How to Add Sockets and Choose the Best Gems in The War Within
Image Credit: Blizzard, World of Warcraft: The War Within
World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion has introduced gem sockets, which are essentially new ways to boost your gear for both PvE and PvP. If you’re wanting the best out of your gear then socketing is a must. This guide covers how to add sockets, the types of gems available (e.g. Blasphemite and Bloodstones), and how they can help your characters.
Adding Sockets in The War Within
Two new items let you add sockets to your gear, each designed for specific modes:
Magnificent Jeweler’s Setting: Use this for PvE items like rings and necklaces. It allows you to add up to six gems, giving you boosts in primary stats, critical hit chance, or movement speed. With two rings and one necklace, you can really power up your items for PvE.
Vicious Jeweler’s Setting: This setting is tailored for PvP gear and works on helms, belts, bracers, and more, letting you slot up to nine gems in total. It’s perfect for enhancing your PvP stats with bonuses like damage reduction and crowd-control resistance.
New Gem Types in The War Within
PvE Gems: Blasphemite Gems
Powerful gems grant extra bonuses depending on the number of unique Algarian gem colors you have equipped:
Insightful Blasphemite: Increases your primary stat and boosts maximum mana based on unique gem colors equipped.
+Primary Stat and +1% Maximum Mana per unique Algarian gem color
Culminating Blasphemite: Adds primary stats and increases critical effect, helping to hit harder.
+Primary Stat and +1% Critical Effect per unique Algarian gem color
Elusive Blasphemite: Boosts primary stats and movement speed which is great for avoiding attacks in raids.
+Primary Stat and +2% Movement Speed per unique Algarian gem color
Cubic Blasphemia: Increases primary stats and gives fame and fortune boosts, perfect for reputation grinding.
+Primary Stat and +20% perceived fame and fortune per unique Algarian gem color socketed
PvP Gems: Bloodstones
For PvP, Bloodstone gems are tuned for durability and strategy:
Enduring Bloodstone: Reduces damage taken while under crowd control.
+Primary Stat and +15% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control
Cognitive Bloodstone: Gives you a bonus when opponents fail to interrupt you, helping keep your momentum.
+Primary Stat and opponent's failed interrupt attempts grant Precognition
Determined Bloodstone: Stacking snares power up your next attack, giving you an advantage in close battles.
+Primary Stat and getting snared increases damage of your next attack by 2267 per stack
Regular Gems
Traditional gems like Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, Onyx, and Amber are back, each offering dual-stat bonuses to primary and secondary stats. These gems are flexible across both PvE and PvP, so you can choose based on what you need:
Ruby: Boosts critical rating and primary stats.
Sapphire: Boosts versatility.
Emerald: Boosts haste.
Why Sockets Matter in The War Within
The War Within’s socketing system gives you more control over your build and lets you adapt your gear for raids, dungeons, or PvP arenas, depending on which you’re most interested in. By trying different gem combinations, you can enhance your character’s offensive power, speed, or durability. This new level of customization is huge, especially as more content arrives in the game. Leveling up Jewelcrafting is now a game-changer, making it a must-have for anyone looking to get the most out of these gem enhancements.
Tips for Optimizing Sockets and Gems
Go ahead and start experimenting with sockets and gems to make the most of your character’s potential (we’d say experimenting is pretty important too when it comes to just learning how they work and what feels good for you/your character). Whether you’re focused on PvE or PvP, the new socketing system lets you tailor your gear to suit your playstyle and help you dominate in raids, dungeons, or the battlefield. Here’s a breakdown of some tips to maximize the benefits of sockets and gems:
Plan Your Build Around Specific Stats: Before you start socketing, consider the primary and secondary stats that benefit your character most. If you’re playing a high-damage character, gems that increase critical chance and primary stats can give you a significant boost. Defensive players, on the other hand, will want to focus on damage reduction or crowd-control resistance.
Mix and Match for Versatility: The beauty of The War Within’s gem system is that it lets you mix PvE and PvP gems as needed. While PvP gems are usually more defensive, a few of them can also enhance your PvE gameplay by keeping you durable in tough encounters. Experiment with different combinations to find the sweet spot for both PvE and PvP.
Level Up Your Jewelcrafting: If you’re serious about maximizing your character’s potential, Jewelcrafting is a must. Higher levels of Jewelcrafting allow for more advanced socketing options and access to rarer gems, which means more powerful stat boosts. By investing in this skill, you’ll save gold on costly socketing fees and be able to create customized gems tailored to your build.
Prioritize Dual-Stat Gems: Dual-stat gems like the Blasphemite and Bloodstone options are some of the best choices for players looking to get multiple benefits from a single gem. For instance, a Blasphemite gem that boosts both primary stats and movement speed is invaluable in PvE, helping you avoid attacks while dishing out damage. In PvP, Bloodstones that increase resilience and reduce crowd control can be game-changers.
Be Ready to Adapt: The War Within expansion will continue to introduce new raid bosses, PvP arenas, and dungeons. Adjust your gems based on the specific challenges you’ll be facing. For instance, if you’re gearing up for a raid with lots of magic damage, consider adding gems with magical resistances or mana-boosting properties to keep you on your feet.
Balance Haste and Critical Strike in PvE: In PvE haste and critical strike can significantly boost your overall performance. Emeralds (for haste) paired with Rubies (for critical hit rating) are excellent choices, especially for classes that rely on fast attacks and high burst damage. This combination allows you to maximize your DPS without sacrificing survivability.
Preparing for Future Updates
The socketing system in The War Within isn’t just about immediate gains; it’s about long-term adaptability. As new content is released, you’ll want the flexibility to tweak your build without overhauling your entire setup. If you can master the socketing system now, you’ll be ahead of the curve as new raids, PvP content, and dungeons drop, allowing you to jump into the action with a well-optimized character immediately.
Final Thoughts
The War Within is letting players customize even more, and puts control directly into the hands of players. With socketing, you can fine-tune your character which will make you better equipped for whatever PvE and PvP challenges come your way. Take advantage of the Magnificent and Vicious Jeweler’s Settings, dive into the diverse gem options, and create a build that not only reflects your playstyle but also gives you the edge in every battle. The possibilities are endless—so get out there and start socketing!
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