WOW Classic SOD: What Should You Pay Attention To When Playing Phase 2? - 7 Mistakes To Avoid

Welcome to the guide for WoW Season of Discovery, a rendition of classic WoW brimming with significant choices as you traverse Azeroth. 

Today, I'm here to steer you clear of common pitfalls and missteps, ensuring you save both time and SOD Gold along the way. Let's delve into the 7 mistakes to avoid in Season of Discovery Phase 2.

1. Underestimate The Importance Of Professions

Let's begin by discussing professions. 

Since the release of Phase 1, Blizzard has placed significant emphasis on professions in Season of Discovery. They aim to make professions feel meaningful and integral to the game, akin to other core systems.

In Phase 1, we witnessed the introduction of substantial items across all professions, often serving as best-in-slot gear or contributing significantly to character progression. Phase 2 continues this trend, with Blizzard further enhancing crafting professions such as leatherworking, blacksmithing, and tailoring by introducing formidable items.

Moreover, Phase 2 extends this focus to traditionally consumable professions like Alchemy or Enchanting, providing compelling items tailored to practitioners of these trades. It's likely that more additions await these professions in subsequent phases.

The key takeaway here is to not underestimate the importance of professions. They have played a crucial role in the past and are poised to remain significant in the future. 

However, it's essential to conduct thorough research to determine which profession aligns best with your character's needs. While Blizzard has bolstered professions, they have also somewhat restricted players' choices, with certain classes now favoring specific professions—blacksmithing for warriors, leatherworking for hunters, and so forth.

Nonetheless, there is one profession that has consistently held value since Vanilla and is arguably the optimal secondary profession for all players.

2. Blindly Choose Engineering

Now, let's discuss engineering. 

Engineering has consistently been regarded as the premier profession for maximizing your performance in various aspects of the game, including PvP, raiding, and dungeons. Engineers have long benefited from access to an array of powerful and unique items, spanning from classic WoW through TBC, Wrath of the Lich King, and now into Season of Discovery.

Regrettably, opting for engineering often limits your choice of secondary profession. However, if achieving optimal damage output is your priority, engineering paired with a complementary main crafting profession tailored to your class is the optimal path to pursue.

Of course, if your focus lies elsewhere and you prioritize other aspects such as personal preference or wealth accumulation in Season of Discovery, feel free to select a profession accordingly. For instance, on my main character, I've opted for enchanting as it aligns with my preference for disenchanting items I no longer require.

Ultimately, the decision between engineering and other professions hinges on your priorities and playstyle preferences. If maximizing damage output is paramount, engineering stands as the clear choice, supplemented by a suitable secondary crafting profession.

3. Overlook PvP Reputations

Let's delve into reputations.

In classic WoW, reputations played a relatively minor role in the game. Apart from specific attunements or acquiring niche pre-BiS (Best in Slot) items, reputation grinding was often considered optional. However, in Season of Discovery, this paradigm is shifting significantly.

Phase 1 introduced PvP reputations such as Silverwing Sentinel and Warsong Outriders, which held considerable significance. These factions not only unlocked exclusive mounts, but also offered potent gear pieces and even a weekly world buff. PvP events fueled ongoing conflicts between the Horde and Alliance, further emphasizing the importance of these reputations.

Phase 2 introduces quests to earn Arathi Basin reputation tied to the Stranglethorn PvP event. While the current items associated with Arathi Basin are beyond our level range, future updates may introduce level 40 items to this reputation's rewards. Additionally, future phases are likely to introduce PvP events that grant reputation with Alterac Valley, which boasts its own array of formidable items.

It's crucial not to overlook PvP reputations in Season of Discovery.

Furthermore, Season of Discovery introduces a new reputation: the Azeroth Commerce Authority/Durotar Supply and Logistics. This reputation, initially honored in Phase 1 and potentially reaching revered in Phase 2, offers a rune for each class locked behind its progression.

Ensuring you unlock every rune is essential in Season of Discovery. Unlike classic WoW, where classes remained relatively static, Blizzard frequently adjusts classes, often utilizing runes to do so. A rune that may seem lackluster presently could become optimal for your class with a single hotfix.

4. Leave Crates Unattended In Your Bags

Regarding the supply reputation, progression involves turning in Waylaid Supplies found throughout the world. 

