The announced stat changes
Hit and critical chance unify across attack types. Bonus healing includes one-third as much bonus damage. Weapon-skill items grant smaller amounts. New effects address dodge/parry avoidance, terrain and creature types; dungeon drops are being revised. Blizzard’s itemisation recap.
An old best-in-slot list can help you remember an item name, but it does not establish that item’s value in Forever. Check the actual item and the assumptions behind the recommendation before spending time farming it.
A checklist for comparing two items
Write down your role, activity and the current item first. Then compare candidates using the same conditions. A single larger number can conceal a tradeoff elsewhere.
| Question | What to record |
|---|---|
| Which version is this? | Client build and date of the tooltip. |
| What am I doing? | Solo questing, group healing, tanking or damage. |
| What does it replace? | The complete old and new tooltips. |
| Does the effect have conditions? | Enemy type, location, proc requirements and uptime. |
| What will I give up? | Other useful stats, a set bonus or a reliable effect. |
| How strong is the evidence? | A tooltip, repeated tests or an untested prediction. |
Worked example: a situational trinket
Imagine one trinket offers a modest effect in most fights while another has a larger effect against a particular creature type. Do not compare only their best moments. Ask how much of the planned session meets the second item’s condition, and what happens during the rest. This is a hypothetical comparison method, not a claim about a specific drop.
For a healer who also quests, keep separate notes for the two activities. An item that makes solo play more comfortable might still involve a healing tradeoff. The useful answer depends on what you need the item to do.
Update loot notes before publishing a guild BiS sheet
If your guild maintains a gear sheet, add columns for source, build date and confidence. Label untested recommendations as provisional. Encourage members to report contradictory tooltips or results without having to argue against a permanent “best” label.
When reviewing an item dispute, separate evidence about performance from the guild’s allocation policy. An item being useful to two roles does not decide which person receives it; that requires the group’s agreed rules.
What still needs evidence
We are not publishing stat weights, hit caps or a final BiS ranking from this announcement. Those require class-specific analysis and verified item data. Use this checklist to collect that evidence as you play, and keep speculative upgrades off mandatory preparation lists.