Patch 4.0.1 gem changes detailed

As previously announced, we're changing many of the stats in the game. Some stats are being removed entirely, while others are being redefined. These stat changes will affect gems as well, as we've made a series of basic changes to them, including color changes and stat conversions.
Gems are being changed as follows:
Color Changes
Some stats are being converted into others as detailed below:
Stat Conversion
Gems are being changed as follows:
Color Changes
- Hit is now blue. This makes blue gems interesting for all specs and classes.
- Mastery and Dodge are now yellow. This change ensures good yellow gem choices continue to exist for tanking. The addition of Mastery to yellow increases the color's value to all specs.
- Intellect is now red. Red needs to be a great choice for casters, and a universally good color for all specs.
Some stats are being converted into others as detailed below:
Stat Conversion
- Attack Power is converted to Agility.
- Spell Power is converted to Intellect.
- Mana/5 is converted to Spirit.
- Defense is converted to Dodge, and sometimes Parry.
- Armor Penetration is generally converted to Critical Strike.
I love these new gem colors, especially because my main is a tank. Having mastery as a yellow gem and hit as a blue gem make for some very interesting gem builds, especially in response to all the stamina-stacking for tanks that has been going on for the entirety of Wrath of the Lich King.
Filed under: Cataclysm






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
kevin cormier Oct 12th 2010 5:03PM
If I remember right (on the PTR) every gem I currently had on my resto shaman (imooforyou) seemed to be appropriate for 4.0.1 and there was no gemming necessary.
Prophetik Oct 12th 2010 6:13PM
Same here, we Resto Shaman came away with not a ton of changes...quite nice in terms of getting things up & running! :)
Vincent Oct 12th 2010 5:05PM
Does anyone know what the addon in the Picture heading is? It seems pretty awesome.
Millenia Oct 12th 2010 5:11PM
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/panda.aspx
vinniedcleaner Oct 12th 2010 5:10PM
Panda
Jon Oct 12th 2010 5:13PM
I would like to second this. That mod looks interesting. Where can I subscribe to your news... oh wait...
niko Oct 12th 2010 5:11PM
oh geez, it says it in the title of the window!!!
That's Tekkub's great Panda addon.
alexandro98 Oct 12th 2010 5:11PM
I do believe that is the addon called Panda
Jon Oct 12th 2010 5:13PM
Thanks
Sorta assumed Panda was the name of the toon.
Vincent Oct 12th 2010 5:29PM
Lol, I feel like a noob. Totally thought "Panda" was the toon's name. Thanks man.
Falcon6 Oct 12th 2010 5:05PM
As a Hunter, I am in love with the hit gem change. Not like I was going to use the +10 stat one after today anyway, thanks to the change with Intellect, but it'll still be nice to be able to keep with a good pattern for my sockets now instead of having to go with Agi/Stam if I wanted to keep a bonus for some really stupid reason.
DaShiVa01 Oct 12th 2010 5:07PM
[quote]showing you what to expect when you log on later today. [/quote]
Or, rather, when you log on tomorrow, or thursday. We'll see.
Soon(TM).
jameswholahan Oct 12th 2010 5:08PM
"Defense is converted to Dodge, and sometimes Parry"...
How does it decide if it gets converted to Dodge or Parry? parry won't help my bear tank much...
Vinyl Oct 12th 2010 5:10PM
Reforge, my friend
kevin cormier Oct 12th 2010 5:11PM
Maybe the "sometimes parry" associates to paladins (only tank class I play) and other tank specs that can use it?
Samutz Oct 12th 2010 5:12PM
I think in some cases, if the item already had dodge, the defense gets turned in to parry.
Peter Oct 12th 2010 5:12PM
@jameswholahan:
Defense->Dodge/parry for your bear tank? The bigger question I wonder about is why you have defense on your bear tank in the first place?
Natsumi Oct 12th 2010 5:22PM
@Peter
Most non-plate tank items have Defense on them (like cloaks, rings, and necklaces) and Bear Tanks use them if they aren't stupid.
Uthame Oct 12th 2010 5:25PM
@Peter
Oh I don't know, because the biggest stamina gains for neck pieces, cloaks and rings have defense on them too? Maybe think about it before you start implying they're doing something wrong.
Kuro Oct 12th 2010 5:28PM
'Sometimes converted' to with gems likely means....
Glimmering Ametrine = defense and parry
Stalwart Ametrine = defense and dodge
They were both converted to Stalwart Ametrine = "parry and dodge"