- Author: Jamielolx
- Date: July 12, 2022
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
Pre-raid is also known as ”Pre-BiS”, and refers to the gear you should be shooting for before raids start. As you’ll see below, hunters have it extremely easy, since many of the Pre-Raid items they want can be purchased with badges of heroism.
I do not think it is going to be likely for anyone to get Pre-BiS in a week, so you should save your badges whenever possible and fill the holes with alternatives if you’re missing something. Don’t buy gear with awful stats, though. Refer to the Stat Priority section when making gearing decisions, and note the alternatives listed below.
Best-in-Slot
This requires Engineering 400. If you aren’t leveling that profession, Plunderer’s Helm (a drop from Utgarde Keep) is a viable alternative.
Alternatives:
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37861 (A drop in Nexus Heroic)
Alternatives:
Massive Spaulders of the Jormungar (Utgarde Pinnacle HC)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/44257 (Knights of the Ebon Blade Rep – Revered)
Alternatively, you can use the BoE cloak Ice Striker’s Cloak if you’re already at or near the Hit Rating cap. it has haste but we do not have many cloak options.
Do not get the two Tier 7 parts available unless you have no other choice, they both have suboptimal stats.
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/39579 and https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/39582 total up to 140 badges and are IMO a waste of time.
However, https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37800 is a relatively good and cheap ”freshly” dinged alternative item, however. (BoE from the AH, but with a high drop-rate from Drak’Tharon Keep Mobs) It is weaker than the tier I advised you not to get, but it will not take you hours upon hours to get.
Alternatives:
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/44203 (requires Wyrmrest Accord Exalted)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/43131 (created by Leatherworking, BoE)
Avoid Tier 7 due to suboptimal stats – https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/39582. – 140 badges is too much of an investment into bad stats + bad tier bonus.
Alternatives:
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37409 (drop from Utgarde Pinnacle Heroic)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37639 (drop from Gun’Drak Heroic)
Alternative: Sovereigns Belt (Utgarde Pinnacle HC)
Alternative – Hollowed Mandible Legplates (drop from Azjol Nerub Heroic dungeon)
There is no good alternative, and the boots are extremely easy to get. But if you’re for some reason lacking the argent rep, there’s:
ttps://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37167 (drop from Nexus Heroic dungeon)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37841 (drop from Halls of Lightning Heroic dungeon)
Alternative: Hemorrhaging Circle — yes, it has expertise, and you will piss off a lot of melees, but the amount of Agility on it makes up for it. In fact, it is actually considered BiS for Survival if you do not need any more Hit rating.
DMC is a must if you’re going to be serious about your survival hunter, you’re going to use it for a long time, probably multiple phases!
Alternatives:
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37166 (drop from Nexus Heroic dungeon)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37390 (drop from Utgarde Pinnacle Heroic dungeon) -only use it if you have too much hit to use Dragon Essence, the proc is terrible and it is best to avoid the trinket entirely.
Alternatives:
Runeblade of Demonstrable Power (requires Revered with Knights of the Ebon Blade)
https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/37848 (drop from Halls of Lightning Heroic dungeon)
Dwarves will instead want https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/44504, although if you aren’t leveling Engineering you’ll have to get it from another player or the Auction House.
Alternative: Zombie Sweeper Shotgun – (Requires Revered with Argent Crusade)
Greatring of Collision if you get over the hit cap.
Alternate: Loatheb’s Shadow
Alternate: Grim Toll
Alternate: Mirror of Truth
Alternate: Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood – Use this if Hit is needed.
Shorter Fights: DMC & Loatheb’s Shadow
Item | Source |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Flame Leviathan (10) (HM) | |
Ulduar – Trash Drop | |
Ulduar – Yogg Saron (25) |
Item | Source |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg Saron (25) |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) (HM) | |
Ulduar – Razorscale (10) |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg Saron (10) (HM) | |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg Saron (25) (HM) | |
Ulduar – Razorscale (25) | |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Iron Assembly (25) | |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon The Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Algalon The Observer (25) |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) (HM) | |
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Iron Assembly (25) |
Progressive Best-in-Slot
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – King Dred (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your head slot. Supposedly, with the new release of Heroic Plus Dungeons, we will get access to items such as Heroes’ Cryptstalker Headpiece. This would be the best item you can acquire as a fresh 80.
On a more realistic note, you will either want to start with Truesight Ice Blinders, which are reserved only for Engineers, or start a progressive upgrade of your head slot with items such as King Dred’s Helm and Plunderer’s Helmet from Heroic Dungeons. Given the fact that you will have an item of around 187 item level from quests in Northrend as your starting point, either of those two will be amazing an amazing DPS boost.
