How to use the PvP trinket
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 23rd 2008 at 3:30PM
Yet Another Warlock Nerf has a terrific guide up to one of the most misused/underused pieces of gear in the game -- the PvP trinket. The cheapest version, Insignia of the Alliance/Horde is just over 2,500 Honor, so anyone can get a version of this (YAWN recommends the Rare version, which is powerful enough to be useful and cheap enough to spend honor on other things) and especially until many more specialized trinkets are available at endgame, it's a must have for anyone running PvP.But when to use it is the question. Especially in 1v1, the best times to break out your trinket are when it will allow you to immediately avoid damage, so breaking it out for things like Sap or Polymorph (which don't actually cause damage to you) can be a waste of the cooldown. But things like Kidney Shot, Fear, and Frost Nova mean that more damage is incoming, so then is usually (there are, of course, exceptions) a good time to pop the trinket and escape the damage.
YAWN bravely goes out on a limb here and tries to provide some guidance for an activity that isn't very well governed by guidance (don't tell PvPers what they can't do!). Actions and rules are very, very situational, and so there sometimes will be times when you should trinket out of Sap, or spend your two minute cooldown on Death Coil. But as a starter guide to when to use and not use the trinket, it's a great read.
[via Resto4Life]
Filed under: Mage, Rogue, Warlock, Items, Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Guides, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Clevins Jul 23rd 2008 3:55PM
This is also a class and sometimes race specific thing. for example if my gnome rogue is going after a mage and they get out of my stun, frost nova me and blink away I know there's a frostbolt incoming. I might use Escape Artist or Shadowstep. Another class or race might need to trinket. If that same mage sheeps me.... I don't have a way out of that except for the trinket.
Good article, but there's no substitute for playing and then thinking "Damn, I should have trinketed there" as you're waiting to rez...
Michael Jul 23rd 2008 4:28PM
I haven't (but plan to) read the article yet, and I've never rolled a rogue, but can a rogue do damage with other attacks while his/her opponent is sapped?
I would say pop the trinket no matter what when NOT in 1v1, as any period of time that you're impaired means your teammate is probably taking damage. Also, in 1v1 at the flag in WSG or EoTS, you're gonna want to pop (no matter what) before the flag is taken and it's off to the races. 'Course, the question there is how best to chase a flag when hit with impairments along the way. Why oh why doesn't Bestial Wrath cancel the stun effect of Aspect of the Cheetah? :)
Sorry, I'll read the article before I comment anymore!
Nick S Jul 23rd 2008 4:32PM
when a rogue pops up behind me and tries to stunlock me down, i wait... just long enough for him to start to feel secure that he's got me. then pop out and pewpew. with luck, the element of surprise gives me a slim chance to take him down before he gets close enough for another kidney shot.
pvp trinkets have many other uses, though. solo-tanking karazhan, for example, you can pop it to release yourself from the freezes some of the mobs put on you, or from moroes' gouge.
Smurk Jul 23rd 2008 6:02PM
In 1v1, I'd say don't trinket out of a stunlock unless you're going to be dead -- you'd want to save your trinket for Blind.
superfrank Jul 24th 2008 7:58AM
don't trinket out of the cheapshot, wait for it to wear off then if he kidneyshots you, trinket out of that else save it for a blind or something.
Rashi Jul 23rd 2008 5:21PM
I still don't get why Tauren can't be rouges, even blizzard made an item hat they could use.
Medallion of the Horde
Binds when picked up
Unique
Trinket
Classes: Rogue
Races: Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll, Blood Elf
ILikePvPbuthatePvPers Jul 23rd 2008 9:09PM
Taurens are too honorable to have a rogue class.
Michael Jul 23rd 2008 6:04PM
OK, read it! ;)
My question now is: as a hunter, do I want to sacrifice DPS for impairment dispel, in a valuable trinket slot? Although now that I think about it, this trinket would cut back on the blue-tongued rage I generate whenever I'm feared...
Horns Jul 23rd 2008 6:28PM
If you're sheeped, blinded or otherwise CCed you can't DPS, so yes it's worth sacrificing a bit of DPS.
As said in the article, even for seasonal PvP players it's a must have, but that's just me. I even do daily quests with the PvP trinket.
Nasgoul Jul 23rd 2008 6:29PM
interesting topic for an article.. i would have liked to see what ur thoughts were on using it.. as always i can only talk from a night elf priest perspective..
The post above that said it matters what race and class you are and what race and class your fighting couldnt be more correct... in fact those are the only 4 variables in the equation (of course with room for the inevitable use of the trinket as a pure panic button)
ill see if i can give a brief insight into what i try and do.. but to avoid a stupid long posts im only gunna do classes and not races... (post is prob too long already lol)
rouges: for me (priest) you wait through the saps, cheap shots, blinds, etc.. and wait for the first kidney shot... the rogue has been saving combo points for a bit for the first big stun and if i dont pop out of it im dead anyway lol
mages: most of their things are dispellable.. so wait on the polly.. remember that u are getting healed so delay, if u could, till ur full health.. and then only pop the pollys when u need it.. doesnt have to be the first one.. usually actually its not..
priests: pop the fear bomb.. its the only cc we have anyway... if ur rogue-ing me.. use cos on the first fear bomb.. then trinket the next if u dont have another cd to use..
locks: kind of hard to pick, because similiary to the polly, the fear is spamable..what i ususally do (and dont tell Maarick) is wait for the death coil... usually i find that the locks death coil stright into a fear... so let the death coil hit and end.. and pop the incoming fear.. at least u made them waste the DC because they spent most of the 4 seconds casting the fear..(well some of it anyway)... as a shadow priest ill usually silence right after the trinket to get some of my dots on him before the enevitable second fear...
shamans: dont have much cc.. and the ones they have require killing the totem anyway... off the bat cant think of a time to trinket on a shammy.. just make sure to kill the tremor totem before the fear bomb ftw... i run though all shammys.. although of course the melee give more trouble
warriors: gotta look at what "charge" they do... if they intercept off the bat.. go ahead and get out of it... if they charge.. hold off.. they are baiting u to use it.. to get the intercept they got waiting... this is more important for mages to watch than any other class i think.. the mace stun effect warriors always give me way way more trouble so ive been known to use it on a mace effect if i have to
pallys: check their mana... if a holy use it on the first hammer of justice to get the most use out of the trinket... if dps remember they got the other stuns coming so u have to time it better... maybe better to take the hits on the hammer of justice and trinket out of hte following repentence or something... btw trinket fear ftw with the pallys... dot and kyte the dpsers.. mana burn the healers... no one in the game panics more than a pally getting mana burned lol
druids: also most of their stuff is dispellable...so dont worry about roots or stuff like that...stay in the cyclones unless u need to pop out to get a kill shot or someone needs heals... i cant say just do the first one cause it is very situational and spamable... of course the earlier u use it the more it helps the diminishing returns
let me know what u think
i am the nasgoul