- Author: Nevermore
- Date: January 28, 2023
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
In this section of the guide, we will help you choose the best equipment or alternatives that you can utilize for each of the different phases of the expansion. Having the Pre-raid tab contain items that you will want to acquire before you start any serious raiding!
This section of the guide will be divided into two parts: the first part of the section will have a simple BiS list. The second part of the section will have the best items along with all possible alternatives and extended explanations for their use.
Note: stats of the items may change once Phase 2 is released. This list is an educated guess based on the currently available information.
Best-in-Slot
Alternative: Charged Titanium Specs – Engineering BoE
This will be your best option for this slot.
This will be your best option for this slot.
Alternative: Cloak of the Gushing Wound – Erekem Heroic Violet Hold
Alternative: Heroes’ Redemption Chestpiece – 80 Emblem of Heroism
Alternative: Golden Limb Bands – Krik’thir the Gatewatcher Heroic Azjol-Nerub
Alternative: Heroes’ Redemption Gauntlets – 60 Emblem of Heroism
Alternative: Sharp-Barbed Leather Belt – Ingvar the Plunderer Heroic Utgarde Keep
This will be your best option for this slot.
Alternative: Rift Striders – Anomalus Heroic Nexus
This will be your best option for this slot.
Alternatives: Incisor Fragment – King Dred Heroic Drak’Theron Keep & Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood – Keristrasza Heroic Nexus
Alternative: Edge of Oblivion – Jedoga Shadowseeker Heroic Ahn’kehet
This will be your best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternative: Fool’s Trial – Various Bosses Naxx 25-Man (This is a good choice if Favor of the Dragon Queen is heavily contested.
Alternative: Pendant of the Dragonsworn – Malygos 10-Man, Sapphiron 10-Man (Again, another good choice if Favor of the Dragon Queen is contested.
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. Use this as your tier off-piece regardless if you are going for 2-set or 4-set.
This will be the best option for this slot.
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternative: Valorous Redemption Legplates (4-set bonus) – Gluth & Thaddius Naxx 25-Man
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternative: Sabatons of Sudden Reprisal – Anub’Rekhan Naxx 25-Man
Alternative: Footwraps of Vile Deceit– Loatheb 25-Man. Take these if you need the Expertise.
Those will be your best options for your ring slots.
Alternatives: Strong-Handed Ring – Various Bosses Naxx 25-Man
Alternate: Loatheb’s Shadow – Loatheb Naxx 10-Man
Alternative: Mirror of Truth – 40 Emblem of Heroism
Alternate: Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood – Keristrasza Heroic Nexus (Take this only if you need the hit).
This will be the best option for this slot.
PvP Alternate: Savage Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude – 4480 Honor & 175 Arena Points (This requires PvP in Arenas or the completion of Battleground Call to Arms. Stick with Libram of Radiance if you don’t want to PvP.
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
This will be the best option for this slot.
Alternatives:
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.
Alternative: Scourge hunter’s Vambraces (If you have Shadowmourne)
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.
Those will be your best options for your ring slots.
Alternative: Tiny abomination In a Jar & Sharpened Twilight Scale (Only if you have Shadowmourne )
Alternatives: Oathbinder, Charge of the Ranger-General – on heroic is actually an extremely good choice for Retribution Paladin
Glorenzelg, High-blade of the Silver hand– Another spectacular choice you can get your hands on
Bloodfall– On normal this weapon is weaker than shadow’s edge but on heroic is a lot better, still it gets suited into a semi-pre-bis category because it is weaker than Oathbinder on heroic
This will be the best option for this slot.
Progressive Best-in Slot
For this progressive list we have ordered each item according to their power and overall damage output. For example, an item that sits at the top of the list will be the most powerful, known as “BiS” while an item that sits at the bottom of the list will be the weakest alternative.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Halls of Lightning – Loken (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) The Oculus – Drakos the Interrogator (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) The Oculus – Drakos the Interrogator (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) The Culling of Stratholme – Salramm the Fleshcrafter (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your head slot. You can either directly buy a very powerful BoE item from the Auction House directly after reaching level 80 or you can go through a slow dungeon crawl progression to get powerful upgrades.
Spiked Titansteel Helm is available directly after reaching level 80, granting you very high baseline stats, gem sockets, and high secondary stats such as Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance. This item is powerful enough to be considered worthy of taking even in the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase.
However, if you wish to take a more traditional path, the most powerful choice will be the Heroes’ Redemption Helm, available in the new Titan Rune Dungeons, granting you access to the T7 item-set bonuses, high baseline stats, and much-needed Hit Rating. While Haste is not a stat that will massively influence our damage, it will still enhance our overall damage output.
The Helm of the Unsubmissive and the Helm of the Vast Legions are very similar in terms of pure damage output while granting you the same type of secondary stats (Hit Rating/Haste Rating). While their damage output is pretty similar, one of them grants you Strength as a baseline stat while the other one grants you Agility. You will preferably want to get the first option.
Titan’s Outlook is yet another interesting choice, offering you high baseline stats, and high amounts of Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration as Secondary stats. However, it has one flaw, forcing you to swap the item quite quickly, it lacks gem sockets. We all know that we always want a Meta Gem in our helmets, right?
Until you can actually manage to get the items mentioned above, you will most likely start with items such as the Planetary Helm which grants you solid baseline stats and much-needed Hit Rating in the beginning.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Halls of Lightning – Loken (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible option for the Pre-Ulduar stage will be the Obsidian Greathelm. This is mainly due to the helmet having the highest baseline stats available from Phase 1, gem sockets, and the high amounts of Critical Strike Chance/Expertise Rating as secondary stats. Since it grants such a high Expertise Rating, this item will massively take care of your Expertise Cap, alongside your Glyph.
Blue Aspect Helm is the second-best option when it comes to this slot, even though it is a Mail item. While the Intellect it grants doesn’t actually help us a lot, the secondary stats it grants (Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating) will amplify your overall damage.