Given raw DPS output, either Helm of the Vast Legions or Arc-Scorched Helmet are fantastic choices before your first Naxxramas 25, with the latter choice being superior. Given our talents, you will not have to worry about Hit Rating, however, you may want to choose your items carefully and from time to time favor items such as Helm of the Vast Legions which has Hit Rating as a secondary stat to hit your caps.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Four Horseman (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. Since the 4-item set bonus for T7 is not a big deal for Survival Hunters, the best item for the Pre-Raid phase is the Blue Aspect Helm. Its high critical strike chance combined with high haste rating and high raw stats grant it the best performance.
The next in line is Valorous Cryptstalker Headpiece, as it has similar stats with Blue Aspect Helm, albeit it presents itself as an inferior version.
If none of the previous choices can be attained, you can choose either Helm of the Grave or Hyaline Helm of the Sniper. Hyaline Helm of the Sniper is a much better choice if you somehow lack Hit Rating while the Helm of the Grave is a far better choice for DPS output.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) | |
Ulduar – Ignis the Furnace Master (25) |
The best option for this slot is Boundless Gaze which provides you with extremely high raw stats as an item level 252 piece. You can use Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Headpiece as a temporary filler, especially if you are looking to grab the 4-piece bonus.
Helm of the Furnace Master is a very solid choice, especially for the beginning when the tier set items are highly contested and Boundless Gaze is out of reach.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Xevozz (Heroic) | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Chrono-Lord Epoch |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your necklace slot. There are two possible paths for this slot once you reach level 80, you can either go through the classic path and journey through dungeons and acquire progressive updates such as Necklace of the Chrono-Lord and Necklace of Arcane Spheres to gain important stats such as Critical Strike Chance or Haste Rating. Or you can acquire Titanium Impact Choker and use it until you can get access to the new Heroic Plus Dungeons to get your hands on items such as Pendant of the Outcast Hero or Gem of Imprisoned Vassals.
Gem of Imprisoned Vassals will be a strong item that you can confidently use even in the Pre-Raid phase where you start raiding the 25 versions of the Phase 1 raids.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Heroic Judgement at the Eye of Eternity | |
The Eye of Eternity – Judgement at the Eye of Eternity | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. Naturally, the most potent option will remain the Favor of the Dragon Queen. As an alternative and inferior version, you can use Pendant of the Dragonsworn if you did not yet cross paths with Malygos in The Eye of Eternity 25-man. The Armor Penetration with the high critical strike chance will grant the best DPS output for those two items.
If you did not manage to fight Malygos, Icy Blast Amulet will be your next best bet. You will want to gain items that grant a combination of Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating or Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration.
Lastly, you can use either Gem of Imprisoned Vassals or Fool’s Trial as an initial choice.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) HM | |
The Eye of Eternity – Heroic Judgement at the Eye of Eternity |
Pendulum of Infinity will be the best item for this slot, however, it will be highly contested. While it does not grant Armor Penetration, it provides high raw stats and a Critical Strike Chance to supplement the Armor Penetration loss.
With the coming of the new Phase 2 items, Seed of Budding Carnage‘s DPS output greatly increases, making the item a lot stronger than Nymph Heart Charm or our beloved Favor of the Dragon Queen.
Nonetheless, the Favor of the Dragon Queen completely trumps Nymph Heart Charm in DPS output, making it a great initial choice. Nymph Heart Charm will be a better choice if you somehow lack Hit Rating and you choose to not sacrifice any gem or enchantment.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Naxxramas -Instructor Razuvious (25) BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Nexus – Grand Magus Telestra (Heroic) | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Meathook (Heroic) | |
Knights of the Ebon Blade – Revered | |
Halls of Stone – Halls of Stone (Quest) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your shoulders slot. For your early shoulders slot, you will have 3 main paths. You can either start with dungeons and follow a progressive path from Normal Dungeons reaching up to the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, attain a powerful BoE item that may sell for a high amount of gold, or simply start gaining a reputation with the Knight of the Ebon Blade and gather gold in the meantime.
We have listed the items that you can gain through the progressive dungeon path, however, the most powerful item that you can gain is Spaulders of Egotism. Depending on your realm’s Auction House economy, you may want to skip the dungeon path altogether or ignore the BoE item completely.
As far as stats go, you will want items with either Armor Penetration, Critical Strike Chance, and Haste Rating. Either combination of those will work wonders for your shoulders slot.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Loathleb. Gluth (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Naxxramas – Thaddius (25) | |
Naxxramas -Instructor Razuvious (25) | |
Naxxramas -Instructor Razuvious (25) BoE |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. The best choice for the Pre-Raid phase will the former BiS of Phase 1, the Valorous Cryptstalker Spaulders. Just like the previous item slots, the combination of Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating will provide the DPS output.
