- Author: Nevermore
- Date: August 21, 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”.
Click a slot’s bar to see alternatives
Alternative: Charged Titanium Specs
Alternative: Gold Amulet of Kings
Alternative: Spaulders of the Giant Lords
Alternative: Cloak of Bloodied Waters/Cloak of the Gushing Wound
Alternative: Heroes’ Dreadnaught Battleplate
Alternative: Golden Limb Bands
Alternative: Heroes’ Dreadnaught Gauntlets
Alternative: The General’s Steel Girdle
Alternative: Heroes’ Dreadnaught Legplates
Alternative: Rift Striders
Alternative: Band of Frosted Thorns & Mobius Band
This will be the best trinket combination that you can acquire.
Alternatives: Mojo Masked Crusher
This will be your best option for this slot.
Alternatively, you can use Titanium Compound Bow
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
As an alternative, you can choose to use Strong-Handed Ring replacing Ruthlessness.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
As an alternative, you can use Armageddon
This will be the best option for this slot.
As an alternative, you can use Arrowsong.
Alternatives:
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In our current setup: Seed of Budding Carnage >Pendulum of Infinity
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Progressive BIS
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Ulduar – BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your head slot. If you have a sizeable amount of gold, consider purchasing Iron Riveted War Helm off the auction house. It is by far the best item you can equip right as you hit 80. If you aren’t looking to spend so much coin, there are two cheaper options available: you can purchase Spiked Titansteel Helm from the Auction House or create Charged Titanium Specs if you are an Engineer. Those items are quite strong and will allow you to prepare for 25-man raids easily.
If you choose not to craft or buy any of those items, you can simply follow a progressive dungeon adventure for gathering your items. The best possible choice will come from the new Heroic Plus Dungeons and is represented by the Heroes’ Dreadnaught Helmet. This grants you the best combination of Armor Penetration, Critical Strike Chance, and decent base stats.
However, if you don’t plan on buying any BoE item, it might take you a while until you can get your hands on Heroes’ Dreadnaught Helmet. You will want to use alternatives such as Titan’s Outlook which grants an inferior yet decent DPS output.
A pretty decent choice to start with before you can actually get in any Heroic Plus Dungeons will be the Planetary Helm, that is if you decide to not buy the Spiked Titansteel Helm.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Ulduar – BoE | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Grand Widow Faerlina (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible choice will remain the BiS from Phase 1, the Obsidian Greathelm, a choice that will aid you in reaching your Expertise soft cap and grant the best DPS output. Another valid choice will is the Valorous Dreadnaught Helmet, providing you with a great combination of Armor Penetration and Critical Strike Chance. The DPS output difference between the two items is quite minimal, meaning that either of them will be a great option!
Heroes’ Dreadnaught Helmet will be a great option if you can not get in any 25-man raids, providing you with great initial stats for Ulduar!
Either Fire-Scorched Greathelm or Titan’s Outlook will both provide you with great DPS output, however, you may want to stick with items that grant you socket slots for overall increased damage.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) NM/HM | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) NM/HM |
The best option for this slot will be Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Helmet. This is mainly due to the high baseline stats, the combination of high Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration, and access to the 2-item set bonus. While 150 Haste is not a great deal, it will still boost your overall DPS.
The second-best choice is Warhelm of the Champion. While it is inferior to the Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Helmet due to the lack of Armor Penetration, it can supplement you with Hit Rating in case you severely lack it.
Mimiron’s Flight Goggles will grant you similar DPS output to the Warhelm of the Champion, even with the different secondary stats. This is mainly due to the baseline stat difference, one of them granting you Agility while the other grants you Strength.
Lastly, Valorous Siegebreaker Helmet will be a great option until you can get a valid upgrade, as it grants you the same type of stats as the BiS version.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron | |
Violet Hold – Xevozz (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your necklace slot. The most accessible option if you have the right amount of gold will be the Titanium Impact Choker, granting you a high DPS output due to the Armor Penetration Rating it offers.
However, if you can not gain it, you have several other choices, some of them being even better, especially with the addition of the new Heroic Plus Dungeons. Normally, you will have to progressively upgrade your necklace if you choose to not buy the Titanium Impact Choker. The most realistic path is to start with items such as Necklace of Arcane Spheres and Gold Amulet of Kings which grant you a decent DPS output until you can get an upgrade.
