This is not a thread for discussing whether or not the ferocity change will destroy celestial or whether or not the set is good or not. Those are well-discussed and well-established points already; it’s already been made clear that Celestial could, if anything, use a buff and that Celestial gear will be hit harder than other gear sets by the Ferocity change unless it is given very high ferocity numbers or some other buff.
This thread will specifically be for the discussion of how to improve Celestial gear post-Ferocity change. As such, please limit posts to suggestions on how to improve it or feedback on other posters’ suggestions.
Personally, I see two ways for Celestial gear to maintain (or gain, depending on your opinion of the current gear set) viability post-patch.
Option 1 – Ferocity Primary
Berserker gear post patch will have (for a ring)
103 Power
68 Precision
68 Ferocity
Post patch celestial gear would have (for a ring)
43 to all stats
Mystery amount of Ferocity.
Now, in the worst case scenario, that ring will have 43 Ferocity, destroying Celestial gear’s already-questionable viability. In a better case, it’s crit damage would be comparable by becoming a secondary stat at 68 Ferocity. But that’s not good enough. The crit damage nerf is targeted at berserker gear – it does not make sense to nerf an arguably underpowered set like Celestial at all. If anything, it could use a buff.
As such, it makes sense to make Ferocity a primary stat on Celestial gear post-patch. This would give it a form of clear strength that is lacked by other gear options.
Suggested numbers (ring)
43 to all stats
Ferocity numbers equivalent to the CURRENT Berserker critical damage.
Option two – Nerf the crit damage, but improve the spread
Nerfed numbers for ring (let’s just assume the worst)
+43 to all stats (including ferocity)
Suggested numbers for ring
+50 to all stats (including ferocity)
(A buff of approximately 16%).
Applying the same 16% buff to other pieces, we get:
Amulet – 63 to all stats
Ring – 50 to all stats
Earring – 44 to all stats
Backpiece – 25 to all stats
Helm – 24 to all stats
Shoulders – 19 to all stats
Coat – 55 to all stats
Gloves – 19 to all stats
Leggings – 36 to all stats
Boots – 19 to all stats
Weapon (2h) – 96 to all stats
Weapon (1h) – 49 to all stats
Total – 544 to all stats (2H), 546 to all stats (MH/OH)
(Rounding up where appropriate.)
Current totals (for reference)
Amulet – 54
Ring – 43
Earring – 38
Back – 22
Helm – 21
Shoulders – 16
Chest – 47
Gloves – 16
Legs – 31
Boots – 16
Weapon (2H) – 83
Weapon (MH/OH) – 42
Current total – 468 (2H), 469 (MH/OH)
Total increase – 76 to all stats with a 2h weapon (approx 16%)
An increase of 76 over a whole set is fairly significant (in Celestial’s case, it’s somewhere between an extra amulet and an extra two-handed weapon), but with the Ferocity nerf, the new stat spread would help make up for the loss in Ferocity with a fairly considerable total bonus to it and other stats. All of these stats would still be lower than the secondary stat of any other gear nomenclature, but they would (hopefully) be large enough to become comparable.