In terms of raw DPS output, the next best thing will be the Upstanding Spaulders, granting you a similar DPS output. If you do not manage to get your hands on either of those two items, you can choose items such as Shoulderpads of Secret Arts or Pauldrons of the Abandoned which grant a decent DPS output for the beginning of Ulduar.
Spaulders of Egotism still remain a perfectly valid choice if you do not wish to raid Naxxramas anymore.
Best-in-Slot
The best item for this slot if you choose to access the 4-item set bonus will be Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Spaulders. The item itself grants poor secondary stats, however, the 600 Attack Power bonus that you can gain by wearing the complete set will be much more powerful than the raw stats granted by a single item.
The Mantle of Fiery Vengeance will be your second-best choice for this slot, especially due to its high Armor Penetration Rating and Critical Strike Chance. In terms of raw power, it is superior to the Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Spaulders tier 8 item.
Shoulderpads of the Monolith are an alright alternative if you consider the beginning of the gearing process, as Haste is not a powerful stat unless it’s piled up
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Kologarn (10) BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Erekem (Heroic) | |
Halls of Stone – Maiden of Grief |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your cloak slot. The best choice will be defined by the Shawl of the Shattered Giant. However, even if the item is a BoE and can be easily bought, it requires someone to clear Ulduar first, meaning that it will become the best option for a Fresh 80 only after a week or two of Phase 2 passes.
Alternatively, you can choose to buy the Ice Striker’s Cloak and maintain it until you manage to get in a Naxxramas 25.
As a new option that comes with the new Phase 2, you may choose to progress normally through Normal and Heroic Dungeons, reaching up to the new Heroic Plus Dungeons that will grant you strong items such as the Cloak of Mastery or the Cloak of Darkening from the former Naxxramas 10. The best option until the Shawl of the Shattered Giant gets released on the Auction House will be the Cloak of Mastery, granting you the highest DPS output.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Kologarn (10) BoE | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – General Vezax (10) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (25) | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (10) |
The best option for this slot is Drape of the Faceless General especially due to its high Armor Penetration and general high stats. The high Critical Strike Chance combined with the high Armor Penetration rating are stats that you will want to prioritize on the majority of your items.
Drape of Icy Intent is the second-best choice due to its high stats, even if it does not provide Critical Strike Chance or Armor Penetration. This is because of the high raw value of the stats themselves, even if they are not the most optimal.
As alternatives, Drape of the Lithe and Shawl of the Shattered Giant are very valid options, however, they don’t provide high a high DPS boost.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Knights of the Ebon Blade – Exalted | |
Drak’tharon Keep – Zone Drop BoE | |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your chest slot. The easiest way to prepare for Heroic Dungeons or the new Heroic Plus Dungeons will be to acquire either Razorstrike Breastplate or Aviary Guardsman’s Hauberk as both grant you decent stats. You can also attempt to farm the Knights of the Ebon Blade reputation in order to gain Darkheart Chestguard, which will grant you high offensive stats if you do not manage to form a group for the new Heroic Plus Dungeons.
The best item that you will be able to acquire as a fresh 80 will be the Tunic of the Lost Pack, offering you a decent initial Hit Rating and high Critical Strike Chance besides its high raw stats.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Noth the Plaguebringer (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (10)/Heroic + Dungeons | |
Naxxramas – Four Horsemen, Gluth (25) | |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. The best choice for the Pre-Raid phase will be the Tunic of Masked Suffering, as it grants you extraordinarily high stats, a high critical strike chance, and a high haste rating.
From a DPS output perspective, you have 3 main alternatives, each of them being gradually stronger than the previous one. Sadly, none of the 3 options grant you a perfect combination of secondary stats, making them inadequate for long periods of time. The second-best choice after the Tunic of Masked Suffering will be the Chestguard of Flagrant Prowess due to its high raw stats.
Best-in-Slot
The best option is Embrace of the Gladiator, even if it does not provide you access to the tier-set bonus. The item provides you with sockets, a high Critical Strike Chance, and quite a high Haste Rating.
The next best option for this slot by far is Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Tunic. Not only that it grants you access to the tier set bonus but it also massively boosts your overall stats. The increased Critical Strike Chance will also be a huge boost to your overall damage.