You can choose between two very powerful options before you enter a 25-man raid. You can either choose Collar of Dissolution or Gem of Imprisoned Vassals, granting you a solid DPS output for 25-man raids. Gem of Imprisoned Vassals is great due to the high baseline stats and the combination of Haste Rating and Critical Strike Chance as secondary stats. Even if this necklace does not grant any Armor Penetration, the high Critical Strike Chance granted compensates for it. The Collar of Dissolution will also be a great choice even if it does not grant you offensive secondary stats. This item is a lot better if you lack both Expertise Rating and Hit Rating.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Heroic Judgement at the Eye of Eternity | |
The Eye of Eternity – Judgement at the Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible choice before entering Ulduar will be the Favor of the Dragon Queen. Its high baseline stats combined with a high Critical Strike Chance and high Armor Penetration will provide the best DPS output. The only situation in which this item won’t bring you the best DPS output is a lack of Hit Rating and Expertise Rating. Pendant of the Dragonsworn is the next-best choice from a DPS output perspective, being the lesser version of Favor of the Dragon Queen
Icy Blast Amulet is a great alternative if you already have enough Hit Rating, as it provides you with solid baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating as secondary stats.
Fool’s Trial is a very good alternative, especially if you have issues with Hit Rating and you still want to maintain a solid DPS output. Gem of Imprisoned Vassals remains a great choice if you can’t get in any of Phase 1 25-man raids.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) HM | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) |
If you are alliance, Pendulum of Infinity is superior to Frigid Strength of Hodir. Conversely, if you are horde, Frigid Strength of Hodir is the best option for this slot.
From a simple DPS output perspective, Frigid Strength of Hodir offers a very strong option in the entire second phase, providing you with solid stats and quite a high amount of Armor Penetration. However, it can be quite hard to acquire as it is heavily contested.
The second-best option will be the Pendulum of Infinity, granting you high baseline stats, Critical Strike Chance, and Haste Rating. Even if this item does not grant Armor Penetration.
Either Seed of Budding Carnage or Broach of the Wailing Night will represent solid alternatives due to their Armor Penetration in case the previously mentioned items are entirely out of reach. However, Broach of the Wailing Night will grant a better overall DPS output if you have already reached the Hit Rating soft cap.
As a last resort, Strength of the Heavens is an okay choice, however, you will want to gain an upgrade as fast as possible due to the lower overall stats that it grants.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Sons of Hodir – Revered | |
Gundrak – Slad’ran (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your shoulders slot. You can either choose to directly buy your shoulders from the Auction House, gaining a good initial item such as the Spaulders of Egotism and Trollwoven Spaulders or you may choose to farm reputation and gain an item such as the Spaulders of the Giant Lords. It is needless to say that each item has been arranged in the specific order of their DPS output, however, it is mandatory to say that depending on your current stats, these items may be swapped between each other for overall increased DPS. The Trollwoven Spaulders are a great initial choice due to the high Expertise Rating they offer, even if they are a leather item.
The Spaulders of Egotism are nearly the best item choice before entering a 25-man phase 1 raid, given the fact that they grant high baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Haste as secondary stats. Even if Haste is not one of our main stats, it will significantly amplify your damage.
If directly buying the items is not to your taste, you may choose the normal dungeon farming path and progressively gain upgrades. Heroes’ Dreadnaught Shoulderplates will be the best possible choice, not only due to their high baseline stats, but also because of the Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration combination of secondary stats.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Loatheb, Gluth (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Noth the Plaguebringer (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) BoE | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible option for this slot during the Pre-Raid phase will be the Valorous Dreadnaught Shoulderplates due to its high baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration secondary stats combination. This item also grants you access to the tier set item bonus which will enhance your overall Slam Damage!
The next best option will be the Shoulderguards of Opportunity, an item that grants you similar stats to Valorous Dreadnaught Shoulderplates. The only difference is the lower overall stats and the lack of access to a set bonus.
Heroes’ Dreadnaught Shoulderplates is the normal version of Valorous Dreadnaught Shoulderplate, granting you exactly the same type of stats, only with lower values. The item itself is great, even for the beginning of Ulduar as it grants you a solid DPS output.
