- Author: Zephan
- Date: June 28, 2022
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
Equipment will be the main source of your character’s power, contributing the biggest bulk of your stats. It is therefore very important that you choose the correct equipment for each slot — commonly referred to as “best in slot” equipment – in order to maximize your power.
This guide will help you choose the best equipment possible for each phase, but also the best equipment you can find outside of raids, known as “pre-raid” gear or “pre-BiS”.
Open accordions to see alternative options that are listed in order of upgrade!
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Sunwell | |
Culling of Stratholme – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
The Oculus – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
Tailoring – BoE |
Visage Liquification Goggles are technically the second best thing you can get before raiding in Wrath of the Lich King, however seeing as how quickly you will replace them it doesn’t seem worth the cost.
There are also plenty of helms that dropped in The Sunwell (including converted healer ones) that are still worthwhile options, namely Cowl of Light’s Purity, Helm of Arcane Purity, and Dark Conjuror’s Collar.
Hat of Wintry Doom is most likely the easiest to get of the bunch because of the fact that it is a Bind on Equip tailor craft. Forgotten Shadow Hood and Crown of Unbridled Magic both are available options from Heroic drops.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
25 Emblem | |
Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom – Heroic | |
38000 Honor Points | |
Jewelcrafting – BoE | |
The Admiral Revealed – Quest | |
38000 Honor Points | |
38000 Honor Points | |
The Sunwell |
Titanium Spellshock Necklace is the strongest necklace if we do not require any additional hit rating followed by Hateful Glad Subjugation. It should be noted however that Titanium Spellshock Necklace doesn’t come cheap.
Chain of Latent Energie is a BoE drop inside 10-man Naxxramas. So whilst this is technically pre-bis it is not included in the list above, but mentioned here for completionism.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Sunwell | |
Halls of Stone | |
The Sunwell | |
Utgarde Keep | |
The Sunwell | |
Black Temple | |
Halls of Stone |
How controversial as it might sound (or good for those that already have it) Amice of the Convoker from Sunwell is the best available shoulder before we participate in raid content at level 80. Other Burning Crusade shoulder pieces like Shoulderpads of Knowledge, Shawl of Wonderment and Mantle of the Malefic also are able to keep standing their ground.
If you don’t have any of those Dark Runic Mantle and Runecasters are great close options come Wrath.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Tailoring – BoE | |
38000 Honor Points | |
The Sunwell | |
Halls of Lightning | |
Ebon Blade – Honored | |
38000 Honor Points | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – BoE | |
The Oculus – Heroic |
Deathchill Cloak is another bind-on-equipped crafted piece. It is significantly stronger than most other available cloaks. Hateful Glad Ascendancy is not too far off in value if you can make use of the hit rating. After this the closest cloak is already a level 70 one again, being Tattered Cape of Antonidas.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
80 Emblem | |
Tailoring – BoE | |
Tailoring – BoE | |
Violet Hold- Heroic | |
Tailoring – BoP | |
The Sunwell | |
Tailoring – BoE | |
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell | |
Azjol-Nerub – Heroic | |
The Oculus – Heroic |
Heroes Plagueheart Robe costs us a lot of emblems but moves us already a step closer to our two and four-piece tier bonus.
Following this is Spellweave Robe or Ebonweave Robe if you need a significant amount of hit rating. Both of these are tailoring crafted pieces.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Oculus – Heroic | |
Violet Hold – Heroic | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Heroic | |
Wyrmrest Accord – Revered | |
31600 Honor Points | |
Killing Two Scourge With One Skeleton – Quest | |
The Oculus |
Cuffs of Winged Levitation and Azure Cloth Bindings are two really good and close wrists that drop from heroics.
Black Duskweave is slightly worse on its own than any of the above-listed braces, but combined with Black Duskweave for the two-piece bonus of +18 spell power is another solid option.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Tailoring – BoE | |
Tailoring – BoE | |
The Sunwell | |
The Nexus – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Heroic |
Spellweave Gloves and Ebonweave Gloves are incredibly close in value depending on if are in need of the hit rating on Ebonweave Gloves. Handguards of Defiled Worlds is really close to these as well, if you already have this it is most likely not worth it to spend the extra gold on getting the crafted gloves.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
40 Emblem | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – Heroic | |
Halls of Lightning – Heroic | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Heroic | |
Ebon Blade – Exalted | |
The Sunwell | |
Tailoring – BoE |
Plush Sash of Guzbah and Girdle of Bane is for all intents and purposes nearly equal in value, assuming you can fully make use of the hit rating. All other belts are significantly further behind in value, especially if you need a belt without hit rating.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell | |
Mountain Hyjall | |
Halls of Lightning – Heroic | |
Utgarde Keep – Heroic | |
Violet Hold – Heroic | |
The Nexus – Heroic |
All four of the Burning Crusade pants listed above are really close to each other in value. The first Wrath of the Lich King pants that comes close in value is Woven Bracae Leggings.