The last viable alternative is Chestguard of Insidious Intent. While this item provides a high Armor Penetration Rating, in the setup that we have provided as BiS, it does not perform quite well. The item itself can be quite an extraordinary choice if you don’t have access to any of the other items.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Wyrmrest Temple – Exalted |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your bracer slot. There are two main ways for gaining a strong pair of gloves as a fresh 80 Hunter. You may choose to pick the normal dungeon route, reaching strong items such as the Bands of Anxiety which grant you a much-needed high critical strike chance and Hit Rating from the new Heroic Plus Dungeons. Another choice would be to buy Armguard of the Tower Archer directly from the Auction House, as it can be bought by veteran raiders with 60 Emblem of Valor and sold. While Armguard of the Tower Archer has weaker offensive stats than Bands of Anxiety, its accessibility makes it stronger.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Razorscale (10) BoE | |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Naxxramas – Anub’Rekhan (25) | |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. By far the best choice for the Pre-Raid phase will be the Bracers of the Smothering Inferno. The only issue with the item is that it will require someone to clear Ulduar in order for the item to be placed in the Auction House.
The best option from Phase 1 is Slime Stream Bands. It provides a perfect combination of high raw stats, critical strike chance, and hit rating. Sinner’s Bindings and Arachnoid Gold Band are both perfectly valid options, offering similar DPS output.
Lastly, you can use Armguard of the Tower Archer, granting you the weakest DPS output that remains a decent choice, especially if you are lacking Hit Rating.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) | |
Ulduar – Hodir (10) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) |
Frost-bound Chain Bracers are the best item for this slot, even if they do not grant any Armor Penetration. The high Critical Strike Chance will do wonders for your overall damage.
While Fluxing Energy Coils provide Armor Penetration, they are weaker compared to bound Chain Bracers from a pure stat point of view, resulting in less DPS. They are quite a strong option if you can’t manage to get your hands on Frost-bound Chain Bracers.
Surprisingly Solar Bindings are actually the weakest choice when it comes to this slot. This is due to the useless “Expertise Rating” combined with the Haste Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Cyanigosa (Heroic) | |
Gundrak – Gal’darah (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your gloves slot. Since there are no viable BoE items for this slot, you will want to choose the traditional dungeon path and journey through Heroic and Heroic Plus Dungeons. Your first two choices are Grips of the Beast God and Handgrips of the Savage Emissary. You will want to keep Grips of the Beast God until you manage to acquire plenty of Hit Rating items.
With the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, we will supposedly be able to gain tier items such as Heroes’ Cryptstalker Handguards which will grant you a good start for Naxxramas 25 or The Eye of Eternity 25.
Lastly, the best item you can acquire as a fresh 80 is Rusted-Link Spiked Gauntlets, providing you with a decent Hit Rating, good Critical Strike Chance, high stats, and gem sockets.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Patchwerk (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Naxxramas – Sapphiron (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. There is no surprise that the best item for the Pre-Raid phase will be the Frosted Adroit Handguards. This item grants you high raw stats, a high Hit Rating, and Critical Strike Chance.
As valid alternatives from a DPS output perspective, you can choose either Gloves of Calculated Risk or Valorous Cryptstalker Handguards. The first option will be stronger than the second mainly due to the secondary stat combination that it offers. As simulations go, Hit Rating/Critical Strike Chance performs better than raw Haste/Armor Penetration in our specific build.
Lastly, you can use the Gloves of Fast Reactions, however, their DPS output is a lot lower compared to the other options due to lesser stats.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor | |
Ulduar – Mimiron (25) | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) |
Gloves of the Steady Hand will be the best option for this slot because of its high raw stats and the big buff that it has received with the new Phase 2 item upgrades.
It is closely followed up by Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Handguards, which grants powerful stats and access to your set bonus. You may want to choose this option only if you are using some offset item for your leg slot.
Gloves of the Stonereaper and Gloves of the Endless Dark are both decent alternatives for the beginning of the gearing process, however, Gloves of the Endless Dark are weaker than Gloves of the Stonereaper because they lack Armor Penetration, giving Haste Rating instead.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron | |
Gundrak – Thrash |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your waist slot. The first thing I would mention is that the list possesses craftable items that will only be available after Ulduar has been cleared. Belt of Dragons is by far the best possible choice that you can opt for, granting you high raw stats, critical strike chance, and haste rating. As a close alternative, Death-warmed Belt will grant you similar stats and DPS output. However, both options will not be available until Ulduar is cleared!
As a more reliable choice for a fresh 80 for the beginning weeks of Ulduar, Spectral Rider’s Girdle will grant you the best possible DPS output, followed up closely by the Blistered Belt of Decay. Since Phase 2 brings several changes to the expansion, you will be able to acquire those two items from the new Heroic Plus Dungeons.
Another okay alternative would be to gather Emblems of Heroism and buy Vereesa’s Silver Chain Belt, as it has quite decent stats paired up with a gem socket.
