PvE Balance Druid Best in Slot (BiS) & Pre-Raid Gear

Author: bobodingo
Date: June 20, 2023
Expansion: WotLK Classic

Balance Druid Overview

Talents, Builds & Glyphs

Gems, Enchants & Consumables

Rotation & Cooldowns

Best Professions

Best in Slot (BiS) & Pre-Raid Gear

Addons & Macros

Best-in-Slot

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.

It is important to remember that Best in Slot lists are not one size fits all, that just isn’t how the game works. The best set for a guild that kills a boss in 70 seconds will be different from the list for a guild that kills a boss in 120 seconds. An Alliance player and a Horde player will have different priorities and buffs. Your mileage will vary always.

This guide is divided into two sections. The first section is three basic lists, providing you full sets for a fresh level 80 pre-raid, a level 80 preparing for their first foray into Trial of the Crusader, and an example of ideal gear to aspire to from Trial of the Crusader. The second section provides more alternatives for each slot, giving an example of gear progression between these three areas of gearing. These lists include Heroic++, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Beta, which drops gear from 10-man Ulduar and Naxxramas. As well as Heroic+, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Alpha, which drops gear from 10-man Naxxramas, as well as regular Heroic gear.

Note: This list may change over time with patches or new information. This list is an educated guess based on information available at the time of writing.

Best-in-Slot

Fresh 80
Pre-Ulduar
Phase 2
Phase 3

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

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This will be your best option for this slot.

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This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This combination of rings will be your best option.

If you are lacking hit or don’t want to spend your Emblems, Mark of the War Prisoner is a very solid alternative piece.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This combination of rings will be your best option.

dying-curse is highly contested, but it is very strong.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be your best option for this slot.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Depending on your other gear and if you are Alliance with the extra 1% hit buff, you may want to swap between Sapphire Amulet or Pendant of Fiery Havoc.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Depending on your other gear and if you are Alliance with the extra 1% hit buff, you may want to swap between Drape or Sunglimmer.

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.

Valanyr is actually your Best in Slot weapon, but it is very unlikely that most DPS will be able to get their hands on it, so Starshard is the next best thing.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Make sure you use Tier here, you definitely want the 4 piece.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Make sure you use Tier here, you definitely want the 4 piece.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Make sure you use Tier here, you definitely want the 4 piece.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Make sure you use Tier here, you definitely want the 4 piece.

This will be the best option for this slot.

Legs are the best slot to forgo Tier in, with a handful of worthwhile options to consider here.

This will be the best option for this slot.

These will be the best options for this slot.

A holdover from Ulduar, Flare of the Heavens will definitely do some heavy lifting for Phase 3. If you didn’t get your hands on one yet, pay Vezax a visit.

These will be the best options for these slots.

Your mileage might vary here. Some druids will prefer Idol of the Shooting Star if they don’t keep Moonfire up enough to get value out of Idol of Lunar Fury. With 2 pieces of Tier 9 you will likely want Moonfire up most of the time.

Progressive Best-in Slot

Phase 3

Fresh 80

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Cover	Heroic++
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Cover	Heroic+
Enamored Cowl	Heroic+
Greensight Gogs	Engineering

While regular Heroic dungeons do provide plenty of decent Head items, the ones from Heroic+ will typically knock them out of the water, especially if they allow you to have a Meta gem where you wouldn’t otherwise. Even better, Heroic++ gives you the opportunity to work towards your Tier 8 set bonuses.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Cover	Heroic++
Valorous Dreamwalker Cover	naxxramas – kelthuzad
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Cover	Heroic+
Gothik’s Cowl	naxxramas – gothik-the-harvester & gluth

Even with Naxxramas options available, nothing will quite beat Tier 8 yet. Not yet at least.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
Conqueror’s Nightsong Cover	ulduar – thorim
Valorous Nightsong Cover	Heroic++

The Tier 8 available from Heroic++ finally gets dethroned by… Well Tier 8, but cooler Tier 8.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Tier 9 will be your priority here. You want to reach the set bonuses ASAP. If you have Tier 8, I recommend trying to maintain 2 piece Tier 8 and 2 piece Tier 9 until you have the full 4 piece Tier 9.