Black Duskweave is also worth mentioning, this can be combined with Black Duskweave bracers for the two-piece bonus.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Wyrmrest – Exalted | |
The Sunwell | |
The Nexus – Heroic | |
The Air Stands Still – Quest | |
Violet Hold – Heroic |
Sandals of Crimson Fury, Titan-Forged Slippers of Dom, and Boots of the Malefic are really close in value. But fear not if u aren’t exalted with the Wyrmrest Accord, not into Wintergrasp, or didn’t get your tier 6 feet; Cleric’s Linen Shoes doesn’t fall too far behind.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Jewelcrafting – BoE | |
Lost Ring of the Necromancer | Random Suffix – BoE |
8500 gold | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Heroic | |
Utgarde Keep – Heroic | |
Jewelcrafting – BoE | |
Halls of Stone – Heroic |
There are a lot of options when it comes to our rings. Most of them can be bought, but one might already be more expansive than the other, looking at you Signet of the Kirin Tor. Ring of Northern Tears, Lost Ring of the Necromancer, and Titanium Spellshock Ring can also be bought for gold.
Band of Guile and Annhylde’s Ring are for all intents and purposes the same ring that drops from another Heroic.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
40 Emblem | |
Violet Hold – Heroic | |
Brewfest | |
Halls of Stone – Heroic |
The Egg of Mortal Essence is not listed above, but if it works with either Siphon Life or Fel Synergie it would be our pre-BiS.
Sundial of the Exiled and Mithril Pocketwatch are the same trinket for all intents and purposes, one easier to get than the other.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Blacksmithing – BoE | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Heroic | |
Kirin Tor – Revered | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – Heroic | |
BoE – Random Suffix | |
Utgarde Pinnacle | |
The Sunwell |
If Titansteel Spellblade is out from release one-hand plus offhand will be the play. If it is not Cursed Lich Blade or any of the other listed one hands will work as well but Staff of Draconic Combat will be a closer option.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
25 Emblem | |
The Nexus – Heroic | |
25 Emblem | |
Inscription – BoE | |
Inscription – BoE | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Heroic |
Ward of the Violet Citadel really is the best option and at only a cost of 25 Emblem not too hard to get your hands on. That being said any of the others listed will last you until you get it.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Oculus – Heroic | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – Heroic | |
Ahn’kahet: The old Kingdom – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell |
Staff of Draconic Combat drops from the last boss in The Oculus Heroic. If Titansteel Spellblade is out from release that combined with Ward of the Violet Citadel will be a tad bit better.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Utgarde Keep – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
The Cleansing of Jintha’kalar – Quest | |
Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom – Heroic | |
The Sunwell | |
Halls of Lightning | |
Azjol-Nerub – Heroic |
Wand of the San’layn and Wand of Cleansing Light are really close in value, the biggest pro of Wand of Cleansing Light being that it doesn’t have any hit rating if you don’t need any extra hit. Wand of Blinding Light which is rewarded from a quest is not to far off either.
T4 4P Information
The bonus from our four pieces of tier four provides us with an extra 300 Spirit whenever we use life tap for 10 seconds. This translates to an extra 150 amount of spell power through Fel Armor and glyph of life tap. This raises the question if you should be using Life Tap more often to increase our total amount of Spell Power. The answer to this is relatively simple, Life Tap incurs a global cooldown, this means we lose roughly 1.5s of cast time every 10 seconds or approximately 15% (depending on our cast speed) of our DPS, there is no way that the additional 150 spell power results in an overall DPS increase that is bigger than this. What can be worthwhile is using life tap earlier if you can make the buff align with other cooldowns, this doesn’t increase the total amount of global cooldowns spent on Life Tap, but instead shifts when we use it.
