- Author: Nevermore
- Date: June 19, 2023
- 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 is divided into two sections. The first section is 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.
Heroic++, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Beta drops gear from 10-man Ulduar and Naxxramas. Heroic+, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Alpha, drops gear from 10-man Naxxramas, as well as regular Heroic gear. Future Phases are likely to add further Heroic difficulties
Best-in-Slot
Progressive Best-in Slot
Before proceeding to the in-depth part of our guide, we will grant you some very important tips that you will have to keep in mind, especially as you progress through your journey and come across many different items.
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for each separate slot. You will either be able to directly buy BoE items from the Auction House and other players, or, you will go through a progressive item hunt from Normal Dungeons, Heroic Dungeons, and the brand-new Heroic ++ Dungeons. Depending on your group, you may be able to directly join a Heroic ++ Dungeon, effectively skipping a harsh gearing process.
With the release of Phase 3 of the expansion, the new Heroic Defense Protocol Beta Dungeons will grant you both T7 and T8 items, per Boss Kill, with a guaranteed former Ulduar 10 (225) Ilvl drop.Heroic++, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Beta drops gear from 10-man Ulduar and Naxxramas. Heroic+, otherwise known as Defense Protocol Alpha, drops gear from 10-man Naxxramas, as well as regular Heroic gear. Future Phases are likely to add further Heroic difficulties
However, those dungeons no longer provide any blue gear, meaning that if you seek a particular rare (Blue) item, you will have to venture through the Heroic version of the Dungeon.
Your Pre-ToC 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.
Your Best-in-Slot items will often vary depending on the rest of your equipment and the situation you find yourself in. Depending on the class itself, the specialization, the phase you find yourself in, and the PvE encounter you currently face, your BiS items can completely change to better adjust to whichever situation you may find yourself in. In some cases, you will find a single BiS set that can be 100% functional in any situation, while in other cases, you will need to adjust your item sets from one PvE encounter to another.
The Fresh 80 set has an overall balanced stat spread with only one issue that you will have to manage by tweaking your Gem Sockets! The main issue of the Fresh 80 set is a major lack of Expertise Rating due to a lack of Expertise Rating items that can be acquired by a Fresh 80 Character without entering any actual raid!
As a Combat Rogue in this phase of the expansion, you will have a unique interaction with items that grant you Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance as secondary stats. You will find that the majority of your Best-in-Slot options will grant you a combination of Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance or Hit Rating/Armor Penetration, resulting in a large quantity of Hit Rating. This means that your Hit Rating will exceed the Soft Hit Cap by a large amount, resulting in an almost 22%-23% Hit Rating once you reach the complete BiS set.
This special interaction with Hit Rating is closely related to the way your Poisons proc and the damage resulting from your Basic Attacks!
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – The Black Knight (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
With the arrival of the third phase of the expansion and its Heroic ++ Dungeons, we now have access to a plethora of options that can suit our needs. For this slot, the gear options will be split into three main categories as a fresh level 80, with choices that range between Hit Rating, Expertise Rating, and overall damage increase through Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating.
For increasing your overall damage output, the best possible options will be either one of Mimiron’s Flight Goggles or the Valorous Terrorblade Helmet. Both options are great, however, if you manage to gain other T8 items in order to activate the T8 item-set bonuses, you should prioritize the Valorous Terrorblade Helmet.
For increasing your overall Expertise Rating, you can choose between the Guise of the Midgard Serpent and the Heroes’ Bonescythe Helmet, with the former option being stronger. This is due to the sheer amount of stats that the item grants, with the main difference between the two items being access to the T7 item-set bonuses.
As for Hit Rating options, you may choose between the Mask of Distant Memory and the Helm of the Vast Legions. The former option is stronger due to higher overall stats and the Critical Strike Chance it grants. By comparison, the Helm of the Vast Legions grants Haste Rating and lower stats, which results in an overall lower damage output.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
The best item for the Pre-Toc gearing phase is entirely dependent on your T8 4-item set bonus usage. If you choose to entirely ignore the 20% damage bonus to Rupture, your best choice will be Mimiron’s Flight Goggles. However, if you choose to use Rupture constantly, you will want to use Conqueror’s Terrorblade Helmet instead. Both items get you plenty of Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating in addition to high raw stats, making the tier set bonus access the only actual difference between the two.
The next-best alternative is Garona’s Guise. For DPS output, this item is weaker than the first two presented. However, it can supplement you with considerable amounts of Expertise Rating, making it a potent choice if you are struggling with reaching the Expertise soft cap.
Lastly, Guise of the Midgard Serpent is a viable temporary option until you manage to gain any of the previously mentioned items, as the item itself is quite a downgrade in comparison.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
75 Emblem of Triumph + 1 Trophy of the Crusade | |
Onyxia’s Lair – Onyxia (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
The best possible option for this slot in the third phase of the expansion will be VanCleef’s Helmet of Triumph/Garona’s Helmet of Triumph. This is not only due to the amazing baseline and secondary stats, with a focus on Expertise Rating, that the item has but also due to the access to the T9 item-set bonuses. Naturally, you will want to use the 245 Ilvl version of the item, VanCleef’s Helmet of Triumph/Garona’s Helmet of Triumph as the next-best alternative.
However, there is an option that will be better in terms of damage output than the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 Helmet, provided you at least have the 2-item set bonus activated from the T9 set. The Bloodfang Hood is a powerful alternative that can be even used as a better option than the 245 Ilvl of the T9 Helmet! It grants a great amount of stats with a focus on providing Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration. It is a far better option for builds that already have plenty of Expertise Rating, as you will lose a considerable amount of Expertise Rating from not using the T9 Helmet.
Both the Mimiron’s Flight Goggles and the Conqueror’s Terrorblade Helmet remain great options from the previous phase of the expansion that can still be used efficiently! This is all true, of course, if you have enough Hit Rating and Expertise Rating. However, even if their stats are completely offense-oriented, if you don’t have access to the T9 2-item set bonus, you should definitely use VanCleef’s Helmet of Conquest/Garona’s Helmet of Conquest. This is especially true even in the case in which you already have plenty of Expertise Rating, as the 2-item set bonus is simply overpowered.
On the same note, the Hood of Lethal Intent/Mask of Lethal Intent is a great alternative if you lack Hit Rating and you already have the T9 2-item set bonus activated. However, realistically, almost all your other gear slots grant you Hit Rating, meaning that you will most likely want to avoid this item.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Eadric the Pure (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Eye of Eternity 10) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
For this slot, you will have multiple viable options, depending entirely on whether you already have plenty of Hit Rating or not. The majority of options available for this slot will have a combination of either Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating or Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration as secondary stats, with only a few options deviating from this pattern.
The only available option for increasing your Hit Rating while also gaining a large amount of Armor Penetration will be the Seed of Budding Carnage. If you have issues with your Hit Rating, there is no other Necklace you can acquire as a Fresh 80 that can increase your overall Hit Rating!
Considering that all other options are specifically designed to increase your damage output, the best option you can gain is the Choker of the Abyss. The rest of the options provide a progressively lower damage output, with the Ancient Pendant of Arathor serving as the next-best alternative. The difference between the two items is only 14 DPS.
