Covenant Swapping in 9.1.5

[Ortho-proudmoore]

Edit 12/13 - Added a section to discuss covenant abilities not swapping automatically

I’m going to touch on a few points with regards to covenant swapping in 9.1.5, now that the game allows you to freely swap your covenants whenever you’d like.

Covenant Missions
When you swap to another covenant, all missions from your previous covenant are now voided, and you lose on all the anima you spent to initiate the missions. This needs to get changed. Let the missions continue on when you swap covenants.

Covenant Sanctums and Hearthstones
When you swap covenants, if your hearthstone was set to the previous covenant sanctum, for whatever reason, it is forcibly changed to Oribos. It would be a much more intuitive solution to swap your hearthstone to your now current covenant sanctum. The covenant hearthstones are only a cosmetic effect right now. I have seen and heard countless requests to make these hearthstones port you to the associated sanctums.

Covenant Ability Conduits
The covenant ability conduits have to be upgraded from the lowest item level variant for each covenant. It’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I would much prefer them to be synced up. For example, if I upgrade my Night Fae covenant ability conduit to 252, then my Venthyr one should also be 252.

Changing Conduits
Please add the ability to change conduits in a rest area or via talent tome. Having to go to a soul forge in the covenant sanctums just to do this, is not a solution (as seen by other points in this topic). Having multiple classes at 60 and seeing some of the conduits, I feel terrible for those specs that have conduits specifically designed for AoE, and have to continually travel back and forth to change it out for different types of content. I realize you can set up different conduit layouts via soulbinds, but this doesn’t apply for anyone who uses soulbinds for other specializations.

Changing Covenants
There should be a slightly more accessible way to change covenants apart from going to Oribos. If the other suggestions I have in this post are implemented, then this post isn’t as essential. I have however seen multiple discussions about wanting to change the covenant in situations like, before a Battleground/M+/Raid Boss, so there is a desire for this.

Travel Network
Add a portal in Oribos to the covenant sanctums with the Tier 3 Travel Network upgrade, or provide a way to unlock one, such that having a Tier 3 Travel Network for each covenant is not required. The Shadowlands Wormhole has become the main method of navigation this expansion because the travel options have become so limited.

Covenant Legendaries
I just wanted to add this as a point here although I know it’s being “resolved” in 9.2, with the new legendary belt. If you craft a legendary with your covenant power, it should change with your covenant. Nothing more to be said here.

Farming Renown
Farming 80 renown on each covenant, simply put, is not fun, especially now that power (enhanced conduits) are tied to it. While I would very much like a similar BoA item to set your renown to 80, I feel that this is a very unlikely outcome, and something we might see in a 9.2+ patch. Instead, another solution could be that once you hit renown 80, the renown catchup is amplified significantly for other covenants. Just make it easier.

Soulbind Resetting
If you swap covenants, and go back to your original one, you’ll find that your soulbind is not retained. For example, if my soulbind was Dreamweaver and I swapped to Necrolord and back, my soulbind is now Niya. The soulbinds associated with specializations should be remembered when you swap back and forth between covenants.

Covenant Abilities
Both covenant abilities should automatically swap to the ones from the new covenant. You currently are forced to replace them from the spellbook onto your action bar, every swap. Players are creating macros to avoid having to do this.

[Kretias-ravencrest]

@Ortho-proudmoore

When you swap to another covenant, all missions from your previous covenant are now voided, and you lose on all the anima you spent to initiate the missions. This needs to get changed. Let the missions continue on when you swap covenants.

I think this is to prevent a second WoD Mission Table farming (which we all know rewarded a ridiculous amount of gold). But in the very least upon switching you should get a warning that it will cancel your current missions and you have to click it away and also refund the anima you have spent.