In short whilst the four-piece bonus of Plagueheart Garb provides us with extra spell power we should not be seeking 100% uptime on the buff, rather we should keep on using life tap as we normally would during our rotation for mana and upkeeping glyph of life tap.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
Paldesse | |
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Paldesse |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Eye of Eternity | |
Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
The Eye of Eternity | |
Paldesse | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Naxxramas | |
Crafted | |
Emblem of Valor | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Naxxramas | |
Tailoring | |
Paldesse | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Deadly Gladiator |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Paldesse | |
Naxxramas | |
Tailoring | |
Naxxramas | |
Paldesse |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Paldesse | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
Paldesse | |
Naxxramas | |
Paldesse |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Magister Brasael | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
Emblem of Valor | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Naxxramas | |
Other | |
Other |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Deadly Gladiator |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Emblem of Heroism | |
Crafted |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas | |
The Obsidian Sanctum | |
Naxxramas | |
Deadly Gladiator |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Naxxramas | |
Sunwell Plateau | |
Sunwell Plateau |
Pre-Raid
Before ever setting foot inside a raid we can already start collecting a bunch of great items to get us going. This includes raid drops from the previous 10-man raids in the form of Heroic+ Dungeons, Items brought through Heroism Emblems (quests and normal heroics), Valor Badges (Heroic+), and even a couple of items through Emblems of Conquest thanks to the daily Heroic Dungeon quest (provides 2 emblems every day). Those with heavy purses can even buy their way up the meters by getting the various raid drop Bind on Equipe items and the latest crafted pieces. On top of that those who do not shun player-versus-player interaction can get a bunch of great items for honor too. As you can see the list of sources for catch-up gear is incredibly long, here we will go in-depth about each and every worthwhile piece and who/ why you should consider it.
Best in Slot
When it comes to our best in slot gear, most of the items will be coming from 25-man Hard Mode bosses. The issue with this is that according to the following blue post, most Hard Mode bosses will only drop 1 additional top item. In other words, it will take a good while until all items drop, and 252 item-level items are highly sought after. As such it is important to keep this in mind when considering gearing options and loot distribution, do not hold out for an item that might take months to even see drop (if you can clear the Hard Modes to begin with). Each slot has a detailed description of the best items to consider and the reasons behind them. For more personal details you will have to simulate your gear setups using wowsims.
Information
Ideally, we want to make use of 2-pieces of Tier 8 for the set bonus that it provides. We can also make use of four pieces until we get our hands on the 25-man Hard Mode items. The best slot to use Tier 8 and loss out the least amount of stats is the chest slot. It is nearly as strong as the best possible alternatives. The next item(s) will depend on the Hard-Mode items you can get. You will be wanting to trade the following items:
So you will likely use 1 or more of these items to get your set bonus or use the tier item until you get the Hard-Mode pieces. The easiest Hard Mode item to get from this list likely is Amice of Inconceivable Horror, as this drops in 10-man content while the rest drops in 25-man content.
Pre-Raid
Enamored Cowl as a whole is the best helm we can use. Alternatively, Heroes’ Plagueheart Circlet isn’t far behind and can help us achieve our tier 7 four-piece bonus. Additionally, we can swap in Heroes’ Plagueheart Circlet if, for example we get upgrades for other slots that are better compared to the tier 7 alternative, the same holds true for all tier 7 pieces (Do not throw them away until you got enough upgrades above tier 7 that you do not need the tier bonus). Note that non of the helms listed have any hit rating on them, making it something you do not need to actively manage when upgrading items.
Various Bosses (H+) | |
Varos Cloudstrider (H+) – The Oculus | |
Gortok Palehoof (H+) – Utgarde Pinnacle | |
Engineering |
Best-In-Slot
It is clear that as far as helmets go, Crown of Luminescence is the best there is, but it will also be highly sought after and rare to get your hands on. This is due to the fact that it only drops from 25-man Hard Mode Mimiron. So what are the most likely alternatives? If we can get other Hard-Mode loot for our Shoulders or Legs we can use Conqueror’s Deathbringer Hood here to complete our two-piece set bonus. If we don’t use our helm slot to complete our two-set bonus we can instead make use of Collar of the Wyrmhunter if we need additional hit rating, and Cowl of Dark Whispers if we do not. All of these drops are from 25-man Ulduar, from 10-mans we can get our hands on Lifespark Visage.
