Running Out of Mana? Here’s One Reason

My Google reader is set to examine various search terms allowing me to keep a pulse on what’s going out there with Priests. One search result that popped up on my reader involved a holy priest. Their problem was that they kept running out of mana. No matter what they did, they had a really hard time sustaining the necessary healing required for that instance.

Out of habit, I looked up their priest on armory.

Problem solved.

No enchants, no gems, or other augments.

It almost feels like really new players take for granted the power that augments provide their characters. Do you think Blizzard balances instances around the fact that your character should have enchants and such? Maybe the harder 4.3 ones, but not the entry level heroics.

Back to the story, it turns out I wasn’t the only one who spotted the lack of character investment. When others pointed it out, the player commented by saying they didn’t have the money to afford it.

At least they have an answer to the first problem.

New players, if you want to start hitting up the harder stuff, start investing. Even if you can’t afford a Power Torrent, you can probably snag a Heartsong. Can’t do 20 stats? Settle for 15. Don’t need 65 mastery when cheaper 50 haste options exist. No sense socketing an epic red gem on a blue quality item when a gren quality red gem will do the trick for now.

Even if they’re not the best improvements money can buy, at least they’re still an improvement.

 

8 thoughts on “Running Out of Mana? Here’s One Reason”

  1. Too many people still undervalue gemming and enchanting their items.  Just because its LFR loot or even a purple there is zero excuse not to do it.  Plus, no gold?  Uh.. making gold isn’t THAT difficult any more :3

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  2. I agree with your message but not your advice. Even if i didnt have the time/desire to play WoW very often and therefore prioritized instances over professions/farming/rep-grinds/etc, there rarely any reason to settle for sub-optimal augments. Nobody hits max level without SOME knowledge of the auction house. Find a market and start making gold by fulfilling a niche. On most realms you can make enough to afford glyphs/enchants/gems just by looking for auctions posted below vendor rates. When i roll on a new realm, first thing I do is sell my starting clothes and look for sub-vendor bargins, then re-invest that money into crafting or further flipping (usually glyphs priced super cheaply). Macro has a great post on his 15 minutes a day that made me never care about good again.

    To the original point, Matt is right; so long as you are willing to make excuses, you will always be held back. Spend less time on the forums and more time implementing solutions.

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    • Oh I dunno about that Vik. In today’s day and age, you’re probably right. But back when I hit 60, I hadn’t a clue how to use this auction house thing. Not many people know or have the patience to to invest the time to cash in on these activities to reap the gold rewards. 
       
      If you’re someone who can’t afford to get the really good stuff, then don’t get the good stuff. Get the crappy stuff until you can afford the good stuff (at least, wait until you have good gear to put the good stuff on it, anyway). 
       
       

  3. I’m currently lacking a ton of enchants on my gear (due to mostly laziness, not really a lack of gold) but I haven’t had issues with mana as an Disc priest (atonement spec).

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    •  @lilitharien you won’t if you’re smiting  mostly as smite costs bugger all mana and heals the most needy for more than heals worth in flash heal time.

  4. Some tips for the cheapskates out there:
     
    Gems? Green quality gems are dirt cheap to the point where you can get all you need off the AH with the gold earned from a handful of quests/dailies. Blue quality gems are maybe twice that and so very, very worth it.
     
    Enchants? Don’t buy expensive mats on the AH. Try to run dungeons with an enchanter. Spend Justice points on expensive/rare materials. Bank some gold to tip a friendly enchanter.
     
    After you get there, LFR can provide good gear, but plain old Heroic Dungeons are still a steady source of enchanting mats and Valor/Justice for every poor player. Even a Normal/Heroic raider can save gold with these methods, especially if they receive little guild support.

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