The more and more you get into this game and playing a Druid the more you realize just how much there is to it. As soon as you get a grasp on your spells and basic stats all sorts of other stuff comes up. When it comes to time start gearing up your low level toon a whole new flood of options, terms and trade-offs come into play. One of these points that you’ve got to understand, especially if you are running a Balance or Restoration Druid, is the notion of mp5.
The term “mp5″ is shorthand for “mana per five seconds” and is a common bonus stat found on some gear you can get a relatively low levels. Another way to look at this is a system of restoring a certain amount of mana back into your mana pool. Like a boost to your mana regeneration that is not dependant on your characters Spirit or Intelligence stat.
Like alot of stuff in the World of Warcraft there is more to this than meets the eye. While the term itself tells you that an item will return X number of mana per five seconds it’s actually better than that. Let’s look at an item that has the effect of giving you “10 mana every five seconds.” Common sense would tell us that at 10 mana every five seconds you would get just that…10 mana every five seconds. Not so.
What actually happens is you get part of that mana every “tick.” A tick is a standard unit of time in the World of Warcraft that is (most of the time) 2 seconds long. So something that provides 10 mana per 5 seconds actually gives you 4 mana every 2 seconds. (10 mana per 5 seconds = 2 mana per second and 2 seconds = one tick). It’s confusing but once you get the idea it becomes second nature.
So whats the big deal? All in all you are still getting the mana that is advertised. The benefit here is the steady stream of mana that flows into your pool. As you level your Druid time becomes a more and more important factor. Even a few seconds can make a huge difference. If and when you start getting into raiding as a Balance or Restoration Druid this kind of stuff becomes really important.
Secondly your mp5 gear will not be effected by the Five Second Rule (FSR) so you are always getting the benefit from that boost. The FSR is fodder for another post but basically for five seconds after you cast a spell you are not regenerating mana from your Druids Spirit or Intelligence stat. With mp5 you do.
Thirdly the mp5 idea translates when you spec Dreamstate in your Talent trees. The effect, up to 10% of your intelligence stat, providing you with mp5 like mana regen from the talent.
The topic of mana regeneration is a massive one and I’ll be hitting the major points in upcoming posts. Just remember that you can always change your talent points and gear at low levels is not that hard to come by and can be replaced without too much trouble so don’t hesitate to see what works best for you. Thanks!
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