Razorscale – Ulduar (25) | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (25) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (10) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (25) | |
Pre-Raid
Evokers Charm is a highly recommended option for the neck slot. This item can be obtained for 19 Emblems of Conques (rewarded for the daily heroic dungeon quest). If hit rating is not a priority, players may also consider the Veiled Amulet of Life, which can be obtained through Heroic+ Utgarde Keep (Prince Keleseth) or Naxxramas (Gluth and Gothik).
For those who are looking to increase hit rating, the Chain of Latent Energies is a valuable option that can be obtained through the auction house. Alternatively, the Encircling Burnished Gold Chains, which can be obtained through 25 Emblems of Heroism, and Circle of Arcana Streams, which drops from Heroic+ Stratholme (Epoch) are also viable options.
BOE World Drop | |
Prince Keleseth (H+) – Utgarde Keep | |
Best-In-Slot
Wyrmrest Necklace of Power stands its ground, it does get trumped but only by Hard Mode specific items. When it comes to upgrading away from Wyrmrest Necklace of Power, the Pendant of Fiery Havoc on paper is the strongest however, be aware that you will need to work around the additional hit rating and shuffle gear. Sapphire Amulet of Renewal, Watchful Eye of Fate, and Pendant of the Shallow Grave are direct upgrades over Wyrmrest Necklace of Power that doesn’t require additional item switching when it comes to hit rating. Note that all of these upgrades drop from Hard Modes, so don’t hold out till you get either, it might take a while to see one drop.
Flame Leviathan (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Steelbreaker (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Steelbreaker (HM) – Ulduar (10) | |
XT-002 Deconstructor (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Malygos – Eye of Eternity (25) | |
Assembly of Iron – Ulduar (25) | |
Malygos – Eye of Eternity (10) |
Pre-Raid
The Heroes Plaguehear Shoulderpads are an excellent choice for the shoulder slot, as they provide a solid amount of hit rating and contribute to achieving the Tier 7 set-bonus for us. Other options, such as the Miasma Mantle and Mantle of the Extensive Mind, which can be obtained from Heroic+ or Naxxramas, do not offer hit rating, but are still worth considering. The Mantle of the Tribunal from Halls of Stone or the Dark Runic Mantle also from Halls of Stone, which is a BOE item, are likewise feasible options.
Various Bosses (H+) | |
Gortok Palehoof (H+) – Utgarde Pinnacle | |
Heroic+ ? | |
BOE Halls of Stone |
Best-In-Slot
The two most apparent choices regarding our shoulder slot are Amice of Inconceivable Horror and Conqueror’s Deathbringer Shoulderpads. On the other hand, Mantle of Wavering Calm and Underworld Mantle are both excellent alternatives to consider depending on your needs around tier 8 and what content you clear with your raider buddies.
Yogg-Saron (HM) – Ulduar (10) | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (25) | |
XT-002 Deconstructor – Ulduar (25) | |
General Vezax – Ulduar (10) | |
General Vezax – Ulduar (25) | |
Ignis the Furnace Master – Ulduar (25) | |
Malygos – The Eye of Eternity (25) |
Pre-Raid
For the back slot, the Deathchill Cloak is a highly recommended option for players with spare gold. This item can be purchased from the auction house or crafted by a tailor using the required materials. The Disguise of the Kuminho, which can be obtained through 25 Emblems of Valor, is also a great option to consider. Additionally, the Dark Shroud of the Scourge, if available, is a great option for players in need of hit rating.
BOE Tailoring | |
Trollgore (H+) – Drak’Tharon Keep | |
Mage-Lord Urom (H+) – The Oculus | |
Best-In-Slot
All upgrades over Pennant Cloak from Sartharion in the previous phase are related to Hard Modes in one form or another. In plain words, it might take you a good while until you can wrap yourself in a new cloak blanket. Sunglimmer Cloak and Sunglimmer Drape are rewarded for defeating Algalon (the extra boss unlocked by completing various Hard Mode encounters) through a quest item called Reply-Code Alpha. Algalon also drops Drape of the Messenger in its 10-man version. Drape of Mortal Downfall drops from 25-man Hard Mode Steelbreaker.
As you can see Pennant Cloak will last us a long while, for those who do not have it yet you can consider picking up an item such as Asimov’s Drape or Shawl of Haunted Memories.