As a viable alternative, you can use the Valorous Redemption Helm. It grants you access to the T7 item-set bonuses, and a very similar damage to both the previous options. However, since we are not trying to reach the 4-set item bonus, we will want to use this only in the case that you severely lack Hit Rating or in the case that none of the better options can be gained. Heroes’ Redemption Helm is the lesser version of Valorous Redemption Helm, granting you the exact same type of stats.
Lastly, another viable alternative in case you do not wish to farm any of the previous items, you can use Spiked Titansteel Helm as its baseline stats are quite high and the item is very easily accessible being a craftable BoE. Ideally, you will want to farm the other items, but you can still use this item and obtain a good damage output.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) |
The best item for the Head Slot in Phase 2 will be the Warhelm of the Champion. This is due to the very high baseline stats it offers, paired up with essential Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance. While there are potential builds that can use the T8 set and have a solid damage output, the most optimum build will not employ any T8 pieces.
Boundless Gaze is the closest item in terms of pure DPS output, granting you the necessary Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance. While one of its baseline stats is Intellect, the only difference in DPS compared to the Warhelm of the Champion is 25-30 DPS. However, keep in mind that this only applies if you already have the rest of the BiS items.
Iron Riveted War Helm is a viable alternative, especially since it grants a solid amount of Hit Rating. However, you will want to attempt to swap this item as fast as possible since Haste Rating won’t be completely optimal in the long run. Mimiron’s Flight Goggles are very similar in terms of pure DPS output, however, if you use them, you will reduce your overall Hit Rating below 8%, forcing you to optimize your Gems and Enchants to make up the missing Hit Rating.
Lastly, Conqueror’s Aegis Helm offers a good choice of stats on its own, but it becomes a lot better if you manage to pair it up with another T8 item, to activate the 2-item set bonus.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshapper (Former The Eye of Eternity Quest) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Halls of Lightning – Ionar (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your necklace slot. You can either directly buy a BoE item such as the Titanium Impact Choker that will grant you some strong initial stats and use it in a 10-man/25-man raid or you can go through a slow dungeon crawl and gain progressive upgrades.
The best possible choice will be the Pendant of the Dragonsworn due to its very high baseline stats and secondary stats. However, this only applies if you already have your melee Soft Hit Cap and Expertise cap.
Gem of Imprisoned Vassals is the next-best alternative if you find yourself in the situation where you already have both your Hit Rating and Expertise caps. As it grants you quite decent stats, both baseline and secondary stats, you can use this item for quite some time.
The Collar of Dissolution is the best item if you have issues with both your Hit Rating and your Expertise Rating.
All of the previously mentioned items come from the new Titan Rune Dungeons. You should keep in mind that you won’t be able to directly jump into a Titan Rune Dungeon immediately after reaching level 80. This usually means that you will have to start with items such as the Gold Amulet of Kings or the Pendant of the Outcast Hero which grant decent baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance as a secondary stat. Naturally, you will want to upgrade those items as fast as possible.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Heroic Judgment at the Eye of Eternity | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshapper (Former The Eye of Eternity Quest) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Former Naxxramas 10) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
For the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase, the best possible necklace will be the Favor of the Dragon Queen. This is mainly due to its high baseline stats and high secondary stats. While Armor Penetration will not scale perfectly with your current build as it can’t be stacked due to how rare Armor Penetration items are, it will still grant you quite a powerful damage output.
The next-best alternative will be the Pendant of the Dragonsworn, as it is the lesser version of the Favor of the Dragon Queen.
Fool’s Trial is a very solid alternative, especially if you lack Hit Rating, as it grants you similar stats. However, it won’t grant you a gem socket, resulting in overall lower stats.
Lastly, both Gem of Imprisoned Vassals and Icy Blast Amulet grant you the same type of stats with minor adjustments to their placement, one offering you higher Agility as a baseline stat while the other grants you higher Critical Strike Chance as a secondary stat. Using either of the items will result in the same damage output, meaning that it does not really matter which one you manage to gain.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Freya (10) HM |
The best possible choice for Phase 2 will be the Pendulum of Infinity. This is mainly due to the combination of secondary stats (Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating) and the overall high stats that it grants you.
Your next-best alternative will highly depend on whether you have enough Hit Rating. If you do not have enough Hit Rating, the Frigid Strength of Hodir will be the best choice, as it grants you quite a decent amount of it. However, if you find yourself having the 8% Soft Cap, you will most likely want to use Strength of the Heavens instead, especially since it grants similar stats to the Pendulum of Infinity.
As a last alternative, you can use the Seed of Budding Carnage if you find yourself in a position where the Frigid Strength of Hodir is highly contested. It offers you almost the same type of stats, with the difference being that it grants you Agility and Attack Power instead of Strength.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) (BoE) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Different Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom – Elder Nadox (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Drak’Tharon – Novos the Summoner (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
The Sunwell Plateau – Lady Sacrolash, Grand Warlock Alythess | |
Gundrak – Slad’ran (Heroic) | |
Halls of Lightning – Ionar (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have many choices for your shoulder slot, especially with the new Titan Rune Dungeons. Among the many choices, you can directly buy the Spaulders of Egotism which grants you the most powerful stats out of all our displayed choices.
However, if you do not wish to directly buy a BoE, you will have to go through a slow dungeon crawl or use an item from the previous expansion’s raids. Heroes’ Redemption Shoulderplates is the next-best alternative to the Spaulders of Egotism, however, it will grant you Hit Rating instead of Haste Rating while additionally granting you access to the T7 item-bonuses.
Shoulderplates of Bloodshed and the Spaulders of Resumed Battle give the same type of stats with the only difference in them being that one grants you Agility while the other one grants you Strength. They both grant very similar DPS outputs, making them both very good alternatives, especially early on as they have high baseline stats.
The Pauldrons of Berserking gain an honorable mention, especially since they are stronger than both Snake Den Spaulders and Pauldrons of the Lightning Revenant. However, if it is a new classic character, you are better of by simply using one of the previously two mentioned items instead of raiding the Sunwell to get it.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Loatheb, Gluth (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Noth the Plaguebringer (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Different Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) (BoE) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The most powerful option will remain the Phase 1 BiS, the Valorous Redemption Shoulderplates. This is due to the access to T7 item-set bonus, very high baseline stats, and the much-needed Hit Rating.