As valid alternatives, you can use either Spaulders of Egotism or Concealment Shoulderpads as valid options, however, the Concealment Shoulderpads will a way better option if your build severely lacks Expertise Rating. The Spaulders of Egotism can grant you a solid baseline DPS output due to their Critical Strike Chance/Haste secondary stats combination, however, it certainly won’t bring the best performance. You may want to get it early on since it is a BoE item but you will want to swap it as fast as possible.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (25) |
You’re going to want Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Shoulderplates in order to secure your 4 piece. If you are forced to exclude shoulders, or don’t yet have tier shoulders, consider using the below options.
The best possible choice for the shoulder slot outside of tier will be the Shoulderplates of the Celestial Watch. It provides you with 2 sockets, a considerable amount of raw stats, Critical Strike Chance, and Armor Penetration. From a pure DPS output perspective, this item is far stronger than any of the possible alternatives, however, it may fall short if you severely lack Hit Rating or Expertise Rating.
Shoulderpads of the Intruder will be the next best choice, especially if you lack Hit Rating and Expertise Rating. Since our build requires overall Expertise Gems, this item can take Shoulderplates of the Celestial Watch‘s place until you manage to gain the appropriate Expertise Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Gundrak – Zone Drop (BoE) | |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your cloak slot. There are two main ways to gain a good initial cloak, you can either choose the dungeon crawl or you can directly buy BoE items.
Ice Striker’s Cloak will be the best BoE item that you will be able to get, however, you can get the Cloak of Bloodied Waters as a valid initial alternative. The Ice Striker’s Cloak will be a good choice for initial 25-man Phase 1 raids, however, with the release of the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, you may want to gain either Cloak of Mastery or Cloak of Darkening as fast as possible.
The best option for beginning will be Cloak of Mastery, as it grants you Hit Rating. Once you manage to get enough Hit Rating, you will want to use Cloak of Mastery instead.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The Drape of the Deadly Foe will remain the best possible choice for this slot as it grants you the best DPS output. The combination of high baseline stats and high secondary stats such as Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating will grant you the best DPS output out of all the other options.
The other available options can be treated as downgrades of the Drape of the Deadly Foe, each of them being stronger than the last. For example, the Aged Winter Cloak will provide you with a better DPS output than the Cloak of Mastery. Even if Aged Winter Cloak grants you Armor Penetration, the overall DPS is a lot lower than the Drape of the Deadly Foe in all possible simulations.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (10) | |
Ulduar – Razorscale (25) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) NM/HM | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad |
The best possible choice for Phase 2 will be the Drape of the Faceless General. It grants you two gem sockets, a high Critical Strike Chance, and a high Armor Penetration rating.
The next best option will be the Drape of the Drakerider. This item grants you similar stats to the Drape of the Faceless General, however, it does not grant any gem sockets. Even if the item has Strength instead of Agility, the simple lack of gem sockets makes it inferior.
As an almost identical alternative, you can use the Stylish Power Cape. The only difference is the lower stats, as the item grants exactly the same stats as the Drape of the Drakerider.
Lastly, Drape of the Deadly Foe, the best cloak in the game from last tier, still remains a solid option even compared to Ulduar cloaks.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom – Prince Taldaram (Heroic) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Novos the Summoner (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your chest slot. Since there are no possible BoE items for this slot, you will want to go through a progressive item hunt from Normal Dungeons, Heroic Dungeons, and the brand-new Heroic Plus Dungeons.
Since there is no BoE item that you can gain, you will want to start a slow dungeon crawl to gain potent items. You will want to start with either Breastplate of Undeath or Bonegrinder Breastplate as they both grant you solid stats, however, you will want to prioritize Hit Rating over Critical Strike Chance until you get the 8% soft cap.
With the addition of the Heroic Plus Dungeons, you can gain items such as Heroes’ Dreadnaught Battleplate and Chestplate of the Risen Soldier. Both of them will grant you a solid DPS output for the 25-man raids in Phase 1, however, Chestplate of the Risen Soldier will bring you a very strong DPS output due to the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating stats combination.
