What stats should windwalker monks stack Overview

Hey all,

So now that some time has passed we can see the monk class shapping up, let's go over somethings.
This post is just refering to the state of the monk in beta.


Overview

The windwalker monk is the DPS option for the new monk class introduced in Mists of Pandaria. Windwalkers, much like rogues, paladins, or feral druids, have two types of resources they must manage in order to maximize their damage; Energy and Chi. Also like rogues and feral druids, windwalker monks have a 1.0sec GCD for their abilities, as opposed to the traditional 1.5sec GCD. (GCD = Global Cooldown, or the delay before another ability can be used.) Windwalker monks can dual wield maces, swords, axes, or fist weapons, or can single wield staves and polearms.

Resources

Energy

Windwalker monks have a 100-point energy pool, which regenerates at 8 energy/sec. (This rate is still being revised.) This can be slightly increased by haste. The only exception to this constant is Energizing Brew, which adds an additional 60 energy over 6s. 

Chi

Chi is the windwalker monk's primary resource. Chi is mainly built through the use of Jab. (can change names, see below). Currently, Jab costs 40 energy and generates 1 chi baseline, but 2 for Windwalkers due to Muscle Memory. Monks can store up to 4 chi.


Basic Rotations (WIP)

ST Rotation:
Keep RSK debuff up (15s)
Use Combo Breaker procs (Free TP/BOK)
Zen Sphere on CD (OP atm)
Fists of Fury on CD
TP/BOK, depending on enemy HP %
Jab (or Expel Harm, if hurt) Energizing Brew as necessary for energy.

AOE rotation:
Keep RSK debuff up
Fists of Fury on CD
Spinning Crane Kick
Jab/Expel Harm for Chi (Be careful of EH if CC's are nearby)

Abilities

Single-Target Abilities
  • Jab (40 energy, no CD): Increases chi by 1. Basic attack. Can change to other skills, depending on weapon equipped; functionality remains the same. In DPS stance, increases chi by 2. Can proc a free TP/BOK via Combo Breaker, the Windwalker Mastery.
  • Expel Harm (40 energy, 15s CD): Increases chi by 1. Does a small self-heal, then deals 120% that damage to a random mob. Does no damage if you're at full HP, but you still get the chi. In DPS stance, increases chi by 2.
  • Tiger Palm (1 chi, no CD): Moderate damage, increased when target is above 50% HP.
  • Blackout Kick (2 chi, no CD): Moderate damage, increased when target is below 50% HP. (The increase is a DOT, but it does stack.)
  • Combo Breaker (windwalker mastery): Each time Jab is used, there is a chance to proc a free TP/BK.
  • Rising Sun Kick (2 chi, 8s CD): Moderate damage and causes target to take 10% additional damage (from the Monk) for 15 sec.
AoE/Ranged Abilities
  • Spinning Crane Kick (1 chi): Small AoE damage to all enemies in melee range, lasts 3 sec.
  • Fists of Fury (3 chi, 45s CD): Large AoE damage (but expensive) to all enemies in a frontal cone. Lasts 4 sec. Channeled (no autoattack/other abilities)
  • Spinning Fire Blossom (1 chi, no CD): Ranged attack, small damage. Used as filler when the Monk is out of melee range.
  • Crackling Jade Lightning*(cost bugged, all monks): Channels a DoT on a ranged target; knocks them back if they melee you, and has a chance to add Chi on each tick. Mostly intended for Mistweavers, but can be used as a ranged filler if you have no Chi, or just as a pulling tool.


Other DPS abilities 
  • Summon White Tiger Statue: Creates a statue (you choose where it goes). During a fight, every time you spend 3 chi, it will spawn a tiger pet who will move to your current target and attack, once. Still somewhat buggy. Removed from game in latest patch, leaving here in case it comes back.


Buffs/Passives/Raid Cooldowns: 
  • Stance of the Fierce Tiger: Increases damage by 20%, required for most of the abilities.
  • Legacy of the Emperor: +5% stats
  • Legacy of the White Tiger: +5 mastery
  • Tiger Strikes (all monks): Autoattacks have a 10% chance to proc a buff that increases attack-speed and generates 4 extra attacks.
  • Meditation (180s CD): 99% damage reduction, redirects all spell damage to you for 8 sec. Breaks on melee. Will get nerfed.
  • <URL="http://www.wowdb.com/spells/116023">Sparring[/URL](windwalker only): 5% parry buff when attacked, stacks up to 20%.
  • <URL="http://www.wowdb.com/spells/116092">Afterlife[/URL](windwalker only): Dead enemies have a chance to proc a Healing Sphere (all) or Chi Sphere (if killed with Blackout Kick).
  • <URL="http://www.wowdb.com/spells/124334">Swift Reflexes[/URL]*(all monks): Small amount of damage done to the enemy on a parry. Looks like a tuning lever for Brewmaster DPS.


Movement:
  • Roll: Similar to blink, you go forward fast. Has 2 charges, starts regenerating when you use the first.
  • Flying Serpent Kick: Click once to take off, click again to land. Very fast and fun, but hard to land accurately.
  • Transcendence: Similar to Demonic Circle.*Cast it once (for free), places a point. Cast it again (1 chi), places a point at your current location, teleports to old point. Cast it again...etc.