@Ortho-proudmoore

When you swap covenants, if your hearthstone was set to the previous covenant sanctum, for whatever reason, it is forcibly changed to Oribos. It would be a much more intuitive solution to swap your hearthstone to your now current covenant sanctum. The covenant hearthstones are only a cosmetic effect right now. I have seen and heard countless requests to make these hearthstones port you to the associated sanctums.

Ye that sounds good and shouldnt be much of an issue at all. Or ye, make the toys function as a covenant hearthstone and ignore the regular hearthstone. I think the only covenant hearthstone that doesnt reset is Emenis hearthkidneystone.

@Ortho-proudmoore

The covenant ability conduits have to be upgraded from the lowest item level variant for each covenant. It’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I would much prefer them to be synced up. For example, if I upgrade my Night Fae covenant ability conduit to 252, then my Venthyr one should also be 252.

Oh yes. Please. By the gods please. When i temporarily swapped to kyrian (and i was used to using the venthyr conduit) my first thought when opening the tree was “oh god please no” followed by going to warcraftlogs asap and going “phew…thank the old gods and the new” for not having to use it.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Please add the ability to change conduits in a rest area or via talent tome. Having to go to a soul forge in the covenant sanctums just to do this, is not a solution (as seen by other points in this topic).

That as well. Or create a new pedestal within oribos at least that you can access now that all Covenants are unified under your banner so to speak anyhow.

Otherwise the idea with the Tome might also cause Scribes to get some more needed buyers for their profession.

@Ortho-proudmoore

before a Battleground/M+/Raid Boss, so there is a desire for this.

M+ im in for it since going from the old m+ to your sanctum and then to the new M+ can be annoying. For Raids however i dont think its needed. Either you do it before the raid encounter or in between since there is plenty of time given trash packs if you really need to swap covenants for progress reasons.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Add a portal in Oribos to the covenant sanctums with the Tier 3 Travel Network upgrade

Thats requested since 9.0 actually. So yes.

@Ortho-proudmoore

I just wanted to add this as a point here although I know it’s being “resolved” in 9.2, with the new legendary belt. If you craft a legendary with your covenant power, it should change with your covenant. Nothing more to be said here.

Actually yes. Especially given the issue some people have with crafters selling stuff on the AH its as safe as an amen in the church that Belts in 9.2 will be overpriced like nothing else now that EVERYBODY is going to need it. This can be extremely problematic for players on lower pop realms.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Farming 80 renown on each covenant, simply put, is not fun, especially now that power (enhanced conduits) are tied to it. While I would very much like a similar BoA item to set your renown to 80, I feel that this is a very unlikely outcome, and something we might see in a 9.2+ patch. Instead, another solution could be that once you hit renown 80, the renown catchup is amplified significantly for other covenants. Just make it easier.

Given we get no new renown in 9.2 but the old power is still tied to it imo the renown system should receive another catchup increase. Like 2 renown with a chance for a third per dungeon etc at least.

@Ortho-proudmoore

If you swap covenants, and go back to your original one, you’ll find that your soulbind is not retained. For example, if my soulbind was Dreamweaver and I swapped to Necrolord and back, my soulbind is now Niya. The soulbinds associated with specializations should be remembered when you swap back and forth between covenants.

Ye i stopped counting how often that happened when i swapped between kyrian and venthyr.

[Halite-bonechewer]

I agree with pretty much everything here.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Changing Covenants
There should be a slightly more accessible way to change covenants apart from going to Oribos. If the other suggestions I have in this post are implemented, then this post isn’t as essential. I have however seen multiple discussions about wanting to change the covenant in situations like, before a Battleground/M+/Raid Boss, so there is a desire for this.

I understand the lore reason for why we need to go to Oribos to change covenants, but I agree that it’s a lot more convenient to just be able to swap it on the fly. I’ve seen a lot of concepts of just throwing it at the bottom of the talent tree, though I think it would be a better fit to have a button that allows you to swap it in the covenant menu.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Farming Renown
Farming 80 renown on each covenant, simply put, is not fun, especially now that power (enhanced conduits) are tied to it. While I would very much like a similar BoA item to set your renown to 80, I feel that this is a very unlikely outcome, and something we might see in a 9.2+ patch. Instead, another solution could be that once you hit renown 80, the renown catchup is amplified significantly for other covenants. Just make it easier.