The Heroes’ Redemption Shoulderplates are a better choice than the Spaulders of Egotism only if you can activate your T7-item bonuses, if not, they will grant you an overall weaker DPS output.
Shoulderguards of Opportunity, Upstanding Spaulders, Spaulders of Egotism can be categorized as very similar alternatives, each of them granting you a combination of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating or Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration. The damage output will be very similar if you use any of those items, with only small slight differences between them.
Just like the previously mentioned items, the Concealment Shoulderpads and the Shoulderguards of the Undaunted are also good alternatives for our current build, however, like we mentioned in the beginning of the progressive list, the last alternatives will grant you the lowest DPS output. Luckily, in this case, the damage difference is quite low between all the items.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – The Iron Council (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) |
Since we will ignore the tier set bonus, the best possible choice for this slot will be the Shoulderpads of the Intruder. Since most of our other items will have secondary stats such as Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating, this item will grant you a very high amount of Expertise Rating and Hit Rating. Besides the high baseline stats that it grants you, this will help you in reaching your Hit Rating and Expertise Rating caps.
The Shoulderplates of the Eternal are the next-best alternative, even if they do not grant you Expertise Rating, granting you Critical Strike Chance instead.
If you manage to optimize your build with different items or gems to reach your soft caps, the Shoulderplates of the Celestial Watch will be a perfect alternative, especially since they can cover up for any missed Critical Strike Chance or Strength lost by changing your gem sockets.
Lastly, if you choose to pursue the T8 set bonuses, the Conqueror’s Aegis Shoulderplates are a great choice, due to their Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stats combination. Ofcourse, this only applies if you have your Soft Hit Cap.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Utgarde Pinnacle – Skadi the Ruthless (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) The Oculus – Drakos the Interrogator (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Gundrak – Zone Drop (BoE) | |
You have two main choices when it comes to your Cloak Slot, you can either directly buy a BoE item or you can go through a slow dungeon crawl and gain more potent items.
As far as the BoE items go, you can either use the Ice Striker’s Cloak or the Cloak of Bloodied Waters, with the latter being the better choice for its Strength baseline stat.
For the better options, your best initial choice will be the Cloak of Darkening due to its Haste/Armor Penetration secondary stats while the Cloak of Mastery can be a better choice only if you do not have enough Hit Rating to reach your 8% Soft Cap.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Utgarde Pinnacle – Skadi the Ruthless (Former Naxxramas 10) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best choice for Pre-Ulduar will remain the BiS from Phase 1, the Drape of the Deadly Foe. This is mainly due to the very high baseline stats and the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating stat combination.
The Hammerhead Sharkskin Cloak grants you a very similar DPS output to the Drape of the Deadly Foe in our current build, with only a 20 DPS difference. The Aged Winter Cloak grants very similar stats in terms of quantity, offering you a very similar DPS output.
Lastly, you can still use the Cloak of Darkening as it grants you decent stats for Ulduar, however, you will want to upgrade it as soon as possible since the Haste/Armor Penetration combination is not the best for us as Retribution Paladins.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Heroic: All Is Well That Ends Well |
Sadly, there will not be many choices for the cloak slot, however, the BiS choice for Phase 2 will be the Drape of the Faceless General. This is mainly due to the gem sockets it offers, combined with the Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration secondary stats combination. Even though it does not have the highest baseline stats, the gem sockets will cover up that issue.
Both Drape of Icy Intent and the Drape of the Skyborn can be used as valid alternatives, as they both grant you very similar DPS output. The main difference between the items is the Agility vs Strength baseline stats and the fact that one of them grants you Haste Rating while the other grants you Critical Strike Chance.
There are other possible alternatives, however, they do not fit the true role of a “BiS” alternative, rather being lesser versions of the presented items.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) The Culling of Stratholme – Chrono-Lord Epoch (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – Novos the Summoner (Heroic) |
Since there are no worthwhile BoE items that you will want to buy for this slot, you will want to go through a slow dungeon crawl and gain progressive upgrades, especially with the new options from the Titan Rune Dungeons.
You may choose to spend 80 Emblems of Heroism on the Heroes’ Redemption Chestpiece, however, for all the bonuses it grants you, the item itself is simply way too expensive. Instead, you may want to start with an item such as the Breastplate of Undeath which will grant you solid baseline stats and a high amount of Hit Rating.
The best option you can use is the Tunic of Dislocation, as it grants you a high baseline stats, 2 gem sockets, and a decently high amount of Expertise Rating and Haste Rating. You will want to maintain this item for quite some time until you can manage to get the upgraded T7 chestpiece.
If you can not gain the Tunic of Dislocation, you can use the Blade-Scarred Tunic. However, it is far better suited for sets that lack Hit Rating and have plenty of Expertise Rating, even if you have the Expertise glyph.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Four Horsemen, Gluth (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom – Herald Volazj (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Naxxramas – Grand Widow Faerlina (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
For the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase, you have many choices, but the best one will remain the Valorous Redemption Chestpiece. This is especially due to the T7 tier set bonuses and high baseline stats combined with Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating. As a close alternative to this item, you can use the Chestguard of the Recluse.
Tunic of Indulgence and the Chestguard of Flagrant Prowess are both great alternatives that have very similar type of stats providing you with a solid DPS output. They will also help you in reaching your overall Hit Rating soft cap. However, if you truly lack Hit Rating and Expertise Rating, your best bet will be the Undiminished Battleplate, as it grants vast amounts of both stats.
Best-in-Slot
The best possible piece for the chest slot will be the Embrace of the Gladiator. This is mainly due to two things: First of all, we want to ignore the tier set bonus, since the most optimal results are actually gained from off-set pieces, and secondly, this item has very high baseline stats, 3 gem sockets, and high secondary stats.
