In Patch 8.2 of World of Warcraft, there is again “Catch-Up Gear” for latecomers. This gear is really strong, as it has interesting passive bonuses!
This gear is about: With the upcoming Patch 8.2 Azshara’s Rise, there are two new areas for players to explore. While Mechagon requires a lot of grinding to earn many rewards, the story primarily takes place in Nazjatar.
There, players can also obtain good gear if they haven’t played for a while. This “Catch-Up Gear” has some special features.
The equipment items are called “Benthic” and are equivalent to the equipment tokens that were available on the Timeless Isle or in Tanaan.
How to get the equipment? The tokens for the equipment can be found in Nazjatar in different ways. They can either be found in treasures or from world quests, or they can be directly purchased from a vendor. This costs “Prismatic Manapearls” – a new currency that only exists in Nazjatar.
Less RNG thanks to fixed stats: If you don’t like randomness, you’ll likely be satisfied with the “Benthic” equipment. This gear has predefined stats and always the same secondary attributes. So you don’t have to buy the same item three times and hope that the right stats will come out. The result is already determined in advance.
Upgrading the items with Prismatic Manapearls: As in previous patches, it is possible to upgrade the items gradually. They start at item level 385 and can be upgraded to a maximum of item level 430. However, this increasingly costs more Prismatic Manapearls. So, if you want to upgrade all items this way, you will spend a lot of time in Nazjatar, kill some rare mobs, and complete most world quests.
Interesting passive bonuses in all slots: Another cool feature of the Benthic equipment is that it has interesting bonuses and small perks that cannot be found on other gear. Some of them are useful in combat, others more for exploring the area. Here are a few examples:
- Shadow resistance: Shadow damage taken is reduced by 2% in Nazjatar and the Eternal Palace.
- Damage to aberrations: You deal more damage against “Aberration” type enemies in Nazjatar and the Eternal Palace. This includes the raid boss Orgozoa or the world boss Ulmath.
- Merchant’s supply: You have access to special supplies from Murloc vendors.
- Fishy friends: When looting creatures in Nazjatar and the Eternal Palace, there is a chance to receive a random fish.
Such and other bonuses can only be found on gear with the “Benthic” modifier.
What do you think of the system with fixed stats? Is it a better solution to allow everyone to work towards exactly what they want? Or should it be random, as it was on the Timeless Isle or in Tanaan’s Jungle?
