Gear Check: Pre-Heroic Gear for Plate DPS

A paladin was my first character in World of Warcraft. Kershocker the Holy Paladin. I know what you’re thinking: “LOL u leveled as holy, noob l2p.” I admit it, I was definitely a noob [Proof], but one day, while spamming Holy Shock and Exorcism, I decided to learn how to play my class. Boom! Retribution Paladin!

When it comes to DPS, I’ve always loved the Melee classes. Inflicting as much damage while standing right in the middle of all the action is good times. When you want to gear a Plate DPS class, all of them share one thing in common: Strength. That’s why it’s quite simple to identify an upgrade, if it has more Strength than your current item, it’s probably an upgrade. Still, there are a few other stats you need to consider if you wish to maximize your DPS. I’ll try to make a priority stat list for every single Plate DPS class and it will be followed by gear you can and should get before stepping into heroics.

Retribution Paladin: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste

Dual Wield Frost DK: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste

2-H Frost DK: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap = Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike

Unholy DK: Strength > Hit Cap > Haste > Mastery > Expertise Cap > Critical Strike

Fury Warrior: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap> Critical Strike > Mastery > Haste

Arms Warrior: Strength > Hit Cap = Expertise Cap > Critical Strike = Mastery > Haste

Now on to the gear.

Head:

iLvl 346:

1. Helm of Easeful Death – 2200 Justice Points

iLvl 333:

1. Redsteel Helm – Blacksmithing

iLvl 318:

1. Helm of Verdant Explosion – Quest: Breach in the Defenses

Shoulders:

iLvl 346:

1. Pauldrons of the High Requiem – 1650 Justice Points

iLvl 316:

1. Pauldrons of Unholy Rituals – Quest: Followers and Leaders

Neck:

iLvl 359:

1. Gift of Nadun – Exalted with Ramkahen

iLvl 333:

1. Seedling Pod – Halls of Origination: Ammunae

iLvl 325:

1. Necklace of the Dead City – Quest: The Fall of Neferset City

Chest:

iLvl 359:

1. Elementium Deathplate – Blacksmithing

iLvl 346:

1. Breastplate of Raging Fury – 2200 Justice Points

iLvl 333:

1. The Redsteel Breastplate – Blacksmithing
2. Breastplate of the Risen Land – Halls of Origination: Earthrager Ptah

Back:

iLvl 333:

1. Shroud of the Dead – Honored with Ramkahen
2. Cloak of the Red Flight – Quest: Battle of Life and Death
3. Geordan’s Cloak – Lost City of Tol’Vir: Siamat

Hands:

iLvl 346:

1. Gryphon Talon Gauntlets / Gauntlets of Rattling Bones – Revered with Wildhammer Clan / Dragonmaw Clan
2. Reaping Gauntlets – 1650 Justice Points

iLvl 325:

1. Endwyn’s Flickering Gauntlets – Random World Drop

Wrists:

iLvl 346:

1. Terborous’s Rotating Bands – Deepholm’s Rare Spawn: Terborous

iLvl 333:

1. Alpha Bracers – Halls of Origination: Anraphet

Waist:

iLvl 359:

1. Belt of The Ferocious Wolf – Exalted with Guardians oh Hyjal
2. Elementium Girdle of Pain – Blacksmithing

iLvl 346:

1. Beech Green Belt – 1650 Justice Points

iLvl 333:

1. Belt of the Forgemaster – Grim Batol: Forgemaster Throngus

Legs:

iLvl 346:

1. Greaves of Gallantry – 2200 Justice Points

iLvl 333:

1. Offline Greaves – Quest: Penetrating Their Defenses

Feet:

iLvl 359:

1. Woe Breeder’s Boots – BoE Valor Boots [They are going for 6.5k – 7k]

iLvl 346:

1. Waywatcher’s Boots – Revered with Guardians of Hyjal

iLvl 333:

1. Greaves of Wu the Elder – Lost City of Tol’vir: Zone Drop
2. Treads of Terror – Quest: Skullcrusher the Mountain [Really, no Jonathan Coulton fans?]

Rings:

iLvl 346:

1. Gorsik’s Band of Shattering – Revered with Therazane
2. Red Rock Band – Revered with Ramkahen

iLvl 333:

1. Circle of Bone – Grim Batol: Erudax
2. Nova Band – Halls of Origination: Isiset
3. Ring of Darkest Day – Lost City of Tol’vir : High Prophet Barim
4. Galrond’s Band – Honored with Guardians of Hyjal

Trinkets:

iLvl 359:

1. Impatience of Youth – Exalted with Tol Barad Faction
2. Darkmoon Card: Hurricane – 13k-ish Gold on the AH
3. Volatile Alchemist Stone – Alchemists only

iLvl 346:

1. Figurine – King of Boars – Jewelcrafters only

iLvl 333:

1. Heart of Solace – Lost City of Tol’vir: Lockmaw

iLvl 325:

1. Harrison’s Insignia of Panache – Quest: Firing Squad

Relic:

iLvl 352:

1. Bloodthirsty Gladiator’s Relic of Conquest – PvP… eek!

iLvl 346:

1. Notched Jawbone – Inscription

iLvl 318:

1. Shore-Cleansing Standard – Quest: Landgrab

Ranged:

iLvl 359:

1. Crossfire Carbine – Random World Drop… or the Auction House if you are richer than God.

iLvl 318:

1. Silenced Blunderbuss – Quest: Dark Assasins

2-H Weapon:

iLvl 359:

1. Zin’Rokh, Destroyer of Worlds – Archeology

iLvl 346:

1. Blade of the Fearless – Revered with Tol Barad

iLvl 333:

1. Oversized Oblique Ogre Obliterator – Quest: The Crucible of Carnage: The Twilight Terror!
2. Wild Hammer – Grim Batol: Erudax

1-H Weapon:

iLvl 359:

1. Scimitar of the Sirocco – Archeology

iLvl 346:

1. Dawnblaze Blade – 950 Justice Points [OFF-HAND!]

iLvl 333:

1. Sun Strike – Halls of Origination: Rajh Koothrappali
2. Resonant Kris – Lost City of Tol’vir: High Prophet Barim

I don’t know if I should write the Pre-Raid Gearing for Plate DPS and Hunters BEFORE or AFTER Patch 4.1.0.  Both Zul’Gurub and Zul’Aman will have very nice drops that are supposed to help complete those item slots that you may be having a hard time obtaining in heroics. Hmm… I’ll let you all decide that. Comment and/or send me a message via Twitter, and I can decide whether to get that up ASAP for you all or move on to another topic until the new patch drops.

/hug

If you feel like investigating a bit more about Stat Priority for your spec, take a look at:

Retribution Paladin – Elitist Jerks

Frost Death Knight – Elitist Jerks

Unholy Death Knight – Elitist Jerks

Arms Warrior – MMO Champion

Fury Warrior – MMO Champion