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (25) | |
Steelbreaker (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (10) | |
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (10) | |
Sartharion – The Obsidian Sanctum (25) | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (25) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (25) | |
Ulduar Trash | |
Crafted |
Pre-Raid
To continue expanding the warlock’s set bonus, Heroes’ Plagueheart Robe is a great option for the chest slot. This item can be obtained through 80 Emblems of Heroism, or from Heroic+ or Naxxramas drops. For players with a heavier purse, the Spellweave Robe or Ebonweave Robe are also great options to consider, depending on what is available at the auction house.
Other options include the Gown of the Spell-weaver and the Gown of Blaumeux from Heroic+ dungeons, both gowns provide a solid amount of hit rating.
BOE Tailoring | |
Loken (H+) – Halls of Lightning | |
Heroic+ ? | |
BOE Tailoring | |
Best-In-Slot
This is one of the few slots where there are no 251-item-level Hard Mode items that blow normal 25-man mode gear out of the water. Most notable is our tier 8 chest Conqueror’s Deathbringer Robe, it is one of the must-have slot for completing our two or four-piece set bonus. On top of that we can buy our chest for 58 Emblems of Conquest making it one of the more sure items we can get.
On the other hand, say you already got your tier 8 set bonus, and not yet your tier chest. In this case you could consider getting either Robes of the Umbral Brute or Raiments of the Iron Council, both are minor upgrades over Conqueror’s Deathbringer Robe if you only look at attributes (and ignore your two (or four) piece set bonus of tier 8.
Stormcaller Brundir – Ulduar (25) | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (10) | |
Sartharion – The Obsidian Sanctum (25) | |
General Vezax – Ulduar (10) | |
Tailoring | |
Pre-Raid
For the wrist slot, the Wraps of the Astral Traveler and Preceptor’s Bindig are good options that provide hit rating. Wraps of the Astral Traveler are bought for 60 emblems of valor whilst the other drops from Heroic+. Other options include Resurgent Phantom Bindings from Heroic+ and Cuffs of Winged Levitation from Heroic Oculus.
Hadronox – Azjol-Nerub (H+) | |
The Oculus Heroic | |
Best-In-Slot
Unsullied Cuffs remains one of the best bracers out there, only Grasps of Reason beats it. Note that these bracers will be an upgrade for every caster in the raid.
Those missing Unsullied Cuffs can also opt for Shackles of the Odalisque, Bracers of Unleashed Magic, or Grips of Chaos (BoE), note that all of these drop in 25-man Ulduar. The last two of these are also great options for additional hit rating.
XT-002 Deconstructor (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Sartharion – The Obsidian Sanctum (25) | |
Razorscale – Ulduar (25) | |
Trash – Ulduar (25) | |
Grand Widow Faerlina – Naxxramas (25) | |
Stormcaller Brundir – Ulduar (10) | |
Noth the Plaguebringer – Naxxramas (25) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (10) | |
Pre-Raid
For the “cheap” price of 28 emblems of conquest you can get your hands on (pun intended) Touch of the Occult. Note that it might take a while to get enough emblems since you are limited to 2 to 3 emblems per day. (unless you are heading out into Ulduar). Another great option in the context of Tier 8 is Heroes.
Other options include the Spellweave Gloves or Ebonweave Gloves if you have the spare gold, and Gloves of Dark Gestures from Heroic+ Halls of Lightning (Bjarngrim).
BOE Tailoring | |
BOE Tailoring | |
Best-In-Slot
Both of the best gloves come from Alagon; Pharos Gloves and Pulsar Gloves. Next runner-ups are Handwraps of the Vigilant from Hard Mode Vezax, note that these are the best option out there for Demonology Warlocks and you should pass on them in favor of them. All of these gloves are hard to get and will be rare.
The best non-Hard Mode gloves are Handwraps of Plentiful Recovery and Touch of the Occult. Considering tier 8 we can also make use of Conqueror’s Deathbringer Gloves especially if it will enable your next set bonus.
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (25) | |
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (10) | |
General Vezax (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (25) | |
Sartharion – The Obsidian Sanctum (25) | |
Pre-Raid
Sash of Ancient Power is a particularly desirable item, as it is considered the best option available before setting foot in a raid. This item is particularly expensive, as it is crafted using materials and a recipe that drop in Ulduar. However, for those who are looking for a more budget-friendly option, Sash of Potent Incanctations, available for 28 emblems of conquest, might be a more realistic choice. Other options include the Girdle of Bane, which drops in Utgarde Pinnacle on Heroic mode, or the Plush Sash of Guzbah, which also provides hit rating, another option is Agonal Sash from Heroic+.