As a valid alternative, we can use the T8 Conqueror’s Aegis Battleplate, however, it will be considerably weaker on its own without other T8 set pieces. You should keep this in mind!
Lastly, you can use the Steelbreaker’s Embrace as a solid alternative, especially if you lack Expertise Rating. However, it will result in a massive DPS loss compared to the Embrace of the Gladiator.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
60 Emblem of Valor (BoE) | |
60 Emblem of Valor (BoE) | |
60 Emblem of Valor (BoE) | |
As a fresh level 80, the best choice for this slot will be to acquire a BoE item directly from the Aunction House.
Depending on what you can find, any of the above-mentioned items can be used, as they are all quite similar. However, the best possible item that you can acquire is the Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress. This is mainly due to the Expertise Rating that it grants combined with Critical Strike Chance.
Wristwraps of the Cutthroat and the Armguard of the Tower Archer grant a very similar DPS output in the current build, however, the latter option is better suited for the beginning of your gearing process due to its Hit Rating.
Lastly, if none of the above options are available on the Auction House, you can use the Vengeance Bindings as they are a decent initial choice, even if they do not grant any Stamina. You will sacrifice a bit of survivability for overall increased Hit Rating.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Gothik the Harvester (25) | |
Naxxramas – Noth the Plaguebringer (25) | |
Naxxramas – Grand Widow Faerlina (25) | |
60 Emblem of Valor (BoE) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
Bracers of Unrelenting Attack will be the best choice during the Pre-Ulduar phase, especially since it grants you a considerate amount of Hit Rating, a high amount of baseline stats, and a gem socket.
The closest item in terms of performance will be the Thrusting Bands, however, it will lower your overall Critical Strike Chance while granting you Expertise Rating instead. The Bracers of the Tyrant is a good alternative to the Thrusting Bands, however, its only good if you already have your Hit Rating soft cap.
Lastly, Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress can be used as an alternative to the previously mentioned items, although it is better for builds that lack Expertise Rating.
It is worth mentioning that all the items are quite close in terms of DPS output, each of them being different from a min-max point of view.
Best-in-Slot
The best choice for the bracers slot will be the Armbands of Bedlam. This is due to the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stat combo and the high baseline stats. As far as I can tell you, the best combination of stats that you can gain in the second phase will be the Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating on the majority of your items.
The Bitter Cold Armguards are a valid alternative as they grant similar type of stats, with the exception being Armor Penetration instead of Haste Rating.
Lastly, you can use the Solar Bindings, especially if you lack Expertise Rating. However, in our current build, this item will grant the lowest DPS out of the 3 choices.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Four Horsemen (25) (BoE) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) (BoE) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeon) Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Violet Hold – Cyanigosa (Heroic) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have two main choices for your Gloves Slot. You can either directly buy a BoE item or go through a slow dungeon progression until you can get some powerful items.
The best item that you can use is also a BoE item, namely the Zeliek’s Gauntlets. This is mainly due to the very high baseline stats that it grants and a good amount of Expertise Rating and Haste Rating.
The Rusted-Link Spiked Gauntlets will be a good alternative early on, especially if you struggle with Hit Rating. However, until you can manage to get into a Titan Rune Dungeon, you will want to start with items such as the Gauntlets of Capture or the Gilt-Edged Leather Gauntlets from Heroic Dungeons.
Gilt-Edged Leather Gauntlets will be a great initial choice if you severely lack Hit Rating! You may want to maintain this item until you can manage to get close to your soft Hit Cap before upgrading it.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horsemen (25) (BoE) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) (BoE) | |
Naxxramas – Patchwerk (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best possible choice will be the Frosted Adroit Handguards, mainly due to the high baseline stats and Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance combination.
The second next-best choice will be the Zeliek’s Gauntlets, especially if you tweak your build a bit to include more Hit Rating. This item grants you very high baseline stats and a good amount of Expertise Rating and Haste Rating. Since it is a BoE item, you can directly buy this from the Auction House without any type of grinding required.
The Gloves of Fast Reactions will be a great alternative especially if you have your Hit Rating and Expertise Rating soft caps while the Crude Discolored Battlegrips are a great alternative if you have issues with your Hit Rating.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) |
The best possible choice will be the Gloves of the Steady Hand. This is mainly due to the very high baseline stats that it grants alongside with its gem sockets and Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance. One thing that you should keep in mind is that even if we don’t want to stack Intellect in any shape or form, Retribution Paladins can have mana issues if they consistently spam their abilities. This means that the stat itself will not hurt your overall build and performance.
The Conqueror’s Aegis Gauntlets are the next-best alternative, but only if you manage to trigger the 2-item set bonus! On its own, this item is quite underperforming. A far better choice without using another T8 set piece will be the Gloves of the Endless Dark as it grants you very high baseline stats, gem sockets, and much-needed Hit Rating combined with Haste Rating.
Lastly, you can use the Gloves of the Stonereaper, however, it will grant you lower overall stats, resulting in lower DPS output. Rest assured that the difference is not that high, resulting only in a 50-60 DPS loss. So if you are not trying to completely min-max, they are a perfect item.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) BoE | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Salramm the Fleshcrafter |
As a fresh level 80, you have several different choices for your Belt Slot. You can either buy one of the two powerful belts with Embles of Heroism, opt for a BoE belt, or go through a dungeon crawl and gain a decently powerful item.
The best item that you can acquire in this set will be Jorach’s Crocolisk Skin Belt, it will be especially useful since it grants you a very good amount of Expertise Rating. However, its cost coincides with Verdungo’s Barbarian Cord, meaning that if you have no other way of gaining expertise, you may want to ignore Verdungo’s Barbarian Cord completely.
The Torn Web Wrapping is a very strong choice that happens to be a BoE item. It can be especially useful if you choose to sacrifice some Hit Rating from your other items in favor of more Critical Strike Chance or Haste Rating.
You can use the Sharp-Barbed Leather Belt as a means to gain Expertise Rating until you manage to gather enough emblems for Jorach’s Crocolisk Skin Belt. If you do not want to bother with the grind at all, you will want to maintain this item until you can manage to get a 25-man upgrade.
