Please note that this has been rewritten for 3.3 here.
Editor’s note: This excellent gear guide is a contribution from Eidotrope, a long time reader. It’s up to date for 3.2, and we’ll try to ensure it’s kept up to date going forward :)
How do you get gear that is fit for raiding if you are not already raiding? These days the answer is not simply “run heroics for drops.” The answer is a bit more complicated, and so I decided to write this guide.
If not just heroics, where else can you get gear before raiding? Blizzard wants to make it easy for you, so they provide a number of sources. You can earn raid emblems (used to purchase gear) by running heroics, you can run Argent Tournament dailies for seals (again used to purchase gear), you can obtain crafted or other “Bind on Equip” items, and you can still run heroics for drops.
Your goal in gearing up for raids is to have all your items at ilvl 200 at a minimum and most items at ilvl 219 or higher. Beyond that, strive for the highest ranked items on the table so long as you can keep your 8% hit chance. If you obtain a set of items from this list, you will be geared enough for Naxx. If you obtain a set of rank 1 items from this list, you will be geared enough for Ulduar and Trial of the Crusader.
The rank of items is listed by slot, with 1 being the best rank. Some items for the same slot sometimes share the same rank. Also, note that I count Champion’s Seals as a type of emblem, and that the current base (and only) emblem dropped from heroic bosses is the Emblem of Conquest. This emblem can be exchanged on a 1 for 1 basis with any lower emblem (heroic and valor).
| Slot | Rank | Item | Obtained | Hit |
| Head | 1 | Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Headpiece | emblems: 58 of Conquest | 0 |
| 2 | Plunderer’s Helmet | drop: H UK | 0 | |
| 3 | King Dred’s Helm | drop: H DTK | 52 | |
| Neck | 1 | Nymph Heart Charm | BoE: AH or Uld 25 | 36 |
| 1 | Broach of the Wailing Night | emblems: 19 of Conquest | 0 | |
| 2 | Ancient Pendant of Arathor | drop: H ToC | 0 | |
| Shoulders | 1 | Pauldrons of Concealed Loathing | drop: H ToC | 37 |
| 2 | Spaulders of the Abomination | drop: H CoS | 0 | |
| 2 | Massive Spaulders of the Jormungar | drop: H UP | 33 | |
| Back | 1 | Shawl of the Shattered Giant | BoE: AH or Uld 10 | 32 |
| 2 | Hammerhead Sharksin Cloak | emblems: 40 25 of Valor | 0 | |
| 3 | Ice Striker’s Cloak | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 | |
| Chest | 1 | Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Chestpiece | emblems: 58 of Conquest | 57 |
| 2 | Chestguard of the Ravenous Fiend | drop: H ToC | 56 | |
| 3 | Polished Regimental Hauberk | rep. reward – exalted Argent Crusade | 49 | |
| Bracer | 1 | Bracers of the Smothering Inferno | BoE: AH or Uld 10 | 40 |
| 2 | Slime Stream Bands | BoE: AH or Naxx 25 | 20 | |
| 3 | Armguard of the Tower Archer | emblems: 60 of Valor | 28 | |
| Gloves | 1 | Gloves of Unerring Aim | emblems: 28 of Conquest | 0 |
| 2 | Gloves of the Dark Exile | drop: H ToC | 0 | |
| 3 | Rusted-Link Spiked Gauntlets | BoE: AH or Naxx 10 | 34 | |
| Waist | 1 | Belt of the Ardent Marksman | emblems: 28 of Conquest | 44 |
| 1 | Belt of Dragons | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 | |
| 2 | Torn Web Wrapping | BoE: AH or Naxx | 29 | |
| Pants | 1 | Leggings of the Tireless Sentry | emblems: 39 of Conquest | 59 |
| 2 | Darkcore Leggings | BoE: AH or Uld 25 | 52 | |
| 3 | Giantmaim Legguards | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 | |
| 3 | Leggings of the Stone Halls | drop: H HoS | 0 | |
| Boots | 1 | Boots of Living Scale | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 |
| 2 | Pack Ice Striders | Emblems: 40 of Valor | 39 | |
| 3 | Scale Boots of the Outlander | drop: N ToC | 0 | |
| 4 | Dragon Slayer’s Sabatons | drop: H Nex | 0 | |
| Rings | 1 | Etched Band of the Kirin Tor | this guy for much $$$$$ | 0 |
| 2 | Ring of Invincibility | emblems: 25 of Valor | 0 | |
| 3 | Signet of Edward the Odd | BoE: AH or Naxx | 0 | |
| 4 | Mobius Band | drop: H CoS | 25 | |
| 5 | Titanium Impact Band | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 | |
| Trinkets | 1 | Darkmoon Card: Greatness | crafted: AH | 0 |
| 2 | Mirror of Truth | 40 Emblems of Heroism | 0 | |
| 2 | Banner of Victory | drop: N ToC | 0 | |
| 3 | Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood | drop: H Nex | 55 | |
| 4 | Incisor Fragment | drop: H DTK | 0 | |
| Melee2H | 1 | Marrowstrike | drop: H ToC | 0 |
| 2 | Silvery Sylvan Stave (Alliance) | emblems: 25 of Champion’s Seals | 0 | |
| 2 | Staff of Feral Furies (Horde) | emblems: 25 of Champion’s Seals | 0 | |
| 3 | Staff of Trickery | drop: H VH | 0 | |
| Ranged | 1 | True-aim Long Rifle | drop: H ToC | 0 |
| 2 | Blunderbuss of Khaz Modan (Alliance) | emblems: 25 of Champion’s Seals | 0 | |
| 2 | Sen’Jin Beakblade Longrifle (Horde) | emblems: 25 of Champion’s Seals | 0 | |
| 2 | Drake-Mounted Crossbow | drop: H UK | 0 | |
| 2 | Nesingwary 4000 | crafted: AH or recipe | 0 | |
FAQ:
- Why don’t I have any 1H Melee on the table? At the pre-raid level I have yet to find a pair of 1Hs that best the AT staves, let alone Marrowstrike. If you know of any that are actually worth getting instead of Marrowstrike, please post in the comments below.