We already get 40 renown catchup, so why not make it so that once you reach renown 80 in that covenant on one character, you can use that item again to go all the way up to 80? Seems like a simple enough fix.

[Brewstep-tichondrius]

Some things.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Covenant Missions
When you swap to another covenant, all missions from your previous covenant are now voided, and you lose on all the anima you spent to initiate the missions. This needs to get changed. Let the missions continue on when you swap covenants.

Agreed. I don’t like this. Although this seems like a technical limitation with not much ROI so don’t expect it soon.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Covenant Sanctums and Hearthstones
When you swap covenants, if your hearthstone was set to the previous covenant sanctum, for whatever reason, it is forcibly changed to Oribos. It would be a much more intuitive solution to swap your hearthstone to your now current covenant sanctum. The covenant hearthstones are only a cosmetic effect right now. I have seen and heard countless requests to make these hearthstones port you to the associated sanctums.

Yes, please!

@Ortho-proudmoore

Covenant Ability Conduits
The covenant ability conduits have to be upgraded from the lowest item level variant for each covenant. It’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I would much prefer them to be synced up. For example, if I upgrade my Night Fae covenant ability conduit to 252, then my Venthyr one should also be 252.

Once you’ve gotten the Renown 75(?) WQ Ilvl increase on any covenant, then Shaping Fate, Tormentors of Torghast, and covenant assaults all drop 226 versions of the covenant conduit. I think Callings might as well have a rare chance, not sure. So at a minimum, you only need two Deathbound Shards to get it to 252. Just FYI.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Changing Conduits
Please add the ability to change conduits in a rest area or via talent tome. Having to go to a soul forge in the covenant sanctums just to do this, is not a solution (as seen by other points in this topic). Having multiple classes at 60 and seeing some of the conduits, I feel terrible for those specs that have conduits specifically designed for AoE, and have to continually travel back and forth to change it out for different types of content. I realize you can set up different conduit layouts via soulbinds, but this doesn’t apply for anyone who uses soulbinds for other specializations.

Going from Kyrian which needed the same soulbind for both aoe/ST, but different conduits… to Necrolord where they’re separate soulbinds for aoe/ST, was such a helpful boon to swapping. But yes, I want to be able to move conduits with a talent tome. So frustrating in farm to not be able to play what I want on every boss. Prog is a different beast, the cost is OK there imo. Not great, but more acceptable since you’re usually on the boss longer.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Changing Covenants
There should be a slightly more accessible way to change covenants apart from going to Oribos. If the other suggestions I have in this post are implemented, then this post isn’t as essential. I have however seen multiple discussions about wanting to change the covenant in situations like, before a Battleground/M+/Raid Boss, so there is a desire for this.

Even for rare farming (Valfir in Ardenweald, Hopecrusher in Revendreth, Korthia daily quests for transmog, etc) suffers from this. Too much travel time for the content I wanna do exclusive in other covenants.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Travel Network
Add a portal in Oribos to the covenant sanctums with the Tier 3 Travel Network upgrade, or provide a way to unlock one, such that having a Tier 3 Travel Network for each covenant is not required. The Shadowlands Wormhole has become the main method of navigation this expansion because the travel options have become so limited.

Definitely would be nice but also agree it’s redundant if the other options are implemented.

@Ortho-proudmoore

Soulbind Resetting
If you swap covenants, and go back to your original one, you’ll find that your soulbind is not retained. For example, if my soulbind was Dreamweaver and I swapped to Necrolord and back, my soulbind is now Niya. The soulbinds associated with specializations should be remembered when you swap back and forth between covenants.

Also seems like a technical limitation. Not sure if we’ll see that fixed.