Lastly, an item that you will probably encounter during your leveling journey, the Spiked Metal Cilice can be a great addition to your overall Hit Rating. You may want to keep this item until you can manage to gain more Hit Rating from your other items.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) | |
Naxxramas – Instructor Razuvious (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Naxxramas – Patchwerk, Gluth (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best item for the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase will remain the Phase 1 BiS, the Girdle of Chivalry. This is mainly due to our need of Hit Rating. In case you chose to alter our build and use different items, in which case you may have sufficient Hit Rating, you will want to use the Girdle of Razuvious as an alternative. The item is especially good if you lack Expertise Rating.
The Stalk-Skin Belt is a great alternative if you already have your Hit Rating and Expertise Rating sorted out, as it grants you high baseline stats and a good combination of Haste Rating/Critical Strike Chance.
Lastly, you can also use the Belt of the Tortured if you miss Hit Rating, however, you will want to attempt to gain an upgrade as fast as possible.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (25) |
The best choice for this slot in Phase 2 will be the Soul-Devouring Cinch. Ths is mainly due to the very high baseline stats it offers paired up with a high Expertise Rating and a high Critical Strike Chance.
As the next-best alternative to that item, you will want to use the Starfall Girdle as it grants similar types of stats. The only difference is that the first item grants you Agility as a baseline stat while Starfall Girdle grants you Strength.
If you severely lack Hit Rating, your best bet will be the Belt of Colossal Rage, as it grants you a good amount of Hit Rating paired up with a high Critical Strike Chance and high baseline stats.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ajzol-Nerub – Anub’Arak (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Drak’Tharon Keep – The Prophet Tharon’ja (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) | |
The Oculus – Varos Cloudstrider (Heroic) |
Since there are no valuable BoE items that you can directly acquire, you will want to go through a slow dungeon crawl in order to get your necessary items.
The best possible choice, especially early on will be the Belabored Legplates. This is mainly due to the extremely high baseline stats they offer, gem sockets, and the much-needed Hit Rating paired up with a very high Critical Strike Chance.
The Heroes’ Redemption Legplates can be used as a solid alternative, if you manage to get your Hit Rating from another source. You may also want to use them to trigger the 2-item set bonus from T7.
As a valid alternative, especially when in need of Hit Rating, you will want to use the Staggering Legplates. If you are completely unlucky with the drops, you can use the Legplates of the Oculus Guardian as they grant similar stats.
Pre-Raid
ItemBelabored LegplatesItem | Source |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Naxxramas – Thaddius, Gluth (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ajzol-Nerub – Anub’Arak (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Naxxramas – Thaddius (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best choice for the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase will remain the Leggings of the Honored. This is mainly due to the very high baseline stats they offer paired up with a very solid amount of Hit Rating. As a viable alternative, you may use the Valorous Redemption Legplates, however, you will have to supplement your Hit Rating from a different source.
The Belabored Legplates will remain a very potent choice offering you stats similar to the Leggings of the Honored., however, you will have a DPS output lower by 50 when using them in this current setup. Nonetheless, a great choice, especially if you do not want to completely min-max.
The Riveted Abomination Leggings are a weaker choice by comparison, however, a solid alternative in case you need Hit Rating and you can not procure it from any other source.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (25) | |
Ulduar – Yogg – Saron (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) |
The best possible choice for this slot will be the Plated Leggings of Ruination. This will be especially true since we want to avoid getting the T8 set bonuses. Besides its very high stats and 3 gem sockets, this item will grant you a very high amount of Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating, making it a highly sought-after item.
As a valid alternative that actually comes close in terms of pure raw DPS, you may use the Legguards of Cunning Deception. Keep in mind that this item will be contested as well, so it may take a while before you may lay your hands on it.
If you are completely unlucky with rolls or item drops, you may want to buy the Legplates of the Violet Champion as they grant similar type of stats to our BiS, only considerably lower.
The Fused Alloy Legplates are a great choice if you are struggling with Hit Rating. If you manage to get another T8 item, you will want to use the Conqueror’s Aegis Legplates instead. Just like mentioned previously, keep in mind that all the T8 items are weak if used alone, you must always aim to at least proc the 2-item set bonus!
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Halls of Lightning – Ionar (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) BoE | |
Argent Crusade- Exalted | |
Violet Hold – Zuramat the Obliterator (Heroic) |
You have many choices as a fresh level 80 when it comes to your Boots Slot. You can either directly buy a BoE item or you can go through a slow dungeon crawl to get progressive upgrades. You may also buy certain boots from reputation vendors.
The best possible choice before reaching the Pre-Ulduar phase will be the Ravaging Sabatons, this is due to their very high stats, being close to the stats of your Phase 1 BiS. As a potent BoE item, you can use the Iron-Spring Jumpers and swap them out later. They are particularly useful for the astonishing 73 Hit Rating that they offer, especially on a fresh character.
You also have the option of gaining Bladed Steelboots which grant Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance, however, their price is a bit too steep if you ask me, especially on a new character.
Either the Boots of the Neverending Path or the Obliterator Greaves will be great initial choices if you choose not to buy the BoE item or if you are unlucky with the Titan Rune Dungeon drops. The Boots of the Neverending Path are a better choice if you severely lack Hit Rating. Keep in mind, we want to hit with our sword, not make our enemies wonder why we are fighting with the air.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Anub’Rekhan (25) | |
Naxxramas – Loatheb (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The best item for Pre-Ulduar will be the Melancholy Sabatons. This is mainly due to the high baseline stats and the high amount of Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration.
A very close alternative will be the Sabatons of Sudden Reprisal, its stats are very close to the Melancholy Sabatons, however, it has Haste Rating instead of Armor Penetration. Both items grant a very similar DPS output.