However, if you do not possess gold from your leveling journey, you will want to first acquire either Sovereign’s Belt or Belt of Tasseled Lanterns from normal dungeons. Belt of Tasseled Lanterns can also be bought from the Auction House depending on your realm’s economy.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) | |
Naxxramas – Maexxna (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gluth, Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. Just like in the Fresh 80 section, Belt of Dragons and Death-warmed Belt will be your best options. However, you will only be able to acquire them once someone clears Ulduar for the patterns and places them in the Auction House.
If we talk about the best choice before someone clears Ulduar, Depraved Linked Belt will remain the best possible option as it was in Phase 1 as well. the combination of high raw stats, Critical Strike Chance, and Haste Rating really makes the item shine in terms of DPS output.
All other options are similar in stats, with the exception of different secondary stat combinations such as Hit Rating/Armor Penetration versus Critical Strike Chance/Haste. The next best alternative in terms of DPS output will be Torn Web Wrapping, granting you similar damage.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – HM Yogg-Saron (10) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (25) | |
Ulduar – Trash (25) | |
28 – Emblem of Conquest | |
Soul-Devouring Cinch may seem like a sub-par choice due to the wasted Expertise Rating, but due to being the highest item level belt alongside 2 red sockets and other fantastic stats, this belt is easily the top choice for Survival.
Belt of the Betrayed is the second strongest choice, especially due to the high Critical Strike Chance and Armor Penetration rating that it offers. The third-best choice is Relic Hunter’s Cord offering similar stats. However, it is far better suited for builds that lack Hit Rating.
Both Belt of Dragons and Belt of the Ardent Marksman are solid choices for the beginning which are easy to acquire. Especially the Belt of Dragons since it can be crafted. As far as their performance goes, they are both extremely close.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Halls of Stone – Sjonnir the Ironshapper (Heroic) | |
The Oculus – Varos Cloudstrider (Heroic) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – Gortok Palehoof (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your legs slot. You can either directly buy a BoE item such as Giantmaim Legguards removing many of your initial issues. Or you can choose a progressive path and go through normal and heroic dungeons, acquiring items such as Ravenous Leggings of the Furbolg and Azure Ringmail Leggings which grant you great initial stats.
The new Heroic Plus Dungeons grant interesting choices as far as new items go. We are able to get Heroes’ Cryptstalker Legguards, which will grant us a perfect start for us as Survival Hunters.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Thaddius, Gluth (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gothik the Harvester (25) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) | |
Naxxramas – Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Naxxramas – Gothik the Harvester (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. The best possible choice from a pure DPS output perspective will be Valorous Cryptstalker Legguards, granting you a high mix of baseline stats, Haste Rating, and Armor Penetration. While Haste Rating is a decent stat on Hunters, you will want to seek items that grant Critical Strike over Haste if possible.
As far as alternatives go, each of the listed alternatives is progressively stronger than its previous counterpart. Items such as Leggings of Failed Escape and Leggings of the Honored are perfect if you lack Hit Rating while also granting you a decent DPS output. Items such as Leggings of Colossal Strides and Leggings of Fleeting Moments can be quite strong in builds that have plenty of Hit Rating, making them a better choice.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – Freya (25) | |
Ulduar – Razorscale (25) | |
39 – Emblem of Conquest | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) |
Legguards of Cunning Deception are the most powerful choice due to their high Armor Penetration and Critical Strike Chance values. They are especially strong since they also grant you raw high stats and sockets.
Saronite Mesh Legguards and Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Legguards are both extremely solid options, both being very close in stats and power. However, Saronite Mesh Legguards are strong due to their Armor Penetration Rating while Conqueror’s Scourgestalker Legguards are strong due to their item set bonus.
The Leggings of the Tireless Sentry are a very solid and easy-to-acquire choice for this slot. You can directly grab them with 39 Emblems of Conquest. The Darkcore Leggings are the weakest option, however, they can be very useful at the beginning of the gearing process.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Lavanthor (Heroic) | |
Halls of Lightning – Volkhan (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your feet slot. Sadly, there is no good option that you can buy as a BoE, not at the beginning of Phase 2 at least. As a fresh 80, you will want to progressively upgrade your boots through normal and heroic dungeons, reaching up to the new Heroic Plus Dungeons. The items linked before are good examples of the best progressive path you can achieve.
From a pure DPS output perspective, Boots of the Worshiper grant you the best possible damage, offering a great mix of high raw stats, Critical Strike Chance, and Haste Rating. The other options are simply inferior options, offering you the same type of secondary stats. Initially, you will want to grab items from quests and normal dungeons, reaching to items such as Slag Footguards and Twin-Headed Boots as your first ideal options.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (25) | |
Naxxramas – Noth the Plaguebringer (25) | |
Naxxramas – Anub’Rekhan (25) | |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. The best possible choice for this slot will be Footpads of Silence, even for BiS! The only problem with this item is that it will not be available in the first weeks of Phase 2, as it requires someone to clear Ulduar first and gain the pattern.