Onyxia drops solid helmets, which are good by themselves, but they do not contribute to your set bonuses so they are usually not worth grabbing.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
pendant-of-the-shallow-grave	Heroic++
chain-of-the-ancient-wyrm	Heroic+
necklace-of-the-glittering-chamber	Heroic+
circle-of-arcane-streams	Heroic+
chain-of-latent-energies	naxxramas – Trash BoE

Players wanting a quick start can grab chain-of-latent-energies off the Auction House, but it generally won’t be worth the money for most. Instead I recommend just doing Heroic+ and grabbing one of the many potential neck items.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
pendant-of-the-shallow-grave	Heroic++
wyrmrest-necklace-of-power	heroic-judgment-at-the-eye-of-eternity
cosmic-lights	naxxramas – sapphiron
thunderstorm-amulet	naxxramas – Shared Drop

None of the Heroic+ options last through this far, but wyrmrest-necklace-of-power is a guaranteed drop each run of Naxxramas, allowing you to potentially scoop one up early, especially if you are doing Soft Reserve runs.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
pendant-of-the-shallow-grave	Heroic++
pendant-of-fiery-havoc	ulduar – flame-leviathan
sapphire-amulet-of-renewal	ulduar – The Iron Assembly
wyrmrest-necklace-of-power	heroic-judgment-at-the-eye-of-eternity
unblinking-eye	ulduar – The Iron Assembly

While both sapphire-amulet-of-renewal and pendant-of-fiery-havoc are fantastic items, they are also item level 252 gear from Hard Modes, making them highly contested between all casters. On the other hand, pendant-of-the-shallow-grave has everything you could want from an item, and is available without ever stepping foot into a raid.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

All the options here are going to be solid, so don’t stress about getting Cry of the Val’kyr early. There are plenty of bigger ticket items to focus your efforts on.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Mantle	Heroic++
amice-of-inconceivable-horror	Heroic++
Valorous Dreamwalker Mantle	Sold for 60 emblem-of-valor naxxramas – loatheb & gluth
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Mantle	Heroic+
miasma-mantle	Heroic+
Spaulders of the Monstrosity	Heroic+

Before ever stepping foot in a raid, you may be able to buy Valorous Dreamwalker Mantle for emblem-of-valor, but 60 Valor is a pretty steep ask, so you’ll be better off settling for a Heroic+ option and grabbing an upgrade in Naxxramas later.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Mantle	Heroic++
amice-of-inconceivable-horror	Heroic++
Valorous Dreamwalker Mantle	Sold for 60 emblem-of-valor naxxramas – loatheb & gluth
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Mantle	Heroic+
mantle-of-the-corrupted	naxxramas – The Four Horsemen

amice-of-inconceivable-horror is way stronger than it has any right to be, but Tier 8 comes with amazing set bonuses.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
Shoulderpads of Dormant Energies	ulduar – flame-leviathan
Conqueror’s Nightsong Mantle	ulduar – yogg-saron
Valorous Nightsong Mantle	Heroic++

Shoulderpads of Dormant Energies is a very solid piece, but again, you will likely want to grab Tier 8 as soon as possible.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Tier 9 will be your priority here. You want to reach the set bonuses ASAP. If you have Tier 8, I recommend trying to maintain 2 piece Tier 8 and 2 piece Tier 9 until you have the full 4 piece Tier 9.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
drape-of-the-messenger	Heroic++
disguise-of-the-kumiho	Sold for 25 emblem-of-valor
deathchill-cloak	Tailoring BoE
shroud-of-the-citadel	Heroic+
dark-shroud-of-the-scourge	Heroic+

The Tailoring cloaks such as deathchill-cloak are very easy grabs for most players, and if you’re lucky you may be able to get your hands on one fairly cheap at this point. Outside of spending money, disguise-of-the-kumiho only costs 25 Valor, making it an easy, guaranteed item if you don’t get anything out of Heroic+.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
drape-of-the-messenger	Heroic++
pennant-cloak	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion
cape-of-the-unworthy-wizard	naxxramas – kelthuzad
shroud-of-luminosity	naxxramas – Shared Drop

