Considering a Covenant Switch

And a specialisation switch actually. So far I’ve been pretty happy with pushing forward my Mage focused exclusively as Frost. It has a relatively simple yet still satisfying set of skill priorities and procs in order to play optimally. I’ve even crafted both of my ‘main’ legendaries for the specialisation — Slick Ice for single-target and Glacial Fragments for multi-target or trash prioritisation.

Both are excellent, but I have a particular fondness for Glacial Fragments since it is so obvious the impact it has on my DPS because it is it’s own spell effect and registers in meters separately.

My allegiance currently lies with the Venthyr which is fantastic for Frost. Well- fantastic for Frost single-target I should clarify where it currently holds a roughly 7% lead over the next best option. This sort of lead is so neck and shoulders over the rest it is probably begging to be chopped back into line with the others. But that’s neither here nor there for today and not a reason I’m considering a change.

Venthyr is less strong in the Mythic+ arena or multi-target in general. But then so is frost for that matter. And unlike most every other expansion to date — raids won’t be the be all and end all for my group. We will be pushing for a heroic ahead of the curve clear but we’re not carrying any real interest in attempting mythic difficulty.

Nor are we looking to raid any more than twice a week. A schedule which has seen us down just three bosses so far and close in on a forth. Granted that was also skipping the first possible week of raids in order to catch some of the team up in Mythic dungeon gear first.

In any case — winding my way back to the topic; with raiding taking a (relative) back-seat to Mythic+ dungeons this time around, Night Fae was always on the cards for me. And ever since I agonized over the decision initially landing me with the Venthyr, I’ve wondered whether I made the right call.

Venthyr is really ahead for single-target Frost but is… Well; it’s not so great for anything else.

Fire and Arcane both benefit most strongly from Night Fae where the cooldown reduction on the Covenant Power has enough high impact, low cooldown abilities to really get it punching above it’s weight. Night Fae for Frost however was so bad for single-target that it’s literally not worth it to ever press the button. You may as well just be a completey unaffiliated mage.

So! Frost until now has been all fine and well. But I knew sooner or later I would want to dabble in the other specs. And that time is here. I’m considering a transformation along the lines of…

…this.

Although I’m really going to have to get out there and pick-up some more transmog options to fit the motif. Relative to leather and plate; I’ve collected almost nothing for cloth.

Switching Covenant is not a light undertaking though as I understand it. I believe I will lose:

• All existing upgrades to my Venthyr covenant hall (even if I were to later return)
• All currently stored souls
• All currently stored anima
• All renown — although there is a catch-up mechanic here in the sense that daily quests from the new covenant will also award renown until such time as you’re caught up.
  • Which in turn means I’d be underpowered on my Soulbind options until I have caught up and even with the daily catch-up mechanic that is still a fair timegate before I get back to where I am now with the Venthyr.

Add to that the fact that if I’m switching specialisation I will need to work on a new legendary rather than upgrading my existing and it’s all a bit of a weighty decision.

Still… I’m very much on the edge of doing it regardless. And if I complete Layer 8 on the other Torghast wing this week I’ll have enough Soul Ash to immediately create my Fire legendary at least. (Currently a toss-up between Fevered Incantation and Firestorm — I have the memories for both.)

As a mitigation to the impact of spending another week on a Tier 1 Legendary is the fact that for fire I can get by with just the one legendary for both raid AND mythic content too, so I’d drop to considering upgrades for just one rather than two…

Hmm. We’ll see. :)