H enchant. On my server this will run you around 100g.

Superior Potency
+65 AP Requires 30 Infinite Dust, 10 Greater Cosmic Essence, 4 Abyss Crystal
This is the best 1H AP enchant, and costs roughly 750g on my server.

Greater Potency
+50 AP Requires 2 Infinite Dust, 4 Lesser Cosmic Essence.
This is the super-cheap alternative - under 40g.

Exceptional Agility
+26 Agi Requires 12 Infinite Dust, 6 Greater Cosmic Essence, 2 Dream Shard, 1 Eternal Air
The SV hunter's 1H enchant. This should cost around 200g.


Head

Arcanum of Torment
+50 AP, +20 Crit 150g, available at Revered reputation with Ebon Hold

Arcanum of Ferocity
+34 AP, +16 Hit 100g, available at Revered reputation with Cenarion Expedition.
(Yes, it's a TBC enchant, but it's still useful for a hunter in need of +hit)


Shoulders

Lesser Inscription of the Axe
+30 AP / 10 Crit 75g, available at Honored reputation with Sons of Hodir
(This enchant is the same as the Exalted Aldor enchant, and similar to Exalted Scryers)

Greater Inscription of the Axe
+40 AP / 15 Crit 100g, available at Exalted reputation with Sons of Hodir

Master's Inscription of the Axe
+104 AP / 15 Crit Requires 1 Snowfall Ink
The best shoulder Enchant. Inscription only.

Chest

Powerful Stats
+10 all stats Requires 15 Infinite Dust, 4 Abyss Crystal
The best chest enchant. Runs around 425g.

Super Stats
+8 all stats Requires 4 infinite Dust, 2 Lesser Cosmic Essence
Second best. Runs around 30g.

Bracers

Greater Assault
+50 AP Requires 25 Infinite Dust, 15 greater Cosmic Essence
Runs about 450g.

Striking
+38 AP Requires 6 Infinte Dust
Can be had for about 15g.

Fur Lining - Attack Power
+114 AP Requires 1 Arctic Fur
The best Bracer enchant. Requires Leatherworking.

Socket Bracer
Adds a prismatic socket. Requires 4 Saronite bar, 1 Eternal Earth
Blacksmith only - costs around 10g

Gloves

Crusher
+44 AP Requires 22 Infinite Dust, 9 Greater Cosmic Essence, 1 Dream Shard
Costs about 300g.

Major Agility
+20 Agi Requires 8 Greater Cosmic Essence, 1 Abyss Crystal
Costs about 300g.

Precision
+20 Hit Requires 15 Infinite Dust, 5 Greater Cosmic Essence
Costs about 175g.

Greater Assault
+35 AP Requires 6 Infinte Dust, 1 Greater Cosmic Essence
Costs about 40g.

Socket Gloves
Adds a pismatic socket. Requires 4 Saronite bar, 1 Eternal Shadow
Blacksmith only - costs around 10g

Belt

Eternal Belt Buckle
1 prismatic socket Requires 4 Saronite Bar, 1 Eternal Earth, 1 Eternal Water, 1 Eternal Shadow
Costs around 30g.

Legs

Icescale Leg Armor
+75 AP / 22 Crit Requires 2 Arctic Fur, 2 Icy Scale

Nerubian Leg Armor
+55 AP / 15 Crit Requires 4 Heavy Borean Leather, 1 Nerubian Chitin

Boots

Icewalker
+12 Hit / 12 Crit Requires 8 Infinite Dust, 1 Crystallized Water

Greater Assault
+32 AP Requires 35 Infinite Dust, 5 Greater Cosmic Essence, 4 Abyss Crystal
Costs more than your house (or around 650g)

Superior Agility
+16 Agility Requires 16 Infinite Dust, 6 Greater Cosmic Essence
Costs about 200g.

Assault
+24 AP Requires 4 Infinite Dust, 4 Lesser Cosmic Essence
Costs about 40g.

RIngs

Assault
+32 AP Requires 8 Infinite Dust, 1 Greater Cosmic Essence.
Enchanter only.

Ranged Weapon

Sun Scope
+40 Haste Requires 1 Froststeel Tube, 1 Sun Crystal, 1 Autumns Glow
Costs around 40g.

Heartseeker Scope
+40 Crit Requires 10 Saronite Bar, 2 Twilight Opal
This is your go-to scope. Costs around 40g.

Biznick's 247x128 Accurascope
+30 Hit Requires 2 Lava Core, 2 Essence of Earth, 4 Delicate Arcanite Converter, 6 Dark Iron Bar, 1 Thorium Tube.
This recipe is extremely rare (it was a rare drop from Molten Core in vanilla WoW). Rumor is that it is on the loot table once again, but be aware that not many people can make it, and new servers probably won't have it at all. It may be useful in rare gearing situations to make up hit.