9.2 has introduced Progenitor Enhancements, eight new optional reagents for crafted gear. The reagents are all BOE. Each enhancement gives a unique buff, some for combat and some very interesting utilities like +mounted speed in SL zones. Increasing the ilevel of the crafted gear with crafter's marks also increases the buff for at least most of the enhancements.
You can craft all of these enhancements, right now, on any ilevel of blue SL crafted gear.(FYI Progenitor Enhancements are completely unrelated to the similar sounding
Progenitor Essentia, used to craft legendaries).
I've seen some questions going around about these enhancements and not a lot of analysis, so I've done some homework.
By far the coolest part is
ALL OF THE BUFFS STACK. You can stack each buff up to 12 times with twelve pieces of gear. (And theoretically 13 if you're an alchemist with a trinket.) That's right, you can stack +10% mounted speed twelve times. Very useful if you're farming or struggling to get to a rare spawn in ZM before it dies.
Below is my very preliminary results from my basic testing, which should hopefully answer some major questions. This is not a thorough analysis. This was tested yesterday and today on the PTR (so I didn't have to spend gold). PTR is the same version as live, so hopefully everything is the same, but I can't guarantee that.
(One last note, TSM currently does not recognize these enhancements when trying to put the enhanced gear in groups.)
Erratic Genesis Matrix (Engineering)
“Being struck by an enemy builds electrical sparks. At 5 stacks, the circuitry shorts and lashes out.”- At ilvl 233, one gear piece deals 454 cosmic damage.
- Each additional 233 piece increases damage by 454.
- Only hits one attacker.
- Does not appear to have any cooldown. If it has one, it’s extremely short.
Devourer Essence Stone (Jewelcrafting)
“Slaying enemies increases your highest secondary stat for a brief moment, stacking up to 5 times.”- Each 233 piece grants 15 stat (17 for JC pieces) for 20 seconds.
- Additional pieces stack the stat.
- At ilevel 233 with 11 pieces, a total of 584 of the secondary stat.
- Buff lasts 20 seconds regardless of # of gear pieces
Magically Regulated Automa Core (Enchanting)
“Chance to spawn an Automa Core which explodes for damage and healing.”- At ilvl 233, one gear piece deals 314 damage and heals the same amount.
- Adding an additional 233 piece adds 314 damage. (I did not test heals but I assume it’s the same.)
- Roughly 1-2 procs per min.
Aealic Harmonizing Stone (Jewelcrafting)
“Chance to harmonize sound, granting Primary stat when acquired”- At ilvl 233, one gear piece increases your primary stat by 32 for 15s.
- On paper, this might be the best “general use” enhancement for combat, but I was unable to test it. I could not get it to proc at all.
- Others who have tested it indicate this creates orbs that you need to walk over to get the buff.
Infusion: Corpse Purification (Alchemy)
- "Chance to acquire additional resources from corpses."
- This one has the least obvious immediate benefit. The tooltip doesn't suggest that there's any benefit to crafting it at a higher ilevel, and the proc rate seems low.
- Haven't tested this extensively yet.
Pure-Air Sail Extensions (Engineering)
“Increases movement speed and mount speed while in the Shadowlands.”- +10% mounted speed on every piece regardless of crafted ilevel.
- With all 12 slots it yields +120% mount speed (in Shadowlands only.)
- This makes a total of 320% ground mounted speed,
and 530% flying speed in Shadowlands zones only. Probably stacks with other buffs, haven't tested - Each piece also gives unmounted run speed stat, which is +65 on ilvl 233. Unlike the mounted speed increase, the run speed stat does vary by ilevel.
- With 11 233 pieces, this gives +47% unmounted run speed IN ALL ZONES, Shadowlands or not.
- Edit: I can confirm this stacks on live. This is seven pieces, mounted. 270% movement speed. (addon is dejacharacterstats)
- With 11 pieces + Silver Shardhide Whistle, you get a temporary 510% movement speed.
- If you hate running around Oribos like me, get a full set of this on 151 gear and create a weakauras to swap your gear when you change zones.
- Here’s an excellent guide on how (unmounted) speed rating works if you’re curious.
Sustaining Armor Polish (Alchemy)
“Increases the duration of flasks, elixirs, and food buffs.”- Increases consumable duration by +50% per piece regardless of crafted ilevel.
- WIth 12 pieces, flasks last 7 hours.
- If you remove the gear, the buffs will revert back to their normal duration.
Cosmic Protoweave (Enchanting)
- "Increases Avoidance and sometimes heals when taking damage."
- I have not yet tested this.