Any of these options are solid, but your best choice comes from Heroic++, so you can easily skip Naxxramas entirely.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
drape-of-mortal-downfall	ulduar – Assembly of Iron
drape-of-the-messenger	Heroic++
sunglimmer-cloak	ulduar – algalon-the-observer

If you can’t manage to get your hands on an Ulduar hard mode option, your trusty drape-of-the-messenger will keep you warm at night.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Aethas’ Intensity is a big step above the competition, but also requires near perfect execution of the raid, making it an unlikely option for most players. Any of the other choices here will be solid in the meantime.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
valorous-nightsong-vestments	Heroic++
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Vestments	Heroic+
gown-of-the-spell-weaver	Heroic+
Gown of Blaumeux	Heroic+

Heroic+ offers quite a few different options here, but Heroic++ allows you to start working towards Tier 8 set bonuses, so grab it if you can!

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
valorous-nightsong-vestments	Heroic++
Valorous Dreamwalker Vestments	naxxramas – The Four Horsemen
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Vestments	Heroic+
Gown of the Spell-Weaver	Heroic+

Even with Naxxramas offering some solid options, Tier 8 will almost certainly be the winner if you can get it.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
Vestments of the Blind Denizen	ulduar – vezax
Raiments of the Iron Council	ulduar – Assembly of Iron
Conqueror’s Nightsong Vestments	ulduar – hodir
valorous-nightsong-vestments	Heroic++

Surely surprising no one by now, you’ll want to grab the Tier Chest to make sure you can get your 4-piece bonus. There are other pieces that individually are a solid chunk better, but the set bonuses are hard to give up.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Tier sets will always be there to hold you on lonely nights. Grab Tier 9 as soon as you can, but avoid the variant that comes exclusively from Emblems, saving for the Trophy version instead.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
combustion-bracers	Heroic++
wraps-of-the-astral-traveler	Sold for 60 emblem-of-valor
preceptors-bindings	Heroic+
resurgent-phantom-bindings	Heroic+

If you have been unlucky doing Heroic++ you can buy wraps-of-the-astral-traveler for 60 Valor, but if you do manage to get another option I would recommend not spending your Valor here. Alternatively, wraps-of-the-astral-traveler are also Bind on Equip, so you can buy them on the Auction House, or even buy them on another character and send them over if you have Valor to spare.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
combustion-bracers	Heroic++
Esteemed Bindings	naxxramas – instructor-razuvious & gluth
unsullied-cuffs	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion
bindings-of-the-expansive-mind	naxxramas – instructor-razuvious & gluth

Like most slots, Heroic++ has the winning piece. Players willing to saunter into Naxxramas again can grab a few different options though.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
grasps-of-reason	ulduar – xt-002-deconstructor
unsullied-cuffs	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion
Bracers of the Broodmother	ulduar – razorscale
bracers-of-unleashed-magic	ulduar – kologarn

Ulduar has a lot of solid options for you to grab, so take your pick.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Trial of the Crusader has a lot to choose from, and you can’t really go wrong with any choice. Players with more Gold than they could possibly need may want to consider picking up Bejeweled Wizard’s Bracers from a Tailor.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
pulsar-gloves	Heroic++
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Gloves	Heroic+
Ebonweave Gloves	Tailoring
gloves-of-dark-gestures	Heroic+
gloves-of-glistening-runes	Heroic The Nexus – Keristrasza

pulsar-gloves are absolutely fantastic, so if you can get your hands on them, you should. Tier 8 gloves can be used if you want to reach a set bonus, but they are otherwise not great by themselves.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
pulsar-gloves	Heroic++
Valorous Dreamwalker Gloves	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Gloves	Heroic+
gloves-of-grandeur	naxxramas – sapphiron

Valorous Dreamwalker Gloves are solid, but again, pulsar-gloves just shreds the competition.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
pharos-gloves	ulduar – algalon-the-observer
pulsar-gloves	Heroic++
Gloves of the Frozen Glade	ulduar – hodir