You can expect the same type of performance from the rest of the items with the Titanium Impact Choker providing the lowest damage output when compared to the Choker of the Abyss. However, the Titanium Impact Choker is the only BoE-crafted item from the list, meaning that it will be easily accessible, even if it provides a lower damage output.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) HM | |
For the Pre-Toc gearing phase, there are two powerful options that you can seek from the previous phase of the expansion, with one of them being very close to the Phase 3 BiS. Due the changes done to Ulduar’s items, the Pendulum of Infinity becomes the most powerful item that you can acquire for the neck slot, even if it does not grant Armor Penetration. Its high raw stats, high Critical Strike Chance, and Haste Rating provide the best DPS output.
The next viable alternatives are either Seed of Budding Carnage or Nymph Heart Charm, with Seed of Budding Carnage being the clear superior choice for its Armor Penetration and its high stats. Nymph Heart Charm is a better choice if you severely lack Hit Rating.
Lastly, Broach of the Wailing Night is a very solid choice for the beginning of the gearing process until you can manage to get an upgrade.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) Heroic | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (10) | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
The best possible option for this slot will be the Charge of the Demon Lord/Charge of the Eredar! This is because the item grants the highest possible baseline and secondary stats when compared to any other ToC option. The item also has the same types of stats as the former BiS from phase 2, offering an increase in Critical Strike Chance, Haste, and Attack Power. While it doesn’t grant any Armor Penetration, the combination of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating actually grants a far better bonus in this current phase of the expansion.
The next-best alternative is the former BiS, namely the Pendulum of Infinity. The reason why this item maintains its position while also providing better bonuses than other ToC items is due to the overall sheer amount of stats that it grants. Since its stats are objectively higher than the other available items, you will gain a better damage output. However, you can expect only a slight damage increase of around 30-50 DPS according to the simulations when compared to an item such as the Collar of Ceaseless Torment/Collar of Unending Torment which grants Armor Penetration.
If you can’t gain access to any of the previously mentioned items, you may use either one of the Charge of the Demon Lord/Charge of the Eredar or the Collar of Ceaseless Torment/Collar of Unending Torment as a valid alternative. The former option is a stronger option than the latter due to the motives expressed earlier. The main difference between the items in terms of pure raw damage output is about 50 DPS, meaning that you can use either one of the options confidently.
Apart from items that grant full offense-oriented stats, you also have the option of increasing your overall Hit Rating through 3 different items. While Hit Rating will not be an issue for a Combat Rogue in the third phase of the expansion, those options will prove useful if you chose fully offense-oriented items for your other gear slots.
The Sparkling Onyxia Tooth Pendant will be the best option for increasing your overall Hit Rating while also granting a decently high amount of Critical Strike Chance. It is followed up closely by the Seed of Budding Carnage which offers nearly the same amount of bonuses, even with a different set of stats. While it might seem that the Seed of Budding Carnage would be the better option, the actual DPS difference between the two items is 10 DPS.
Lastly, you can use the Sparkling Onyxia Tooth Pendant as a better option than the Seed of Budding Carnage due to the higher Hit Rating that it offers.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – The Black Knight | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
With the release of the new phase, you will gain multiple options for this particular slot. Objectively, the most powerful item that you can acquire is the Valorous Terrorblade Pauldrons. This is not only due to the massive amount of Hit Rating it provides but also thanks to the access to the T8 item-set bonuses. Since you will find yourself using other T8 items, you will most probably manage to activate the 4-item set bonus of the T8.
The next-best alternative will be the Treacherous Shoulderpads, thanks to the high Hit Rating it provides. While it doesn’t grant access to the T8 item-set bonuses, it will provide a similar damage output thanks to the Armor Penetration that it grants. On the same note, if you can’t find any of those two items, you may use the Shoulderpads of the Infamous Knave as it grants precisely the same types of stats as the Treacherous Shoulderpads, only in lower overall amounts.
The Spaulders of Resumed Battle is yet another Hit Rating alternative that you may use, yet, it is considerably weaker than any of the other presented items. This means that if you encounter this item, you can safely use it as a “Buffer Item” until can gain an upgrade.
If you already have plenty of Hit Rating from tweaking your other gear slots, you can use either one of the Spaulders of Egotism or the Heroes’ Bonescythe Pauldrons as viable alternatives for increasing your overall damage output. While they might not bring the best possible stats, you can consider them “Buffer Items” until you can actually create a set that synergizes better. While the Heroes’ Bonescythe Pauldrons will force you to go through a dungeon crawl in order to obtain it, you may directly buy the Spaulders of Egotism from the Auction House or from another player. This means that you can use the Spaulders of Egotism as a temporary option which should allow you to enter the new Heroic ++ Dungeons in order to acquire better gear.
Lastly, you can acquire the Trollwoven Spaulders if you can’t find the Spaulders of Egotism as a temporary option that should fulfill the same role of granting passage into the new Heroic ++ Dungeons. Of course, you could also enter the new dungeons while wearing full “Blue Armor”, without acquiring any of those options, as long as you find a strong enough group to carry you.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (25) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
For the BiS item, we have a stand-off between Conqueror’s Terrorblade Pauldrons and Shoulderpads of the Intruder, with the difference being the access to the 4-item set bonus. Conqueror’s Terrorblade Pauldrons is slightly better because of the access to the tier bonus and the Critical Strike Chance bonus it offers.
Both Shoulderpads of the Monolith and Treacherous Shoulderpads are perfectly valid options for the beginning of the gearing process, however, they should be swapped out as soon as possible. Compared to the first items, their overall stats are a lot lower, even with Armor Penetration granted by one of the items.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
45 Emblem of Triumph + 1 Trophy of the Crusade | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) |
The best possible option for this slot will be VanCleef’s Pauldrons of Triumph/Garona’s Pauldrons of Triumph! This is due to several factors, with the primary reasons being the very high amounts of Expertise Rating and Armor Penetration that it grants besides the access to the T9 item-set bonuses. When looking at the rest of your gear slots, you will quickly realize that the T9 Shoulders will be one of your primary sources for acquiring Expertise Rating.
The next-best alternative will naturally be its 245 Ilvl version, the VanCleef’s Pauldrons of Triumph/Garona’s Pauldrons of Triumph, since it grants the precise same types of stats in slightly lower amounts. It is important to keep in mind that the T9 item-set bonus will remain the same, no matter what Ilvl version of the item you are currently using.
Since we want to increase our Expertise Rating as much as possible from this slot, the Shoulderpads of the Intruder from the previous phase of the expansion will actually be the next viable alternative after the 245 Ilvl version of the T9 piece.
However, there is one item that performs better than the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 piece if you manage to get all the other BiS options, namely the Spaulders of the Snow Bandit/Shoulderpads of the Snow Bandit. This is due to the massive amounts of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating that it offers, which make up for the loss of Expertise Rating. Of course, as mentioned previously, this is only true if you have all the other BiS options!
