Patch 4.3 Stockpile Speculation

Posted by Markco at 8:00 AM

Guest post by Brad. Check out his Youtube Channel for more gold tips!

Hello everyone! My name is Brad (Also known as Sandboxtiger) and it’s time to start looking towards
the future – more specifically, patch 4.3. Even though 4.2 and the Truegold boom are still fresh in our
memories, now is the time to begin speculation as to how to plan for the release of patch 4.3 (Which is
thought to go live sometime in late 2011).

For starters, a disclaimer: This is a speculative post. It is all based on both assumptions and conclusions drawn from early-release information about Patch 4.3 which is likely to be updated / modified over the next few months. I’m not telling you to do anything drastic, but just to have these ideas on the backburner and to keep an eye on certain items.

Anyways, now to my list of things to keep an eye on (and reasons for them):

1. Pyrite Ore. The main reason to keep an eye on these is because there are people who have
been stockpiling Guild Banks full of Pyrite Ore in the hopes that they yield Epic Gems. From my
perspective, the situation with Pyrite Ore could go one of three ways:

o There is no announcement as to whether or not Pyrite Ore will yield Epic Gems until
the 11th hour prior to Patch 4.3. In the weeks before the announcement, many who
stockpiled may get cold feet and begin to sell off in mass – resulting in a much lower
than normal price for Pyrite Ore. There is a gamble involved, however, since there still
may not be any Epic Gems from the Pyrite Ore and you may end up stockpiling more of
an item which does not have the value you expected from it should you chose to swipe
up any cheaper Pyrite Ore you can find. On the flip-side, it could be the primary source
of Epic Gems and you could further increase your profit gains once 4.3 goes live.

o Pyrite Ore is announced to not yield Epic Gems and the masses begin to “sell, sell, sell”.
This results in prices going much lower than in the above scenario. This can be handled
in a couple ways. You can either see how much Gold can be made without Epic Gems
(simply by prospecting) and prospect your Ore yourself (assuming you’ve got a stock)
or sell them at sinking prices on the Auction House (If that is more profitable than
prospecting it).

o Pyrite Ore is announced to yield Epic Gems, and the demand skyrockets. Those who’ve
stockpiled for months rejoice and the price of Pyrite Ore shoots out the roof. Now,
in this scenario, it would be quite similar to the Truegold situation about 2 months
prior to 4.2. While it is apparent that the investment in Pyrite Ore will pay off, it’s all
a matter of determining whether you should wait until 4.3 and cash in on Epic Gems
or try to sell your Pyrite Ore at gouged prices due to the spike in demand caused by
novice stockpilers trying to get in on the action late in the game. Honestly, it can go
either way. With my Truegold stock back pre-4.2, I could have made more money selling
my Truegold 40 days prior to the Patch rather than once the Vendors were unlocked
about a month deep into 4.2. While it’s difficult to have that sort of foresight, I’m just
mentioning that it is a possibility.

2. Maelstrom Crystals. With the potential for a Maelstrom Shatter (again, speculative), Maelstrom
Crystals may begin to regain a bit of their value which they’ve lost over the past few months.
Seeing as many servers have Heavenly Shards priced at nearly double that of Maelstrom
Crystals, this could be a huge area of profit come Patch 4.3. On the flip-side, there could simply
be severe normalization of prices (Bringing Heavenly Shards down in price and Maelstrom
Crystals up to be twice that of Heavenly Shards) which could result in Maelstrom Crystals
being a valuable commodity once again. As speculation runs wild over the next few weeks and
details are released (or the lack thereof), the prices of Maelstrom Crystals are poised to move
in one way or another. If anything, I think they’re going to start going up in price again come
September-October. I’m not saying to buy into the Market just yet, but if you see prices starting
to rise, it may be a good opportunity to get in and have a stockpile saved.

3. On that note, Enchanting Materials. With any major patch, Enchanting Material prices spike for
nearly the first month a Patch is live. As I recall, on my server, Hypnotic Dust went from 25g per
stack pre-4.2 to 110g per stack for the first few weeks of 4.2. With 4.3, there is a huge potential
to bring a majority of players who may be taking time off back – many of whom will want to
raid and/or PvP. With this renewed vigor comes a high demand for Enchanting Materials. Again,
it’s very early for me to advocate actually purchasing anything, but it’s another market to keep
an eye out for. I can guarantee you there will be a spike in Enchanting Material costs (Hypnotic
Dust primarily, with Maelstrom Shards / Heavenly Shards being a bit more volatile due to the
unknown factor of the Maelstrom Shatter), but it’s ultimately up to you to decide when is right
to start stockpiling and to what extent.

4. Aesthetic Crafted Gear. Now, I’ll admit – this is one that could go either way simply because it’s
based on the Transmogrifer which is still in the works and it has been admitted by Blizzard that
its functionality will be initially limited for the launch with 4.3 – broadening over the following
weeks / months. There is a chance, though, that there could be a spike in gear which players
may find aesthetically pleasing. This is where it gets tricky, though. It’s hard to put a finger
on what items people may want to purchase, but there is a chance players could, in essence,
go “shopping” and purchase various BoE uncommon / rare items to dress their character as
they please. Again, since this last suggestion is so clouded in mystery and unrevealed details, I’d
recommend letting this one simmer for a few months before taking any serious action. It can’t
hurt to take a look at what recipes you have in Tailoring / Leatherworking / Blacksmithing, which
ones you don’t, and how easily farmable those patterns are which you don’t have. These items
have the potential to become in-demand come 4.3; but, again, it’s pure speculation. Food for
thought nonetheless.

As of now, that’s my list of things to keep an eye on. While 4.3 is still a solid 4-6 months away, it’s never too early to start planning and knowing which items may / may not have a potential to create profit in the months ahead. As new details are released about Patch 4.3, I will attempt to re-draw conclusions as information becomes more concrete and would love it if I could share my newfound opinions with you all! Until then, stay tuned

I’ve also recently started a YouTube channel where I have many Gold-related tips as well as a slew of
Macros and Class Guides! You all can find it at my youtube channel.

(p.s. I’m currently giving away a free 60-day Time Card – details are on the video featured on my
channel :D)