« World of Warcraft: Choosing between Aldor and Scryer »

Introduction

This guide is an overview based on a long inspection of rewards. Your own preferences, variations in builds and quirks of certain classes, notably Paladins and Druids, all have a bearing, but, as a rule of thumb, here's my analysis:

Tanks: Go with Aldor

Beastmaster hunters: are probably best off choosing with Aldor

Shadow Priests: are better with Aldor overall

Healers: Better with Aldor (unless mp5 is really important)

DPS Casters in general: Get the Scryer's Bloodgem then change to Aldor, or consider Aldor from the start

Rogues and all melee classes in general should head straight for Scryer.

Having said that you can change factions. There's no reason - beyond a soul destroying amount of grinding - not to choose one, work up to the point you want, then change allegiance. Anyway, the menu below backs up my reasoning.


Menu: Choosing between Aldor and Scryer…

• by reward
  
  
• by profession
  
  
• by Shattered Sun Pendant
  
  
• by Shoulder Inscriptions
  
  
• Links
  
  

Choosing between Aldor and Scryer, by reward

There are actually not that many outstanding items from either faction, but what there is are heavily slewed in favoured of spell casters choosing Scryer. There is no similar compelling reason to choose Aldor for arms and armour rewards.

Scryer's Bloodgem (trinket, requires Scryers revered)
Improves spell hit rating by 32
On use: Increases spell damage by up to 150 and healing by up to 280 for 15 sec.

Seer's Signet (finger, requires Scryers exalted)
+24 Stamina
Improves spell critical strike rating by 12.
Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 34.

There are several nice rings in the game and this is one of them, however, it is the imbalanced trinket that makes many choose Scryer over Aldor. If you need spell hit - and any caster doing instances and raids does - you need to cap your spell hit as fast as possible. If used to cap your spell hit this one trinket has a rating of 38.5 dps, higher than many epics.


For rogues, WoWWiki rates the Scryers [Socrethar's Girdle] quest reward very highly, but tempts towards Aldar with the epic [Vindicator's Brand]

Socrethar's Girdle (leather, waist, Scryer quest reward) 156 Armor, +23 Agility, +21 Stamina
Improves hit rating by 20.
Increases attack power by 48

Vindicator's Brand (unique one-handed sword, requires Aldor Exalted) Speed 2.60
147 - 275 Damage
(81.2 damage per second)
Improves hit rating by 19
Increases attack power by 38.

Choosing between Aldor and Scryer, by profession

As a very gross overview, Scryer lean more toward damage and mana regeneration, Aldor towards healing and protection. Aldor favour fire protection, Scryer's arcane.

As an Alchemist

It has to be Scryer because they have [Recipe: Elixir of Major Firepower] whereas Aldor have, ummm, nothing actually. Where's the fairness in that!?

As a Blacksmith

Just choice really, as the plate itself is BoE.
For Aldor the Flamebane set offers up to 138 fire resistance* (or 174 if you fill the 9 sockets with void spheres).

From the Scryers, the Enchanted Adamantite set offers up to 140 arcane resistance* (or 180 if you fill the 10 sockets with void spheres).

*According to WoWiki, 365 resistance is optimum vs level 73 bosses or less.

An an Enchanter

Scryer naturally have the edge as Bloodelves get a +5 racial bonus to enchanting, so it is that there is a Master Enchanting trainer handy on their rise. Beyond that, you got forgotten as neither offer enchanting formula.

An an Engineer

Well you got screwed too, neither offer engineering Schematics!

As a Jewelcrafter

Aldor naturally have the edge as Drenai get a +5 racial bonus to jewellery, so it is that there is a Master Jewelcrafting trainer handy on the Aldor rise. The Scryer's Runed Blood Garnet is nice mind! Beyond that, they both offer three designs:
Scryer:

[Design: Runed Blood Garnet] (+7 Spell Damage)
[Design: Dazzling Deep Peridot] (+1 mp5 and 3 Intellect)
[Design: Pendant of Withering] (nature resistance)

Aldor:

[Design: Gleaming Golden Draenite] (+6 Spell Critical Rating)
[Design: Royal Shadow Draenite] (+7 Healing +3 Spell Damage and +1 mp5)
[Design: Pendant of Shadow's End] (shadow resistance)

As a Leatherworker

Again favouring fire protection, the Aldor have the leather Blastguard set and the mail Flamescale set, both offering 100 fire resistance (128 with void spheres in the 7 sockets) and the mail

In keeping with other professions, the Scryer's leather Enchanted Clefthoof and mail Enchanted Felscale sets offer arcane resistance of similar protection.