The Duskstalker Shoulderpads/Duskstalker Pauldrons is another possible alternative, however, it has two major issues. The first issue is that it performs slightly worse than VanCleef’s Pauldrons of Conquest/Garona’s Pauldrons of Conquest. The second issue is that it actually costs more Emblems of Triumph than the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 shoulders. This means that the item is by far suboptimal and should actually be ignored!
Lastly, if you don’t have enough Emblems of Triumph to acquire the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 Shoulders, you can use the Spaulders of the Snow Bandit/Shoulderpads of the Snow Bandit as a valid alternative for a brief amount of time. You may also choose to use this item if you filled your other main slots with T9 items!
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
With the release of the third phase, we will now have easy access to one of the strongest possible items that you can acquire for this slot. We are talking about the Drape of the Faceless General, an item that previously held the position of BiS in the previous phase of the expansion. This is mainly due to the Gem Sockets that it grants paired up with great amounts of Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration.
The next-best alternative will be Winter’s Frigid Embrace as it grants the closest damage output. This is due to the high baseline stats combined with the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stats. Even if the item has no Gem Sockets, it still performs quite well thanks to its stat spread.
On the same note, yet considerably weaker than the Winter’s Frigid Embrace, you can use the Cloak of Darkening to gain a considerable damage output. However, even if the item grants Armor Penetration, the lower amount of stats will result in reduced damage output, meaning that you will only want to use this option in case you can’t access any of the previously mentioned items yet.
If you struggle early on with your Hit Rating, the best possible option will be the Shawl of the Shattered Giant, followed up closely by the Cloak of Mastery. In terms of providing pure Hit Rating, you will most definitely want to acquire the Ulduar cloak, however, the Cloak of Mastery will be just fine in case you can’t afford to specifically hunt for the Shawl of the Shattered Giant.
Lastly, in case you can’t gain any of the previously mentioned items, you may use the Ice Striker’s Cloak before entering any Heroic ++ Dungeons! While its stats are terrible when compared to the rest of the items, it should grant you access to the new Heroic ++ Dungeons and allow you to gain potent upgrades.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) |
Just as mentioned previously, the Drape of the Faceless General will be the strongest option for this slot, especially due to the high Armor Penetration it offers and the two gem sockets. By using the right sockets, you can slightly out-damage the Drape of Icy Intent.
As viable alternatives, you can use Drape of the Lithe or Drape of the Deadly Foe until you manage to get the previously mentioned items, as their raw stats will be quite potent.
For your cloak slot, you generally want items that grant you either Hit Rating, Critical Strike Chance, Haste Rating, or Armor Penetration.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Tribute Chest (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) HC | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) HM |
The best possible option will be Vereesa’s Dexterity/Sylvanas’ Cunning. This is mostly due to the item having the highest amount of stats when compared to any other choice in the third phase of the expansion, paired up with the secondary stats that it grants. Since Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration are extraordinary stats for a Combat Rogue, this item will bring the best possible damage output.
As for the next-best alternative, you have two main options to pick from, with both items displaying an extremely close damage output. The main difference between them is roughly 1-5 DPS, meaning that you can safely use any of them efficiently. The items are the Cloak of the Silver Covenant
Cloak of Serrated Blades and the Drape of the Untamed Predator/Cloak of the Untamed Predator.
In a less surprising manner, the Drape of the Faceless General retains its position as one of the strongest items, providing even better damage output than the Drape of the Untamed Predator/Cloak of the Untamed Predator. However, the difference in terms of damage output is quite minimal, with only a 5-10 DPS difference on multiple simulations. The main difference between the two items is the way you can acquire them, with one of them being available for Sidereal Essence while the other one is available for purchase as a BoE once a player posts the item on the Auction House.
Lastly, you may still use the Drape of Icy Intent if you encounter issues with your overall Hit Rating. However, since the majority of the items in Phase 3 provide Hit Rating, this option will be less relevant than the others.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
The best possible option for this slot will be the Valorous Terrorblade Breastplate. Besides its overall high stats, the main reason why you will want to use this item is the access to the T8 item-set bonuses. Since you will want to use other T8 items as well, you should prioritize this option to reach the 4-item set bonus. Apart from the item-set bonuses, you will also gain a considerable amount of Expertise Rating which will help you reach your Soft Expertise Cap without focusing on too many items that grant Expertise Rating.
If you still require Expertise Rating and you can’t find the T8, the Tunic of Dislocation will be the best possible alternative. However, if you already have plenty of Expertise Rating, this option will actually be the weakest in comparison to the other available options.
If your build lacks enough Hit Rating, the best possible option will be the Tunic of the Limber Stalker due to the sheer amount of stats that it grants. The only other viable Hit Rating alternative that you can easily gain as a fresh level 80 will be the Blade-Scarred Tunic which actually grants nearly the same amount of Hit Rating as the Ulduar item. The main difference between the two items is the rest of the stats, as the Blade-Scarred Tunic is overall weaker if you compare its other stats to the Tunic of the Limber Stalker. Nonetheless, you can use it until you manage to find the Ulduar item!
The Heroes’ Bonescythe Breastplate is an exception when compared to the other items due to how hard it is to acquire. It grants a better overall damage output than the Blade-Scarred Tunic or the Tunic of Dislocation, however, its steep cost makes it an unrealistic goal. Unless you somehow manage to get into a VoA and gain the item, you should ignore it entirely since it costs 80 Emblems of Heroism.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos |
The best option for the Pre-ToC gearing phase will be the Conqueror’s Terrorblade Breastplate. This is because you will want to empower Rupture as much as possible through the T8 item-set bonuses! However, as its application is defined by the player, Embrace of the Gladiator is the more substantial choice, which simply offers higher offensive stats and one additional gem socket.
The only issue with the Embrace of the Gladiator is that you will lose a large amount of Expertise Rating that you will need to replace from your other Gear Slots.
As viable early alternatives, you can use either Winter’s Icy Embrace or Chestguard of the Recluse, with the former being the superior choice, as both grant you quite solid stats in regard to DPS output. Since both options grant Expertise Rating, you won’t have to tweak your other items in order to reach the Soft Expertise Cap.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) Heroic | |
75 Emblem of Triumph + 1 Trophy of the Crusade | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjola Lightbane (10) HC | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjola Lightbane (10) |
Compared to the other gear slots, the Chest Slot will offer you a multitude of options! The best possible option will be VanCleef’s Breastplate of Triumph/Garona’s Breastplate of Triumph. This is not only due to the access it grants to the T9 item-set bonuses but also due to the overall high baseline and secondary stats. While there might be other options that grant an almost equal amount of stats, Combat Rogue benefits a great deal from items with Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance in this phase of the expansion. According to various simulations, the damage output is quite similar, and even better in some cases, than simulations in which you use items with Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating or Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration.
The next-best alternative will be the Cuirass of Calamitous Fate/Vest of Calamitous Fate due to the reasons mentioned above. It grants a similar amount of stats to the 258 Ilvl T9 Chest, which results in a slightly lower damage output due to how strong the Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance stat combination is in this current phase of the expansion. The difference between the two items is roughly around 70 DPS, according to multiple simulations.
