Pre-Naxx Gear Part One – The Resto Druid

Many people focus on gear to get you where your going, or what is your Best in Slot. This compilation here is a focus on gear that will get you to Naxx. I will be focusing solely on gear that can be obtained through crafting, instances, quests, or via purchase through the auction house or with heroic badges. When compiling the list I looked for leather gear that had stats on it that are good for Resto Druids.

All spell power leather that you find will have some, but not all, of the following stats: Stamina, Intellect, Spirit, Haste, Crit, Mana per 5.  What is important, is prioritizing which of those stats have the most benefit to you.  Everything that you find, will likely have Stamina…and that’s OK!  Living longer is never a bad thing!  From this point I feel that there are two major stats:  Intellect and Spirit.  I hear what you are thinking!  What?  Spirit?!?!  I thought that was getting nerfed in 3.1!  Well, yes and no.  Out of Combat Regen is getting nerfed, but Spirit will still remain a vital stat for us.  Let’s take a quick look at how it will effect our regen in 3.1 (for a more indepth discussion of how these numbers work in 3.1 see my Healing = Math?! Page):

Beruthiel’s Mana Regen factoring in both Total Int and Total Spirit = (.001+ 1243 *.003345*(1123.1^.5))*5.  This means that with 3.1, and my current gear, my total OOC Mana Regen will be 697 per 5 seconds!  That is 70 more mana per 5 than with just my total spirit, and a whopping 138 mana per 5 more than with just my total int!

So what do Int and Spirit do for you?  Well, the short answer is provide crit, a larger mana pool, and mana regen.  These are all things that we value as a druid!

All of our gear will be itemized with three “minor” stats: Haste, Crit, and Mana per 5.  Of those three items, Mana per 5 is a very costly itemezation, and likely cost you something on your peice of gear that you would have been better with.  It is probably the least valuable stat, and while you shouldn’t avoid it, you shouldn’t go out of your way to collect it either.  Currently Haste and Crit are not overly fantastic for a resto druid, but one of those stats are on almost everything that we use…so we have to pick one. 

• Currently I think more druids slightly favor haste over crit.  That being said, once you’ve reached the haste soft cap any more haste really isn’t needed.  Once you’ve reached the point with your haste lowers your cast time below 1 second (the global cooldown), anymore haste is worthless.  If you are fully talented into Gift of the Earth Mother, you will need 19.98%, or 655, haste to be at a one second global cooldown.  But don’t try for that much haste on your gear, you don’t need it!!!  There are many raid buffs that can alter the amount of haste that you need and if you are intersted you can find the information on the first page of Nofair’s EJ post.  But as a rule of thumb, most raiders aim for between 253 and 359 haste, depending on your spec.
• I suspect that with the upcoming changes to nourish, and the changes in our healing style that crit will become a more valued stat.  Crit will do a number of things for you: Increase the size of your heal and put up living seed (which will actually be GOOD post 3.1!).  You will gain 1% crit for every 45.91 crit rating that you have.  Previously, the majority of the druid community was of the mindset that being HoT healers, crit really wasn’t worth the bang for it’s buck.  With the changes to noursih, and the way that many folks will be adjusting their healing style to add this spell, the value of crit increases.

So…which one do I chose?!  Well, honestly, that is up to you!  Based on your healing style, pick one that will compliment your healing and run with it.

Now for the good stuff!  The gear!

Helm –
Helm of Anomalus – Drop from Anomalus in Heroic Nexus.
Greensight Gogs – This is a crafted item, if you are an engineer.  The only thing I don’t like about these is their lack of spirit.  But it is a solid item otherwise.
Overcast Headguard – This is the PvP helm, and can be crafted by a leatherworker for you.  While the resilience is worthless for PvE content, the other stats are solid and this item can hold you over until you are able to get Anomalus’ helm!

Neck –
Amulet of the Spell Flinger – Drop from Amanitar in Heroic: Ahn’Kahet
Necromancer’s Amulet – Drop from Salram the Fleshcrafter in Heroic: Culling of Stratholme
Dragon Prow Amulet – This is a BoE world drop, and you may be able to pick it up from your local AH!

Shoulder –
Silent Spectator Shoulderpads – Drop from Svala Sorrowgrave in Herioc Utgarde Pinnacle
Purehorn Spaulders – This is a crafted item, and is certainly not a first option due to the lack of spirit on them. However, I have found the WotLK to be somewhat lacking in shoulder options for all of my characters, and this is a solid item that you can use until you are able to get the Silet Spectator Shoulders.

Back –
Shroud of Moorabi – Drop from Moorabi in Heroic Gun’Drak. This is an extremely solid cloak, and the one that I wore until about a month before I got my Kel cloak.
Wispcloak – This is a crafted item, but don’t let the purple fool you! I think that the Shroud of Moorabi to be a better itemized piece of gear. But if you can’t get it to drop or don’t have the patience to try this is a viable alternative
Subterranean Waterfall Shroud – Drop from Jedoga Shadowseeker in Heroic: Ahn’Kahet
Reanimator’s Cloak – This is a random world drop that you may be able to pick up in your local AH!