Lastly, you can use the Footwraps of Vile Deceit, especially if you have issues with your Expertise Rating. Your overall DPS will decrease but not by a large amount.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (10) HM | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) |
The best choice for this slot will be the Sabatons of Lifeless Night. This is mainly due to the combination of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating paired up with high baseline stats and plenty of gem sockets. While this item may be hard to acquire since it drops from Algalon, you may want to use the Tempered Mercury Greaves or the Battlelord’s Plate Boots as potent alternatives until you gain it.
Tempered Mercury Greaves is a perfectly valid alternative, however, it is quite rare on a Retribution Paladin, being an item much more suited for other classes. Keep in mind that it will still serve you well!
Battlelord’s Plate Boots is what you should aim for as fast as possible, especially since it is a crafted item. Its stats are similar to our BiS, offering us a great mix of baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats.
Lastly, the Boots of the Underdweller will be a great alternative, especially if you struggle with Hit Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Dalaran – Harold Winston | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Former The Eye of Eternity 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) The Oculus – Varos Cloudstrider (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshaper (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Chrono-Lord Epoch (Heroic) |
Since there are no valuable BoE rings that you can acquire, with the exception of the Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor which you can buy from a vendor in Dalaran, you will have to go through a slow dungeon crawl in order to get some powerful rings.
Luckily, besides the powerful Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor, the new Titan Rune Dungeons will provide you with some very interesting choices, especially the Surge Needle Ring. Surge Needle Ring will grant you very high baseline stats, being strong enough for your Pre-Ulduar gear, providing you with much-need Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance.
In case you do not have enough expertise from the rest of your items and your glyph, you will want to pair it up with the Circle of Death. The Greatring of Collision can be a great choice as far as offensive items go, granting you quite a high amount of Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration beside its gem socket.
However, until you can manage to get into the new Titan Rune Dungeons, you will want to start with items such as the Mobius Band which will contribute to your overall Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance.
Even if the majority of rings will grant you Agility instead of Strength, you should never underestimate Agility!
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshaper (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
Ruthlessness and Surge Needle Ring will remain the best possible options for the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase. Both rings grant you high baseline stats while also granting you much-needed Hit Rating and Expertise Rating. Both rings also grant you valuable Critical Strike Chance as a secondary stat improving your overall DPS output.
Strong-Handed Ring is a great alternative to the Surge Needle Ring as it grants you similar stats with the difference being that it grants Haste Rating instead of Critical Strike Chance.
Lastly, either Ring of Invincibility or Greatring of Collision both grant very good secondary stats as offensive stats go, however, you may want to gain Expertise Rating and Hit Rating from other sources if you plan on using any of them. Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating and Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration will be secondary stat combos that you will often want to use, provided that you have your Hit and Expertise caps.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – All Is Well That Ends Well (Heroic) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) HM | |
Ulduar – The Iron Council (10) HM | |
Ulduar – All Is Well That Ends Well | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) |
As far as rings go, the best possible combination will be the Seal of the Betrayed King & Brann’s Signet Ring. This is mainly due to the overall high baseline stats that they offer, combined with secondary stats such as Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration and Hit Rating. While those stats may be encountered on other rings, those two will grant you the most optimal stat setup, especially in our build set.
Loop of the Agile is a great alternative to Brann’s Signet Ring, granting you Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating as secondary stats. Both rings come very close in DPS output, being only a 20-30 DPS difference between the two.
Brann’s Sealing Ring is another great alternative if you can not manage to gain either the Loop of the Agile or Brann’s Signet Ring, granting you a very similar DPS output to the Loop of the Agile.
Lastly, you can use the Band of Lights in conjunction with any of the other rings, however, it is best to use it instead of the Seal of the Betrayed King until you can acquire it as it will grant you much-needed Hit Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ajzol-Nerub – Krik’thir (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) | |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) |
The most powerful trinket that you can use in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 is the Darkmoon Card: Greatness. This is mainly due to the extremely high Strength proc that it grants you, offering you a massive DPS increase. You will want to maintain this trinket up until the very end of Phase 2 and the beginning of Phase 3.
Mirror of Truth is the next-best trinket that you can acquire, especially early on after reaching level 80. You should prioritize getting this item with all the Emblems that you have been gathering. This is mainly due to the on-equip effect granting you 1000 raw Attack Power. With the release of the new Titan Rune Dungeons, you can acquire a trinket that grants you a similar effect in terms of damage output, however, its on use rather than on-equip, making it less efficient.
As a valid alternative, either Meteorite Whetstone or the Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood grant you great DPS output, with the Meteorite Whetstone being especially good since Haste Rating aids us in dashing out more attacks which means overall more Holy Damage. It also has a lower overall internal cooldown of only 45 seconds, granting you a consistent effect.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ajzol-Nerub – Krik’thir (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) | |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
The most powerful trinket will remain the Darkmoon Card: Greatness, simply due to the astonishing 300 Strength effect that it can grant you. Fury of the Five Flights is the best trinket that you can pair Darkmoon Card: Greatness since it can grant you a permanent buff as long as you manage to hit your target.
Mirror of Truth can be compared to the Fury of the Five Flights as both effects grant you similar results, even if one is a permanent buff while you are in combat and the other one is a proc effect.
As mentioned previously, either Loatheb’s Shadow, Meteorite Whetstone or Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood can be a great choice, as they all are close in terms of pure DPS output.
Lastly, in a funny way, Grim Toll will actually grant you the worst performance, especially since you do not have any other Armor Penetration sources. However, if you completely lack any type of Hit Rating, this trinket will actually increase your performance.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (10) |
The strongest pair of trinkets for Phase 2 will be Darkmoon Card: Greatness & Comet’s Trail. The Darkmoon Card: Greatness manages to maintain its overpowered status throughout the entirety of Phase 1 and Phase 2, granting you extreme amounts of Strength, however, the second trinket can be a variation between Comet’s Trail and Dark Matter.
Comet’s Trail simply outputs better DPS when compared to Dark Matter, granting you a mini “Heroism/Bloodlust” effect on its proc. Since it can stack with other Haste effects, this can be quite powerful. However, when compared, the difference between the two trinkets is quite small, being around 50-80 DPS in multiple simulations.
