Blizzard Blue poster Eyonix has posted an extensive preview of the upcoming Stat & System Changes that will go live with the launch of Cataclysm later this year on the official World of Warcraft forums.

In the post, Eyonix admits that even Blizzard finds the current stat system to be "inherently confusing," and so they will be enacting a number of changes to ameliorate the issue come Cataclysm.

For starters, a number of stats will be going away outright, such as MP5, Defense, Spell Ranks and Weapon Skill.  You'll also no longer see spell power, attack power, armor penetration or shield block value on items.

The post is fairly in depth, and there is also a useful simple breakdown on what changes you can ultimately expect with regards to gear come Cataclysm. Check out the full post here.

What do you think of the upcoming stat and system changes? Let us know in the comments below!