With the release of Wrath of the Lich King looming on the “soon” horizon, many players find themselves looking for ways to keep themselves busy. Here are 12 steps to ensure you’re as prepared as possible for stepping foot on the shores of Northrend. (Hint: buy warm boots)
Pre-Raid Gear: Back, Waist, Wrist, Neck, and Fingers
Published on January 13, 2009 by Phaelia 
Items and Equipment, Lunar Guidance 
18 Comments
This is part two of my series on recommended pre-raid gear, organized by item slot and roughly ordered by my preference/recommendation. Note that, while there might exist items better than some of those listed here, these are the items that I consider ideally itemized for the Restoration Druid (and thus, the ones I think you should focus your efforts on acquiring).
- Part I: Head, Shoulder, Chest, Hands, Legs, Feet
- Part II: Back, Waist, Wrist, Neck, and Fingers
- Part III: Two-Handed Weapons, One-Handed Weapons, and Offhands (coming soon)
Quick Links
Back
- [Reanimator’s Cloak] – Drak’tharon Keep (Heroic) Zone Drop
Despite being a blue item, this is a great cloak and one of the few that includes Spirit. The additional red gem slot with a +4 Intellect socket bonus is pretty great, too. - [Wispcloak] – Tailoring (BoE)
While it does waste some itemization points on MP5 (a relatively pricey stat compared to the equivalent amounts of Intellect/Spirit), this is the only Epic back slot we have access to pre-Naxx. The graphic is pretty awesome, to boot. - [Shroud of Moorabi] – Moorabi in Gundrak (Heroic)
Great Intellect and high spell power but lacking the customization of the [Reanimator’s Cloak]. Still a viable option on par with the Wispcloak. - [Subterranean Waterfall Shroud] – Jedoga Shadowseeker in Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom (Heroic)
The highest available Spirit value of any of the ILevel 200 cloaks but lacking in Intellect.
Waist
- [Sash of Jordan] – World Drop (BoE)
Tons of Spirit and a red gem slot make this the best-in-slot item for a pre-Naxx Resto Druid, although you can expect to pay a hefty sum for the pleasure of wearing it. - [Vine Belt of the Woodland Dryad] – 40 x Emblem of Heroism
Similar to the [Elegant Temple Gardens’ Girdle] in potency, the fact that this belt is made of leather makes it the slight favorite. - [Elegant Temple Gardens’ Girdle] – 40 x Emblem of Heroism
One of the few items to include both Spirit (YAY) and MP5 (boo). Also includes a yellow gem slot with +4 Spirit socket bonus. - [Girdle of Bane] – King Ymiron in Utgarde Pinnacle (Heroic)
Because of the hit rating on this item, be courteous and defer first to the DPS casters in your group.
Wrist
- [Putrescent Bands] – Grobbulus or Gluth in Naxxramas (BoE)
A great balance of stats, leather, and featuring haste over crit, these are my best-in-slot choice and can be picked up from the auction house for around 1,000 gold. - [Cuffs of Winged Levitation] – Cache of Eregos in the Oculus (Heroic)
These bracers and the [Plague-Infected Bracers] are pretty evenly matched with the nod going toward the Cuffs because I prefer spell haste to spell crit. - [Plague-Infected Bracers] – Dark Runed Chest in the Culling of Stratholme (Heroic)
Also a great choice if you can get your hands around them – or get them around your hands – these bracers are also leather. - [Ancestral Sinew Wristguards] – Wyrmrest Accord (Revered)
One of the few available reputation-based items to include Spirit (if somewhat lacking). Includes a blue slot just begging to be slotted with Spirit or Spirit/spell power with a +4 Intellect socket bonus. - [Wound-Binder’s Wristguards] – Knights of the Ebon Blade (Revered)
Preferring Intellect to Spirit, these are an easily obtainable faction-based reward. P.S. They’re leather. - [Handler’s Arm Strap] – King Dred in Drak’tharon Keep (Heroic)
Similarly statted to the [Cuffs of the Trussed Hall], these have the advantage of being made of leather. - [Cuffs of the Trussed Hall] – Svala Sorrowgrave in Utgarde Pinnacle (Heroic)
You’ll be all trussed up with nowhere to go in these high-Spirit ILevel 200 bracers.