The Heroes’ Dreadnaught Battleplate will be a great choice only if you severely lack Hit Rating or have access to another item from the set to activate the item-set bonuses.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman, Gluth (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible choice for the Pre-Raid phase will be the Chestguard of the Recluse. Even if the item grants you Agility instead of Strength, the high baseline stats and combination of high Expertise Rating/Armor Penetration will grant you the best possible DPS output. The main problem Arms Warriors face during the first and second phase of the expansion is Expertise Rating, making this item a very good choice to cover that weakness.
The next best option will be the Valorous Dreadnaught Battleplate, even if it grants you Hit Rating instead of Armor Penetration or Expertise. The high baseline stats will provide you with a great DPS output. As mentioned before, Chestplate of the Risen Soldier can be a solid alternative due to the Critical Strike Chance/Haste combination. After maximizing your Hit Rating and Expertise Rating, you will want to gain as many items as possible that have either Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating or Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration as secondary stats.
The best possible choice if you lack a big amount of Hit Rating and Expertise Rating will be the Undiminished Battleplate.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (10) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) |
The best possible choice for this slot will be the Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Battleplate. This is due to the high baseline stats and the combination of Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration as secondary stats. For a Arms Warrior, Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration items will be among the most valuable items that you will be able to acquire.
The next-best option will be the Valorous Siegebreaker Battleplate as it is the previous version of Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Battleplate. Other viable options that you may want to acquire before gaining the set items will be either Winter’s Icy Embrace, Steelbreaker’s Embrace, or Chestplate of Vicious Potency.
Either Winter’s Icy Embrace or Steelbreaker’s Embrace will be great options due to the Expertise Rating with Winter’s Icy Embrace being stronger thanks to the Armor Penetration.
If you can’t get any of the previously mentioned items due to competition or bad rng, you can use the Chestplate of Vicious Potency until you can get an upgrade.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
60 Emblem of Valor BoE | |
Blacksmithing – BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
60 Emblem of Valor BoE | |
Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshapper (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Zone Drop BoE |
As a fresh level 80, you have many options for your “bracers” slot. Since there are a lot of BoE items for this slot, you can choose to directly buy one of the best choices such as the Vengeance Bindings, Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress or the Wristwraps of the Cutthroat.
Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress provide the best possible DPS output due to the Expertise Rating/Critical Strike Chance secondary stats combination, as Arms Warriors have a severe issue with Expertise Rating in the first phases of the expansion.
Alternatively, you can go through a dungeon crawl and gain items such as Cast Iron Shackles, Bands of the Stoneforge, and Bracers of Lost Sentiments, with the last option being the most potent one due to the high baseline stats and a solid amount of Expertise Rating/Hit Rating
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
60 Emblem of Valor BoE | |
Naxxramas – Gothik the Harvester (25) |
The best possible choice in the Pre-Ulduar phase from a pure DPS output perspective in our current build will be the Sinner’s Bindings. This is due to the high Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating and gem socket that it offers. However, it comes very close in terms of performance to the Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress which grant Critical Strike Chance and Expertise Rating. Since the Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress can be directly bought from the Auction House or with emblems, they may prove to be the most accessible choice for the beginning of Ulduar.
As a valid alternative, you can use Bracers of Unrelenting Attack, however, the Hit Rating will decrease your overall DPS output, unless you are not soft Hit Capped.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (10) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) |
By far the best choice for this slot in Phase 2 will be the Armbands of Bedlam. Even if they do not grant any Armor Penetration, the combination of high baseline stats, gem socket, and Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats will provide the best DPS output.
The next-best option will be the Bitter Cold Armguards which grant a similar DPS output thanks to the Armor Penetration secondary stat. However, they are slightly inferior to the Armbands of Bedlam.
As a viable alternative, you can use the Decimator’s Armguards. However, due to the lack of a gem socket, plus the lower baseline stats, this item will be inferior to the first two mentioned options. Meaning that if you come across it, you will want to use it until you can gain an upgrade.
Lastly, you can use Fluxing Energy Coils as a beginner alternative, however, the stat combinations will result in a much lower DPS output, being a better item for achieving an 8% Hit Rating cap rather than pure DPS output.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) BoE | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman (25) BoE | |
The Oculus – Cache of Eregos (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Cyanigosa (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80 Arms Warrior, you have plenty of solid choices when it comes to your “Gloves” slot. You can either go through a dungeon crawl and upgrade your items progressively, or you can directly buy strong BoE items from the Auction House that you would normally gain in a 25-man raid.