Chest –
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Robe – This item can be purchased from the badge vendor for 80 badges.
Ymirjar Physician’s Robe – This is a very solidly itemized robe that is a prevelant world drop, and can likely be purchased from your AH for less than 100 gold. It is a viable piece to tide you over while you save badges for your breastplate!
Wildscale Breastplate – This is a crafted item that is also a nice alternative.
Tunic of the Unduly Victorius – This is a very nice piece that is a quest reward from Battle at valhalas: Final Challenge in Icecrown

Bracers –
Wound-Binder’s Wristguards – This item can be purchased from the Ebon Blade Quartermaster at Revered Faction
Plague-Infected Bracers – Drop from Dark Runed Chest in Heroic: Culling of Stratholme
Handler’s Arm Strap – Drop from King Dred in Heroic: Drak’Tharon Keep
Putrescent Bands – A BoE drop from Naxx 10 that you may be able to find from your local AH!

Gloves –
Heroes’ Dreamwalker Handguards – These can be purchased with 60 Heroic Badges
Grotto Mist Gloves – Drop from Hadronox in Heroic Azjol-Nerub
Gloves of Norther Lordaeron – Drop from Dark Runed Chest in The Culling of Stratholme

Belt –
Belt of Vivacity – Drop from Volkhan in Heroic: Halls of Lightning
Vine Belt of the Woodland Dryad – Purchased with 40 heroic badges
Belt of the Never-Forgotten – This is a quest reward from Light Within the Darkness in Icecrown

Legs –
Earthgiving Legguards – This is an extemely nice crafted item, that I would highly recommend investing in!
Kilt of the Forgotten One – Drop from Herald Velozj in Heroic: Ahn’Kahet
Leggings of Heightened Renewal – This is a quest reward from The Iron Colossus in Storm Peaks

Boots –
Earthgiving Boots – This is a very nice crafted item that I’d recommend investing in!
Boots of Transformation – Drop from Gal’Darah in Heroic Gundrak

Rings –
Signet of the Kirin Tor – If you have about 8k gold in your pocket and want to drop it, this is a viable ring…but I think we can find better for less!
Spectral Seal of the Prophet – Drop from Prophet Tharon’ja in Heroic Drak’Tharon Keep
Enchanted Wire Stitching – Drop from Meathook in Heroic: Culling of Stratholme
Ringlet of Repose – Drop from Maiden of Grief in Halls of Stone
Band of Guile – Drop from Dark Runed Chest in Heroic: Culling of Stratholme
Annhylde’s Ring – Drop from Invag the Plunderer in Heroic: Utgarde Keep

Trinkets –
Je’Tze’s Bell – This is a World BoE Epic, that if you have the gold and can find on the AH I would strongly recommend nabbing. It’s a fantastic trinket and one of the best ones that you can get in the game currently.
Egg of Mortal Essence – This item can be purchased with 40 heroic badges
Soul Preserver – Drop from Dark Runed Chest in The Culling of Stratholme
Tome of Arcane Phenomena – Drop from Cache or Eregos in Occulus
Mercurial Alchemist Stone – Crafted item that can be used by Alchemists
Darkmoon Card Greatness – I place this here with some trepidation. There is a lot of debate about this as a druid trinket, and not everyone agrees. If I were to get this item, I would probably do the Intellect version, as it would give me the most bang for my buck, mana regen wise. But of all of the trinkets listed, I’m not sure that I’d use this over most of them.

Idols –
Idol of Lush Moss – This can be purchased for 15 heroic badges, and is probably your best choice currently for this slot
Idol of Pure Thoughts – This alternative can be purchased through the Grizzly Hills PvP vendor, and can be purchased with 30 venture coins

Main Hand (I prefer a MH/OH combo, but I will also provide staff alternative below) –
War Mace of Unrequited Love – Drop from Keristraza in Heroic: Nexus
Netherbreath Spellblade – Drop from Skadi the Ruthless in Heroic: Utgarde Pinnacle
Flameheart Spell Scalpel – Purchased from the Kirin Tor Quartermaster at Revered
Titansteel Guardian -This is a crafted weapon. The only issue I have with this is it’s lack of stats. But it is still a very solid item.

Off Hand –
Handbook of Obsure Remedies – This item can be purchase for 25 heroic badges
Prison Manifest – This is a world BoE drop that can be purchased from your local AH!
Handbook of Obscure Remedies – This item can be crafted by Inscriptionists. I’m not a fan of the lack of stats, but it is a solid item nonetheless.

Staves –
Staff of Draconic Combat – Drop from Cache of Eregos Heroic: Occulus
Staff of Wayward Principles – Drop from Skadi the Ruthless Heroic: Utgarde Pinnacle
Staff of Sinister Claws – Drop from Herald Volazj in Herioc: Ahn’Kahet
Malygos’ Favor – Drop from Cache of Eregos in The Occulus

I will be presenting a similar list for Holy Paladins as well!  I will also do a post on Gems, Enchants, Glyphs and consumables!  Stay tuned for more installments 🙂