Icanalmosthearthe'sowhat'comingthroughthescreen,solet'smoveontowhatIpromisedyoulastweek:thevariousaccessoriesthathelpwarriorsgearforDPSortanking.AshasbeenthecaseinpreviousWrathgearingcolumns,thisonewillfocusonitemstogetyoufrom70to80.We'vealreadytalkedaboutfactiongearbutwemayrevisitsomeofthosepiecesherejustforeaseofuse.
AsaresultofthisimpendingwaveofchangecomingtowashawayalltheraidsI'vegottensoaccustomedto,I'vegoneandrespeccedmyhumanandtaurenwarriorstofuryforthefinalweekoftheirTBClives.I'vetankedmywaythroughcontentuptoSunwellitself,nowit'stimetositbackandenjoywhatIneverreallygottoseebeforeduetomyintensefocusonwheresomeone'sgiantcrotchisatthemoment.Seriously,tankingIllidanisallgruntsandhistenfoothighcrotchhangingthreateninglyabovemyhead,it'squitedisturbingifyouthinkaboutittoomuch.Sothepastfewdays,IhavebeendualwieldingtwohandweaponslikeIalwaysdreamedIwouldbuycheapwowgold.
Ifthere'sanythingyouwereintendingtodothatyouhaven'tdoneyetforonereasonoranother...killingKil'Jaeden,perhaps,ormaybesomethingsimplelikefinallypickingupthatShardofContemptthat'sbeenrefusingtodropforyou...you'vegotsixdaysbeforeWrathoftheLichKingeffectivelyendsthecurrentexpansion'slifecycle.Thecontentwillallbethere,sure...eventuallyyou'llseevideosofgroupsofplayersblastingthroughBlackTempleinfifteenminutesorwhathaveyou,butthezoneswillceasetomatterinthesamewaythatalltheoriginalraidingcontentdid:funforatripback,butnotrelevantanymore.
Necks
Thefirsttankingpieceyou'llseeisaquestrewardfromanUtgardeKeepquest,Disarmament.CalledtheWovenSteelNecklace,whatitlacksinpuredefenserating(ameasly13)itmakesupinstrength,staminaandparryrating.It'sprettyobviouslyintendedtohelpnewDKtankscatchuptospeed,butwewarriorscanuseallthosestatstoo.ThesamequestalsorewardstheRazor-BladePendant,orasIliketocallit,PendantofthePerilous2.Meanwhile,theHordeversion(whichIdon'trememberdoing)seemstohavedifferentrewards,theHundredToothNecklaceandtheTiled-StonePendant.Frankly,ifthat'sthecaseIprefertheHordeversion.TheHordequestBreakingThroughandtheAlliancequestCalltoArms!bothrewardasolidneckforDPSwhichcouldalsobeagoodthreatpiece.TheChokerofForcefulRedemption/ChainoftheTollingBellareclearlyweightedtowardsDPS,butwithhit,expertiseandstaminayoucan'texactlysaythey'dbebadthreatnecksforatankeither.
YournextrealsourceforupgradeswouldappeartobetheSholozarBasinandaquestcalledAHero'sBurden.TankswillbeinterestedintheBlood-InfusedPendantwhileDPSwillbetakingalookattheSpikedCollarofServitude.DPScanalsocombtheAHlookingfortheDraconicChokerofFerocityatoraroundthistime.Ifyou'rerunninginstances,theSlasher'sAmuletisalsoavailable(andwearablebeforeeitheroftheoptionslistedaboveit).AndjewelcrafterscanmakethissocketedDPSneck.
ThequestBetrayalinZul'Drakoffersyoumoreneckoptions.YoucantankwiththeBetrayer;sChokerorDPSwiththeChokeroftheBetrayer.Despitewhatthenamesmighthaveyouthinking,Illidandoesn'tshowupinthisquest.I'msorry,Imisshimtoo.