In a similar fashion, the VanCleef’s Breastplate of Triumph/Garona’s Breastplate of Triumph will provide a slightly lower damage output than the Cuirass of Calamitous Fate/Vest of Calamitous Fate, however, the results are very close. The difference between the two items is only 30 DPS, meaning that you can use the 245 Ilvl version of the T9 Chest as a potent alternative while completely ignoring the other option.
The next options will simply offer you a progressively lower damage output, with the Embrace of the Gladiator and the Armor of Shifting Shadows offering very similar amounts. The Knightbane Carapace/Knightbane Carapace is a special exception since it is a BoE item that also grants Hit Rating. You can use it as a powerful alternative if you can’t gain the T9 chest as long as you have the 2-item set bonus active.
The Cuirass of Calamitous Fate/Vest of Calamitous Fate is a rather weak alternative that can be compared to the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 chest, and should only be used in case you already have the T9 2-item set bonus active. If you don’t have the T9 2-item set active, you should prioritize VanCleef’s Breastplate of Conquest/Garona’s Breastplate of Conquest along with another T9 option!
Lastly, the Armor of Shifting Shadows/Vest of Shifting Shadows is the weakest possible option and should only be used if you already have the T9 2-item set bonus active or until you manage to gather enough Emblems of Triumph in order to buy the VanCleef’s Breastplate of Conquest
Garona’s Breastplate of Conquest.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Champion – Eadric the Pure (Heroic) | |
60Â Emblem of Valor (BoE) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Wyrmrest Temple- Exalted |
The best possible option that you can acquire fairly easily as a Fresh 80 with the release of the new Sidereal Vendor is the Fluxing Energy Coils. This option will be especially useful throughout the entirety of your progression, as it grants a large amount of Hit Rating. It also grants a large amount of Armor Penetration, providing a great damage output.
The next-best alternative for increasing your overall Hit Rating will be the Armbands of the Wary Lookout. It grants precisely the same types of stats as the Fluxing Energy Coils with a slightly lower stat spread.
The rest of the options are tailored toward increasing your overall damage output, however, they will be weaker than the previously mentioned items. You can consider them as placeholder options that will aid you in your gearing journey until you can get the Fluxing Energy Coils.
Either one of the Wristwraps of the Cutthroat, the Cuffs of Dark Shadows, or the Dragonfriend Bracers will prove themselves to be great initial options. Each of them grants a progressive damage output, with the Dragonfriend Bracers being the weakest, while the Wristwraps of the Cutthroat provide the best output out of the three options.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) |
For the Pre-Toc gearing phase, the best option for this slot depends entirely on your current Expertise Rating and your current Hit Rating. For increasing your overall Expertise Rating, the Solar Bindings will be the best choice, especially since our build does not grant enough Expertise Rating.
The Fluxing Energy Coils will be the best Hit Rating option while also granting a great quantity of Armor Penetration. However, the overall DPS output of the Solar Bindings will be higher in this item set since you will struggle with your Expertise Rating prior to ToC or Onyxia’s Lair.
A viable alternative before acquiring any of the previously mentioned items will be the Mechanist’s Bindings. however, their overall DPS output will be lower.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) |
Just like with the majority of your gear slots, the best possible option for this slot will grant you Hit Rating! The BiS option for the Bracers Slot in the third phase of the expansion is the Bracers of Dark Determination
Armbands of Dark Determination. This is thanks to the overall high stats that the item provides, providing an interesting damage output even after you pass the Soft Hit Cap. While it doesn’t grant Haste Rating or Armor Penetration, the Critical Strike Chance provided by the item will enhance your overall damage output.
The next-best alternative will actually be its 245 Ilvl version, the Bracers of Dark Determination
Armbands of Dark Determination as it grants the precise same types of stats, only in slightly lower amounts. While you might expect the Bracers of Swift Death/Bracers of Swift Death to be the best alternative, it actually grants a lower damage output, even if it grants Haste Rating/Armor Penetration. The reason for this is that Hit Rating will actually empower us in this current phase of the expansion, especially when paired up with Critical Strike Chance. Based on a large number of simulations, in every simulation, the Bracers of Dark Determination/Armbands of Dark Determination produce a better damage output than the Bracers of Swift Death/Bracers of Swift Death.
On the same format, the Fluxing Energy Coils will provide a better overall damage output than the Solar Bindings. As explained at the beginning of the progressive list, Combat Rogue seems to benefit a great deal from a Hit Rating-oriented build in this phase of the expansion.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Eadric the Pure | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
60Â Emblem of Heroism/Vault of Archavon ( Archavon the Stone Watcher) |
The new phase of the expansion brings quite a lot of interesting options for a Fresh 80 character, with the best possible option being the Gloves of the Endless Dark. During the early phase of your gearing journey, you will find yourself struggling with Hit Rating, and the Gloves of the Endless Dark provide the best possible amount of Hit Rating if we consider all the pre-raid options.
The next-best alternative will be the Valorous Terrorblade Gauntlets. The reason for this is that it grants a decently high amount of Hit Rating while it also grants access to the T8 item-set bonuses. This item becomes considerably stronger if you manage to gain other T8 items in order to activate the T8 item-set bonuses. If you can’t find gain access to any of those two items, you may also use the Heroes’ Bonescythe Gauntlets as a viable alternative for gaining more Hit Rating. However, you should consider the T7 item the worst possible choice, as it is quite difficult to acquire.
In terms of pure damage output, either one of the Gloves of Smoldering Touch or the Gloves of the Argent Fanatic will be a great alternative if you can’t access any of the previously mentioned items or if you already have plenty of Hit Rating. The former option is stronger than the latter due to the sheer amount of stats it grants, even if the secondary stats themselves are not the same.
Lastly, you may use the Rapid Attack Gloves as an alternative until you can gain enough Expertise Rating from your other gear slots. However, you should keep in mind that this item is among the weaker options that you can access, meaning that you will only want to keep it for a brief period of time.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) NM/HM | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos |
The best possible choice for this slot in the Pre-Toc gearing phase will be Conqueror’s Terrorblade Gauntlets. This is due to its high overall stats such as Critical Strike Chance, Attack Power, and Agility paired up with the access to the T8 item-set bonuses.
The next best choice will be the Gloves of the Stonereaper, and might even come off as a better choice if you manage to structure your build around Armor Penetration. However, this will require quite a lot of adjustments.
The only other possible alternatives are either Gloves of the Endless Dark and Frosted Adroit Handguards with the former being superior to the latter in pure DPS output. The Gloves of the Endless Dark will prove themselves to be a far better choice once you acquire ToC items since they synergize differently with the ToC items. For now, they occupy a rather mediocre spot on the list due to how the gear from the previous phases works.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
45 Emblem of Triumph + 1 Trophy of the Crusade | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (10) Heroic | |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (10) |
The best possible option for this slot will be VanCleef’s Gauntlets of Triumph/Garona’s Gauntlets of Triumph. This is mostly due to the abundant stats that it grants paired up with the access to the T9 item-set bonuses. In terms of secondary stats, the Hit Rating granted by the item will be crucial as the Combat Rogue Specialization has a special interaction with Hit Rating in the third phase of the expansion.