Pharos Gloves are obscenely strong, and will be the strongest option even during Phase 3 if you aren’t using Tier gloves. If you are going to replace them anyway with Tier 9 gloves, you may want to consider just sticking with pulsar-gloves.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Nothing beats your Tier bonuses, but if this slot isn’t going to hit a set bonus just yet, stick with Pharos Gloves.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
binding-of-the-dragon-matriarch	Heroic++
plush-sash-of-guzbah	Sold for 40 emblem-of-heroism
agonal-sash	Heroic+
sash-of-mortal-desire	Heroic+

Any Heroic+ belt will likely be just fine, but if you want to guarantee getting one you can spend Emblems on plush-sash-of-guzbah.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
binding-of-the-dragon-matriarch	Heroic++
leash-of-heedless-magic	the-eye-of-eternity – Malygos
cincture-of-polarity	naxxramas – thaddius & gluth
belt-of-false-dignity	naxxramas – grand-widow-faerlina & gluth

If you can get your hands on binding-of-the-dragon-matriarch you’lll absolutely be set. If not, Naxxramas has plenty of great belts.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
starwatchers-binding	ulduar – algalon-the-observer
sash-of-ancient-power	Tailoring BoE
Star-beaded Clutch	ulduar – algalon-the-observer

Ulduar, Auction House, or Emblems. Pick your poison, no matter what there is a way to get a solid belt.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

There are a lot of good belts in Trial of the Crusader, and none of them stand highly above the others. Grab whatever you can get your hands on and you’ll be golden.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Trousers	Heroic++
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Trousers	Heroic+
leggings-of-sapphiron	Heroic+
Leggings of the Instructor	Heroic+

Tier 8 legs are absolutely going to be your best choice, putting you one step closer to your set bonuses.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
Valorous Nightsong Trousers	Heroic++
leggings-of-the-wanton-spellcaster	the-eye-of-eternity – Malygos
leggings-of-atrophy	naxxramas – anubrekhan & gluth
Valorous Dreamwalker Trousers	naxxramas – thaddius & gluth
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Trousers	Heroic+
Legguards of the Boneyard	naxxramas – sapphiron

Again, Tier 8 is a simple winner. Phase 1 raids do offer a lot of other potential options though, so if you aren’t aiming for set bonuses, you have a lot of choice.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
Conqueror’s Nightsong Trousers	ulduar – freya
Valorous Nightsong Trousers	Heroic++
leggings-of-the-enslaved-idol	ulduar – freya

We love our Tier 8 and these fashionable pants are a solid piece of the 4-set puzzle.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Legs are the weakest piece of Tier 9, so ideally you will want to skip Runetotem’s Trousers of Triumph. Most leg options from Phase 3 will be solid gap fillers, and you can even use this slot for Tier 8 to keep 2 piece until you have 4 pieces of Tier 9 elsewhere.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
treads-of-the-false-oracle	Heroic++
Footsteps of Malygos	Heroic+
xintors-expeditionary-boots	Sold for 40 emblem-of-valor
sandals-of-crimson-fury	Wyrmrest Accord Exalted

xintors-expeditionary-boots is one of my preferred pieces to spend Valor on, having a solid amount of Hit and avoiding a potentially pricey alternative from Phase 1 raids. If you have other plans for your Emblems, sandals-of-crimson-fury are a great, guaranteed item from reputation.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
treads-of-the-false-oracle	Heroic++
Footsteps of Malygos	Heroic+
arcanic-tramplers	the-eye-of-eternity – Malygos
boots-of-impetuous-ideals	naxxramas – loatheb & gluth
boots-of-forlorn-wishes	naxxramas – instructor-razuvious & gluth

Both arcanic-tramplers and boots-of-impetuous-ideals are Bind on Equip, making them purchasable options but also potentially very expensive options. If you aren’t looking to burn your Gold, look towards Heroic++ and Heroic+.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
treads-of-the-false-oracle	ulduar – yogg-saron
spellslingers-slippers	Tailoring BoE
starlight-treads	Heroic++
boots-of-fiery-resolution	ulduar – flame-leviathan