These supplies can be turned in as is for reduced reputation gain or filled with requested items for greater rewards. Given Blizzard's adjustment to increase experience gained from turning in Waylaid Supplies, promptly delivering these items to a capital city becomes even more critical in Phase 2.

While it's uncertain whether filling supplies impacts the XP gained, prioritizing this activity ensures efficient reputation gain. Even if filling crates proves costly, it's advisable to do so whenever feasible. 

Leaving crates unattended in your bags risks missing out on obtaining new ones.

5. Careless With Gold

Let's address the issue of financial management, particularly the oversight of gold.

In Phase 2 of Season of Discovery, reaching level 40 marks a significant milestone synonymous with obtaining a mount. In classic WoW, acquiring a mount was a substantial investment, with the level 60 mount costing a staggering 1,000 gold. Even at level 40, mounts demanded 100 gold, a considerable sum that required prudent spending to amass.

Fortunately, in Season of Discovery, mount costs have considerably decreased. For players not Honored with their race faction and below PvP Rank 3, the combined cost of the skill and mount is now merely 50 gold instead of 100. Achieving Honored status and Rank 3 reduces this cost further to 40 gold. Accumulating 40 or 50 gold by level 40 is far more achievable than the previous 100 gold requirement.

In classic WoW, obtaining a mount at level 40 was crucial due to the substantial remainder of levels before reaching endgame, significantly enhancing travel efficiency. However, in Season of Discovery Phase 2, the endgame itself is level 40, diminishing the urgency of acquiring a mount immediately upon reaching this level.

While having a mount promptly in Season of Discovery remains advantageous, the difference between reaching a location in 10 versus 15 minutes is relatively minor. Moreover, the economic landscape of Season of Discovery differs significantly from classic WoW, with gold acquisition being notably swifter.

Nevertheless, exercising caution with gold expenditure to ensure adequate funds for a mount by level 40 remains prudent. While it is less critical than before, prudent financial planning remains beneficial, albeit with the understanding that gold acquisition at max level through completing quests is notably expedited.

6. Not Aware Of The Impact Of Quest Selection On Rewards 

Discussing quests, the level cap of 40 in Phase 2 signals the onset of significant decisions regarding quest rewards. 

Now, let's briefly touch upon well-known items that should never be discarded. Carrot on a Stick, a vital item for enhancing travel efficiency, should always be kept and is obtainable at level 40. School of Impending Doom serves PvP players by breaking CC effects, also available at level 40. Similarly, Nifty Stopwatch proves useful in PvP scenarios. 

However, the primary focus here is on quest reward selections, which may hold considerable value for your class but could be chosen inadvertently, potentially resulting in overlooking a pre-raid Best in Slot (BiS) gear piece. The Whirlwind Axe for Warriors exemplifies this, likely to be pre-raid BiS in Phase 2. While other weapons remain viable, the axe stands out as the optimal choice. Although this is just one instance, similar choices may arise for your class as you approach maximum level.

Gnomeregan is expected to house most, if not all, of the best-in-slot pieces at level 40, underscoring that quest rewards discussed here are, at best, pre-BiS. Nonetheless, if an item qualifies as pre-BiS for your character, exercise careful consideration when selecting it.

A helpful guideline to follow is to tailor your item choices to your intended specialization as you near level 40. Whether you plan to be a healer or DPS, prioritize items aligned with your chosen role. Adhering to this principle should help mitigate the risk of selecting unsuitable gear. Ultimately, while quest rewards may influence your character's progression, their impact is limited, making the choice less consequential in the grand scheme of things.

7. Not Understand The Volatility Of Runes

Earlier in this guide, I emphasized the significance of unlocking all available runes. To underscore this importance, let's examine how classes have been managed in Season of Discovery thus far.

Despite Blizzard's initial intent to maintain a hands-off approach to class adjustments in Season of Discovery, the reality has been quite different. We've witnessed numerous alterations to every class in the game, indicating the evolving nature of SoD. Continuous class tweaking is essential to prevent destabilization within the game. In SoD, Blizzard frequently implements these adjustments through rune modifications.

Phase 1 saw significant changes to runes, with some transitioning from top-tier to obsolete overnight, and vice versa. Understanding the volatility of rune dynamics underscores the necessity of unlocking all available runes. Doing so not only enhances your class versatility but also ensures you remain informed about prevailing meta trends, should that align with your interests.