Full Guide - Soulbinding and Conduits explained

In shadowlands, the souls are bound with another soul, called Soulbinding.

You will do the same when you are in Shadowlands.

There are 4 covenants in shadowlands.

Each covenant will have 3 NPC characters that had a key role during your leveling in that covenant zone.

You will be able to bound souls with all 3 NPCs eventually, but you start with 1.

Binding your soul to one of the special NPCs, will let you use their powers.

Their powers are visible through a talent tree.

Each of the 3 Soulbinding NPC have a talent tree.

The talent tree is divided in
* Passive abilities that you can choose
* Special Gem slots to put conduits in.

Passive abilities

You start from the top ability and work yourself down by choosing between different abilities that you find fitting for your gameplay.

The abilities are pvp situations, pve situations, profession situations etc.

Special gems slots for Conduits

Conduits have a big role many say, because they are very powerful.
Conduits are special gems that will give you certain power when you add them to the slot.
For example Frost mage “Frozen Orb is increased by 10%”

There are 3 types of conduit that fit in its own conduit slot:

Finesse
This has to do with movement, for example the blink cooldown is reduced by 1 sec for a frost mage.


Potency
This has to do with your power, for example Ice lance dmg is increased for a frost mage.


Endurance
This has to do with your defense, for example the ice barrier heals for 20% of dmg absorbed, for a frost mage.

Each talent tree has pathways of choices that unlocks the different types of conduit slots.

You cannot put 2 of the exact same conduits on a talent tree, but you can have the same conduit on all Soulbind NPC.

Classes and Specs and Soulbinding

No matter what class or spec you choose, you will always have the same soulbinding NPC characters for that covenant you picked.

The passives will be the same, no matter class or spec.

The main difference between classes and specs are the conduits.

There are conduits that fits for all specs in a class and there are conduits that are spec specific.

Change Conduits

On testing at the moment. If you want to rebuild your Soulbind trees

  • Once per week you’ll be able to clear all of their Conduits. There is a seperate cooldown per Soulbind. 

  • You’ll be able to switch which Soulbind is active or redirect the flow of Anima through a Soulbind’s tree (essentially respeccing them) any time you visit your Sanctum.

  • Changing a conduit costs Conduit energy.
    You start with 7 energies every weekly reset. 
    You also get an energy once per day (once every 24h).

  • All Soulbinds now have access to 2 Potency Conduit sockets, whereas previously all trees had 3 Potency sockets. The removed Potency sockets have been replaced with either an Endurance or Finesse socket

How to get Conduits

You can get conduits from various sources.

  • World Quests
  • Reputations
  • PvP
  • Normal Dungeons 
  • Heroic Dungeons
  • Mythic Dungeons
  • Mythic plus Dungeons
  • Normal Castle Nathria Raid
  • Heroic Castle Nathria Raid
  • Mythic Castle Nathria Raid

Different Ranks on Conduits

Conduits have different ranks on them, between Rank 1 - Rank 7.

The harder content you do, the higher rank you get.

Each rank has an ilvl increase on the conduit.

Rank ilvl
1 145
2 158
3 171
4 184
5 200
6 213
7 226

 

How to upgrade your Conduits

In the Maw, you will get to know an NPC (via the main questline), called Ve´nari.

You will meet her for the first time when leveling in Shadowlands.

At max level, you will get to know her even more.

This NPC will have a vendor for you that you unlock just by doing the first quests that sends you to the Maw at max level.

The currency to buy stuff from her is called Stygia.

To access all the stuff from the vendor, you need to increase the reputation with this NPC, Ve´nari.
The reputation is NOT the basic Neutral/Friendly/Normal/Honered/Revered/Exalted.
The reputation is about her Opinion of you.
This is ranked in

  • Dubious
  • Apprehensive
  • Tentative
  • Ambivalent
  • Cordial

Her opinion of you is increased the more tasks you do for her.

The higher opinion she has of you, the more items are unlocked for bying in the vendor.

The vendor sells two main items, add a socket on gear and buy  or upgrade a conduit.

For more info about this NPC, check out my guide "The Maw": https://www.worldofmoudi.com/full-guide-the-maw

 

2 Oct 2020