Plenty of solid options available here. If you aren’t interested in picking any of those up, spellslingers-slippers can be crafted or bought for a not-so-small sum.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Another slot where no choice is the wrong choice. Grab what you can get.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
nebula-band	Heroic++
Shimmering Seal	Heroic++
signet-of-soft-lament	Heroic++
signet-of-the-malevolent	Heroic+
band-of-channeled-magic	Sold for 25 emblem-of-valor
ring-of-the-fated	Heroic+
titanium-spellshock-ring	Jewelcrafting BoE

Heroic++ comes with a whole host of fantastic rings, you can’t go wrong. Outside of Heroic++, grabbing band-of-channeled-magic for your Emblems is a solid choice. Alongside that, signet-of-the-malevolent can be found in Heroic+ and is a very strong option.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
nebula-band	Heroic++
Shimmering Seal	Heroic++
signet-of-soft-lament	Heroic++
lost-jewel	naxxramas – Shared Drop
signet-of-manifested-pain	naxxramas – kelthuzad
Ring of Decaying Beauty	naxxramas – sapphiron
Band of Channeled Magic	Sold for 25 emblem-of-valor

Even with Phase 1 raiding thrown into the mix, Heroic++ still easily beats the competition.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
nebula-band	Heroic++
conductive-seal	ulduar – mimiron
Shimmering Seal	Heroic++
pyrelight-circle	ulduar – ignis-the-furnace-master
inscribed-signet-of-the-kirin-tor	Sold by Harold Winston for 1250 Requires kirin-tor-signet
signet-of-soft-lament	Heroic++

I mean it when I say the Heroic++ Rings are absurdly strong. You can easily use nebula-band all the way into Phase 4.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Even with everything available from Phase 3, Nebula Band stands strong. Paired with Lurid Manifestation for a very powerful combination.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
eye-of-the-broodmother	Heroic++
embrace-of-the-spider	Heroic+
sundial-of-the-exiled	Sold for 40 emblem-of-heroism
mark-of-the-war-prisoner	Heroic The Violet Hold – Cyanigosa
pendulum-of-telluric-currents	Heroic The Oculus – Mage-Lord Urom
Je’Tze’s Bell	BoE World Drop

mark-of-the-war-prisoner is an outstanding way to get Hit rating, alongside a rare on-use effect. If you can grab embrace-of-the-spider from Heroic+ it is a great temporary option, but you’ll want to replace it as you progress. sundial-of-the-exiled is a very good way to spend any Heroism you may have, which can still be gained by doing quests in Icecrown.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
eye-of-the-broodmother	Heroic++
dying-curse	naxxramas – Shared Drop
Sundial of the Exiled	Sold for 40 emblem-of-heroism
Extract of Necromantic Power	naxxramas – sapphiron
illustration-of-the-dragon-soul	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion

dying-curse is a top notch option if you can make use of its stats.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
scale-of-fates	ulduar – thorim
flare-of-the-heavens	ulduar – general-vezax
eye-of-the-broodmother	Heroic++
living-flame	ulduar – razorscale
illustration-of-the-dragon-soul	the-obsidian-sanctum – sartharion
Elemental Focus Stone	Heroic++
Pandora’s Plea	ulduar – mimiron

Trinkets in Ulduar are highly contested, as well as being limited. living-flame is an upgraded mark-of-the-war-prisoner. flare-of-the-heavens is obviously your best option, but it is contested to match. scale-of-fates is a very powerful on-use trinket, allowing you to match burst phases.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Reign of the Dead is a clear winner in Phase 3, but will be appropriately contested by other casters. Try your best to get your hands on it, even if it means taking hits in other slots.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
aesuga-hand-of-the-ardent-champion	Heroic++
icecore-staff	Heroic++
hammer-of-the-astral-plane	Heroic+
the-soulblade	Heroic+
blade-of-dormant-memories	Heroic+
greatstaff-of-the-nexus	Heroic+

Any of these are going to be a great upgrade for a Fresh 80, and you can easily bring most of them with you into Phase 3.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
aesuga-hand-of-the-ardent-champion	Heroic++
icecore-staff	Heroic++
torch-of-holy-fire	naxxramas – kelthuzad
haunting-call	naxxramas – Trash Drop
damnation	naxxramas – Four Horsemen