Naturally, the next-best alternative will be its 245 Ilvl version, VanCleef’s Gauntlets of Triumph/Garona’s Gauntlets of Triumph, as it grants the exact same types of bonuses. The only difference is the sheer stat values granted by the item, with the T9-item set bonuses remaining the same.
On a different note, there is another interesting alternative that grants a similar damage output, namely the Gloves of the Silver Assassin/Sunreaver Assassin’s Gloves. This item will grant you a large amount of Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration which will result in a very similar damage output to the T9 245 Ilvl gloves. The main thing you got to keep in mind is that this item will be worse than the 232 Ilvl version of the T9 gloves in the case in which you don’t have the T9 2-item set bonus active.
The VanCleef’s Gauntlets of Conquest/Garona’s Gauntlets of Conquest will be mandatory if you don’t have other T9 items, as you will want to activate the T9 2-item set bonus as fast as possible! Since their cost is also the lowest among the other T9 items, you may want to prioritize this item.
The Gloves of the Endless Dark are a great alternative to the 232 Ilvl T9 gloves, however, the same concept related to the T9 2-item set bonus applies to them. They can be a great alternative as long as you manage to activate the T9 2-item set bonus from your other slots!
The Gloves of the Silver Assassin/Sunreaver Assassin’s Gloves are inferior to all the previously mentioned items and should be treated as a placeholder until you can acquire them! This is mostly due to the sheer amount of stats that they grant, being considerably lower than all other possible alternatives.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Grand Champions | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) |
As a Fresh Level 80, you have multiple choices for this slot, with two of them particularly strong. Among the best possible options will be the Soul-Devouring Cinch and the Death-warmed Belt. The former option is specifically tailored for builds that lack Expertise Rating while the latter is made for builds that require additional Hit Rating. As a general rule of thumb, the Soul-Devouring Cinch will be the stronger option until you come across items from ToC.
If you can’t access any of those options, the next-best alternative in terms of increasing your overall Hit Rating will be the Nimble Climber’s Belt while the most accessible alternative for increasing your overall Expertise Rating will be the Sharp-Barbed Leather Belt.
In the case in which you already have plenty of Expertise Rating and Hit Rating, you may use either one of the Belt of Fierce Competition or the Blistered Belt of Decay. While they are certainly not as strong as the other options, they should provide a great buffer until you can actually acquire any of the previously mentioned items. With the way we tailored our builds, you will still want to consider those two items as simple “placeholder” items and try to gain either one of the first two mentioned items.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) NM/HM | |
Ulduar – Zone Drop(25) | |
The best possible choice for this slot in the Pre-Toc gearing phase will depend entirely on your current Expertise Rating. If you are currently lacking enough Expertise Rating, the best option will be Soul-Devouring Cinch. It grants overall high stats, a high Critical Strike Chance, and an Expertise Rating, generating the best possible DPS output.
If you already have plenty of Expertise Rating after tweaking the rest of your gear slots, the next-best alternative will be the Death-warmed Belt. This option is considerably better for builds that lack Hit Rating or simply wish to boost their overall Hit Rating above the Soft Hit Cap.
Other weaker viable choices will include Waistguard of the Creator and Relic Hunter’s Cord. Even if Waistguard of the Creator does not provide Armor Penetration, it proves to be the superior choice from a DPS output perspective between the two items.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjolla Lightbane (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjolla Lightbane (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) |
Compared to other slots, this slot offers far less possible options from ToC. The best possible option will be the Belt of the Merciless Killer/Belt of the Pitiless Killer. This is due to the large amount of Hit Rating granted by the item, combined with 2 Gem Sockets and a large amount of Haste Rating. Naturally, the next-best alternative will be its 245 Ilvl version, the Belt of the Merciless Killer/Belt of the Pitiless Killer.
Since there are no other possible alternatives from ToC, you will want to use two options from the previous phase of the expansion as valid alternatives. Unlike the Pre-Toc Phase and the Fresh 80 choices, you will find that the performance order was reversed for the Death-warmed Belt and the Soul-Devouring Cinch. This is due to two main factors: The first factor is Hit Rating and how it generally impacts Combat Rogue in the third phase of the expansion. The second factor is that our current build already has enough Expertise Rating if you have all the other BiS options in your other gear slots.
If we specifically look at the “Stat Spread”, the Death-warmed Belt will be the better choice since it fits the same stats pattern as the actual BiS.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Eadric the Pure | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Gundrak – Gal’Darah (Heroic) |
The best possible option for this slot will be either one of the Valorous Terrorblade Legplates or the Leggings of Swift Reflexes. Both items share the precise same types of stats, however, you will want to prioritize the T8 Legs due to the T8 item-set bonuses. Since you will want to use other T8 items as your best options, activating the item-set bonuses will be one of your first priorities at the beginning of your gearing journey.
Other than the Ulduar items, you can split the rest of the options into two main categories. Options that provide Hit Rating and options that provide Expertise Rating.
For increasing your Hit Rating, the best possible option will be the Leggings of Brazen Trespass that become available with the new Trial of the Champion dungeon. You will also be able to use the Heroes’ Bonescythe Legplates from the first phase of the expansion as a valid alternative, albeit a weaker one since you won’t have much use for the T7 item-set bonuses. Lastly, you can use the Gored Hide Legguards as an option that provides better Hit Rating than the T7 Legs. The main issue with the item is the fact that apart from its Hit Rating, its other stats are considerably lower.
As for Expertise Rating options, the best and only viable alternative that you can acquire quickly as a fresh level 80 will be the Leggings of Discord. They do grant a decently high amount of Expertise Rating, however, you will ultimately want to acquire Expertise Rating from other gear slots, meaning that this option will merely be temporary.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
The best possible choice for the Pre-Toc gearing phase will be the Legguards of Cunning Deception. They offer extraordinarily high base stats, 3 sockets, and a high Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration Rating to reach the best DPS output. This option will remain one of the best possible options, even among the ToC options, as it grants an incredible amount of stats after the Ulduar update.
As a viable alternative, you can use Conqueror’s Terrorblade Legplates which offer a solid DPS output as it grants fairly high baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance paired up with a high Haste Rating.
As viable initial alternatives, you can use either Leggings of Wavering Shadow or Proto-hide Leggings with the former being entirely superior to the latter as far as stats go.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) | |
75 Emblem of Triumph + 1 Trophy of the Crusade | |
The best possible option for this slot will be the Leggings of the Broken Beast/Legwraps of the Broken Beast. This will be the only offset piece that you will use in this current set. It has very similar stats to the T9 Legs, however, it is stronger due to the additional Gem Socket that it offers. While the Haste Rating it offers is not the best possible Stat when compared to the Armor Penetration granted by the T9 Legs, the sheer amount of stats paired up with the Gem Socket will provide a better damage output.
