Today over at WoW Insider, I have the massive list of pre-raid gear — the loot that you want to pick up from heroics, reputation rewards, and those justice points.
Last week we covered our pre-heroic gear lists, bringing us up to at least ilvl 329 gear. A bit of grinding, a bit of questions, a sprinkling of gold and a few good drops and we’re ready to graduate from normal-mode dungeons to the new, harder-hitting Cataclysm heroics.
We want to be a lot more careful about selecting our ilvl 349 gear than we were with pre-heroic gear. This is the gear that is going to enable us to start killing raid bosses, and in raiding, the small nuances of optimization really start to add up. You absolutely want to enchant and gem this gear with the best possible gems and enchants. You may also want to evaluate your own stat weights using a tool like Zeherah’s DPS Analyzer combined with a hefty dose of logic and common sense. That said, the difference between gear of the same ilvl is smaller than ever, thanks to reforging.
So join me after the cut for the complete list of the best gear we can get outside of raids… Read More.
Just saw a blue post that at 85 we get 10% of xp in Cata bc wrath and old world including for our pet leveling so might want to xp lock on the last bubble of 84 till all 25 are maxed.
You can still level your pets fairly quickly as you run instances to get gear. Nobody is really going to complain if you have a level 82/83 pet out for trash – as long as you swap to your level 84/85 one for the bosses. And even then, if you run with people you know they probably won’t care even then.
You will find you save yourself alot of time just getting to 85 and running heroics than sitting at 84 and not running them.
Any 85 dungeon or Heroic I’ve run has leveled a pet from 82-85. they do get terrible xp out soloing though.
MHP Hunters FTW, Dmok.
To add to this, my pets level to 85 from 82 in roughly 2 dungeons, maybe quicker depending on how long or how many mobs are in the dungeon. Of course, at 85, if you’re running Lost City, Grim Batol or Halls of Origination, your pet will get two levels. As it was for us, 84-85 is going to take a little longer, but it’s still quicker. Just hop into another dungeon.
“A bit of grinding, a bit of questions…” — I believe that should be “a bit of questing,” shouldn’t it?
Nice one Frost, these lists are invaluable, gives me a heads-up on which Rep’s & 5-Man’s I should be grinding to ensure a flying start when our Cata Raiding begins in earnest.
On the subject of Pet Levelling, I have found it possible to level 2 pets from 80-83/84 in a single non-HC run. lol. Good job too with so many new and fuunky pets to get up to speed.
Thank you so much for this list Frost. I hit 85 same day Cata came out and was able to hit heroics the following day. As always your guides are AWESOMESAUCE!
where to buy the Razorshell patterns? i need the chest but i couldn’t find where it is available. not even in twilights highland vendor.
I believe the Razershell set has been taken off. ^.^”
As we grind out random heroics, any thoughts on the first Valor Point piece of gear to buy? Are any of them BIS 359 (until we start getting into heroic modes)?
Frost – think you missed a trinket that’s probably #3 or #4 on the dps list. Didn’t know it even existed til it dropped from mob today.
Heart of the Vile – http://www.wowhead.com/item=66969
Definitely better than Grace of the Herald.
Sorry forgot this – here’s the comparison of the 5
http://www.wowhead.com/compare?items=55874;56115;66969;55795;55266
I was looking at your list and you forgot to put the Deadly Bio-optic Killshades on the list for helms. It is made with Engineering and is well worth making. With it’s meta gem and two cogwheel sockets, you can load it with stats. It’s a fantastic helm.
Was just wondering, I have a guildy thats a scribe and is insisting that http://www.wowhead.com/item=62051 is the best hunter trinket on the market, yet I see it hasn’t made your list, so i just wondering your thoughts on it.
Hi all. Just a quick note on additional choice of hands that don;t appear on your current Pre Raid Gear list. I can’t do the fancy mouse over thingymebob but the gloves are as follows: Traitor’s Grips – 1451 Arm, 205 Agi, 337 stam, +130 Haste, +150 Mastery, Blue socket with +10 Socket Bonus. They drop in SFK Heroic from Baron Ashbury (if your lucky enough to kill the annoying little s%#t).
Have you or anyone decided which is the best way to determine which piece of gear is better then another? I use pawn, adjust weights from female dwarf yada yada yada…With reforging in the mix it gets confusing and hectic. My brain starts to hurt when I reforge. Typically, once I would be at the hit cap I would avoid pieces with hit, but now I can turn that into something else…what are some suggestions on weighing gear?
For those who want a list like I did, that you can sort like a spreadsheet depending on where you’re going / other factors –
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AuG-Mcp-Qy19dHBBelA4WFdrNXp6QzR5TlByNHE2UEE&hl=en&authkey=CMb4gZYL
I was wondering what the numbers were for ranged weapon speeds? I have a choice between Overpowered Chicken Splitter (speed 2.80) and Heroic Amber Messenger (speed 2.90) what are the benefits of either? Is one better than the other. I can reforge to make use of hit.
New Trinkets to look at – possible new top 3?
http://www.wowhead.com/compare?items=55874;56115;66969;55795;55266
What about http://www.wowhead.com/item=62479 from Baradin’s Wardens for Ranged options? it is right up there with the other in my opinion, and easier to get as well than the engineering gun/bow.
I realize it has mastery while the others have haste/hit on them but for all counts and purposes it seems to match up with them.
If you can find a friend or two and do some arena then I’d suggest trying to get http://www.wowhead.com/item=61354/vicious-gladiators-rifle or similar bow/x bow.
It looks a pretty clear upgrade to the crafted items and getting the 3400 points needed can be done in 3 weeks.
The list of cloaks omits Razor-Edged Cloak…any particular reason?
http://www.wowhead.com/item=56363 been wearing that belt – I feel it should be on the list.
Shouldn’t Matoclaw’s Band make this list or am I missing something?
http://www.wowhead.com/item=70105
I was just thinking the same, MUffL0n. Am I missing something why this is not in the list?