Getting your hands on torch-of-holy-fire could be a solid upgrade, but it is handily beaten by Heroic++ weapons.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
valanyr-hammer-of-ancient-kings	ulduar
starshard-edge	ulduar – algalon-the-observer
staff-of-endless-winter	ulduar – hodir
aesuga-hand-of-the-ardent-champion	Heroic++
soulscribe	ulduar – yogg-saron
icecore-staff	Heroic++

Here it is. The worst possible slot in Phase 2. The absolute best option is valanyr-hammer-of-ancient-kings. Unfortunately, this is very unlikely to go to a DPS. The obvious next choice is starshard-edge, but this is the clear winner for every caster DPS, so getting it is going to be rough.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Phase 3 brings with it a good deal of weapon options. Even if you can’t get your hands on the best of the best, there are plenty of other options to tide you over until then.

Fresh 80

Item	Source
igniter-rod	Heroic++
ward-of-the-violet-citadel	Sold for 25 emblem-of-heroism
watchful-eye	Heroic+

Any of these will be a great compliment to your one-hander.

Pre-Ulduar

Item	Source
igniter-rod	Heroic++
Accursed Spine	naxxramas – noth-the-plaguebringer & gluth
surplus-limb	naxxramas – patchwerk & gluth

There aren’t many off-hand upgrades available in Naxxramas, but surplus-limb could be an upgrade from what you came in with.

Phase 2 Best-in-Slot

Item	Source
cosmos	ulduar – algalon-the-observer
igniter-rod	Heroic++
ironmender	ulduar – kologarn

Any of these are solid, but cosmos absolutely outclasses the competition.

Phase 3 Best-in-Slot

Wow Alliance Crest

Once again, Phase 3 brings the goods. Almost any offhand from Trial of the Crusader will be a great piece and enough to last you until next Phase.

Idols are rarely found in raids, instead being available with Emblems.

Item	Source
Idol of the Shooting Star	25 emblem-of-valor
Idol of Lunar Fury	25 emblem-of-triumph
Idol of Steadfast Renewal	25 emblem-of-heroism
Idol of the Crying Wind	ulduar – kologarn

Idol of Lunar Fury is a winner if combined with Tier 9 set bonuses and decent uptime on Moonfire. By itself though, Idol of the Shooting Star is the better option, providing flat Spell Power in all situations.

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bobodingo

Sup yall! My name is Bobodingo and I've been playing wow since its release. I'm an avid player trying to make some good, quality content and share my ideas with the rest of the WoW community. I'm always down to have a conversation and bounce ideas off each other!

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Kes

#5822

1 year ago

Hey there, I’m curious why Damnation is better than Torch of Holy Fire + Matriarch’s Spawn? Swapping those weapons puts Haste at 574 with significantly more SP.

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5824

Reply to Kes

1 year ago

So you are actually correct and that is my mistake on the guide. I ended up mis prioing some of the items on this BiS list and I’m changing it as we speak. I ended up prioing the caps and making sure i hit them perfectly which just isn’t possible unless you sacrifice a ton of extra SP

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Renray

#5939

1 year ago

Hi, the eightyupgrades link you have for the phase 1 BiS set is extremely misleading. You have six different professions slotted for upgrades in your gear. You have Engineering enchants, Ring Enchants, Inscription shoulders, Jewelcrafting specific gems, Leatherworking bracers enchant, and Tailoring enchants.

This is super misleading. It would be beneficial to pick the two BiS professions (Engineering and Tailoring) and remove all the other excess. Your set has almost 200 additional spellpower which is completely unobtainable. You also don’t have a gem in your belt which is obtainable by anyone through a belt buckle.

This is an extremely sloppy BiS list. It looks like very little thought or effort went into this.

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5967

Reply to Renray

1 year ago

I appreciate the criticism. You are in fact correct about how their is a ton of SP that’s added and can’t be used by the majority of players but I made the 80 upgrades as a sample build and everyone can feel free to just copy and remove/change the list as they see fit. By adding all these professions already, it’s a lot easier Just remove what they know they can’t use. The 80 upgrades is meant to be a sample and not the final end all be all as that sometimes isn’t a possibility based on prios and how each person wants to run their character. There will also be people who will level a profession and then drop it and will obtain the extra 200sp after they enchant rings, shoulder enchants, ect. In reality this is a possible BiS list for some players and I want to make sure everyone can see the potential for the boomkin.