The next-best alternative will be the VanCleef’s Legplates of Triumph/Garona’s Legplates of Triumph as it grants very similar stats to the Leggings of the Broken Beast/Legwraps of the Broken Beast while also providing access to the T9 item-set bonuses. As explained earlier, the Armor Penetration stat will grant a very similar damage output to the actual BiS, however, the sheer amount of stats will result in a slightly lower output than the Leggings of the Broken Beast/Legwraps of the Broken Beast.
The Legguards of Cunning Deception will remain one of the best options, just as it was in the previous phase of the expansion. Just as mentioned previously, the high baseline and secondary stats combined with the Gem Sockets will generate a stronger damage output than the majority of the ToC items.
The rest of the three options will provide a nearly identical damage output when compared to each other, with VanCleef’s Legplates of Conquest
Garona’s Legplates of Conquest being the weakest option. Depending on your access to Ulduar, you may want to begin with VanCleef’s Legplates of Conquest/Garona’s Legplates of Conquest or simply gain the Legguards of Cunning Deception and use them until you can manage to gain the actual BiS.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Grand Champions (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
For this slot, you will have access to a special item that you will be able to use throughout the entirety of your gearing journey and even as one of the most potent alternatives while you are raiding ToC! The Footpads of Silence will be the best possible option, granting you high amounts of both Critical Strike Chance and Hit Rating while also providing 2 Gem Sockets. It is fair to say that any other alternative that you may possess simply pales in comparison to this item until you can gain access to the ToGC items.
The next-best alternative will be the Treads of the Invader due to the high baseline and secondary stats that it grants. While it might not grant Hit Rating, the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating combination will provide a decently high damage output. However, if you severely lack Hit Rating and you can’t acquire it from another gear slot, this option will be extremely weak in comparison to the Footpads of Silence.
You may use the Boots of the Worshiper as a valid alternative to the Treads of the Invader since they grant precisely the same types of starts. The only difference between the two items is the sheer amount of stats granted, with the latter being the clear superior option.
If you struggle with increasing your overall Expertise Rating from your other slots, you may use the Treads of Dismal Fortune as a valid alternative until you can manage to gain enough Expertise Rating from your other gear slots. Ideally, you will want to reserve this slot specifically for the Footpads of Silence!
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Ignis the Furnce Master (25) | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
The best possible choice for this slot in the Pre-Toc gearing phase, just as previously mentioned, will be the Footpads of Silence. They grant you a high Critical Strike Chance, 2 sockets, and a much-needed Hit Rating.
Alternatively, you can use either Flamestalker Boots or Runed Ironhide Boots as the next best option. The Flamestalker Boots will be a better option, once you manage to gain enough Expertise Rating.
As a starting viable option, if you can not get your hands on the Footpads of Silence, you can use the Treads of the Invader until you gain an upgrade.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (10) |
The best possible option for this slot will be the Treads of the Icewalker/Icewalker Treads. Just like with the other Gear Slots, this BiS retains the same characteristics of granting a large quantity of Hit Rating, paired up with an offensive stat. While you will not be able to amass a large quantity of Armor Penetration from the entirety of your set, the small amount of Armor Penetration that will be available at your disposal will make a clear difference in terms of pure damage output.
Naturally, the next-best alternative will be its 245 Ilvl version, the Treads of the Icewalker/Icewalker Treads as it grants precisely the same types of stats. Just as mentioned previously, the Footpads of Silence remain one of the strongest items since their release in the second phase of the expansion. Their damage output is fairly similar to the 245 Ilvl version of the Treads of the Icewalker/Icewalker Treads, even if they grant Critical Strike Chance instead of Armor Penetration.
However, if you find yourself missing some of your Expertise Rating items, you may use the Acidmaw Boots
Acidmaw Treads as a valid alternative to supplement your Expertise Rating. Naturally, the next-best alternative for increasing your Expertise Rating will be its 232 Ilvl version, the Acidmaw Boots/Acidmaw Treads. While you generally do not want Expertise Rating from this slot, you have to keep in mind that certain adjustments must be made until you can reach the true BiS set that you require!
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Dalaran- Harold Winston | |
Trial of the Champion – The Black Knight | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
With the release of the new phase of the expansion and its Heroic ++ Dungeons and Sidereal Essence Vendor, we will be able to gain access to some of the most powerful rings from the previous phase of the expansion without having to endlessly grind for them.
The most powerful ring combination that you can acquire as a fresh level 80 will be the Loop of the Agile & Band of Lights. Both items combined will grant you a great stat spread, providing Hit Rating/Armor Penetration/Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating in nearly equal amounts.
If you don’t have enough Sidereal Essence to gain those two rings yet, you may use the Kirin Tor ring, Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor, paired up with the Band of Draconic Guile to achieve a similar stat spread! The Sealing Ring of Grobbulus is a very similar choice to both items and can be used as a viable alternative, however, it will bring considerably weaker stats.
Lastly, you may use Uruka’s Band of Zeal as a viable alternative for increasing your overall Expertise Rating if you haven’t reached your Soft Expertise Cap yet. While this option might provide a good amount of Expertise Rating, you should keep in mind that you will ideally want to gain Expertise Rating from your other gear slots.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Heroic: All is Well That Ends Well | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
All is Well That Ends Well | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) |
The Pre-Toc gearing phase will see some changes when compared to the BiS list from the last phase of the expansion as we now have access to a convenient Sidereal Essence Vendor which allows us to easily acquire some of the most powerful rings from Ulduar.
Ideally, the Loop of the Agile and Brann’s Signet Ring will be the best possible choices as they grant overall great baseline and secondary stats. They both provide ample offensive stats and high base stats, granting us the best DPS output. However, a more realistic choice without having to grind Ulduar endlessly will be the Loop of the Agile & Band of Lights. Just as mentioned in the Fresh 80 category of this slot, those two rings can pack quite the punch when considering all the great stats that they can offer you and the easy way you can acquire them.
As viable alternatives, we have several choices which grant us potent DPS output, each of them being defined by a progressive “upgrade” system, meaning that items such as Godbane Signet and Metallic Loop of the Sufferer will be your initial choices with items such as Brann’s Sealing Ring and Band of Lights being the middle tier choice.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (10) Heroic | |
Heroic: All is Well That Ends Well | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
All is Well That Ends Well | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (10) |
The best possible Ring combination will be the Ring of Callous Aggression
Band of Callous Aggression & Planestalker Signet/Planestalker Band. This is due to the overall very high stats gained while using those two items paired up with the overall great stat spread that you gain. While Hit Rating won’t be necessary from this slot, the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating/Armor Penetration gained by using those two rings together will boost your overall damage output by a considerable amount.
Ideally, you will want to keep the Ring of Callous Aggression
Band of Callous Aggression as your main ring while alternating between the other options for your secondary ring. However, in case you can’t find the Ring of Callous Aggression/Band of Callous Aggression, you can create various combinations by alternating between the other available items until you manage to find it.
Brann’s Signet Ring will prove itself to be a great alternative to the Planestalker Signet/Planestalker Band as you already have a very high amount of Hit Rating from your other gear slots. However, if you can’t find it, you may use the Band of Lights which grants a similar damage output through the Hit Rating/Armor Penetration stat combination that it offers.
