World of Warcraft at Ten Ton Hammer

Now that you’re all prepped and ready to step into the raiding scene the next question on your mind should be “What loot do I roll on now that I’m here?”  End game gear for tree druids used to revolve around one core stat of spirit and one secondary stat of spell power. Recent changes to the game have modified that view and now MP5 is as important to us as spirit is. Having a good balance will keep you well stocked in the mana department.

Ulduar loot will be reviewed more in depth in a future article as I will be focusing on intro level raid gearing here. The set bonuses of tier 7/7.5 are still hard to beat and I personally won’t be replacing any of the items completely until I can lock in a 4 set bonus of tier 8/8.5.

I was lucky enough to not start gearing my druid until mid February when the rumors of spirit nerf were beginning to take flight. I also had the benefit of a very wise resto druid friend who advised me to focus on MP5 like she had been. As a former shaman it was easy to stay in an MP5 frame of mind, and seeing her numbers on WWS I certainly couldn’t argue with her logic.

 I know some druids are reluctant to go back and replace some of their items and I know some of you don’t want to spend the DKP to re-itemize your toon. If you can afford to do so or you’re not locked into a particular gear set yet then this list is for you.

Head - Valorous Dreamwalker Headpiece
Or - Cowl of Innocent Delight  until you get the set piece. The only drawback here is lack of sockets but the stats are pretty amazing and the MP5 is very nice.

Neck - Life-Binder's Locket – I personally prefer haste but the socket and raw stats here push this necklace to the top.
Or - Chains of Adoration – Until you can get the Malygos quest neck listed above.

Shoulders - Valorous Dreamwalker Spaulders

Back - Cloak of Averted Crisis – Throw a haste enchant on this and with the spellpower and MP5 inherent on the item it becomes a clear choice.

Chest - Valorous Dreamwalker Robe
Or - Blanketing Robes of Snow – I don’t advocate taking these over a priest, however once your cloth brethren have them, feel free to roll if you don’t have your set piece.

Wrist - Bands of the Great Tree  - Two items on this list can be obtained only through the badge vendor, this is one of them. If you are oozing in MP5 then a nice set of haste wrists can also fill the gap.

Main Hand - Torch of Holy Fire – Hands down the best in slot, however expect a ton of competition here. It’s best in slot pre-Uld for damn near every caster that benefits from MP5.

Off Hand - Urn of Lost Memories

Idol - Idol of Lush Moss  - A level 200 item? On the best in slot list? AFTER THE LIFEBLOOM NERF?? Yes.  Lifebloom wasn’t nerfed, you just need to be able to count to ten now instead of nine

Trinkets - Je'Tze's Bell and Majestic Dragon Figurine – “OMG HYPE YOUR NUTS! A WORLD DROP BoE ON THE LIST??” Yes. The bell is an incredible item in your arsenal. The spell power alone makes it a worthwhile trinket and it procs all the time.
Trinkets are really a great place to add some unique flavor to your character and there are several that add benefit to the druid. Forethought Talisman is also high on my list.

Rings - Wyrmrest Band and Ring of Decaying Beauty top my list.

Boots - Rainey's Chewed Boots  - Vendor loot best in slot. Some of you are outraged.

Legs - Valorous Dreamwalker Leggings – These are also available from the badge vendor if you aren’t lucky enough or patient enough to wait for the drop.

Waist – Unravelling Strands of Sanity – Still waiting for a better item to be added to the game, even Ulduar loot doesn’t compete.

Hands - Valorous Dreamwalker Handguards
Or – If you have four other pieces of set gear - Gloves of Peaceful Death  are a very nice alternative.

Gearing yourself in end game raiding is often a chess match of item selection tempered by patience and a lot of luck. If you set out a gear plan for yourself before venturing in it will greatly increase your odds of making the best choices. I hope I have illuminated some of the quagmire that is itemization for you.

I have found this mix of spirit, spellpower, haste and MP5 to be a potent combination of efficiency and effectiveness as a resto healer. Until next week, stay safe and have fun!