- Why are AH items included when they always cost so much money? Because if you have the money, they’re a better expenditure than vanity pets or mounts. And some (namely the Darkmoon card) are just worth having period.
- Why aren’t there any items from triumph emblems? If you aren’t raiding, triumph emblems are obtained so slowly that they are not worth extensive attention. If you do get enough for a piece of Triumph gear, use your best judgment and remember that that there are Triumph vendors in Icecrown and Dalaran. The one in Icecrown that I just linked to sells the tier nine, ilvl 232 set and the one in Dal sells non-set, ilvl 245 gear.
Summary:
- If you are going to run one heroic today, make it H ToC.
- H ToC is a bit more demanding than other heroics (according to some). Blizzard wants you to earn the better quality gear.
- If you haven’t already, start the Argent Tournament daily quests (good money plus decent placeholder gear).
- Obtaining the best pre-raid gear will require running a lot of heroics for Conquest emblems.
Euripides
jurgwena
lemli
eidotrope
pherra
femaledwarf
Nice guide. You might want to add the Drape of the Untamed Predator which is a BoE cloak from ToC 25 and can be purchased off the AH.
Also the Crusader’s Dragonscale Bracers and Crusader’s Dragonscale Breastplate are crafted items than can be obtained via the AH and/or the materials to make them can be gotten from the AH.
Pricey yes, but great items you can get w/out raiding.
Yeah, I intentionally left those off the table but unintentionally did not say why. Because they cost so much (on my server 9-12k) and because their prices will drop so dramatically after 3.3, I figured they weren’t worth including. They will definitely be added for the 3.3 version of this guide, though.
I bought the Drape off the AH for 8K the week after CC came out. I flipped it for 12K.
Now that rl obligations dictate my raiding 2 of 3 raid nights and thus a “substitute”, whereas “core” raiders get loot priority, my being able to bid on it IF it drops is doubtful.
I wish I could find one to buy. I look at least a half dozen times a day and no luck. :(
Awesome, thanks Eidotrope. I had just started slogging through the armory to focus on easy gear upgrades since my guild has recently started cranking up again since Spring. You saved me a few hours.
This is a great guide! I’ve got several of the top pieces and am working on getting others, and this is a big help.
I used WoWHead’s Profiles feature to take a closer look at my gems and enchants while I’m updating my gear. It’s got the same info as the Armory but organized differently, and it’s a lot easier to see which gear is missing enchants or needs regeming. It even knows if you’ve got special enchants or gem slots you should be using based on your professions (I’m an engineer, so it let me know that I’d forgot to tinker my belt). It’s also easier to see what the ilevel of all of your items are, since all your gear shows up in a list as well as the regular character screen style. It updates from the Armory, so it shows whatever you’re wearing when you log out. If you’re planning on giving it a shot, don’t leave your cook’s hat and fishing pole equipped. :D
I would recommended the EoT ring for 35 bages also by the time you are done with dungeons you will have 35 badges i know i did. BiS from this list gives you about 4k dps to start raiding with. VoA is also your friend why building up.
Yeah, I felt I had to draw the line somewhere. You’re right that the odd triumph piece and VoA will probably be a part of the gearing-up experience of many hunters. However, 232 and 245 level gear is obtained so slowly at the pre-raid level that I felt including the gear as a whole on the list would place an unfair and unnecessary expectation on aspiring raiders (too much money or too much time).
For the next version of this guide I’ll probably make an appendix (or something) going over the cool stuff you can technically get before raiding but that is more like icing on the cake.
Nice guide,
I’ve just got the Hammerhead Sharksin Cloak for 25 Emblems of Valor (not 40) is this because of rep with Kirin Tor? Maybe this should be mentioned as it can be done quicker.
Well done (and good luck) with making an up to date guide as many are stagnating. Great site too (you knew that).
Nice catch- fixed, and thanks!
I currently have the Gloves of Dark Exile and was wondering if the Gloves of Unnering Aim were really an upgrade for the SV spec in terms of DPS.
With the red socket bonus (+20 agility +4 agility socket bonus) you get +46 agility over the Unnering Aim. I haven’t done the math but does the differences in CS/HR/AP bonuses offset the loss in agility in terms of DPS output?
Thanks for the guide!
Whenever it comes to specific gear, it’s going to really dependent on the spec and gear you already have. You should try out http://www.femaledwarf.com to see whether that’s an upgrade. Just remember to set your buffs!
What about the deadly gear from Honour. With alot of peeps leveling through BG there is a lot of honor points going begging.
Personally i’ve gone for head piece and have enough for another piece and still only lvl 77 with wintergrasp just becoming available.