DPS Enhancements

Caveat Lector

The main purpose of this page is to bring together, in one convenient chart, the various enhancements that might be reasonably appropriate to characters of a particular type. Within each slot, the alternatives are given in a rough approximation of their desirability, with better choices shown first. As I am well aware, the exact order is somewhat arbitrary. (The more research I do, the more arbitrary it seems.) I am simply trying to provide some guidance for people who have not had the time or opportunity to research the topic thoroughly.

There is nothing definitive about the arrangement shown. Although in a few cases the "best" choice is fairly clear, more often the most appropriate enhancement for your character depends on that character's class, role, talents, gear, circumstance, playstyle, and budget - and even then there is usually room for debate.

Nothing on this page should be taken as a criticism of your choices. If you picked an enhancement that turned out to be less than optimal, either live with it or replace it (or replace it when you upgrade your gear), but don't beat yourself up about it. All of us learn as we go.

If your favorite enhancement is placed lower than you would have put it, don't worry about it! If you examine the alternatives and remain satisfied with your choice, you'll get no argument from me. It's your character, and you can do what you want. I'm just trying to help.

Permanent Enhancements

Permanent enhancements are exclusive. You can have a glyph on your helm, an inscription on your shoulders, and an enchantment on your gloves, for instance, but only one enhancement (glyph, inscription, enchantment, leg armor, or armor kit) can be applied to each slot. You can change enhancements, but any new enhancement will overwrite any previous enhancement in that slot.

Suggested Enhancements (Permanent) for Noncaster DPS

Notes:

1. Only for Paladins and some multiform Druids. (After 3.0.2, not for Shamans.)
2. Resilience enhancements are for hardcore PvPers only.
3. Rogues and Cat-form Druids only.
4. At best a temporary or stopgap enhancement until you can upgrade to Exceptional Stats. Obviously not for Rogues or Warriors under any circumstances.
5. For Druids, Paladins, Warriors, and Death Knights:
   • 12 Strength = 24 AP = 1.7 dps.
   For Rogues and Shamans:
   • 12 Strength = 12 AP = .85 dps.
6. Top choice for Rogues and perhaps Hunters or Enhancement Shamans.
7. Although it does not match the dps of the alternatives, Stats may be the best overall value for Hunters and hybrids.
8. At least through level 70, for dps Paladins, Warriors, and Death Knights:
   • 15 Strength = 30 AP = 2.14 dps.
   • Strength increases overall damage more than the same amount of Agility for all currently attainable dps levels.
   • Major Strength (gloves) is better than Superior Agility.
   • Crusader (weapon) is better than Mongoose.
   • Potency (weapon) is better than Greater Agility.
   • Savagery (2H weapon) is better than Major Agility.
   In raids and instances, the above is also true for Cat-form Druids with low or moderate dps.
   Hunters, of course, should never choose Strength enhancements.
9. For Hunters, Rogues, and (since 3.0.2/3.0.3) Shamans, Agility always increases overall dps more than the same amount of Strength. For them:
   • Superior Agility (gloves) is better than Major Strength.
   • Mongoose (weapon) is better than Crusader.
   • Greater Agility (weapon) is better than Potency.
   The above is also true for all solo Cat-form Druids and those in raids or instances whose nominal dps is above 214.3 w/ 20% crit (232.2 2/ 30% crit).
   As noted elsewhere, Hunters should not choose Mongoose *or* Crusader.
10. Best glove enchantment for many Enhancement Shamans, Hunters, and Rogues:
    • In groups or raids, Rogues and Enhancement Shamans whose nominal DPS is below 251.4 w/ 20% crit (272.4 w/30% crit). (Ignores Dodge benefits of Superior Agility.)
    • BM & MM Hunters whose nominal Ranged DPS is below 251.4 w/ 20% crit (272.4 w/30% crit).
    • Survival Hunters (i.e., those with 5 points in the Agility-boosting talent Lightning Reflexes) whose nominal Ranged DPS is below 218.6 w/ 20% crit (236.9 w/ 30% crit).
    Inferior to Major Strength for all Druids, Paladins, and Warriors.
11. A BoP version of this formula drops from Kael'thas Sunstrider, the final boss in Magisters' Terrace.
12. Not for Feral Druids or Hunters. Since Bear-form and Cat-form Druids are using their claws/paws, not their weapons, and Hunters are usually using ranged weapons, melee weapon damage doesn't really matter, and melee weapon procs never proc. (This may change in a future patch - at least for Feral Druids, at least partly.)
13. Are Rogues, Fury Warriors, or Enhancement Shamans going to get this enchantment? No. (A healing enchantment for damage-dealers? Ha!) Should they get this enchantment? Very possibly. If you're in an instance, for instance (so to speak), and everyone in the group is both taking damage and close enough to benefit from the effect, this will do more good for the group than anything else here except, perhaps, Deathfrost. Since Battlemaster heals everyone in the group for 240 health once a minute, on average, over time that's equivalent to an increase of 20 health per second:
    240 health x5 (people) divided by 60 (seconds per minute) = 20 hps.
    No damage enchantment you can get will add anything like 20 dps to your weapon. Even if only 2 or 3 characters usually got healed, this would still be hard to beat.
14. For Paladins only.
15. Various people claim Executioner is useful at very high dps levels. Perhaps. It certainly makes no sense for anyone gearing up for (or in) Karazhan.
    • Best-case scenario: You attack some poor schnook whose armor is exactly 840. If you're an Alliance twit willing to spend your time ganking lowbies in XR, this boosts your dps by 6.56% for 15 seconds every minute or so - an average increase, over time, of 1.64%. Against anyone except this ideal victim, the effect is dramatically less.
    • Against level 70 opponents wearing real armor (like, say, plate), you're looking at a dps increase of 1.3-1.5% one-fourth of the time. That's effectively an average increase of about .35%. Be still my heart.
    • According to the armor figures from Elitist Jerks, against both bosses and trash in raid instances, Executioner's effect would produce an average dps increase of 1.1-1.3%. Let's use 1.2% for comparison:
      • At level 70, Crusader provides more of a dps boost for Warriors and Paladins - unless they have a nominal dps of at least 357. And that ignores the healing you get from Crusader.
      • For the same classes, even Potency increases dps more for everyone whose nominal dps is less than 238.
      • Anyone wielding a 2H weapon would get more bang (5dps) out of Savagery unless their nominal dps exceeds 416.
      • Mongoose looks better for Rogues for all plausible dps values. (Maybe things look different if you're in top-end gear head to toe and have every possible raid buff.)
16. Weapon speed is the key to this enchantment: The faster the weapon, the better this is. (Major Striking should not be used on a 2H weapon!)
    • For Paladins and Warriors...
      • On weapons faster than 2.45 seconds, Major Striking is better than Potency.
      • On weapons faster than 1.63, it produces a higher average dps than Crusader.
    • On weapons faster than 2.0 seconds, with nominal dps levels below 292, this is better for all classes than Executioner.
    • For dual-wielding Shamans and Rogues...
      • Major Striking is always better on the main hand than Potency.
      • Major Striking is better on the off hand than Potency only if the weapon speed is 1.63 seconds or faster.
      • Major Striking on the main hand produces more overall dps than Crusader if the weapon speed is faster than 2.2 seconds.
    • For Rogues in groups or raids...
      • With a weapon speed of 2.4 seconds or less (2.88 seconds with 20% crit rate) and dps levels below 298, this may be better than Greater Agility.
      • With a weapon speed of 1.6 seconds or less (1.92 seconds with 20% crit rate) and dps levels below 298, this may be better than Mongoose.
17. Potency provides less benefit than Crusader (60 Strength [at level 70] half the time = 30 Strength average) for all classes. (At level 76 and above, this would no longer be true.)
18. Best 2H weapon enchantment for high-end Hunters whose nominal dps is above 342.8 w/ 20% crit (371.4 w/ 30% crit), solo Cat-form Druids, and grouped Cat-form Druids whose nominal dps is above 214.3 w/ 20% crit (232.1 w/ 30% crit).

Related Links:

• Horde Help home page
• Enhancements
• DPS Enhancements
• Enhancements for Casters
• Enhancements for Healers
• Enhancements for Tanks
• Gems: A User's Guide
• Resistance Enhancements