Crowd Control:
  • Paralysis (15s CD): 30s/60s incapacitate. Melee only so will be semi-tricky to use in dungeons.
  • Disable (15 energy): Reduces movement speed by 25%, stacks twice. On third use, roots.
  • Grapple Weapon (60s CD): Ranged disarm. Has an additional effect according to tooltip, but doesn't work right now.
  • Spear Hand Strike (30 energy/30s CD): Interrupt/Silence.
Healing/Other:
  • Detox (20energy, 8s CD): Dispels diseases and poisons.
  • Healing Sphere (40 energy): Creates a sphere which can be walked through for health.
  • Fortifying Brew (180s CD): Increases health by 100%, and reduces damage by 20%. 20s duration.
  • Resuscitate: Out of combat rez.
  • Afterlife: Enemies killed may summon a Healing or Chi Sphere.
  • Touch of Death (3 chi, 90s CD): Instakills an enemy with less health than the monk. Affected by Fortifying Brew.

Damage in premade gear

All numbers with premade gear, no buffs/debuffs.
Melee: 5.5-7k
Jab (Generates 1 chi): 4-5k
Expel Harm (Generates 1 chi): 12k, 10k heal
Tiger Palm (1 chi): 8k-10k (without +50% increase)
Blackout Kick(2 chi): 10-12k (without DoT)
Rising Sun Kick(2 chi): 25k
Fists of Fury(3 chi AOE): 5 hits for 13k over 4s
Spinning Crane Kick(2 chi AOE): 4 hits for 8k over 3s
Crackling Jade Lightning: 5k a tick
Spinning Fire Blossom: 9k close in, 13k at range
Flying Serpent Kick: 2-3k, buggy
Swift Reflexes (when you parry): 0.5k
Zen Sphere: 8k HoT, 7.5k DoT; 8 ticks over 16s
Chi Burst: 7k heal, 10k damage

Talents

Cut the full list. Currently recommending:

Celerity - More rolls is better than a movement buff after the roll when we also have Flying Serpent Kick.
Zen Sphere - Very overpowered at the moment; does 60k damage AND healing (over time) for 2 chi.
Power Strikes - Chi Brew will be better for burst situations, but PS gets the overall recommendation.
Leg Sweep or Deadly Reach - Leg Sweep for helping a tank deal with trash, Deadly Reach to help with CC (if we need to)
Dampen Harm - Diffuse Magic may be situationally better, but DH is a nice cooldown.
Xuen, The White Tiger - Because Tiger LIGHTNING. (Can't test it yet.)

Glyphs

  • Glyph of Breath of Fire: When you use Breath of Fire on targets that have 3 stacks of Dizzying Haze, they become Disoriented for 3 sec. Adds some survivability to the damage.
  • Glyph of Chi Wave: When you deal damage with Chi Wave, you stun the target for 1 sec. Mistweaver PvP.
  • Glyph of Dizzying Haze: You apply two stacks of Dizzying Haze when cast, instead of one. Helpful to stack miss chance faster.
  • Glyph of Enduring Healing Sphere: When attacked, the cast time of your Healing Sphere is reduced by 50%. Stacks up to 2 times. Hard to say right now, it's practically instant.
  • Glyph of Expel Harm: Increases the range of your Expel Harm by 10 yards. Possibly helpful.
  • Glyph of Gliding Serpent Kick: Reduces the speed while using Flying Serpent Kick by 30%. WHY WOULD YOU?
  • Glyph of Guard: Increases the amount your Guard absorbs by 10%, but your Guard can only absorb magical damage. Very encounter dependent, obviously.
  • Glyph of Mana Tea: Your Mana Tea is instant instead of channeled and consumes two stacks when used, but causes a 10 sec cooldown. Interesting; will have to see how this plays out.
  • Glyph of Meditation: You can now channel Meditation while moving. Meh, Meditation's still due for a nerf.
  • Glyph of Renewing Mists: Your Renewing Mists travels to the furthest injured target within 40 yards rather than the closest injured target within 8 yards. So...you get two mistweavers and have one glyph and one not? Personally, I want that guy who refuses to stack up to die horribly, but eh.
  • Glyph of Spinning Crane Kick: You move at full speed while channeling Spinning Crane Kick. Cool, I guess.
  • Glyph of Spinning Fire Blossom: Your Spinning Fire Blossom requires an enemy target rather than traveling in front of you, but is no longer capable of rooting targets. Eh.
  • Glyph of Surging Mist: Your Surging Mist no longer requires a target, and instead heals the lowest health target within 40 yards. Well, that's your tank healer/raid healer split right there.
  • Glyph of Touch of Death: Your Touch of Death no longer has a Chi cost, but the cooldown is increased by 2 minutes. Eh.
  • Glyph of Transcendence: Increases the range of your Transcendence: Transfer spell by 10 yards. Definitely helpful.
None of these are really must take for Windwalkers.

Stats
Agility is the preferred primary stat.
For secondary stats, likely weighting is hit/exp > crit > haste > mastery, as the rotation currently stands. Have to test whether Agi or Hit/Exp is better.

Heirloom Gear Recommendations:

Weapons:
Armor:

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