BOE Tailoring | |
BOE Tailoring | |
Utgarde Pinnacle (H) | |
Ionar – Halls of Lightning (H+) |
Best-In-Slot
For those with heavy purses it will be relatively easy (though expensive) to get a good belt. Sash of Ancient Power is crafted with the new crafting ingredient namely runed orb. Starwatcher’s Binding is slightly stronger but will be significantly harder to get due to being an Algalon drop.
For those looking for a normal raid drop you should consider Embrace of the Leviathan from 25-man Flame Leviathan.
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (25) | |
BOE Taloring | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (25) | |
BOE Taloring | |
Malygos – The Eye of Eternity (25) | |
General Vezax – Ulduar (25) | |
Razorscale – Ulduar (10) | |
XT-002 Deconstructor – Ulduar (10) |
Pre-Raid
Moving on to legs, the best option is likely to be the Heroes Plageuheart Leggings, as it is part of the tier 7 set-bonus. Other options include Leggings of Sapphiron and Leggings of the Instructor, both of which drop in Heroic+ dungeons. For those on a budget, Woven Bracae Leggings, which drop in the “normal” heroic version of the Halls of Lightning, will be a more affordable option.
Various Heroic+ | |
Halls of Lightning Heroic | |
Best-In-Slot
When it comes to our pants, the choice is fairly obvious. You use Conqueror’s Deathbringer Leggings, if your lucky you will eventually replace them with Leggings of the Enslaved Idol from 25-man Hard Mode Freya. You can also make use of Leggings of Profound Darkness, note that this is also a Hard Mode drop, and you lose out on the benefit from tier pants enabling your set-bonuses. Note that there are also plenty of alternatives until you get either of the pants.
General Vezax (HM) – Ulduar (10) | |
Stormcaller Brundir – Ulduar (25) | |
Malygos – The Eye of Eternity (25) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (25) |
Pre-Raid
Spellslinger’s Slippers, another item crafted in Ulduar, are a step up compared to the alternatives. However, for those on a budget, Xintor Expeditionary Boots (or Slipper of the Holy Light if you do not need additional hit rating), both available for 40 emblems of valor, can be more feasible options. Additionally, the Saltarello Shoes, which drop in heroic+ dungeons, provide yet another option.
BOE Tailoring | |
Tailoring BOE | |
Heroic+? |
Best-In-Slot
The best available boots not locked behind Hard Modes are Boots of the Servant from 25-man Freya. Followed closely by Spellslinger’s Slippers which might be easier to get depending on how willing you are willing to part with your hard-earned gold.
Surprise, surprise both best feet come from 25-man Hard Modes. Namely Boots of Fiery Resolution from the Flame Leviathan and Treads of the False Oracle from Yogg-Saron, best of luck getting either. The added benefit though is that both don’t have any hit rating on them making it easy to gear around once you get them.
Flame Leviathan (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Yogg-Saron (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (10) | |
Ulduar – Tailoring | |
Ulduar – Tailoring | |
XT-002 Deconstructor – Ulduar (25) | |
Pre-Raid
Inscribed Signet of the Kirin Tor is an upgraded version of Signet of the Kirin Tor. It will set you back a few thousand gold, but is a great option when it comes to pre-bis, this ring also has been affected by the item level increase.
Signet of the Malevolent drops from Heroic+ and is a great source of hit rating, as well as all-around great stats. Band of Channeled Magic is a great non-hit option for 25 emblems of valor. Other alternatives are The Horseman’s Seal from Halloween, although that event is a long whilst to go at the time of writing this guide. Other options are Ring of Holy Cleansing from Heroic+, Band of Guile from Stratholme Heroic, or Annhyldes Ring from Utgarde Keep Heroic.
Singet of Kirin Tor Upgrade | |
Ormorok the Tree-Shaper – The Nexus (H+) | |
Halloween – Headless Horseman | |
Best-In-Slot
Pyrelight Circle and Inscribed Signet of the Kirin Tor upgraded version of Phase 1 Kirin Tor Ring for an extra 1000g on top of the 8000g cost) are very similar compared to the best ring of the previous phase namely Signet of Manifested Pain. Frozen Loop is another great ring if you are in any need of hit rating.
