BoE epics on each Naxx boss
by Eliah Hecht 
Nov 6th 2008 at 5:00PM
Someone on the forums noticed what at first appeared to be an oversight: Rusted-Link Spiked Gauntlets, from Grand Widow Faerlina in Naxx-10, are tagged as BoE, not BoP as most boss drops are. As it turns out, this is intended. According to Blizzard poster Verimonde, each boss will have one BoE item on its loot table. This has a few obvious benefits, as Verimonde points out:
- More trickle-down items from raiding - non-raiders, be they alts, friends, or just random AH patrons, get access to a few raid items
- More excitement - even if nobody needs anything from the boss, there's still a chance to get a potentially lucrative BoE (and badges, of course)
- Another income source for raid guilds
Although it isn't mentioned specifically, I expect that this BoE philosophy will extend to all raid bosses in Wrath. I think it's a nice idea. Let's say the average 10-man boss has a 12-item loot table and drops 2 items from it plus badges. If one of these items is made BoE, there's roughly a 17% chance to get it, which sounds reasonable.
My question: what will raids' loot rules be for BoEs? My guild typically does open rolls for BoE items that aren't needed by anyone present, so that's probably what we'll do. But how will DKP guilds handle it? Will people who need it for their alts get precedence? Will they be auctioned off and the funds added to the guild bank, if nobody needs them? I guess it'll vary depending on the guild. But between these BoEs and Heirloom items buyable with badges, raiding is going to be a lot more interesting for those of us with many alts.
Filed under: Items, Bosses, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
AD Nov 6th 2008 5:05PM
Most likely disenchanted.
Manatank Nov 6th 2008 5:29PM
Why would someone DE a BoE epic unless they absolutely don't sell?
Chris C. Nov 6th 2008 5:06PM
Another source of future raid drama.
Cow Nov 6th 2008 7:12PM
I can't wait.
Alizar Nov 7th 2008 8:20AM
/agree
That will be fun to hash out.
Zinoi Nov 6th 2008 5:07PM
i can understand their reasons for this. but im affraid there are going to be alot of people that are going to grind gold to get their items instead of raiding. ( which is a lot more fun, but more of a hassle)
correct me if im wrong, but the chinese farming industy could benefit from this.....right? people buying gold for their BoE epics?
just my 2 cents :)
injasour Nov 6th 2008 5:36PM
I think it goes the other way, too. I assume most hardcore guilds will fund their raiding through selling these in the AH. That offsets a lot of farming by people who already invest too much time in the game and are often known to buy gold.
steve Nov 6th 2008 5:38PM
Why would it be any different than a shard or a crafting mat like heart of darkness -- in the early going in end game will almost certainly will go into guild bank if no one wants to spend the dkp on it, in later game when everyone is geared and raid is on farm status might be greeded by individuals. But all of the guilds I've been in had a pack-rat mentality and tended to throw way more stuff in the guild bank than ever came out (hey, someone might need this!)
My guess is that it will take a few months for these to trickle down into the AH, and then it will start with the items dropping in the entry level raids. I've no concerns about people grinding for gold instead of raiding; even this close to wrath, BOE crafted items are still prohibitively expensive in the AH on my server. Not a perfect analogy, but my point is that I expect guilds are more likely to hoard them and if they do sell them, it would be at a very high premium.
No opinion on the gold-buying, other than to say that there is nothing stopping people from doing that today with the high end BOE crafted items.
Manatank Nov 6th 2008 5:40PM
You did see that only 1 out of 12 of the items in the loot table is BoE right? Tier tokens are BoP. In short, these BoE epics will be a limited subset of what is available through raiding.
The progression raiding guilds can make having at least these BoE level epics as a condition of acceptance into their guilds. It will force the value up, and more gold into the hands of said raiders (because the people selling these on the AH are the raiding guilds people are trying to get into by buying them). They end up with gold and better geared recruits. Win-win for those guys if you ask me.
Yeng Nov 6th 2008 5:07PM
I imagine you'd spend your DKP if you want the item. Otherwise the guild keeps it to DE or sell on AH for raid moneys.
Finnicks Nov 6th 2008 6:58PM
My guild's loot rules are easy:
1st, Main spec rolls
2nd, Off spec rolls
3rd, Other character rolls (BoE)
4th - Guild Bank (BoE), or Disenchant (BoP)
5th - Greed for gold (BoP, no enchanters)
If y0u're here to heal, you get first roll on healing items. If you're here to tank, you get first roll on tanking items. If you're here to DPS, you get first roll on DPS items. (We pretty much agree that, for caster gear in general, anything with +crit or +hit is DPS, anything with mp5 is healing).
If no one wants it for main spec, people can roll on it for an off-spec or off-role purpose, like a Prot Paladin rolling offspec on a healing piece for their healing set.
If no one currently in the raid wants it or needs it for their current char, people can roll for it to give to their other max-level characters who could use it. This will probably hold true for the new raid boss BoEs too.
jacksworth Nov 6th 2008 7:27PM
@Finnicks
"If y0u're here to heal, you get first roll on healing items."
Once the dual specs comes in, how many healers, or tanks will be there only to tank or heal? they might spend just as much time dpsing. Maybe they have a spec they prefer and want to focus on that more, but with some it may be hard to tell.
just a thought
Vlatch Nov 6th 2008 5:10PM
Wow. I can't decide whether or not I like this. I'll have to see how it plays out, but I can't imagine a 17% drop-rate item off of Kil'Jaeden being purchased on the AH.
We'll see how this stacks up in WotLK.
Nick S Nov 6th 2008 5:10PM
Glad to say my guild uses an open-roll system. You're never guaranteed loot, but the drama is kept to an absolute minimum. I assume we'll either roll on the BoEs like anything else or sell them for guild money.
Terence Nov 6th 2008 5:11PM
Gold Farmers around the world rejoice!
But seriously this is a bad idea.
bugmaster Nov 6th 2008 5:17PM
i hate this, theres lesser and lesser gain from raiding...
Manatank Nov 6th 2008 5:32PM
Making gold while raiding is "less and less"? I don't understand you. Oh wait, you are one of those tools who likes to lord their epics over other people and are upset that they will be able to buy a select number of BoEs from raiders? Guess what? Tools like you still know which ones are BoP and which are BoE.
superfrank Nov 7th 2008 6:36AM
in the same way that you couldn't fill all slots with badge gear, you probably wont be able to fill all slots with boe gear
Ron Nov 6th 2008 5:19PM
This is a tremendous Idea. They need to make non raiders happy too. And looking at PVP right now not much of an option there. Arena system needs to die. Its funny how all the Raiders get so scared of what non raiders can get. And we are even the majority of Wow. Great Job Blizzard!!!
Rob Nov 6th 2008 5:21PM
Good idea IMO. The more ways there are to gear up, the quicker a raiding guild can advance. There is a reason the badge gear sped up raiding. I think all the raiding changes have been really positive, and i'm thinking it will be the same here (BT raider here).