Besides Footpads of Silence, a much more realistic item for the first weeks of Phase 2 will be Boots of the Renewed Flight. This item grants you a perfect combination of high stats, Critical Strike Chance, and Armor Penetration.
As possible alternatives, you got several items ranging from Crippled Treads, Pack-Ice Striders, Dawnwalkers, and Boots of Captain Ellis. Each of them grants a solid set of stats, however, all of them are inferior to the Boots of the Renewed Flight. There are two main differences between those items and the Boots of the Renewed Flight. First of all, some of them can be acquired through Emblem of Valor while others are strictly raid drops. This makes the items acquired from emblems infinitely easier to acquire, removing the grinding process. Secondly, each item grants a different set of secondary stats, each of them being better in different situations. From a DPS output perspective, we have placed those items in a progressive order, from lowest to highest performance, however, some items perform better in situations where you either lack Hit Rating or need more Critical Strike Chance.
Best-in-Slot
With the Phase 2 update, the best item for the “Boots” slot, will be the Greaves of Swift Vengeance. They do bring powerful socket space and vital stats such as Critical Strike Chance and Hit Rating, however, they lack Armor Penetration.
Boots of Living Scale will be the second-best choice for this slot, especially due to its sockets and high overall stats.
The other 3 alternatives are very close, each of them providing you with similar stats and overall DPS. You can consider them viable choices until you can get your hands on either Greaves of Swift Vengeance or Boots of Living Scale.
Since Boots of Living Scale are a craftable item, you may choose to save up your gold and directly acquire them.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (10)/Heroic +Dungeons | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Dalaran- Harold Winston | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Azjol-Nerub – Anub’ar Warrior |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your ring slots. Depending on how much gold you want to spend, you can gain two accessible rings that will be perfect before reaching a 25-man raid. You can acquire Titanium Impact Band as a solid initial ring, and also gain Band of the Kirin Tor if you really have the gold to afford it. However, with the new Heroic Plus Dungeons, you will want to acquire Surge Needle Ring as fast as possible as it will be the best choice for Pre-Raid as well.
From a DPS output perspective, Sealing Ring of Grobbulus will be a very viable alternative as it grants you a perfect combination of Haste Rating and Critical Strike Chance. However, it will be inferior to Surge Needle Ring.
As an initial choice, you can buy Stained-Glass Shard Ring from the Auction House. This will prove to be a great investment as you will struggle with Hit Rating initially.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (10)/Heroic +Dungeons | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (Multiple Bosses) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Obsidian Sanctum 10) | |
Dalaran- Harold Winston |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. Surge Needle Ring and Strong-Handed Ring will be the best options for the Pre-Raid phase, just like in Phase 1.
Greatring of Collision offers similar DPS, however, Strong-Handed Ring simply provides a better DPS output.
Alternatively, you can get Ring of Invincibility before you manage to get one of the first mentioned items. It offers a great combination of critical strike chance and haste rating, however, it simply is weaker compared to the first options.
Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor is a great alternative if you have plenty of gold to spend or if you simply don’t wish to go hunting for specific items.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Heroic: All is Well That Ends Well | |
Ulduar – Steelbreaker (10) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Ignis the Furnace Master (25) | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) |
The best options that you can gain for your Ring Slots are Loop of the Agile and Brann’s Signet Ring. With the new Phase 2 items, Loop of the Agile receives a huge buff which severely enhances your overall DPS output.
As the next-best alternative, Band of Lights also comes with higher stats and offers quite a similar damage output. Brann’s Sealing Ring takes a big hit to its stats, making it far less effective than it used to be. Cindershard Ring is the perfect alternative until you can get your hands on both Brann’s Signet Rings. However, they do provide less DPS.
As another alternative, you can use Metallic Loop of the Sufferer, however, it grants inferior stats, having a focus on Critical Strike Chance and Haste Rating.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
The Nexus – Keristrasza (Heroic) | |
Drak’Tharon Keep – King Dred (Heroic) | |
Utgarde Pinnacle – King Ymiron (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your trinket slots. By far, the best choices for Phase 1 will be Mirror of Truth and Darkmoon Card: Greatness, meaning that you will want to have them at the beginning of Phase 2 as well. While you can straight up buy Darkmoon Card: Greatness from the Auction House, Mirror of Truth will take a while to acquire.
Until you can manage to acquire Mirror of Truth or gather the gold to get Darkmoon Card: Greatness, you can gather items such as Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood and Incisor Fragment or Meteorite Whetstone from Heroic Dungeons. You may however encounter heavy competition, especially if there are other fresh 80 characters.