Ihavenoideawherethiscomesfrom.It'sBoE,though,solikelyit'sarandomworlddrop.SearchtheAHnow!Well,then.Notnow.It'snotoutnow.Onlythen.When?I'mconfusingmyself.Ialsodon'tknowwherethisslightlybetterversioncomesfrom,butit'sBoP,sowecanassumeadungeonintheVioletHoldrange.
AtriptoIcecrownGlaciertodoTheAdmiralRevealedprovidesyouwiththeoptiontochoosebetweenasocketedDPSneckwithagiandcritrating,whichIfindinteresting,andasocketedtankingneck.Withgemshavingexpandedinpowersignificantlyintheexpansion,that'sastrongertankingpiecethanitmayatfirstappear.
Wowheadtellsmethatthisneckdropsoffofthelastbossinnon-HeroicGun'drak.WhileexpertiseisagoodstatfortanksorDPS,therestofthestatsandlackofoneslikedodge,defenseorstaminaputsthissquarelyintheDPScategory.AtriptotheHallsofStonewillnetyoutheAmuletofWills,asolidtankpiece(admittedlybetterforadruid),theNecklaceoftheChrono-LordawaitsyouinStratholmeofthepast,andtheAmuletofDeflectedBlowsdropsinUtgardePinnacle.
Onceyouhitthelevel80heroics,wehaveseveraloptions.TankswillwatchfortheBurningSkullPendant(lookatthatblockvalue),thePendantoftheNathrezimortheShadowseeker'sPendant.I'mpersonallygoingtogetthatBurningSkullPendantifIhavetoruneveryheroicinNorthrendonehundredtimes(andsinceIhavenoideawhereitdrops,Imayhaveto)OurDPSwarriorswillhavetosettlefortheGoldAmuletofKingsoftheNecklaceofArcaneSpheres.
Trinkets
Therearequiteafewtrinketsyou'llbelookingatbetween70and80,somecraftedfromengineeringorjewelcrafting,othersdrops.I'mgoingtodeviatefrommypatternofgoingfromlowerleveltohighertoshowyouthestandoutbluetankingtrinketoftheexpansion:EssenceofGossamer.
Ohyeah.That'swhatI'mtalkingabout.111stamina.Ifthatwasallithad,itwouldbeenough.Butcombinethatwiththeproc,whichisadamageshieldthatwillmakeAoEpullssignificantlyeasier,andIcan'tstopfromthinkingaboutrunningHeroicAzjol-Nerubuntilmyfingersbleed.Nowthatwe'vegonetotheabsolutebesttrinket,whatelsewerewegoingtomention?
Well,there'sFuryoftheEncroachingStormfromHowlingFjordquesting,foryouhastelovers.Forthatmatter,ifyou'reintheFjordandyoulovehaste,there'stheFirstMate'sPocketwatch.There'stheMedallionofHeroism,withitssolidcriticalstrikeratingandthatnicehealingonuse,availablethroughaquestchainthatwillbemassivelyloadedwithspoilersifyoureadaboutitnow.There'stheGoblinRepetitionReducer,forsalefromavendorintheGrizzlyHillsifyoulikeworldPvP.GoblinEngineeringprovidesyouwiththeSonicBooster,withasolid 81staminaandanAPboost.
AlchemistswillhavetheMightyandIndestructableAlchemist'sStonestochoosefrom.
Ifyou'redyingformorehaste,there'sFezzik'sPocketwatch,andtheVestigeofHaldorfromKingYmironinregularUtgardePinnacle.Ifyoulikehasteandcrit(sure,wealldo)there'stheMeteroiteWhetstone.FuryWarriorsmaygogagafortheSphereofRedDragon'sBloodwiththatsizeablechunkofhitrating,whiletankswilllookfortheSealofthePantheonandOfferingofSacrifice.AlsokeepaneyeoutforLavanthor'sTalismaninheroicVioletHold.TheIncisorFragmentfromheroicDrak'TharonKeepcombinesflatAPwithondemandarmorpen,aninterestingchoice.