Since you can no longer combine two items that have the same name, even if they have a different Ilvl version, the Ring of Callous Aggression/Band of Callous Aggression can be considered a standalone alternative that should be used until you can gain its 258 Ilvl version.
The Loop of the Agile will still prove itself to be a valuable alternative even during the ToC gearing process as its stats are overall high. It also grants a great amount of Critical Strike Chance combined with Haste Rating which will generate a decent damage output.
Lastly, both the Brann’s Sealing Ring and the Planestalker Signet/Planestalker Band should be considered temporary options that you will want to replace as soon as possible. Since you now have access to some of the stronger Ulduar items through the new Sidereal Essence Vendor, you should maintain those two items until you gather the necessary Sidereal Essence in order to gain upgrades.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Argent Confessor Paletress | |
With the release of the new phase of the expansion and its Heroic ++ Dungeons and Sidereal Essence Vendor, we will be able to gain access to some of the most powerful trinkets from the previous phase of the expansion without much effort! The best possible trinkets that you can acquire as a fresh level 80 will be the Mjolnir Runestone and the Dark Matter. Both trinkets are extremely strong that provide overpowered bonuses which will be useful for you throughout the entirety of the third phase of the expansion.
The Darkmoon Card: Greatness remains one of the strongest possible options, even in the third phase of the expansion due to the massive Agility bonus that it provides. You may find it useful even while progressing through ToGC.
The Pyrite Infuser will grant a very similar damage output to the Darkmoon Card: Greatness, being an especially useful option for builds that still don’t have enough Hit Rating.
The new phase also comes with the new Trial of the Champion Dungeon that grants access to the Banner of Victory. However, this option is quite underwhelming when compared to the previously mentioned items. It may prove itself to be useful for custom builds that focus entirely on Armor Penetration, however, it is considerably weaker than the Mjolnir Runestone which grants an enormous amount of Armor Penetration. You may consider it a temporary option that is useful until you manage to gain the other available trinkets.
If you somehow manage to gather a large amount of Emblems of Heroism, you may consider the Mirror of Truth as a viable alternative since its On-Equip effect can be particularly strong. Yet, just like with the Banner of Victory, this option should be considered as a temporary placeholder.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
The Pre-Toc gearing options for your trinket slots have become a lot easier to acquire, especially with the new Sidereal Essence Vendor. Ideally, you will want to gain the Comet’s Trail and the Mjolnir Runestone as your best possible options, however, you may find it easier to gain the Mjolnir Runestone & Dark Matter instead.
As a viable alternative to either one of the previously mentioned items, Darkmoon Card: Greatness still represents an extremely strong option.
In case you can’t gain any of those previously mentioned items, the Blood of the Old God will represent a great option that can actually provide a better damage output than the Darkmoon Card: Greatness if your build still lacks Hit Rating.
The Pyrite Infuser works in the precise same fashion as the Blood of the Old God, offering both Hit Rating and an On-Use effect that can increase your overall Attack Power. It has the same condition as the Blood of the Old God for builds that lack enough Hit Rating, resulting in a better damage output than the Darkmoon Card: Greatness.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjola Lightbane (25) Heroic | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjola Lightbane (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 19 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 24 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Trial of the Champion – Argent Confessor Paletress | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Faction Champions (10) |
The best trinket combination for this phase of the expansion will be the Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice & Comet’s Trail! This is due to the massive amount of Agility that the Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice grants, combined with the massive amount of Haste Rating granted by the Comet’s Trail which acts just like Bloodlust/Heroism.
Since you can no longer combine the same trinket of two different item levels (Example: Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice & Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice), the best possible option will be Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice. You will absolutely want to gain this trinket and combine it with multiple possible options from the previous phase of the expansion.
The Death’s Verdict/Death’s Choice should only be kept until you can manage to gain its 258 Ilvl version!
You should use the Mjolnir Runestone as the next-best alternative to Comet’s Trail in case you can’t access it. The Mjolnir Runestone will grant a large amount of Armor Penetration which will provide a very similar damage output when compared to the massive amount of Haste Rating granted by the Comet’s Trail. Since there is a small difference between the two items, you may use the Mjolnir Runestone as a more realistic choice since it is easier to gain.
Both Dark Matter and the Blood of the Old God work as viable alternatives that provide an almost identical amount of damage output in our current set. This means that it doesn’t specifically matter which one of them you choose to use, as the DPS difference between the two items is only 40 DPS. One thing to keep in mind is that Mark of Supremacy is considerably weaker than the Blood of the Old God, however, since it provides Hit Rating it will prove itself to be stronger than the Darkmoon Card: Greatness. The reason for this is the special interaction that Combat Rogues have with the Hit Rating stat in the third phase of the expansion.
Both the Darkmoon Card: Greatness and the Pyrite Infuser will still prove themselves to be valuable alternatives until you can manage to gain either one of Mjolnir Runestone or Dark Matter. Their damage output is quite similar to the one produced by the Mark of Supremacy or the Blood of the Old God with only a slight minor difference between them.
The Banner of Victory used to be one of the community’s favorite trinkets, however, through multiple simulations we can assert that its overall performance is actually worse than the one of the Pyrite Infuser or the Darkmoon Card: Greatness. This means that you will only want to use this trinket as a temporary placeholder until you can either gain enough Sidereal Essence or get any of the other available Ulduar trinkets.
Lastly, one of the worst options from ToC will be Victor’s Call/Vengeance of the Forsaken & Victor’s Call/Vengeance of the Forsaken. This is because of two main factors: The first one is that the T9 set already offers a large amount of Expertise Rating which renders the Expertise Rating granted by the item useless unless you haven’t acquired the T9 set yet. The second one is that its On-Use effect is by far the weakest among all the other available options, as it grants a progressively growing buff instead of a direct large amount.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 38 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Champion – Eadric the Pure (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
It is important to understand that this slot and the precise Weapon Types you choose will directly impact the specific build that you will use! The best possible options for this slot will be Stormpike Cleaver
Hellscream Slicer & Lionhead Slasher
Blood Fury which will be dependent on the Hack and Slash talent. However, other viable options will force you into using other talents such as the Close Quarters Combat or the Mace Specialization in order to achieve a good damage output.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 38 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) NM/HM | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) |
For your weapon slots, the available choices will remain mostly the same as they were in the previous phase of the expansion. The only major change will be the accessibility of some of your options, as some weapons can now be acquired through the new Sidereal Essence Vendor.
The items from Ulduar will be preponderantly dominated by Fist Weapons and Daggers as the primary weapon choice for Combat Rogues. Golden Saronite Dragon and Bladetwister will provide the best possible DPS output, especially with the new Phase 2 item updates. Even if Golden Saronite Dragon does not provide Armor Penetration or Critical Strike Chance, its sheer high stats and damage grant it the best spot.