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Breaze

#7549

Reply to bobodingo

10 months ago

I agree with this take! I enjoyed having them all. The professions page is great! It really broke it down, exactly what I was looking for. More info = better

Last edited 10 months ago by Breaze

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Shadistro

#6722

11 months ago

Should we not be getting the tier gloves and chest form the Heroism vender?

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#6854

Reply to Shadistro

11 months ago

Great question, you absolutely can and I would recommend it but if your just trying to jump right into Raids and not do heroics for a week, this is what you want to be going for!

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lukashi

#6840

11 months ago

why do u choose this mace over the kt one?

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#6855

Reply to lukashi

11 months ago

Great question! Well first off, it will probably go to healers first, so if your in an LC chances are you won’t score it till later. Second off, the KT mace has haste we don’t really need. The impossible dream has the same amount of SP and has the same Crit but has spirt. As I’m sure you know, spirit = spell power so it’s actually better to have the spell power then unused haste.

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Struff

#9703

6 months ago

Wrong leggings u put the feral leggings in the bislist, also arnt this list way under the hitcap? imean i got like 270 and its 10.29% hit and then u have 3% from FF and 4% from spec.since u need about 17% to be capped

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Passion(@passion)

Editor

#9720

Reply to Struff

6 months ago

Head = 64 Hit
Back = 46 Hit
Weapon = 44 Hit
OH = 58 Hit
Legs = 63 Hit

Ends up at 275 Hit Rating, or 10.48%
Imp. FF/Misery give 3%, putting you at 13.48%
Balance of Power gives 4%, putting you at 17.48%, 0.48% over the hit cap.

The Phase 2 set is absolutely fine on Hit.

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Oik

#11154

2 months ago

Phase 3 BIS horde same as aliance?
so horde don’t need missing 1% hit anymore? 🙂
(acording to sims it should be Dark Essence Bindings instead of Bindings of the Autumn Willow)

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Muffins

#11173

2 months ago

Where is phase 4 bis list?

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Passion(@passion)

Editor

#11190

Reply to Muffins

2 months ago

That will be coming with Phase 4.

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Rootnshoot

#5678

1 year ago

this set is actually better https://eightyupgrades.com/set/jR1Xjn9JXbTUgEJZB5Nzag

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5679

Reply to Rootnshoot

1 year ago

Might I ask why?

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Rootnshoot

#5680

Reply to bobodingo

1 year ago

better SP, better crit, better haste?

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5681

Reply to Rootnshoot

1 year ago

So if you are to refer to the stat prior page (https://www.warcrafttavern.com/wotlk/guides/pve-balance-druid-stat-priority/) you will find that there are caps to stats like haste. As of right now, 80 upgrades does not have raid buffs built in so, you need to accommodate for that. Once you add raid buffs to your list you linked above, you will find you are over-the-haste cap, which will hurt your DPS quite a lot. Also, the set I put together does have a little less SP but 2% more crit which is way more important of a stat as that dictates the switches between eclipse phases.

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Rootnshoot

#5683

Reply to bobodingo

1 year ago

But most good raid comp will only have a spellhance so you won’t get wrath of air totem, therefore I’m far from the 585 haste soft cap:

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5686

Reply to Rootnshoot

1 year ago

Wrath of air becomes raid wide in wrath

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Rootnshoot

#5688

Reply to bobodingo

1 year ago

I know but won’t spellhance put down windfury totem? so you won’t have wrath of air on your raid

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bobodingo(@bobodingo)

Author

#5689

Reply to Rootnshoot

1 year ago

Frost DK has icy talons and that is far better and sadly they do not stack.

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Jamielolx(@jamielolx)

#5576

1 year ago

Idol of the unseen moon

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Disco

#7881

Reply to Jamielolx

9 months ago

That Item is hot garbage and should not be used in any of the first 2 phases

Last edited 9 months ago by Disco

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