How much [stamina, intellect, spell damage, spell crit, AP, mana regen] do I need to be effective?
A-1.2) It’s true that having the “right” gear for a spec can make the transition easier or seem more exciting, but there’s also some honor in being bold and taking the plunge before you have your dream gear waiting in the bank. One of the things that appeals to me about Balance is the fact that some gear upgrades make a noticeable and immediate impact, and I can appreciate my character becoming more “powerful” or “effective”. It’s highly unlikely that you can jump from your current spec into a Balance spec and feel just as powerful with any amount of stamina, intellect, spell damage, spell crit, AP or mana regen. This is in part because you’ll be adjusting to your new tools, but also because it’s only natural to be more invested in gathering gear to support your current spec, and changes can’t be made overnight–especially when one is using quest, PvP, Arena and/or Tier 4/5 rewards. My advice is to make the switch when you feel excited about doing it–accumulating the gear and the skil