Finally,jewelcrafterscanmaketheRubyHare(staminaandgemsockets!Squee!),theMonarchCrab(staminaandgemsocketsanddodgerating,evenmoresquee!)andtheEmeraldBoar.
Okay,sohereweare,sixdaystogoandwestillhaven'tcoveredcloaksorweapons.Well,it'snotlikeyou'llbelevel80bynextfriday,sowe'lltryandgetitallwrappedupthen.Untilthen,I'mgoingtogooutandhitthingswithtwotwohandedweapons,becausethatisallIamgoingtobedoingforthenextsixdays.Well,Imaycacklemadly.Idon'twanttorulethatout.
Rings
Whataboutourpoor,nakedfingers?Whatwillweadornthemwithaswegoforthtocrushourenemies?Luckily,ourenemieshaveringswecantakeforourselves.Also,there'squestsandfactionsandstuff.Butthat'slessexcitingthanpryingthejeweleryoffofthecorpsesofthosefoolishenoughtostandagainstus.
ForstartersletuslookatthreeBoEringsthatdropintheearlyzones:Tooga'sLostToenail,Milan'sMastercraftBand,andWorgen'sRingofRevitalization.Tanking,DPS,andtanking/PvPoptionsavailableviatheAH.TheTooga'sringhaslessstamthantheSignetoftheGreatProtectorbutismorewellroundedandhasidenticaldefense,Milan'shashit,critandAPononering.DefinitelyworthlookingforintheAH.
TheJadeRingofSlayingiscraftablebyJewelcrafters.It'sBoP,though,soit'sonlyforyouifyou'reaJC.
Nowontoquestsandinstances:UtgardeKeepoffersyouthequesttogainExecutioner'sBand,averysolidDPSring.TheSignetofArachnathidCommandisanincrediblynicetankingringavailableinAzjol-Neruboffofol'Anub'arakhimself.I'mprettysureJedoga'sGreatringdropsoffofJedogaShadowseekerinAhn'kahet.ThequestSearchandRescueoffersDPSandtankingoptionsaswell-Kurzel'sRageforsmashysmashy(althoughwiththatmuchstamandhityoumighttankinit)andKurzel'sWarbandforthedefenseminded.
JewelcraftingfillsinsomegapsatthislevelwiththeWindfireBand(aringthatcouldbeusedbycasters,rangedphysical,andmeleephysicalDPS,really),theSavageTitaniumRing(PvP,yes,butPvEDPSlikeittoo!),theRingofScarletShadows,andtheRingofEarthenMight.TheseareallBoEsoyoucanmakethemifyou'reaJCorbuythemifnot.
ThequestLightWithinTheDarknessprovidesyouwiththeSignetofBridenbrad,socketableringgoodness.BoththeJaggedIceBandandtheIceforgedBattleRingcomefromquestsinvolvingBrannBronzebeard.BothHordeandAlliancecangettheFrog-ToeBandfromIcecrownquesting.Meanwhile,atripbacktoBoreanTundratoaidinthestruggleagainstMalygosintheOculusyieldsringsbothtankyandsmashy.AtripintoGun'draktodocumentthehistoryofitsdoompresentsyouwiththechoicebetweentheSolidPlatinumBandandtheRingofFoulMojo.Whileyou'reinthereanyway,tryandpickupGal'darah'sSignet.Ifyougetthat,youcangrabtheFoulMojoforthequest.AndifGeneralBjarngriminHallsofLightningcanbeconvincedtopartwithit,there'stheBjarngrimFamilySignet.
ABoEdropfromtheHallsofStone,thePalladiumRingisprettysweet.Ihavenoideaifit'sactuallyanIronManreferenceornot,though.TheCacheofEregosintheOculuspresentsyouwiththeDragonflightGreatRing,whichreallyisagreatringifyou'reatank.
AttheheroiclevelwehavetheWoefulBand,theUnsmashableHeavyBandwithdeliciousblockvalue,theNerubianShieldRingandtheBandofTorturefortanks.ForDPS,wehavetheBandofFrostedThorns,theMobiusBandandtheStained-GlassShardRing.