Understanding Results
The Results Table
Section titled “The Results Table”After a simulation completes, results are displayed as a ranked table:
| # | DPS | Gear Combination | Delta DPS | Delta % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 854,321 | Head A + Ring: Haste + Gem: Mastery | +12,450 | +1.48% |
| 2 | 849,201 | Head A + Ring: Haste + Gem: Crit | +7,330 | +0.87% |
| 3 | 847,892 | Head B + Ring: Mastery + Gem: Mastery | +6,021 | +0.71% |
| Equipped | 841,871 | Currently equipped | — | — |
| 5 | 838,201 | Head B + Ring: Crit + Gem: Haste | -3,670 | -0.44% |
Key Elements
Section titled “Key Elements”- Rank — Combinations sorted by DPS, highest first
- DPS — Average damage per second across all iterations
- Gear Combination — Summary of what’s different from your equipped gear in this combo
- Delta DPS — Absolute DPS difference vs your currently equipped gear
- Delta % — Percentage DPS difference vs equipped
Special Indicators
Section titled “Special Indicators”- Equipped row — Your currently equipped gear is always shown for reference, pinned in the table
- Approximate badge (
≈) — Shown when two results are within statistical noise of each other, meaning the difference isn’t statistically significant
Statistical Noise
Section titled “Statistical Noise”SimulationCraft is a Monte Carlo simulation — it uses random numbers to model combat. This means results have an inherent margin of error.
Two results are considered within statistical noise when their confidence intervals overlap. The app calculates this automatically using the mean_std_dev (standard error of the mean) from SimC’s output.
What to do when results are close
Section titled “What to do when results are close”If the top 2-3 results show the ≈ badge:
- They’re effectively tied — pick whichever you prefer
- Increase iterations to 25,000 or 50,000 for more precision
- Consider secondary factors — item level for Great Vault, versatility for survivability, etc.
Expanding Results
Section titled “Expanding Results”Click any result row to expand it and see the full breakdown:
- Which specific item is equipped in each slot
- Which gem is in each socket
- Which enchant is on each enchantable slot
- All differences from the baseline highlighted
Interpreting Results for Different Fight Styles
Section titled “Interpreting Results for Different Fight Styles”Results are only meaningful within the same fight style. A combination that’s best for Patchwerk (single target) may not be best for DungeonSlice (mixed AoE).
If you regularly do both raid bosses and Mythic+, consider running two simulations:
- Patchwerk for raid gear decisions
- DungeonSlice for dungeon gear decisions