You will have many viable alternatives such as The Masticator combined with Fang of Oblivion or Delirium’s Touch that grant solid DPS output. Another option would be to choose a mace such as Caress of Insanity as your main weapon choice, however, it will deeply affect your talents.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (25) Heroic | |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Animated Constellation – 38 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) Heroic | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) HM | |
Trial of the Crusader – Icehowl (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) | |
Animated Constellation – 25 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
Just as mentioned previously, it is important to understand that this slot and the precise Weapon Types you choose will directly impact the specific build that you will use! The best possible options for this slot will be Stormpike Cleaver
Hellscream Slicer & Lionhead Slasher
Blood Fury which will be dependent on the Hack and Slash talent. However, other viable options will force you into using other talents such as the Close Quarters Combat or the Mace Specialization in order to achieve a good damage output.
Your Weapon Slots are special when compared to the rest of your Gear Slots due to one main reason. Instead of actually trying to gain a specific stat like you would normally do with your other Gear Slots, you will want to prioritize the best weapon combinations, regardless of each item’s individual stats. Since we will already gain our stat caps from our other slots, our weapons will simply display a different mix of stats that pair well together with each weapon’s individual swing timer and individual weapon damage. You will compare items based on the stat spread that you can gain and the damage output instead of comparing each personal stat gain.
For Axes and Swords, the best possible combinations based on their damage output are the following:
Main-Hand: Stormpike Cleaver/Hellscream Slicer -> The Lion’s Maw/Frostblade Hatchet -> Stormpike Cleaver/Hellscream Slicer -> The Lion’s Maw/Frostblade Hatchet
Off-Hand: Lionhead Slasher/Blood Fury -> Lionhead Slasher/Blood Fury ->Void Sabre ->Westfall Saber/Forsaken Bonecarver ->Rune-Etched Nightblade
For Fist Weapons and Daggers, the best possible combinations based on their damage outputs are the following:
Main-Hand: Golden Saronite Dragon -> The Masticator ->The Spinebreaker/The Facebreaker
Off-Hand: Steel Bladebreaker/Stygian Bladebreaker ->Bladetwister ->Steel Bladebreaker/Stygian Bladebreaker
For Maces and Daggers, the best possible combination based on their damage outputs is the following:
Main-Hand: Remorseless/Cudgel of the Damned
Off-Hand: Steel Bladebreaker/Stygian Bladebreaker ->Bladetwister ->Steel Bladebreaker/Stygian Bladebreaker
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Trial of the Champion – The Black Knight (Heroic) | |
Heroic ++ Dungeons (Former Ulduar 10) |
The best possible option that you can obtain for this slot will be the Twirling Blades. The main reason for this is the combination of Hit Rating/Armor Penetration that it grants. However, until you can manage to gather all other required Sidereal Essence, you can use other viable alternatives as there are many Ranged Weapons at your disposal in the new phase of the expansion.
The next-best alternative will be Deliverance as it grants the exact same types of stats, only in lower amounts. The main difference between the two items is that the latter doesn’t grant any Gem Socket, making it inferior in terms of customizability and damage output.
If you can’t access those two options, either one of the Golemheart Longbow, the Nerubian Conquerer, or the True-aim Long Rifle will provide solid stats while also ensuring that your damage output is quite similar.
The Rifle of the Platinum Guard is another interesting alternative, however, it will be weaker than all the previously mentioned items since it doesn’t grant any Agility. If you already have all the items that we presented in the Fresh 80 set, this item will generate the weakest damage output. However, if you miss Hit Rating, this item may be very useful as a beginning option until you can acquire better items.
Pre-ToC/Onyxia’s Lair
Item | Source |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) |
Just as mentioned previously, the Twirling Blades remains one of the strongest options that you can acquire for this slot, being useful even in the process of collecting gear from ToGC. Without a doubt, with the changes that occurred to the Twirling Blade transform it into the best item that you can acquire for your ranged slot, beating Skyforge Crossbow in terms of raw DPS. The only difference which grants Twirling Blade the edge is the Armor Penetration granted by it compared to the Critical Strike Chance of Skyforge Crossbow.
Skyforge Crossbow will still be a phenomenal choice if you manage to get your hands on it!
You can use Giant’s Bane and Siren’s Cry as viable alternatives until you manage to get either of the two previously mentioned items.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Fjola Lightbane (10) Heroic | |
Animated Constellation – 15 Sidereal Essence ( Sidereal Essence Vendor) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Trial of the Crusader – Argent Crusade Tribute Chest (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Anub’arak (10) Heroic | |
Trial of the Crusader – Lord Jaraxxus (25) |
For this particular slot, you have a plethora of available options as ToGC grants a large number of Ranged Weapons! Upon inspecting the majority of them, you will notice that their damage outputs and performances are closely related. This means that you may choose to use any of those options as viable alternatives besides the two main options which are objectively stronger than the rest!
The best possible option for this slot will be BRK-1000/Fezzik’s Autocannon! This is not only due to the massive amount of stats that it grants but also the perfect combination of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats. There is only one other option that comes very close to this item in terms of damage output, and that is the Talonstrike/Death’s Head Crossbow since it grants similar types of stats. The main difference between the two items is that it grants Armor Penetration instead of Critical Strike Chance.
The Diplomat/Widebarrel Flintlock can be compared to the Twirling Blades and the Skyforge Crossbow in terms of pure damage output. Either one of those 3 options will fit as a perfect alternative if you can’t gain any of the previously mentioned items.
You may also use the Rhok’shalla, the Shadow’s Bane/Frenzystrike Longbow, or the Baelgun’s Heavy Crossbow/Darkmaw Crossbow if you come upon them. Both items have almost the same damage output in our current set, with the main difference being that their roles change depending on the rest of your gear slots. Rhok’shalla, the Shadow’s Bane/Frenzystrike Longbow will be the better option in the case in which you haven’t gained many ToC items as it grants Hit Rating.
About the Author
Would be great if you listed where the items drop and what boss
Hey there! We have provided you with links to each different item, you will be able to find the location and boss name for each item using the database.
If you click on the item, it will take you to a database page. That page tells you where each item comes from. You can click here to see an example. We are planning on adding additional alternate options for items, but that’s a WIP.
What is your problem man ? You can clearly click on every item they mentioned and it will take you to the wotlkdb where you can see everything you need.
You should just do your own research and dont be a brainless sheep next time 🙂
Could you perhaps link to a useful database next time? Surely you know that WoWClassicDB is much less usable than WoWhead.
why are those the bis weapon wouldn’t it be nighttime and liar tonge
Hey there! The Pre-raid and BiS sections are according to the first phase of the expansion. Nighttime and Liar’s tongue are items that will not be available during the first phase of the expansion. Those two items will be released with the coming of the third phase of the expansion when Pit of Saron and Forge of Souls will be available.
Why is there only pre-raid bis and first phase bis and not end game bis ?
Hey there! We have decided to release pre-raid and BiS for the first phase of the game for every guide until the release of WotLK Classic. Once it releases, we will confirm the item lists for each different phase, respectively end-game BiS aswell.
hey why are we skilling mace but using swords?
Hey there! The talent-build variation which uses Mace is far more suited for the later phases of the expansion. You will want to use the standard build for the first phase that relies heavily on swords and axes due to the Hack and Slash Talent!
What about calamity’s grasp and some other dagger/fast fist weap?