Conductive Seal, Nebula Band, and in case you are in need of hit rating Shimmering Seal all are superb rings. However they all drop from Hard Mode encounters making them rather rare. Fire Orchid Signet also drops from a Hard Mode encounter namely Freya 10-man but doesn’t outperforms Signet of Manifested Pain.
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (10) | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (10) | |
Flame Leviathan (HM) – Ulduar (10) | |
Ignis the Furnace Master – Ulduar (25) | |
Singet of Kirin Tor Upgrade | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (25) | |
Steelbreaker – Ulduar (10) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (25) |
Pre-Raid
The two best trinket options by a long shot are Embrace of the Spider from Heroic+ and Sundial of the Exiled for 40 emblems of heroism.
Best-In-Slot
There is nothing that Affliction Warlocks adore more than haste rating, especially if it comes in the form of a strong on-use cooldown that can be lined up with other buffs, procs, or the execution phase. This should make it no surprise how good Scale of Fates is, on top of that it isn’t locked behind a Hard Mode encounter and as such should make it more realistic to get.
Illustration of the Dragon Soul fully stacked up to 200 spell power performs similarly enough to Flare of the Heavens which drops from General Vezax 25-man Hard Mode. It should also be easier to get now that Phase 1 25-man loot drops in the 10-man versions of raids.
Flare of the Heavens has the benefit of being proc based which if it lines up well enough can have tremendous results, plus you don’t have to worry about keeping Illustration of the Dragon Soul stacks up do note that it will be hard to get your hands on due to being locked behind a Hard Mode encounter.
General Vezax (HM) – Ulduar (25) | |
Sartharion – The Obsidian Sanctum (25) | |
Razorscale – Ulduar (10) | |
Razorscale – Ulduar (25) |
Pre-Raid
Greatstaff of the Nexus is an incredibly strong staff option that drops from Heroic+, do not forget to get the stronger staff-only enchant variant for the additional spell power that it provides.
Ingvar the Plunderer – Utgarde Keep (H+) | |
BOE Blacksmithing | |
Lavanthor – The Violet Hold (H+) | |
Heroic+ ? | |
Kirin Tor Revered |
Krystallus – Halls of Stone (H+) | |
BOE Inscription | |
Best-In-Slot
It is always a little debate about whether one should use two-handers or mainhand + offhand combinations. This phase staffs can present a lot of opportunities in general, they are still a bit weaker compared to the best MH+ OH combination but it should have less loot competition making it easier to get your weapon upgrades. If you can get your hands on a 252 or 245 item level weapon it shouldn’t matter which slot it fits in (as long as you keep being hit capped).
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (25) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (25) | |
Steelbreaker – Ulduar (10) | |
XT-002 Deconstructor – Ulduar (10) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (10) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (10) |
Algalon the Observer – Ulduar (25) | |
Flame Leviathan – Ulduar (25) | |
Ignis the Furnace Master – Ulduar (10) | |
Gothik the Harvester – Naxxramas (25) | |
Crafted | |
Stormcaller Brundir – Ulduar (25) | |
Ignis the Furnace Master – Ulduar (25) | |
The Slave Pens Event | |
Yogg-Saron – Ulduar (10) | |
Malygos – The Eye of Eternity (10) | |
Trash – Ulduar (10) |
Pre-Raid
When it comes to wands, we got a lot of options. If you are in need of hit rating Wand of the San’layn from Utgarde Keep Heroic or even Wand of Blinding Light a simple quest reward are great options. Otherwise, Wand of the Archlich will be the go-to option if you can get it to drop in Heroic+.
Cyanigosa – The Violet Hold (H+) | |
Prince Keleseth – Utgarde Keep (H+) | |
Dragonblight Quest | |
Anub’arak – Azjol-Nerub (H) | |
Best-In-Slot
If you are in need of hit rating then Quartz Crystal Wand from 25-man XT-002 Deconstrucor will be a great choice. Otherwise Scepter of Lost Souls will be preferred, closely followed b Scepter of Creation.
Note that if you get lucky, Petrified Ivy Sprig is the best overall wand available. As with all good things it drops in Hard Modes only (though 10-man Freya so there might be less loot competition when it does inevitably drops).