In an interesting manner, you can use the Wrathstone as a valid alternative to Dark Matter, especially since its an “On-Use” effect, granting you the ability to time your burst. Their DPS output is almost identical, with a small 5-10 DPS difference between the two items when paired with the Darkmoon Card: Greatness.
Lastly, you can use Mjolnir Runestone, however, since most of our items lack any form of Armor Penetration and our damage is hybrid, this item will grant a lesser DPS output, around 140-150 DPS lower than all the other options when paired with Darkmoon Card: Greatness . Nonetheless, it is a great choice in case any of the other items are not available.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom – Herald Volazj (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) The Oculus – Ley-Guardian Eregos (Former The Eye of Eternity 10) | |
(Titan Rune Dungeons) Drak’Tharon Keep – Trollgore (Former Naxxramas 10) | |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – The Prophet Tharon’Ja (Heroic) |
For a Fresh level 80 in the second phase of the expansion, it will be considerably easier to acquire a good weapon early on thanks to the new Titan Rune Dungeons.
The best possible item for raw DPS output will be Death’s Bite. This is mainly due to the high baseline stats combined with a high Critical Strike Chance and Hit Rating to aid you in reaching your 8% Hit Soft Cap. The closest item in terms of pure raw DPS output will be Black Ice. Even if their stats are completely different, in the current build that we have displayed, the damage difference is between 10-15 DPS. Keep in mind that the results will change drastically once you start alterting the setup!
Demise is a good alternative that comes with the new Titan Rune Dungeons, however, it grants a damage output that is around100 DPS lower than the two previously mentioned items. On its own, in a different build set, this item can be quite potent, especially since it grants you a moderate amount of Hit Rating that should help you achieve your 8% Hit Soft Cap.
Colossal Skull-Clad Cleaver and Titansteel Destroyer are extremely close in terms of damage output, however, Titansteel Destroyer is a far better choice if you have little no to Hit Rating. It can also be directly bought from the Auction House or a Blacksmith, granting you access to a strong weapon early on.
Lastly, if you do not wish to buy a BoE weapon and choose to progress through a slow dungeon crawl, you will most likely find yourself wanting to start with the Mojo Masked Crusher. A weapon that grants quite high baseline stats paired up with a high Haste Rating as a secondary stat.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horsemen (25) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
For the Pre-Ulduar gearing phase, the best possible choice will remain the Betrayer of Humanity. This is mostly due to both the item’s high Ilvl and high baseline damage combined with its amazing stats. Even if the weapon has Agility instead of Strength as a baseline stat, the combination of Haste Rating and Critical Strike grant it’s user the best possible DPS output.
As valid alternatives, you can use either The Jawbone, Armageddon or the Inevitable Defeat. However, you should keep in mind that each item grants you around 100 less DPS output than the previous item in the list, with The Jawbone being the closest to the Betrayer of Humanity while the Inevitable Defeat is the weakest choice in our current set.
It’s good to keep in mind that if you somehow end up not having enough Expertise Rating, a weapon such as the The Jawbone or the Inevitable Defeat will be a lot better than Armageddon.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) HM | |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) HM | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) HM | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (10) HM |
The best possible weapon for Phase 2 will be Voldrethar, Dark Blade of Oblivion. With the Ilvl change and the astonishing stats that it offers, the blade will grant you the best possible DPS output. This is mainly due to its high baseline stats and Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration secondary stats combination. However, remember that without your Hit Rating/Expertise caps, your overall damage will be reduced, even with this weapon.
The next-best alternative will be the Aesir’s Edge, granting you the same type of stats as Voldrethar, Dark Blade of Oblivion. You can consider it it’s lesser version since the stats are basically the same, only slightly lower.
Depending on your current Hit Rating, you will have two valid alternatives to the previously mentioned items. You can either use the Dark Edge of Depravity or Hammer of Crushing Whispers to increase your overall Hit Rating while also maintaining a solid damage output. In our current set, the Dark Edge of Depravity has an overall higher DPS output, however, it is only a small amount, meaning it is up to you which of the two items you prefer.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Honor/Arena Vendor | |
Honor/Arena Vendor | |
Borean Tundra – Return My Remains |
The best possible Libram will not actually come from your PvE environment, but rather from a PvP vendor! The best possible Libram that you will acquire is the Deadly Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude, empowering all of your attacks with a decent amount of Attack Power. However, until you can manage to gain it, you can start using the Libram of Furious Blows that you can get from the Return My Remains quest.
The Savage Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude is another valid alternative, being the precursor of the Deadly Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude. There are other Librams that you can use, however, since their performances are quite low when compared to the ones displayed, I chose not to add them to the list.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Honor/Arena Vendor | |
Honor/Arena Vendor | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Patchwerk (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons or raid BoE items that arrive with the new phase.
As far as Pre-Ulduar Librams go, the best Libram will remain the Deadly Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude. As mentioned previously, it will grant the best overall damage output due to increasing your overall Attack Power. The Savage Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude is a direct downgrade of this Libram, generating the same type of effect.
As another valid alternative, you can use the Libram of Radiance, however, it will grant you an overall lower damage output as it only enhances one ability.
Best-in-Slot
Ironically, the best possible Libram for Phase 2 will not come from PvE content, but rather from PvP content. While it may take a while to grind for your PvP Libram, the Furious Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude grants you the best possible passive effect, increasing your overall Attack Power. The idea is that this buff can be maintained endlessly, as long as you can use your Crusader Strike. Since it has no special prerequisites, this will be the best option.
Libram of Discord is the next-best alternative as it empowers your Divine Storm, however, it is weaker when compared to the Furious Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude since it only buffs one ability compared to the overall Attack Power gained for all of your damaging abilities.
Lastly, you can use the Libram of Radiance as an alternative, granting you similar effects to the Libram of Discord. However, it should be kept in mind that this item is a lot weaker when compared to the other two, as it only enhances the direct damage of Crusader Strike.