The strongest and most accessible options that you will be able to gain, given you have plenty of gold, will be either the Gloves of Fast Reactions or Zeliek’s Gauntlets. The latter option is much more suitable for the beginning of your gearing process, as it grants you a high amount of Expertise Rating. However, once you have enough Expertise Rating, the Gloves of Fast Reactions will prove to be the better option.
If you do not have enough gold to gain any of the BoE items, you can progressively gain worthwhile items such as the Gauntlets of Capture, Gauntlets of Combined Strength, and the Gauntlets of Dragon Wrath from exploring dungeons. Each of those options is quite valid, with items that provide Hit Rating being more valuable in the beginning.
The Gauntlets of Combined Strength will prove to be quite a strong choice once you reach your Expertise and Hit Rating soft caps.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) BoE | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman (25) BoE |
The best possible choice in the Pre-Raid phase will remain the BiS from Phase 1, namely the Frosted Adroit Handguards. This is due to the much-needed Hit Rating it offers along with the extremely high baseline stats.
As a very solid alternative, Gloves of Fast Reactions will aid you in producing solid DPS output with the combination of strong baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats. The main advantage of this item is that you can acquire it easily from the Auction House, being a BoE item.
Lastly, another interesting BoE, Zeliek’s Gauntlets can be used as a solid alternative, especially due to the high Expertise Rating that it offers. Another advantage of this item will be the Strength stat it offers over Agility.
Best-in-Slot
By far the best possible choice for this slot will be the Conqueror’s Siegebreaker Gauntlets, as it grants you hefty amounts of Hit Rating and Expertise Rating. Since phase 2 proves itself to be harsh on Arms Warriors, you will want to reach as close as possible to the Expertise soft cap from items alone, before accessing any gems.
In case you have plenty of Expertise Rating from your other items, you can use either Bladebreaker Gauntlets or Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal as they both aid you in producing a solid DPS output. Naturally, Bladebreaker Gauntlets will be the better choice between the two items due to the Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration secondary stats combo.
Lastly, if you require Hit Rating and you don’t have access to any of the other items, you can use Gloves of the Endless Dark.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Keep – Prince Keleseth (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your “Waist” slot. Since there are no BoE items available, apart from the ones that Ulduar will offer, you will have to go through a progressive dungeon crawl in order to gain a solid upgrade.
Verdungo’s Barbarian Cord will be the best choice once you gather enough Emblem of Heroism due to the high baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating combination, however, you will want to use items such as Flame-Bathed Steel Girdle and Blistered Belt of Decay until you manage to gain enough emblems.
Lastly, as an initial choice, you can use the Strategist’s Belt, although it does present itself with lower baseline stats than the other presented items and only Haste Rating as a secondary stat.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxrama – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Naxxrama – Instructor Razuvious (25) | |
Naxxrama – Grobbulus (25) | |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) |
For the Pre-Raid phase of Ulduar, there are several choices for your waist slot that can gain your attention. The best possible choice would be the Belt of the Titans, however, in order for you to be able to get that, someone needs to clear Ulduar first and gain the pattern. This may require you to wait around 2-3 weeks until it becomes available at the Auction House.
The more realistic choice until that happens will be the Stalk-Skin Belt, granting you high baseline stats combined with a high Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating. However, this only applies if you have enough Expertise Rating.
The next-best option will be the Girdle of Razuvious, especially due to the high Expertise Rating that it grants combined with high baseline stats. The Girdle of Chivalry offers quite a similar DPS output, however, it largely depends on your current Hit Rating and Expertise Rating.
As a last resort, you can use either Verdungo’s Barbarian Cord or Flame-Bathed Steel Girdle as a solid initial option due to the Critical Strike Chance that they offer. However, you will want to swap those items as fast as possible when the gates of Ulduar open.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (25) | |
Ulduar – Ignis the Furnace Master (25) | |
For your waist slot, the BiS item depends entirely on the rest of your build. Naturally, the best possible option since we suffer from a lack of Expertise Rating would be the Starfall Girdle, even if it does not have extremely high baseline stats. The Belt of Colossal Rage will prove to be the better choice if you optimized your gear around Expertise Rating and you severely lack Hit Rating.