Neck
- [Encircling Burnished Gold Chains] – 25 x Emblem of Heroism
The one epic option for necklaces, what this chain lacks in Spirit it makes up for in spell power and Intellect. Unfortunately, wastes itemization points on spell hit so you’re better off saving your badges for the T7 equivalent gloves and chest first. - [Necromancer’s Amulet] – Salramm the Fleshcrafter in the Culling of Stratholme (Heroic)
The highest Intellect of the ILevel 200 blues make this the top contender among the three. - [Dragon Prow Amulet] – Utgarde Keep (Heroic) Zone Drop
Purchaseable from the Auction House, this item comes with a lot of Spirit. - [Zuramat’s Necklace] – Zuramat the Obliterator in the Violet Hold (Heroic)
At 64 Stamina, this is the beefy choice among necklaces, though obviously Intellect and Spirit remain preferred.
Fingers
This was a particularly difficult slot to fill with most rings including wasted stat points on spell crit, spell haste, or spell hit.
- [Loop of the Kirin Tor] – 6400g at Exalted with Kirin Tor
A great option for the Restoration Druid whose primary benefit is perhaps its ability to teleport you to Dalaran once an hour. This ring would be a tremendous boon for completing daily quests, allowing you to set your hearthstone to a more convenient reputation-proximate locale. Still, 6400g is hardly a sum to sneeze at so I only recommend this if you intend to make use of its teleportation aspect. - [Signet of Hopeful Light] – Argent Crusade Exalted
Amazing Intellect and haste over spell crit make this my second choice for rings, though honestly what Druid worth their sawdust will waste time raising their faction with those Paladin goodie-two-shoes? - [Spectral Seal of the Prophet] – The Prophet Tharon’ja in Drak’Tharon Keep (Heroic)
A blue ILevel 200 ring and the only option aside from the [Loop of the Kirin Tor] that includes Spirit. - [Titanium Spell-Shock Ring] – Jewelcrafting (BoE)
Wasted itemization points on spell crit but also includes a red gem slot with +5 spell power for customizability. Purchaseable via the auction house. - [Band of Guile] – Dark Runed Chest in the Culling of Stratholme (Heroic)
Pretty evenly matched with the [Titanium Spell-Shock Ring] but with the advantage of spell haste instead of spell crit.
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For necks, what about Lattice Choker of Light, a 25 emblem of heroism item?
(http://thottbot.com/i40681)
+37 Stamina
+38 Intellect
Improves critical strike rating by 34 (0.7% at 80).
Increases spell power by 59.
Restores 13 mana per 5 sec.
Crit not haste, and MP5 instead of spirit, but at least there is no itemization wasted on hit.
Great guides! I like seeing everything laid out to peruse.
Alt Fanatics last blog post..Capping a main and going to alts + leveling strategy
Under wrists, Cuffs of Winged Leviathon is actually Cuffs of Winged Levitation. Though I think people will know what you’re talking about since you link to it.
Thank you for putting the leather emblem belt ahead of the cloth one, too many comments on WoWhead say for resto druids to take the cloth belt because it has better regen — what use is regen when mana isn’t a problem says I? I’d rather have the spell crit and the extra armor, personally.
Oh, and you might want to mention that the Loop of the Kirin Tor isn’t going to be available until 3.0.8. It’s the main thing I’m looking forward to with that patch — I’ve already got all my gold saved up and ready to go!
Thanks Phaelia.
I’ve posted my own equipment list excluding Heroic and Badge drops here if you’re interested – http://wowwhimsy.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/anelfs-resto-druid-easy-naxx-ready-gear-guide-part-1/.
With the right crafting, quests and AH buys, you can walk into Heroics without bothering with normal lvl 80 instance drops.
Anelfs last blog post..ViperNotify addon and using Aspect of the Viper efficiently
Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put in here Phae. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that you do an awesome job here with all the work and effort you put in. Keep it up and again, really appreciate it.
Once again, a great list. You’ve convinced me to give up my [Azure Cloth Bindings] in favor of the Wyrmrest rep reward.
A very easy starter amulet is the [Blood Sun Necklace]. It’s relatively low level, but the itemization is good and the gem slot is a big help.
Alameins last blog post..Introduction to Obsidian Sanctum
The ring from Argent Crusade is very easy to get if you didn’t quest in Zul’Drak while leveling up. You can take the Pa’troll quest, go do the quest for the alchemist for 250 AC rep, then drop pa’troll and go pick it up again. Rinse and repeat. Went from 2000/6000 friendly to exalted in about 4 hours. No need to deal with those undead hating knights.
I also recommend the belt that drops from Gal’darah in Gundrak.