About the Author
why are there no ulduar bis list
We have started adding full progressive item lists containing explanations! We are updating all of our guides to include them!
Why would you pick the agility rep ring over the strength one?
The Retribution Paladin requires a substantial amount of Agility for Critical Strike Chance, one easy way to achieve this is by choosing the Agility reputation ring.
how much Critical Strike Chance is needed
Needle-encrusted scorpion??? Why man? That trinket is terrible
Thank you for the comment!
There has always been a debate whether or not the Retribution Paladin needs any armor penetration, just like in the case of STS. Needle-Encrusted Scorpion is one of the early good choices for the Retribution Paladin because, in addition to the Holy damage that we deal, our class deals physical damage. While you might not think that the Armor Penetration will help you, the huge amount of Armor Penetration received by that trinket will make a better difference than 1000 Attack Power.
early? its the 3rd tier in the xpac what are you smoking
It’s the 4th tier and it drops from a dungeon making it faster to get *early in the tier*
What armor set is good for levels around 70? Right now I am using/collecting the marshwalker set.
I looked at the enchant list, etc, where is your expertise coming from besides the 1 glyph for the pre raid set?
The current list here is for the most part, not correct.
Neck: Pendant of the Outcast Hero = BiS #1 Pre-raid. 25 EoH.
Shoulders: Spaulders of the Careless Thief = BiS #1 Pre-raid.
Cloak: Cloak of Bloddied Waters = BiS #1 Pre-raid. BoE.
Chest: Heroe’s Redemption Chestpiece = BiS #1 Pre-raid. 80 EoH.
Bracers: Vengeance Bindings = BiS #1 Pre-raid.
Gloves: Heroe’s Redemption Gauntlets = BiS #1 Pre-raid. 60 EoH.
Waist: Jorach’s Crocolisk Skin Belt = BiS #1 Pre-raid. 40 EoH.
Legs: –
Feet: Death-Inured Sabatons = BiS #1 Pre-raid. Ebon Blade Exalted.
Ring1: Ring of the Kirin Tor = BiS #1 Pre-raid. Alternatively Band of Frosted Thorns as the Kirin Tor rings cost quite a bit of gold.
Ring2: Hemorrahging Circle = BiS #1 Pre-raid.
Trinket1: Darkmoon Card: Greatness STR = BiS #1 Pre-raid. Alternatively Mirror Of Truth. 40 EoH.
Trinket2: Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood.
Weapon: Colossal Skull-Clad Cleaver = BiS #1 Pre-raid.
Libram: Libram of Furious Blows = BiS #1 Pre-raid. Optionally one could get the Hateful Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude.
Relic ?
The frost vendor one is best of youre fighting bosses cause you have time to stack. Sometimes the triumph one is good because you might not have time to use the stacks
Hello there! Thank you very much for the guide!
I’m a little confused though, regarding some gear choices for pre-bis gearing
Regarding belts:
Wouldn’t the https://wotlkdb.com?item=49808 be a better contender (perhaps better than the https://wotlkdb.com/?item=50270?)
As for the chest, wouldn’t something like https://wotlkdb.com?item=50272 be better than the https://wotlkdb.com/?item=48630. The latter does have two gem slots which could give a lot of bonus strength, but the former has quite a lot of haste (which as far as my knowledge goes, is better for ret paladins than arpen. Doing this change won’t compromise on the T9 4-piece set bonus either
Edit: It’s the https://wotlkdb.com?item=48631, not the https://wotlkdb.com/?item=48630
It is certainly a good mention Ashbringer! Frost Wyrm Ribcage could offer you a significant boost to your haste rating which is entirely needed. However, you may lose some stats from the lack of sockets. Armor Penetration in general on Retribution Paladins is quite sketchy, as you will only benefit from it early in the gearing phase and at the very end of your bis list. You will want to prioritize haste rating over armor penetration when you reach T10 for sure, however, when you reach your BIS, armor penetration will help.
THIS LIST IS SUCH A SHIT…. There is RS items much better options like bracer from RS25 leather bis item…
Hey there Alex! The Umbrage Armbands HC bracers were already a part of the list.
why tyrannical beheader arm pen is trash on pally there a weapon for pos nm on the frost giant that way better stats
Today i had problem in icc 25 hc with pugs that they gave Scourge Hunter’s Vambraces to hunter and not to ret pala..
I won the roll but they said its not for me i dont need armor pen..
I told them as ret pala 6.2 with 300 Agility is Really big upgrade for me becouse i had some trash Wrist i can link it Armguards of the Nether lord
has also armor pen but still from all items i neded only that wrist
Very sorry to hear that Kaguja! There are two ways to go about Armor Penetration when it comes to retribution paladin, the first one is to achieve as much as possible after you acquire STS heroic, and the second one is to avoid it up until the point that you acquire the trinket, the bracers would have been a huge upgrade for you nonetheless. Generally, you will want to prioritize armor penetration when you acquire both STS and Shadowmourne, as it really amps up your damage, most people would argue that without those two items, it is better to stack raw stats from trinkets and critical strike chance. Both ways are extremely good, as they can both offer high amounts of damage, but the armor penetration build is much more item-dependent to be entirely viable. Umbrage Armbands is the way to go if you are not ready to switch to the armor penetration build.
I had this exact argument 12 years ago.
Cant find holy paladin Pre-Bis Gear
Hello Sarah, this is the Retribution Paladin guide. I will soon release the guide for the Holy Paladin specialization where you will find everything you will need.
Retri Paladins don’t need armor pen and any armor pen item should be avoided. Any item with armor pen are useless as the source of our DPS is from holy dmg not physical dmg. The only physical dmg we do is the filler dmg from auto attack between our rotations which doesn’t add anything to our overall DPS.
Stacking armor pen gear is never a good idea as in most cases you’ll be missing out on other more important stats.
Divine Storm, Crusader Strike (which are our strongest spells) deal physical damage, so arpen is appreciated for ret, just not as much as strength or crit
Around 40% of Ret’s damage is physical. Not a priority stat but it isn’t wasted.