Any of the last 3 trinkets are quite viable, however, you will want to swap them as fast as possible with your main 2 choices for a real DPS boost.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Naxxramas – Zone Drop (Multiple Bosses) | |
The Obsidian Sanctum – Sartharion (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. Just like in the previous section, Darkmoon Card: Greatness and Mirror of Truth maintain their spot as the main two DPS trinkets you will want to acquire before Ulduar releases. Darkmoon Card: Greatness is such a strong trinket that you will find yourself using it even when completing your BiS build, maintaining a strong position until the third phase of the expansion.
Alternatively, you can use Grim Toll instead of Mirror of Truth, however, its low proc rate makes it an inferior choice. The trinket works better on builds that severely lack Hit Rating as it grants a ridiculous amount of Hit Rating.
Lastly, Fury of the Five Flights is an alright choice compared to the other options, however, it is by far inferior compared to the other choices.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Darkmoon Faire – Darkmoon Nobles Deck | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (10) | |
Ulduar – Thorim (10) | |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) |
Trinkets are the most important items for a DPS. In the second phase of the expansion, for a Survival Hunter, Dark Matter and Darkmoon Card: Greatness will be your best options. Mjolnir Runestone is especially powerful due to the static Attack Power that it offers and the Critical Rating proc it offers.
As a fine alternative, Comet’s Trail will grant you a solid DPS boost, however, Haste is an inferior stat to Critical Strike Chance or Attack Power.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Eye of Eternity 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Violet Hold – Cyanigosa (Heroic) | |
Halls of Lightning – Loken (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your weapon slot. The best way to gain a good weapon for this slot is to progress through dungeons, ranging from Normal Dungeons up to the new Heroic Plus Dungeons. You have many possible options, however, your initial options will not provide you with any extraordinary stats. You will want to gain a high amount of Agility and Critical Strike Chance in the beginning.
All the items listed above were evaluated based on their raw DPS output, meaning that you will want to treat them as progressive upgrades. You will gain the best DPS output by using the Black Ice. Luckily for us, you can acquire it quite easily with the addition of Heroic Plus Dungeons.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
The Eye of Eternity – Malygos (10) | |
Naxxramas – Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Naxxramas – Heigan the Unclean (25) | |
Naxxramas – Grobbulus (25) |
Your Pre-Raid options will often be defined by the BiS items from the previous raid tiers, and any other new dungeons that arrive with the new phase. The best choice for this slot will remain Journey’s End, especially due to its Critical Strike Chance/Haste Rating secondary stat combination. In terms of raw DPS output, Betrayer of Humanity comes close to it, however, it is heavily contested.
Another quite iconic alternative will be Black Ice. This is a better choice if your build lacks Hit Rating, even if the DPS output is lower. Additionally, you can use either The Undeath Carrier, Cryptfiend’s Bite, or Origin of Nightmares as they prove to be decent choices in case the first-mentioned items are out of your reach. The Undeath Carrier is quite an extraordinary choice due to its very high stats.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (25) | |
Ulduar – Runemaster Molgeim, Steelbreaker, Stormcaller Brundir (25) | |
Ulduar – Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Ulduar – General Vezax (10) |
The second phase is dominated by Dreambinder, occupying the first spot as the BiS for this slot. Lotrafen, Spear of the Damned is a solid option that is virtually equal to Dreambinder.
Since those items are quite highly sought after, you may want to acquire either Dark Edge of Depravity or Journey’s End until you manage to get your hands on them. Dark Edge of Depravity is far better than Journey’s End, however, Journey’s End is from the previous raid tier.
There is another viable alternative in case you can not get your hands on any of those items. You can attempt to gain Hoperender, a weapon that will provide you with solid starting DPS.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Utgarde Keep – Ingvar the Plunderer (Heroic) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
The Culling of Stratholme – Mal’ganis (Heroic) |
As a fresh level 80, you have several choices for your ranged slot. There are three main options for your ranged weapon, you can either directly buy Nesingwary 4000 from the Auction House and wait until you can get an upgrade from a 25-man raid or you can follow the traditional dungeon path and acquire progressive upgrades. With the addition of Heroic Plus Dungeons, you have the option to acquire the Nerubian Conquerer.
Lastly, Pierce’s Pistol is a great initial choice if you do not wish to acquire Nesingwary 4000, as it grants you a perfect initial combination of Hit Rating and Critical Strike Chance.
Pre-Raid
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (10) | |
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 that arrive with the new phase. Envoy of Mortality will remain your best option for the Pre-Raid phase, granting you the highest DPS output due to its ridiculously high stats.