As valid alternatives, you can either use the Girdle of Embers or the Belt of the Titans. Same as before, the DPS output will entirely depend on your other items and your current Expertise Rating value. Early on, the Belt of the Titans will prove to be a far better choice than the Girdle of Embers, due to the high Expertise Rating that it grants.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
The Wyrmrest Temple – Exalted | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Meathook (Heroic) | |
The Oculus – Varos Cloudstrider (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have plenty of choices when it comes to your “Legs” slot. Since there are no BoE items, you will either have to farm reputation or go through a dungeon crawl to gain some powerful items. Thankfully, due to the addition of the Heroic Plus Dungeons, we will not be able to gain items such as the Heroes’ Dreadnaught Legplates which will grant us a very strong DPS output before entering a 25-man raid.
As a next-best alternative, you can use either the Leggings of Discord or the Leggings of Innumerable Barbs as either of them grant powerful stats such as Expertise Rating and Critical Strike Chance alongside solid baseline stats.
Legplates of Bloody Reprisal will be a very strong option even if they only have a single secondary stat, as they gain 90 Armor Penetration. However, it may take a bit of a grind until you manage to get Exalted with The Wyrmrest Temple.
If you choose not to farm reputation, you can choose to use either Legplates of Steel Implants or Legplates of the Oculus Guardian for an initial option right after achieving level 80 as they will grant solid baseline stats, even if they do not grant amazing secondary stats.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Thaddius, Gluth (25) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10 Drop) |
For the Pre-Raid phase, the best option will remain the BiS from the first phase of the expansion, namely the Valorous Dreadnaught Legplates. This is due to the high baseline stats combined with a high Expertise Rating.
The next-best option will be the Legplates of Double Strikes, especially due to their high Expertise Rating and high Armor Penetration. As a valid alternative, you can use the Heroes’ Dreadnaught Legplates which is a direct downgrade of Valorous Dreadnaught Legplates.
You can also use Infectious Skitterer Leggings or the Belabored Legplates as a decent initial choice due to the stats they offer, however, the DPS output that they offer will be vastly inferior.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg – Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) |
Depending on your current items, you can choose between two items as your BiS for the “Legs” slot. You can choose between either the Legguards of Cunning Deception or the Plated Leggings of Ruination as your BiS item. The items present themselves with only a slight DPS output difference, with the Legguards of Cunning Deception being the better option. This is mainly due to the extremely high baseline stats, three gem sockets, and high Armor Penetration rating that it offers.
As a valid alternative, you can use the Legplates of the Violet Champion, as they have solid baseline stats combined with the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stats.
For a more beginning option, you can use either Legplates of Double Strikes or Fused Alloy Legplates as valid options before you can gain an upgrade. The Legplates of Double Strikes are extremely potent, especially due to the high Expertise Rating and high Armor Penetration that they offer. They are also extremely accessible since you can gain them from Naxxramas 25.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) (BoE) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Zuramat the Obliterator (Heroic) | |
Knights of the Ebon Blade – Exalted |
As a fresh level 80, you have plenty of choices when it comes to the “Boots” slot. The best possible choice for this slot early on will be the Iron-Spring Jumpers. This is mainly due to its very high stats combined with the much-needed Hit Rating and Armor Penetration along with the fact that this item is a BoE and can be easily accessible.
As the next-best alternative from a pure DPS output perspective will be the Ravaging Sabatons. This is mainly due to the decent baseline stats, and the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stat combination.
Other viable options will be The Obliterator Greaves or the Death-Inured Sabatons, both of which grant you a decent amount of baseline stats and strong offensive secondary stats such as Critical Strike Chance, Armor Penetration, and Haste Rating.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) (BoE) |
In the Pre-Raid phase, you only have access to two suitable items. The best possible choice will be the Melancholy Sabatons, especially due to the high Armor Penetration it offers.
As a solid alternative, especially if you severely lack Hit Rating, you can use the Iron-Spring Jumpers. The item grants strong baseline stats along with plenty of Armor Penetration. This item is especially strong since it is a BoE as well, allowing you to gain a strong item early on.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) |
The best possible option for this slot will be the Sabatons of Lifeless Night, as they have extremely high baseline stats, gem sockets, and Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats. Even though they do not present themselves with any Armor Penetration, they will provide a strong DPS output.
