I've done my pre-naxx gear list. I've also done my Christmas Wishlist. Now it is time for my Uber gear raid gear list.
Part 2 can be found here.
A few comments:
1. This post and the next one are designed after Kalon's Bear gear lists (1 , 2) over at Think Tank. I liked his format so I've stolen it.
2. These rankings are purely based upon DPS. Yes, Stam and Mp5 have value, but there is no way to directly translate them into DPS. By the same token Intelligence and Spirit have both mana and DPS benefits, but only the DPS is considered.
3. Finally, I absolutely DO NOT recommend you trying to get evey #1 item on this list. If you did you would have over 17% hit from gear alone. This list should be used to see how the different pieces relate to each other. Is there a comparable item? Which is the best slot to break the tier set? The items I would pick for my personal set are marked with an (*). Picking up these items will put you at or just over the Hit Cap an provide you with a good combination of DPS stats.
4. T7 Set Bonuses: The 2T7 is ignored because it's impact is minimal at best. The 4T7 is valued as if it was 229.5 / 4 Crit rating.
5. T8 Set Bonuses: First of all, there is currently a bug where your current SF cast will consume a 4T8 proc if it procs while you are casting. I am assuming that that is not intentional and that blizzard will fix it. My analysis shows that the 4T8 set bonus will be worth about 293 DPS if this issue is fixed. Also, my analysis shows that 2T8 and 4T7 are very similar in value, but that is in a perfect environment. Therefore I am valuing 2T8 as if it was 4T7 but devaluing it by 30% to account for wasted eclipse procs. Therefore the the T8 set peices gain an extra 82 points in the third column rating.
6. DO NOT use column three as a reason to use all 5 Tier pieces. It shows you why you should use at least four, but after those four use column one and two to evaluate gear choices.
Assumptions:
1. I've chosen a very high gear level for this analysis. My hypothetical moonkin for this post has 2900 Spell Power, 41% Crit chance, 29.4% haste (16.2% from gear), and a 99.96% chance to hit. This maximizes the value of Crit Rating and Haste Rating, but Minimizes the value of Spell Power and Hit Rating. The main reason I did this is because if you follow the list your stats will be similar to these.
2. To rank the items I've used the values generated by my stats model that you can find here.
3. I assume that all socket bonus will be met. This is how I socket each gem: Meta = [Chaotic Skyflare Diamond], Red = [Runed Scarlet Ruby], Yellow = [Reckless Monarch Topaz], Blue = [Purified Twilight Opal]. Yes, ignoring socket bonus will improve some of the items. However, the shifts would be small and it's easier manage this way.
4. Finally, my BiS choices are based upon a Night Elf having a Draenei in his group. Taurens and Night Elves with out a Draenei will probably choose something different to pick up a little more hit.
Ranking Legend:
Black - DPS stat ranking
Red - DPS stat ranking minus Hit rating
Blue - DPS stat ranking with Set bonuses
Green - DPS stat ranking with Set bonuses minus Hit rating
* - My pick for BiS
Legs:
I go with the Leggings of the Enslaved Idol here, because the stats are awesome. However, my guess is that most people will pick up the Conqueror's Nightsong Trousers first and then pickup the LotEI when they havea full set of T8 and are working on Hard Modes.
Head:
| Collar of the Wyrmhunter | 428.4 | 341.7 | 428.4 | 341.7 |
| *Conqueror's Nightsong Cover | 416.8 | 314.8 | 502.9 | 400.9 |
| Cowl of Icy Breaths | 415 | 299.4 | 415 | 299.4 |
| Valorous Dreamwalker Cover | 400 | 328.6 | 486 | 414.6 |
| Valorous Nightsong Cover | 394.8 | 301.3 | 394.8 | 301.3 |
| Crown of Luminescence | 379.9 | 379.9 | 379.9 | 379.9 |
| Headpiece of Reconciliation | 357.8 | 357.8 | 357.8 | 357.8 |
| Conqueror's Nightsong Headpeice | 357 | 357 | 357 | 357 |
| Hood of Rationality | 355.8 | 355.8 | 355.8 | 355.8 |
| Unwavering Stare | 355.2 | 355.2 | 355.2 | 355.2 |
| Heroes' Dreamwalker Cover | 353.8 | 292.6 | 392.1 | 330.9 |
| Cowl of Dark Whispers | 352.6 | 352.6 | 352.6 | 352.6 |
| Cover of the Keepers | 346.9 | 346.9 | 346.9 | 346.9 |
| Cowl of Vanity | 342.9 | 342.9 | 342.9 | 342.9 |
| Valorous Nightsong Headpiece | 339.9 | 339.9 | 339.9 | 339.9 |
| Gothik's Cowl | 338.3 | 338.3 | 338.3 | 338.3 |
| Lifespark Visage | 332.7 | 332.7 | 332.7 | 332.7 |
| Cowl of the Absolute | 332.1 | 185.9 | 332.1 | 185.9 |
| Enamored Cowl | 330.5 | 330.5 | 330.5 | 330.5 |
| Headpiece of Fungal Bloom | 306.7 | 306.7 | 306.7 | 306.7 |
| Noth's Curse | 295.8 | 295.8 | 295.8 | 295.8 |
| Cowl of Winged Fear | 294.6 | 294.6 | 294.6 | 294.6 |
| Cowl of Sheet Lightning | 294.4 | 294.4 | 294.4 | 294.4 |
| Faerlina's madness | 269.3 | 170.7 | 269.3 | 170.7 |
| Cowl of the Perished | 209.5 | 209.5 | 209.5 | 209.5 |
| Cowl of the Innocent Delight | 166 | 166 | 166 | 166 |
The Collar of the Wyrmhunter is a better helm by itself but Conqueror's Nightsong Cover wins out because of its set bonuses. If you can pick up the CotW on the cheap I would recommend it so that you can use it until the 4T8 set bonus is fixed.
