Phat Loot Phriday: Staff of Trickery
by Mike Schramm 
Feb 20th 2009 at 6:00PM
Yes, I'm pretty sure this is the second Feral Druid piece we've done in a row (even though last week was technically a combination of PvP gear). We'll do a Warlock piece next week -- or if there's something you're specifically wondering about, speak up in the comments. But look at that staff -- how could we pass this up?
Name: Staff of Trickery (Wowhead, Thottbot, Wowdigger)
Type: Epic Staff
Damage/Speed: 358-537 / 2.40 (186.5 DPS)
Abilities:
Name: Staff of Trickery (Wowhead, Thottbot, Wowdigger)
Type: Epic Staff
Damage/Speed: 358-537 / 2.40 (186.5 DPS)
Abilities:
- +89 Agility, +133 Stamina
- Adds 1843 Feral Attack Power
- Increases attack power by 180
- This is the premium pre-raid Feral Druid tanking staff, as chosen by our own Allison Roberts. Sure, it's common (it's pretty easy to get, as you can see below), but not only are the stats great for Bear tanks, but it looks amazing as well. Those eyes glow even without an enchant! That's hot.
- And Hunters, this weapon is not, I repeat not, for you. If there's a Bear Druid in your group who needs it, you've got to pass. That's the stuff of ursine nightmares -- a Hunter coveting this staff just because it's got all that Agility on it. Trust me, there are better weapons for you.
The staff drops at about a 20% rate (probably a little less than that), which is why you can see it all over the place. But as Alison pointed out, there's a reason for that: until you head into Naxx and get some nice drops in there, this'll do ya right.
Getting Rid of It: Sells to vendors for 25g 67s 51c. Disenchants into an Abyss Crystal.
Filed under: Druid, Hunter, Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Instances, Phat Loot Phriday, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Briggs Feb 20th 2009 6:04PM
Sweet
DragonFireKai Feb 20th 2009 6:08PM
I demand an Expose on Last Laugh.
elvendude Feb 20th 2009 6:08PM
My hunter got if from Gluth. The druid didn't want it, so it went to me. I use for more hp while kiting Gluth. Seems kind of appropriate.
elvendude Feb 20th 2009 6:09PM
D'oh! I'm thinking of a completely different staff. Ignore me. =)
Grom Feb 20th 2009 6:12PM
Definitely lower than the 20% reported drop rate. Took over 20 runs to get the staff on my drood, and then obviously, when I ran it for the first time on one of my alts it dropped then and there... just to mock me.
The staff should be dropping like a dress on prom night... it is smekksey after all.
Vendrill Feb 20th 2009 7:33PM
I've DE'd this stupid thing SO many times.
Kailvis Feb 21st 2009 9:13AM
dropped for me on my first full clear of H VH
I say full clear because I got caught up on the second boss (the Ethereal one) on my first try, and group fell apart
next day got a good group, with a hunter that didnt want it, and I was unnopposed and got this puppy all for myself ^.^
even got mongoose on it :P
Justin Feb 21st 2009 12:36AM
I'm pretty sure this has dropped EVERY time I've run hVH
Fyve & Boomstick Feb 22nd 2009 3:50PM
I've seen this staff loads. I must've run VH hc about 45 times, and must've seen this staff drop about half those times. I think once there was a Druid in the group to take it. before the Feral AP change it was DE's everytime. After that and it was headed for DE, AGAIN, I took it, i think it looks rather awesome on my hunter.
Of course if any druids ask, I always say there were two druids in the group but i rolled need. I like druid rage :-P
AyaJulia Feb 20th 2009 6:13PM
"And Hunters, this weapon is not, I repeat not, for you. [Insert link to worse blue here]"
Huh. Never heard of a blog writer trolling his own site. That staff is a massive upgrade for multiple classes, like it or not. If you don't want drama around it, talk to any hunter in your group and ask whether they intend to roll on it if it drops. If they say yes (and I would) you have the choice to accept a little competition or leave. D: Just be communicative, stand up for yourself, and resolve to leave if you can't handle someone else liking your lewts.
Malkia Feb 20th 2009 6:33PM
Thank you. At least someone else sees this.
Angus Feb 20th 2009 6:36PM
Funny, using a standard comparison tool (ie wowhead's survival hunter item weight scale) the runeblade is 29.99 compared to 23.72. so only about 20% better...
If not BM, the haste is a stat boost, add the crit and it is easily better.
Heck, let's be funny.
http://www.wowhead.com/?items=2&filter=sl=17;ub=3;gm=3;wt=138:23:119:21:61:103:114:96:77;wtv=147:100:93:83:72:70:66:58:35
By that scale, the runeblade is the highest blue you can get, and it beats almost every druid staff in Naxx 10 man.
Just because the opened up YET another class of weapon for hunters does not mean you should roll on it. Especially when it is inferior to an item you can get just by doing some quests in 2 zones and a few dailies.
AyaJulia Feb 20th 2009 6:48PM
@Angus: Between real life friends and family and my main (which my hunter is not), I don't devote much time to my hunter. I'd take the 20-minute heroic drop in a heartbeat if it meant forgoing lots of questing/dailies/championing.
