Congratulations on hitting level 85 in WoW Cataclysm Classic! Now it's time to gear up for raiding or PvP battles! With this ultimate WoW Cataclysm Classic gearing guide, we'll cover the best strategies for acquiring both PvP BiS gear and PvE pre-raid BiS gear efficiently. Whether you're battling in arenas or preparing for your first raid, this guide has you covered.
WoW Cataclysm Classic PvP Gearing: Fast 370+ PvP BiS Gear Up
How to gear up for the arenas and battlegrounds in WoW Cata Classic? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get your Best-in-Slot (BiS) PvP gear quickly:
1. Starting at Level 85
Once you hit level 85, your journey into PvP gearing begins. Initially, consider purchasing resilience gear from the Auction House to give yourself an early edge in battlegrounds. Look for items specific to your class:
Cloth Users: Fireweave or Emberfire gear
Leather and Mail Users: Bloodied Leather, Wormhide, Scale, or Dragonscale gear
Plate Users: Ornate Pyrium or Blooded Pyrium gear
Be sure to check the main stat to buy the right piece for your class and spec.
2. Utilizing the Auction House
For a more significant early advantage, depending on your budget, there are some additional items you can buy on the auction house:
Healers: Aim for Darkmoon Card: Tsunami (BiS trinket even into Season 10)
Casters: Look for class-specific Darkmoon Cards (BiS for some specs)
Engineers: Don't miss out on crafting epic goggles
Archaeology: It offers multiple epic items, although they involve some RNG and are not essential for PvP
Remember, these are optional and you will replace most of them eventually.
3. Earning Honor and Start Heroic Dungeons
Once you hit 85, start farming battlegrounds to get a full set of Bloodthirsty (honor) gear. Queue for Tol Barad every 2.5 hours for a significant honor boost and a chance at Vicious Gladiator off-pieces, legs, and gloves from the Baradin Hold raid.
Bloodthirsty Gear: Obtainable through Honor Points and essential for competitive play.
Heroic Dungeons and Tol Barad: While primarily PvE activities, participating can yield powerful off-pieces and weapons.
While farming honor, consider running some heroic dungeons for these key pre-BiS items:
Agility Users (Humans): Key to the Endless Chamber trinket (Heroic Stonecore)
Strength Users: Heart of Solace trinket (Heroic Lost City of the Tol'vir)
Various Classes: Pre-BiS weapons
Heroics also award Justice Points for buying weapons and Valor Points (capped at 1000/week) for buying epic gear and trinkets.
4. Earn Conquest Points and Consider Raiding
Conquest gear (Vicious Gladiator) will be your primary PvP BiS. Earn conquest by playing rated arenas and battlegrounds to fill up your weekly bar. Weapons require earning over 9000 conquest points to unlock.
Conquest Points: Earn these through rated PvP battles to purchase Vicious Gladiator's gear. Remember, weapons require earning a substantial amount of Conquest Points before they become available.
For the cutting edge, some BiS pieces come from heroic raids. Heroic Bastion of Twilight gear is ilvl 372 and Sinestra drops ilvl 379. While not required, raiders will have a gear advantage in Season 9.
WoW Cataclysm Classic PvE Gearing: Fast 350+ Pre-Raid BiS
To prepare for tier 11 raiding as a fresh level 85, here's how to efficiently gear up to the max item level before raids release:
1. Fresh at Level 85
Start by upgrading any low-level gear through:
Reputation Gear: Achieve at least honored status with key factions to buy item level 333 pieces.
Heroic Dungeons: Initially, aim to run specific dungeons that drop valuable gear for your class. Use dungeon finder to bypass daily lockouts, maximizing your gear acquisition.
2. Justice and Valor Points
Justice Points: Spend these on necessary upgrades from vendors, prioritizing items that offer the most significant improvements.
Valor Points: These are earned from running heroics and can be used to purchase higher-level gear. Note the weekly cap, which initially restricts how many items you can buy.
3. Crafted Gear and Professional Bonuses
Craftables: Consider crafting or purchasing gear tailored to your class, such as blacksmithing shields or tailored robes.
Professions: Max out relevant professions to gain access to unique items like engineering goggles or alchemy trinkets.
4. Special Items and Further Enhancements
Darkmoon Faire: Check for relevant trinkets and other gear that might be beneficial.
Archaeology: For those looking for every advantage, certain powerful items can only be obtained through this secondary profession.
5. Maximize Your Gearing with Epic Drops from World Bosses
Before stepping into your first raid, ensure all your gear is optimized with the correct enchants and reforges. Continue running specific dungeons, Tol Barad, and completing faction-related dailies to finalize your pre-raid BiS setup. World bosses in Cataclysm Classic are unique challenges, typically requiring a coordinated effort of 3-5 players. These bosses drop coveted 359 item level epic gear, enchanting recipes, and jewelcrafting cuts, making them highly sought after for gearing up.
Julak-Doom in Twilight Highlands
Unique Drop: A potent one-handed dagger for casters.
Strategy: Avoid black pools and eye beams, manage mind controls by reducing affected players' health below 90%, and dodge the conal shockwave.
Aahat in Uldum
Unique Drop: Belt of a Thousand Gaping Mouths.
Strategy: Dodge the Fury of the Sands and the shockwave attacks. When Aahat casts Stone Mantle, quickly break the shield with burst damage.
Mobus in Vashj'ir
Unique Drop: Highly sought after by feral Druids, specifics not detailed.
Strategy: Face Mobus away during the ram attack to avoid cleave and knockback. Move out of algae clouds and avoid the wake by moving away during its cast.
Garr in Mount Hyjal
Unique Drop: Garr's Reinforced Girdle of Memories.
Strategy: Clear adds before engaging. Move out during Magma Explosion and ensure Magma Shackles are dispelled quickly.
Xariona in Deepholm
Unique Drop: Mail gloves, among other items.
Strategy: Find a safe place to engage without losing the tag. Use Twilight Zones to reduce magic damage during Unleash Magic. Separate zones for the tank and other players are ideal to manage the Twilight Breath attack.
Whether you're gearing for PvP or PvE, Cataclysm Classic offers multiple pathways to acquiring top-tier equipment. By strategically participating in both PvP and PvE activities, utilizing the Auction House, and maximizing the benefits of your professions, you can gear up efficiently and effectively. Remember to stay updated on any changes to the gearing system and adapt your strategy accordingly. Good luck in your adventures across Azeroth!