General Vezax – Ulduar (25) | |
Ignis the Furnace Master – Ulduar (25) | |
XT-002 Deconstructor – Ulduar (25) | |
Kel’Thuzad – Naxxramas (10) | |
Anub’Rekhan – Naxxramas (25) | |
Trash – Sunwell Plateau | |
Trash – Sunwell Plateau |
In conclusion, when it comes to outfitting your character, there are many options available. It’s important to consider both cost and performance to make the best decision for your character.
Crit Weapon Swapping
As lined out in the rotation section, something Affliction Warlocks can do in order to maximize the damage their corruption does is something called weapons swapping. This is the art of starting of the fight with weapons (and wand) that are heavy on crit rating (or socket slots for the crit gems).
The following shows a list of weapons and wands that can be used for this. These weapons most often won’t be the ones you want to have equipped for the majority of the fight, you should swap back to your normal weapon after the application of your corruption (ideally during the global cooldown).
It should be noted that this list is curated based on gems normal gems, if you have access to Jewelcrafting and can gem jewelcrafting gems in your weapons, items with more socket slots would be listed up higher.
You can also consider using Enchant Weapon – Accuracy on this weapon.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
The Sunwell | |
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
4500 Arena Points | |
In Strict Confidence | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – 25 man |
Grand Magister’s Staff of Torrents is the winner in this phase looking purely at crit rating, combined with the inherent crit rating and if we use pure crit gems we can get 97 crit rating. However main hand and offhand combinations are really close by and come at a smaller cost too other caster stats.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Blacksmithing – BoE | |
TBC – World Boss | |
Fishing – BoE | |
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom | |
Naxxramas – 10 man | |
Blacksmithing – BoE | |
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
Naxxramas – 10 man | |
3150 Arena Points |
Blade of the Unrequited from Karazhan technically has a tad bit more crit rating than Titansteel Spellblade. However you are unlikely to have it seeing as it is a melee weapon, and the fact that you will miss out on a significant amount of normal caster stats (which still affect your other spells until you swap) this is generally not recommended.
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
Inscription – BoE | |
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
1350 Arena Points | |
Naxxramas – 10 man | |
The Culling of Stratholme | |
Inscription – BoE | |
Inscription – BoE |
Item | Source |
|---|---|
Azjol-Nerub – Heroic | |
No Rest for The Wicked – Quest | |
Naxxramas – 25 man | |
30 Venture Coin | |
2250 Arena Points | |
The Sunwell | |
The Sunwell | |
25 Badges of Justice | |
Subdue the Subduer – Quest |
About the Author
Any chance we’ll see a P1 bis 10 man list for people who are strictly doing 10 mans?
Are you going to update the guide when ulduar hits?
Isnt Damnation beating the staff of sunwell in terms of crit, thanks to the extra intellect it provides? I did the mats, also used the simulator and it ends up on higher crit.
Hello there, in general you prob want to use Damnation if you got it over the TBC staff, reason being you lose out on less spell power and the like for your first couple of spells. But TBC staff has more crit if you add in the JC crit gems. With normal gems its indeed a 0.09% crit edge for damnation.
When will you be dropping p2 BiS? your guide is great!
Thanks alot for this, iv been enjoying your guide quite abit!
why does it say 80 emblems of Heroism for the chest and gloves? when I go to the vendors they want the Chestguard of the lost conqueror token? did I miss something?
You can buy the tokens at the heroic vendor
Aight I keep seeing those guides on pre-raid etc. Why is no one mentioning Cowl of the Vindictive Captain, it may not have JC slots but 52haste rating with 81 spell power is found by no other item. I really can’t see how it is not better than dark runic mantle. I’m sticking with my head for now since it seems to be the best available option tbh. Unless I’m missing on something.
I mean Forgotten Shadow Hood
I just noticed how important spirit is atm. Guess that’s what makes a difference?
The P1 BIS listed here is objectively wrong if you do some quick simulations. There are multiple other combinations that do a significant amount more dps fully raid buffed. Lazy locks will be rolling on Maly25 gear that they don’t even need because of this post.
Your pre raid BiS list is not correct. The helm should be the engineer goggles and the blue ring you have selected is not nearly as good as annhylde or even the kirin tor teleport ring. Also thr gloves should be the 2nd piece of tier 7…
You should know that there are dozens of setups for both pre bis and bis that sim within 10 DPS, especially if you consider faction and raid composition. There isn’t a single correct pre bis setup, hence why plenty of alternatives are listed if you open up the accordions along with reasonings. Alll of the listed items are based on weighted simulations.