The next-best option will be the Melancholy Sabatons, especially due to the high Armor Penetration rating that it grants. Even if the baseline stats are not that high, the secondary stats will grant you a very high DPS output.
Battlelord’s Plate Boots will be an appropriate alternative, especially since they are a craftable item and easily accessible. The combination of baseline stats and a high Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating.
As a decent initial choice in case you don’t have access to any of the previously mentioned items, you can use the Boots of the Underdweller, especially since it grants you a much-needed Hit Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (10)/Heroic +Dungeons | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Gundrak – Gal’darah (Heroic) | |
Azjol-Nerub – Anub’ar Warrior |
As a fresh level 80, you will have several possible options for your “Ring” slots. Due to the addition of the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, you can now gain access to a lot of powerful rings early on.
The most powerful combination that you can gain will be the Surge Needle Ring and Circle of Death. This is mainly due to the high baseline stats that they offer paired up with the Critical Strike Chance and Hit Rating, and Expertise Rating that they offer.
Sealing Ring of Grobbulus is a very good alternative as it grants similar DPS output to the Circle of Death.
As a very easily accessed alternative, you can use the Titanium Impact Band, as it will grant you good baseline stats paired up with Armor Penetration.
For a very easy beginner choice, if you don’t plan on buying a BoE, you can go to Heroic Dungeons and gain initial items such as the Hemorrhaging Circle or the Stained-Glass Shard Ring which will grant you a decent DPS output.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (10)/Heroic +Dungeons |
For the Pre-Raid phase of Phase 2, you can use the previous BiS rings, namely the Greatring of Collision and Ring of Invincibility. They will provide you with a great combination of Critical Strike Chance, Haste Rating, and Armor Penetration for the best possible DPS output.
As a strong alternative, you can use Ruthlessness to gain a similar overall DPS output. This is mainly due to the Strength baseline stat and the Expertise Rating that the ring offers.
Alternatively, you can use items such as the Sealing Ring of Grobbulus or the Surge Needle Ring but they will provide you with an overall lower DPS output.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – Heroic: All is Well That Ends Well | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (10) | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) |
The best ring combinations for Phase 2 will be the Seal of the Betrayed King and Brann’s Signet Ring. This is mainly due to their very high baseline stats combined with very strong secondary stats. You will mainly want to keep Seal of the Betrayed King as your main ring while swapping the other ring in case you can’t get Brann’s Signet Ring.
As valid alternatives, you can use the Loop of the Agile or Metallic Loop of the Sufferer as they both grant similar DPS output. The Strength of the Automaton will be a great choice if you can’t manage to supplement your build with enough Expertise Rating, raising your overall DPS output by quite a hefty amount.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – King Dred (Heroic) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) |
The best possible trinket options that you can gain as a fresh level 80 Arms Warrior will be the Darkmoon Card: Greatness and Mirror of Truth. While the Mirror of Truth may take a while to farm, the Darkmoon Card: Greatness should be gained as fast as possible from the Auction House as it severely enhances your DPS output.
As viable alternatives, you can go through a dungeon crawl in order to gain items such as the Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood and Loatheb’s Shadow that provide you with a decent DPS output.
If you can’t gain any of the previously mentioned items, you could opt for weaker alternatives such as the Incisor Fragment or Meteorite Whetstone as initial choices. Those two trinkets will not prove to be a major upgrade, however, they are decent enough for the Phase 1 25-man raids.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (Multiple Bosses) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) |
The best trinket combination that you can use in the Pre-Raid phase will be the Grim Toll and Darkmoon Card: Greatness trinkets. The combination of a high Strength Rating and very high Armor Penetration will grant the best DPS output.
As valid alternatives, you can use Mirror of Truth or Fury of the Five Flights as their buffs are quite similar in terms of raw damage granted by the buff uptime.