Sash of Blood Removal
Binds when picked up
Waist Leather
317 Armor
+49 Stamina
+51 Intellect
Equip: Improves haste rating by 66 (2.1% at 80).
Equip: Increases spell power by 77.
No spirit or MP5, but the haste on this is awesome.
Phae,
As an amateurish theorycrafter I am constantly configuring our main stats as to what’s desirable on an item. The major stat’s I consider are +spell power, +Int, +Spirit, +Stam, +haste, +mp5, and +crit. I would be very curious to hear what an expert druid like yourself weights the various stats as, on something like lootrank. Do you have a lootrank template for resto druids? Or would other members of our community like to share some ideas?
Regards
Arra
Great effort.
I’m using “Belt of Vivacity” from Volkhan and I prefer it to Girdle of Bane.
I’m using as well “Enchanted Wire Stitching” from Meathook along with “Spectral seal of the prophet” and I consider both the best alternative (pre 3.0.8 patch)
I may be wrong but I think both the belt and the wire deserve to be in the lists as they are clearly ToL items and good ones
Thanks a lot
Arranum,
I got the following relative weights from an EJ discussion. I’ve been using them to this point, and they seem fairly effective, though I wonder if spirit is a bit too light.
MP5: 10.0
Spellpower: 9.4
Intellect: 5.8
Spirit: 5.1
Haste: 2.9
Crit: 2.0
I’ve started using the Pawn addon, it takes values like these and applies them to items in-game, in the tooltip. Makes it very easy to see whether something is an upgrade or not (though it’s always worth applying your brain to it too).
I would not claim these numbers are gospel; I’m curious what others think. Here’s the EJ thread: http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t38398-pawn_addon_values_all_specs/
Alameins last blog post..Introduction to Obsidian Sanctum
I made my own item weight scale based on my play style. I like HoTs. I hate Cast times.
I do this on wowhead.com to see if an item is worth gemming out or spending money on enchants for. It isn’t very scientific, but it does the job for me.
Gem Socket: 1007
Spell Power: 53
MP/5: 48
Spirit: 48
Intellect: 28
I don’t value haste or crit, and MP/5 is a complete waste of item points. The value for a gem socket is based on the value of spell power*Runed Scarlet Ruby. If they had SP/Spirit gems in game I may use them, but since they don’t I gem all Runed Scarlet Rubies and use my Prismatics from JC to get my Meta. I never ever ever run out of mana, and if I ever need an innervate I end the fight with full mana. I am very happy with my 15K mana pool.
Being a father, husband, manager means I have very little time to research this kind of stuff myself which means these posts you create are a lifesaver. Many many many (is three enough..hmmm..nah) many thanks hun.
One thing though, were you planning on doing a trinket one ? I seem to be carrying around 10 trinkets at the moment with no real idea which are the best (I really am that useless at stats etc.)
Oh and I would like to convey that fellow trees shouldn’t obsess about getting something off the list for each slot post Naxx. Some of the bosses are just a case of tactics and some good stuff drops from early bosses. I just got Noth’s Curse which both is cool, and looks cool.
Happy days,
Ham.
Hi there,
I too echo the sentiments of others that your posts have saved many of us a great deal of stress and time trying to look everything up. As my NE resto druid is getting to the point of the doorstep of starting Naxx 10 runs, I’m at the point again where I wonder if there were general recommendations for “stats” as another pre-raid check (in addition to just gear lists). Since my guild is fairly small and we’re still building up to start raiding again, I am forced to go with PUGs as I did when I first started doing Kara and other T4 content a few months back. Having some general recs for stats definitely helps me feel more confident that I have objective qualifications for being in a PUG raid. I don’t doubt my skills, but that’s a subjective matter…
Phae –
Another extremely helpful yet balanced post from you. I really appreciate your time and effort to help further the celery of the world.
cheers,
Syl
Great guide. You helped me save sooooo much time. As far as Waist armor goes, what do think of this one that drops off Volkhan in Halls of Lightening (Heroic)?
Belt of Vivacity
Waist Leather
307 Armor
+49 Stamina
+43 Intellect
+58 Spirit
Equip: Increases spell power by 68
I’m really glad this post has saved so many so much time. It definitely helped me pinpoint where my upgrades might come from (though I haven’t had the gumption to play in a number of weeks).
@Beefyheals: I think the Belt of Vivacity is a very nice piece, though if you’re doing Heroic instances, you could nab one of the purples listed under the Waist slot.