Another consideration for Leatherworkers is the kits:

The Aldor [Vindicator's Armor Kit] (using Primal Earth and Heavy Knothide) permanently increases the defence of the chest, legs, hands or feet by 8.

The Scryer [Magister's Armor Kit] (using Primal Mana and Heavy Knothide) permanently increase the mana regeneration of the chest, legs, hands or feet by 3 mana every 5 seconds.

As a Tailor

Here the Aldor are clearly favoured as they have the Flameheart cloth set, offering fire resistance while the Scryers have no such patterns, which is very strange as they should have a cloth arcane resistance pattern. Yet another sloppy omission by the developers! That said, not something that will ever make you money or be in great demand and it is BoE, so if you needed it it's not a great problem.

For the Spellthread kits the choice of patterns is nice and clearly cut. The Scryer's Mystic/Runic Spellthread is for dps casters, while the Aldor's Silver/Golden Spellthread is for healers.

Choosing between Aldor and Scryer, by Shattered Sun Pendant

Personally, I strongly feel that the first thing every level 70 should do is get exalted with the Shattered Sun Offensive. There are some nice epic shield for tanks and paladins, essential jewelcrafting design and, mostly, there's the epic pendants which can be extremely powerful. This, as much as anything else, should swing your decision.

Looking at the four, I'd say in general dps casters, hunters and tanks* are best with Aldor, healers are probably best with Aldor, while melee types all fair better with Scryer. (Noting that I read that Druid's would favour expertise over dodge for their tanks).


Shattered Sun Pendant of Acumen

Aldor: proc buffs [Light's Wrath], giving +120 spell damage and healing for 10 seconds.

Scryer: procs an [Arcane Bolt], striking your target for 333-367 arcane damage (can crit).

Shattered Sun Pendant of Restoration

Aldor: proc buffs [Light's Salvation] for +220 healing and +74 spell damage for 10 seconds.

Scryers: procs an [Arcane Surge], instantly healing target for 618-682.

Shattered Sun Pendant of Resolve

Aldor: proc buffs +100 dodge rating for 10 seconds.

Scryer: proc buffs +100 expertise rating for 10 seconds.

Shattered Sun Pendant of Might

Aldor: proc buffs +200 Attack Power for 10 seconds.

Scryer: procs an [Arcane Strike], attacking your target for 333 to 367 arcane damage (can crit). (Apparently it treated as a special melee attack, based on your own rating).


A word on 'procs'
I like to think of it simply as 'processes' or 'programmed occurrences' and indeed several sources, notably WoWWiki claim the definition as 'Programmed Random OCcurrence' before going of into the realms of old Circle MUD code. Interesting, the glossary on the official Warcraft site simply says: Proc - Activate. Example: A weapon with a special effect will "proc" every so often.

Choosing between Aldor and Scryer, by Shoulder Inscriptions

I have detailed the [Aldor inscriptions] and [Scryer Inscriptions] on the armor upgrades page so I'll just sum up here rather than reiterate.

Aldor

Are best for most dps casters as they favour spell damage over spell crits.

Are best for healers I believe as, at exalted, you sacrifice 2 mps for 11 healing. Depends how important mana regeneration is and/or will be for your build.

Are best for tanks as they offer more dodge over the (easier to get) defence rating.

Favour Beastmaster hunters as they offer more attack power (as the cost of less critical strike rating), which the pet benefits from.

Scryer

Despite a strong leaning towards casters on the whole, the emphasis with them for shoulders is on spell critical and mana regeneration for healers.

Tanks, I believe, fair better under the Aldor, but the Scryer does offer 15 defence rating and 10 dodge rating to a shoulder at Exalted so it is a case of weighing up all the other options.

The very name says it for me: 'Greater Inscription of the Blade' Favouring critical strikes over attack power, Scryers are probably best in this respect for most hunter build, rogues and melee types in general.

Useful links

• Warcraft Aldor and Scryer (official)
  
  
• The Aldor (WOWWiki)
  
  
• Scryer (WoWWiki)
  
  
• Aldor vs Scryer (WoWWiki)
  
  
• Aldor vs Scryer quest rewards (WoWWiki)