Shoulders:
Some of you may be asking "How can you pick Conqueror's Nightsong Mantle as BiS when it is so far down the list?" Well, five of the items ranked above it are only there because they have Hit Rating. Another two are just bearly above it. So, the T8.25 shoulders aren't as bad as this list makes them look. When you include the Set bonuses as a part of there value they quickly jump to the top.
Chest:
Again the tier piece is my choice for BiS. There are better chests but the Set bonuses are worth the drop in stats.
Hands:
| Pulsar Gloves | 283.5 | 188.3 | 283.5 | 188.3 |
| Pharos Gloves | 247.7 | 247.7 | 247.7 | 247.7 |
| *Conqueror's Nightsong Gloves | 243.4 | 146.5 | 329.5 | 232.6 |
| Static Sharge Handwraps | 227.9 | 125.9 | 227.9 | 125.9 |
| Handwraps of the Vigilent | 226.1 | 226.1 | 226.1 | 226.1 |
| Valorous Nightsong Gloves | 224.7 | 136.3 | 310.8 | 222.4 |
| Gloves of the Frozen Glade | 206.5 | 206.5 | 206.5 | 206.5 |
| Gloves of Grandeur | 202.5 | 137.9 | 202.5 | 137.9 |
| Handguards of Potent Cures | 190.6 | 190.6 | 190.6 | 190.6 |
| Ebonweave Gloves | 188.2 | 101.5 | 188.2 | 101.5 |
| Conqueror's Nightsong Handguards | 181.6 | 181.6 | 181.6 | 181.6 |
| Handwraps of Plentiful Recovery | 180.8 | 180.8 | 180.8 | 180.8 |
| Grips of the Unbroken | 180.2 | 180.2 | 180.2 | 180.2 |
| Constructor's Handwraps | 178.5 | 178.5 | 178.5 | 178.5 |
| Touch of the Occult | 177.4 | 177.4 | 177.4 | 177.4 |
| Grips of the Secret Grove | 175.1 | 175.1 | 175.1 | 175.1 |
| Gloves of the Fallen Wizard | 173.9 | 131.4 | 173.9 | 131.4 |
| Handwraps of Resonance | 173.8 | 173.8 | 173.8 | 173.8 |
| Valorous Nightsong Handguards | 169.1 | 169.1 | 169.1 | 169.1 |
| Gloves of the Dark Gestures | 166.9 | 124.4 | 166.9 | 124.4 |
| Valorous Dreamwalker Gloves | 165.3 | 165.3 | 203.6 | 165.3 |
| Gloves of the Dancing Bear | 163 | 163 | 163 | 163 |
| Gloves of Token Respect | 157.7 | 157.7 | 157.7 | 157.7 |
| Gloves of Peaceful Death | 154.6 | 154.6 | 154.6 | 154.6 |
| Spellweave Gloves | 154.3 | 154.3 | 154.3 | 154.3 |
| Heroes' Dreamwalker Gloves | 148 | 148 | 186.4 | 148 |
| Gloves of Glistening Runes | 147.4 | 147.4 | 147.4 | 147.4 |
| Wraps of the Persecuted | 141.9 | 141.9 | 141.9 | 141.9 |
| Contagion gloves | 140.7 | 140.7 | 140.7 | 140.7 |
| Handgrips of Turmoil | 131.9 | 131.9 | 131.9 | 131.9 |
| Overlook Handguards | 118.1 | 118.1 | 118.1 | 118.1 |
| Moonshroud Gloves | 117.4 | 117.4 | 117.4 | 117.4 |
The T8.25 gloves have a good amount of hit on them raising them to number two on the list just by stats alone. However, the gloves from Algalon are quite awesome also.
