I always went Sta (edit, well not always... but I'm into sta now). I maintain a high-sta set (and a damage/balanced set) of armor at 66.
But I've been butting heads lately in hear w/ +damage fanatics.
I used to be ruin/sm and had a full set of "of shadow damage" - this was in my 30s or 40s - got it cheap on the ah. I killed fine in this armor, but a lock can level just fine naked with a bouquet of daisies in his hand.
At 49 I tried BGs and went over to sta/int armor. Never went back to +dam armor, except in nice high-end pieces and now Outlands stuff (which can have +sta, + int and +sp dam). In BG I just died too bloody fast w/out sta. Warrior or Rogue on me? I was dead. Mage crits me? I was so hurt it wasn't funny. Etc.
There's no one way to play a lock. Just know that to settle (at least for me - I'm frankly afraid to go back to the thread, because the person I was arguing against was one of those epeenage-onoverdrive-I'm-never-wrong-doods) an argument I logged on my lock. I put on nearly-full "of Sta" gear (my + sp dam was very low - forgot to take off a ring, which is why it wasn't zero - made sure the +sp dam buff was off).
Went out into Nagrand and found Talbuks. Sicced Felg and cast coa, cor, immo, tap and drain - then wand. Did several same-lvl Talbuks trying to fight the exact same way. I timed the fights. Threw out the time if immo critted. Btw doing this my equivalent hp's were 12k.
Okay, put on my +sp dam gear. It's a mediocre set, one I'm still building, so it's under +500 sp dam - somewhere in mid to mid-high +400.
Attacked same lvl Talbuks as before, same spell order - threw out any immo crits. If there was a difference, it was maybe half a second faster w/ all that +sp dam (and missing all that sta). Now, there are fights where +sp dam matters. Unless I was doing something wrong, and I can't see what - I don't think sp dam + matters all that much for run of the mill grinding and farming. At least w/ my build and relying on dots (classic drain hunt tactic, very efficient).
The basic rule of thumb for lock clothes:
If you're leveling fast, don't pay too much or work too hard for them - you don't really need great gear to grind - so why waste your time and $?
If you're parking at a lvl, say 49, for months of BGing there - get the best you can. Instance-drop (bop) is best, if you can get help getting it, cuz it's free. Player made, if boe, is good - just get mats and pay a tip to someone to make for you - usually the cheapest way.
But to be brutally honest, most locks I meet need to work on their player skills and not their gear. GL!
Edited, Apr 23rd 2007 2:00pm by IponemaGirl
Edited, Apr 23rd 2007 2:01pm by IponemaGirl