Anyway, those tools rate the runeblade so high because they emphasize the amount of crit on it. It's inferior in any other way. Regardless, it's not for you or anyone else to decide what I'll roll on when I'm in a heroic pug. If it's an upgrade, I want it, and it's none of your business why I don't leave it and take this or that instead. :)
Vendrill Feb 20th 2009 7:33PM
I see A LOT of hunters with this and other druid staves. It is a good solid hunter weapon. I've NEVER seen a hunter roll on this when a druid wanted it. Usually, the feral druids have a bank full of staves and this thing gets DE'd.
Kudos to blizz on making items usable by more classes/specs.
Now, if they could just nerf the Death Knights, life would be better.
Angus Feb 20th 2009 7:41PM
It is the druid tank's business if you are running with one.
You act like it is not a social game. You rolling on druid loot marks you as one of several titles awarded to Hunters that do that.
As for the difficulty getting it:
I had them exalted in a week from neutral.
I didn't even do all that much, the quests are great fun, give you a ton of rep, and a ton of gold. Heck, you should do it just to take a quest title "It's all fun and games..." which has you poke out a giant eye.
So I guess the crit is inferior. You apparently think trading 38 AP for 1.2% crit is a good thing... If survival or MM the haste is not wasted at all and is a good thing. The staff lacks haste completely.
So basically, the runeblade is superior in the ranking BECAUSE IT IS SUPERIOR.
There's a reason every hunter has that thing on instead of the staff. Heck, until you get another weapon designed for hunters (and not a druid feral staff in 10 man naxx) it is not getting replaced.
Feel free to continue to be a terribad hunter, but don't deny a tank a gear upgrade because you are too lazy to get an easy to get item that won't screw over a tank.
Heilig Feb 20th 2009 9:01PM
Let's see, the staff gets you an extra 26 agility and 12 AP at the expense of 67 Crit and 33 Haste. The 133 stamina is completely useless to DPS, so can't even be factored into the equation. On the off chance that you have to melee something, it also has a dramatically lower damage range than the sword does, so your Raptor Strikes hit for about 15% less.
NEWS FLASH: Huntards still take purple loot just because it's purple. Film at 11.
AyaJulia Feb 20th 2009 11:55PM
Alright, since you guys only speak in numbers and weight scales, here.
Let's assume that our Surv hunter--which you guys always assume someone is, lawl FotM--already has the haste to get Steady Shot to 1.5sec. Here's a custom scale for you which takes wowhead.com's default Surv weights, removes haste since it's useless to us, removes hit since we're assuming Theoryhunter is also good to go on that, and adds a very low Stam weight in because--oshi--It really IS good for a Surv hunter. (Reference http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=19259 and http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=56341)
Result: http://www.wowhead.com/?items=2&filter=qu=3:4;sl=17;minle=187;ub=3;gm=3;wt=138:23:21:61:96:77:22;wtv=147:100:83:72:58:35:17
Oh no, what's this I see.... This staff here suddenly became the best pre-Naxx weapon there is. Brb, putting a VH run together.
It's ok though, keep calling me a huntard despite knowing where my time is worth investing, you're making me and my guild giggle. :D
Rob Feb 21st 2009 7:23AM
My hunter has this. There were no feral druids in the group. As a guy who plays a druid alot, i kinda cried when I got this, but massive upgrade is massive upgrade. And actually +stam is great for my pet. Why does that matter you say? Because I like to solo instances, and have my gear tricked out for it. The staff is good for me but perfect for the pet. So...this is hunter loot, until naxx.
Defoe Feb 21st 2009 9:35AM
Thats only a fair sentiment from Hunters who do not and will not complain about rolling against Rogue or Warriors for Bows and Guns.
Dobmeister Feb 21st 2009 10:11AM
Saw this drop during Heroic Violet Hold yesterday on the daily quest run. While I saw some pros and cons of switching to it, according to the Hit/Crit/RAP I was getting from the equipped 2-hander I had (Kalu'ak statstick), I decided to pass. Why? Feral druid rolling, specifically the feral tank.
Feral dps I may have thought harder, and no feral druid at all I would have thought harder still (boomkin/tree might roll for offspec and roughly same priority in that case).
You sneer at hunters saying "oh, there is something much better for you from KotEB". Here's a response...
a) Stamina difference of 133, that's a motherload of survivability alteration, and a benefit for SV Hunter vs. Wild
b) Ebon Blade revered is a bit of work. I did 5 heroics over the course of yesterday that covered 6,000-12,000 through honoured to push me to the point of grabbing it.
Now, let's consider the following...
- Hunter dings 80
- Hunter fancies hitting the heroics and is geared/specced sufficiently to contribute to the team
- Hunter goes to VH Hero
- Hunter sees no feral druid
- Hunter sees Beatstick drop off Cyanigosa
[rhetorical question]
- Must hunter pass out of "well, in 20 more heroics time I'll be revered, so it's not worth it"?
[/rhetorical question]