Wrists:
| Bracers of Unleashed Magic | 182.3 | 121.1 |
| Grips of Chaos | 168.8 | 107.6 |
| *Grasps of Reason | 158.6 | 158.6 |
| Bindings of the Expansive Mind | 155.4 | 107.8 |
| Combustion Bracers | 154.4 | 100 |
| Wraps of the Astral Traveler | 142.3 | 94.7 |
| Preceptor's Bindings | 140.6 | 84.5 |
| Unsullied Cuffs | 139.8 | 139.8 |
| Shackles of the Odalisque | 134.1 | 134.1 |
| Bracers of the Broodmother | 132.2 | 132.2 |
| Esteemed Bindings | 128.6 | 128.6 |
| Bindings of the Depths | 128.1 | 128.1 |
| Bands of Impurity | 125.9 | 125.9 |
| Runetouch Handwraps | 125 | 125 |
| Punctilious Bindings | 121.5 | 121.5 |
| Swarm Bindings | 120.1 | 120.1 |
| Bindings of Yearning | 109.3 | 109.3 |
| Cuffs of the Shadow Ascendant | 109.1 | 109.1 |
| Cuffs of Winged Levitation | 107.4 | 107.4 |
| Resurgent Phantom Bindings | 107.2 | 107.2 |
| Plauge-Infected Bracers | 106.5 | 106.5 |
| Azure Cloth Bindings | 105.7 | 105.7 |
| Putrescent Bands | 103.8 | 103.8 |
| Bands of the Great Tree | 90.9 | 90.9 |
The Grasps of Reason are great and will get even better once we know the socket bonus. However, the wrist slot is a greate place to pick up a small amount of hit if you need it. As our gear improves most of our hit items will have a very large amount of hit. Therefore an item with just a little hit may be desireable to pick up those last 20-30 points you need. Finally, if your guild is still running Sarth 2D or better you may want to pick up the Unsullied Cuffs.
Belt:
The Crafted belts are very nice and will probably be worn by lot of Moonkin. However, if you can get Algalon down the Star-Beaded Clutch is great.
Boots:
| Sandals of Rash Temperament | 255.5 | 158.6 |
| *Boots of Fiery Resolution | 227.5 | 227.5 |
| Treads of the False Oracle | 222.6 | 222.6 |
| Boots of Impetuous Ideals | 211.3 | 148.4 |
| Xintor's Expeditionary Boots | 200.7 | 127.6 |
| Starlight Treads | 199.7 | 199.7 |
| Spellslinger's Slippers | 196.2 | 196.2 |
| Boots of Wintery Endurance | 190.9 | 190.9 |
| Boots of the Servant | 187.9 | 187.9 |
| Savior's Slippers | 186.8 | 186.8 |
| Boots of Hasty Revival | 177.2 | 177.2 |
| Footsteps of Malygos | 176.7 | 176.7 |
| Sandals of the Ancient Keeper | 176.3 | 176.3 |
| Arcanic Tramplers | 172 | 172 |
| Treads of the Dragon Council | 167.6 | 167.6 |
| Boots of the Excaped Captive | 164.8 | 164.8 |
| Boots of Forlorn Wishes | 158.4 | 158.4 |
| Boots of Persuasion | 155.8 | 155.8 |
| Slippers of the Holy Light | 154 | 154 |
| Boots of Septic Wounds | 153.9 | 153.9 |
| Boots of Petrified Forest | 150.8 | 150.8 |
| Sandals of Crimson Fury | 145.1 | 145.1 |
| Serene Echoes | 141.9 | 141.9 |
| Sullen Cloth Boots | 139.4 | 139.4 |
| Windripper Boots | 138.9 | 138.9 |
| Boots of the Follower | 138.4 | 138.4 |
| Saltarello Shoes | 136.6 | 136.6 |
| Rainey's Chewed Boots | 127.6 | 127.6 |
| Earthgiving Boots | 117 | 117 |
The Treads are still an very good item but the Boods of Fiery Resolution benfit from having a large amount of Haste and the new and improved Spirit. However, I wouldn't be suprised if the Treads became my first choice again after more is known about what a BiS moonkin looks like at the end of Ulduar.
Notes:
Ok, that is all of the primary armor evaluated. My next post will be out early next week and list all of the Jewelry and weapons.
Once again, as you can see there are a lot of links and values in this post. It is quite possible that I messed some of them up. If you find an incorrect link or a valuation just doesn't look right, please let me know so that I can correct it.