You have other two potent alternatives for this slot, namely Nerubian Conquerer and Arrowsong, with the former option being superior to the latter in terms of DPS output. Sadly, we do not have any other viable option for the Pre-Raid phase, meaning that you will most definitely want to acquire Envoy of Mortality as fast as possible.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Ulduar – Algalon the Observer (25) | |
Ulduar – XT-002 Deconstructor (10) | |
Ulduar – Kologarn (25) | |
Ulduar – Auriaya (25) | |
Naxxramas – Kel’Thuzad (25) |
By far the best item you can get for your ranged slot is Skyforge Crossbow! However, it can be quite tough to gain as it is highly sought after. The next and immediate best performer will be Magnetized Projectile Emitter. While Skyforge Crossbow does not offer you any Armor Penetration, it’s raw high damage provides the best possible DPS output.
Alternatively, until you manage to gain either of those two items you can use Siren’s Cry and Giant’s Bane as they are close to each other in performance.
Envoy of Mortality will still provide you with solid DPS until you manage to get your hands on an upgrade.
About the Author
Please update BiS list for Phase 2
You can expect it really soon.
No Pet Section?
Sadly pets cannot wear gear  😥 
Not worth going for The Kirin Tor ring?
Yes and no, if you need to drop hit sure go for it instead of Mobius band – no socket leaves it with relatively low agi though and won’t be much of a difference, esp knowing rings are easy to come by come raid release.
That being said, Kirin Tor scales per tier – so will have added ilvl everytime a tier comes out, this could still make it worth investing gold into.
This cant be right, or why u dont pick t-set items on chest, shoulder, legs and hands?
They have far suboptimal stats and both tier bonus are extremely lackluster.
I do pick tier shoulders, they atleast have crit.
Highest DPS for BiS naxx gear? Surv vs. MM?
Simulation indicate a slight edge towards survival – expectation is Marksmanship overtakes early – mid ulduar
Wanna add this is not gonna be accurate, mostly due to unexpected events happening with survival (trap weaving I knew about ofc, but it is bugged I was not) and also the 4-3-4 explosive shot rotation I had never heard of when making this guide.
So expect survival and MM to be on equal footing come near the end of Phase 2.
Early mid-ulduar turns out to be wrong, likely due to the introduction of 4-3-4 rotation and explosive trap triggering lock and load faster than the tooltip indicates.
While MM does out scale eventually, survival has also been scaling better than before due to these reasons, meaning the actual ”overtaking” of DPS is gonna last a lot longer.
speculating _when_ that is is risky, but I’m going to assume that at the latest it will be in early ICC when you have 2 set Tier 9 and 2 set Tier 10 + new arrows (they count towards weapon damage, which MM scales a lot more with)
But if you prefer survival there will barely be any difference, and can probably keep on playing it throughout ICC, I’m not sure about Ruby Sanctum as I usually dip when it comes out (that ”tier” simply does not interest me)
thoughts on using Grim Toll over say Darkmoon deck? I know it’s going to be a highly contested item, but if you are able to get your hands on it wouldn’t it be better in the long run?
Grim toll is terrible and you should always pass it,
DMC is great
use it together with mirror of truth until late ulduar
Mirror has a terrible proc rate on classic, and while still being the BiS option on some fights is not the ”end all” trinket for all of them – this comes down to fight duration mostly.
That being said most trinkets besides DMC during Phase 2 are terrible, so in that sense you can get it – just don’t trade it in over a DMC
I meant phase one
Hey, seeing frosted gloves are so hard to get, what do you think would be the second best option for gloves.
Mail gloves from Gothik the Harvester 25 man
Sorry, they drop from Patchwerk actually.
If you can get the Ring of Ghoulish Glee from the Headless Horseman event it’s easily BiS
easily pre-bis for sure, not bis though
Surely it’s better than Strong-Handed Ring?
The insane amount of agility on strong-handed ring makes it better still, (though I am not a fan of haste myself – the numbers dont lie)
I have very much been disliking the uptime on mirror, particularly survival – I think there may be room for a better 2nd trinket here tbh.
I don’t know which, I expect Loatheb’s shadow but sims suggest fury of the five flights (Grim Toll if you can use al the hit, not very realistic)
What are your thoughts about tier gear? The 600 AP from Steady Shot seems nutty, it may not proc a lot though? I’m not sure.
Awful proc rate but does not have to be avoided if by accident you stumble upon 4 pieces by action, but some of the BiS pieces and alternative pieces are a fair bit better and easy to get (Razorscale 25 pants, FL10HM Shoulders) adding the purchaseable T.8.5 pieces from badges to this should have higher DPS results in most cases particularly for Survival.
But you would have to simulate it to check if it’s the same for your case
Pretty garbage at some parts, do not reccomend to follow the guide too closely
Thanks for the feedback, but you didn’t give any feedback