Whatever you do, it is important to understand that Darkmoon Card: Greatness will be one of the strongest items that you can use throughout the majority of the expansion.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Thorim (10) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) |
The best possible trinket combinations for Phase 2 will be the Mjolnir Runestone and Dark Matter. This is mainly due to the very high Armor Penetration granted by Mjolnir Runestone and the very high Critical Strike Chance granted by the Dark Matter.
The next-best alternative will be the Darkmoon Card: Greatness, granting you a very high Strength Rating. In terms of pure DPS output, this item is very close to Dark Matter.
As solid alternatives, you can use either Comet’s Trail or Wrathstone as they are extremely close in DPS output.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
The Knights of the Ebon Blade – Revered |
As a fresh level 80 Arms Warrior, you have access to quite some interesting weapons, especially with the addition of the new Heroic Plus Dungeons.
The most optimal choice would be to use 2x Colossal Skull-Clad Cleaver as it grants you the best DPS output. However, if you feel like you don’t want to spam the Halls of Lightning to gain the weapon, you may choose to venture in the new Heroic Plus Dungeons and gain either Claymore of Ancient Power or Demise as their overall DPS output is similar.
Before you can manage to get in Heroic Dungeons or the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, you may choose to get the Titansteel Destroyer from the Auction House and the Runeblade of Demonstrable Power from the Knights of the Ebon Blade as both weapons will grant you a very solid baseline stats boost and DPS output.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) |
By far the best weapon that you can acquire in the Pre-Raid phase will remain the Betrayer of Humanity, granting you a very high baseline DPS output.
Each of the subsequent alternatives is a direct downgrade, offering you a gradual DPS decrease of around 200-400 according to multiple simulations.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (25) | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (10) | |
Ulduar – Ignis the Furnace Master (25) |
By far the best weapons that you can acquire for Phase 2 as a Arms Warrior will be 2 x Voldrethar, Dark Blade of Oblivion. This is mainly due to the extremely high baseline stats, gem sockets, and the combination of high Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration that the weapon offers.
As the next-best alternative, you can use Aesir’s Edge which is a downgraded option of Voldrethar, granting you similar stats and DPS output.
If you can’t gain access to any of those two items, you can use either Stormrune Edge, Hammer of Crushing Whispers, or Worldcarver as alternatives. Their overall damage output is considerably lower, however, they will make for proper weapons until you can gain access to those two powerful mentioned swords.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) | |
Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom – Amanitar (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80 Arms Warrior, you have several interesting choices. You can either choose to directly buy a BoE item such as the Nesingwary 4000, granting you a strong start or you can go through a dungeon crawl in order to gain several strong options.
With the addition of the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, you can gain strong items such as the Nerubian Conquerer very early in the gearing process, granting you a strong DPS output due to the boost in baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance.
Alternatively, you can use the Drake-Mounted Crossbow as it grants you very similar stats.
If you do not intend to buy the BoE item and can’t gain access to the Heroic Plus Dungeons, you can use the Amanitar Skullbow as an initial item.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) |
For the Pre-Raid phase of the expansion, you will want to maintain the Envoy of Mortality as your primary choice. This is mainly due to the high Critical Strike Chance that it offers and the high baseline stats.
As the next-best option, you can use the Final Voyage since it grants a similar DPS output to the Envoy of Mortality.
As viable alternatives, you can use Nerubian Conquerer or Drake-Mounted Crossbow, as they both have very similar DPS output.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (10) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) |
Without a doubt, with the new Phase 2 items, Twirling Blade becomes the best item that you can acquire for your ranged slot, beating Giant’s Bane in terms of raw DPS. However, their DPS output can be considered very similar, with only a slight damage difference.
The next best alternative to Giant’s Bane will be the Siren’s Cry, granting you a solid combination of baseline stats alongside Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating as secondary stats.
Lastly, the Skyforge Crossbow will provide a solid option in case your Hit Rating requires a small boost. However, the item is inferior to Siren’s Cry in terms of pure DPS output.
About the Author
Why would you go with Titansteel Destroyer when you can get Colossal Skull-Clad Cleaver. Poleaxe spec is better then mac spe.
hey,
Why do we use Grim Toll and Mirror of Truth over the Darmoon Card?
I havent lol im rocking undeath and madness even at 80… Also Greatness Definately is BIS
Pre bis ranged weapon can definitely be the zombie sweeper shotgun for having revered at argent crusade tbh.