Gear Your Shadowcaster FAST - A Simplified Max-Level Gearing Guide for Warlocks and Shadow Priests

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here and today I'm excited to be doing another get geared fast guide!

With Classic out and people quickly (or slowly, in my case) approaching level 60, I thought it'd be fun to explore my original character's spec - the shadow priest. And since spriests and warlocks focus on obtaining the same gear for the most part, this guide will apply to both.

Also, I'd like to quickly apologize for the inaccuracies in any previous guides. All of my guides were made under the assumption (hinted by Ion Hazzikostas) that only items that were obtainable between patches 1.0-1.2 would be available in phase 1. Since my last guide, we found that Classic is using the patch 1.9 loot tables until phase 5 - meaning that there are MANY more items that can be obtained for most of the classes I went over previously, and for much longer. That being said, the dungeons themselves are pretty much the same for those classes, so the guides still hold up, though they don't necessarily give ENOUGH information now. Sorry for that.

But anyway, with that little blurb out of the way, let's talk about how YOU can gear up your shadowcaster fast whenever you cap in phases 1-4 of WoW Classic! As always, keep in mind that you can jump around the different steps as you please, so think of them more like 'To Dos' rather than steps...


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Step 1 - BRD Detention Block and Arena Farms

Starting at around level 50 or so, you should try to get into some BRD runs for the first portion of the dungeon - the Detention Block and Arena. Now, the full dungeon contains 16 potentially useful items for shadow priests and warlocks, but honestly speaking, there's not a huge reason to run the full dungeon as a shadow priest or warlock, since most of the best items you can obtain here drop toward the beginning.

In particular, you'll want to try to pick up the Kentic Amice from High Interrogator Gerstahn, the Spritecaster Cape from Houndmaster Grebmar, and, most importantly of all, the Ban'thok Sash from Ok'thor the Breaker in the Arena event. This last item is extremely important to aim for, as it's one of only 3 dungeon items you can obtain with +Spell Hit (the other two being another belt with no +damage and a necklace in Strat Live). So, get started early!

There are many other items you can try for later on in the dungeon as well - such as the Omnicast Boots from Golem Lord Arglemach and Burst of Knowledge from Ambassador Flamelash. At early levels, however, it might be difficult to go that far into the dungeon. Still, they're also great items worth your attention at 60, so expect to come back here again...

Step 2 - Quests (When You Need a Break from Dungeons)

As you get closer to level 60, or when you're tired of running BRD repeatedly, try to complete the quest chains ending with In Dreams, It's Dangerous to Go Alone, The Battle of Darrowshire, and Order Must Be Restored (Alliance) or The Scarlet Oracle, Demetria (Horde) for the quest rewards. All four items you get as a reward are solid items which can serve you well at 60. If you managed to get the cloak from Houndmaster Grebmar, you can skip "In Dreams," or choose a different reward (shadow priests can snag the ring reward for healing instead, for example).

Getting the wand, Stormrager, might be particularly challenging due to the elite quests involved, but it's a guaranteed wand that's halfway decent, so it's better than praying to RNGeesus constantly later on...

Useful Non-Dungeon Quest Rewards:

Neck
Archlight Talisman from The Battle of Darrowshire.

Back
Shroud of the Exile from In Dreams.

Offhand
Spirit of Aquementas from It's Dangerous to Go Alone. (+20)

Ranged
Stormrager from Order Must Be Restored [ALLIANCE] / The Scarlet Oracle, Demetria [HORDE].

Step 3 - More Dungeons (BRD, Stratholme UD, and Scholomance)

Ok, assuming that you're now at level 60 and you've done all the quests you really feel like knocking out, it's time to focus on the dungeons. After combing through all of the loot tables and available items in phases 1-4, I've found that three dungeons in particular are the most lucrative for shadowy spellcasters - Blackrock Depths (of course), Stratholme Undead, and Scholomance.

We'll start with BRD, since it's the dungeon you've probably already run by this point anyway. There are 16 total caster-appropriate drops here, with 5 items that are especially great. Just as I mentioned in Step 1, you'll really want to run the Detention Block and the Arena to get the shoulders, back, and waist, but once you're capped and working on your MC and Onyxia attunements, you should definitely aim for the other items deeper in - namely the Omnicast Boots from Golem Lord Arglemach and Burst of Knowledge from Ambassador Flamelash. If you don't get the boots from here though, no worries. There's an even better pair of boots in one of the other dungeons...

When you've finished up your attunements, head over to the Eastern Plaguelands to hit up Strat UD. Like BRD, there are 16 potential caster items here, but 4 in particular stand out far more than the rest - the Crimson Felt Hat from Magistrate Barthilas, Anastari Heirloom from Baroness Anastari, Maleki's Footwraps from Maleki the Pallid, and, for shadow priests, Scepter of the Unholy from Baron Rivendare. Of course, there are many excellent items to obtain here beyond these four (and you can see a full list of the drops and quest rewards associated with Stratholme below), but considering how great these ones are, it's hard to even consider skipping this dungeon.

And finally, the third dungeon you should prioritize as a shadow priest or warlock - Scholomance. This dungeon is by far the most lucrative one for shadowcasters - with a whopping 26 potential item drops, 7 of which are amazing. The only reason I put this one behind the others is the clear superiority of some of the other dungeons' items: Crimson Felt Hat beats the Devout Crown for a warlock any day... Plus, there just aren't any boots you can reasonably expect to get in Scholomance (or from crafting) whereas Strat UD and BRD both have amazing boots, so you'll really want to run them anyway.

So, with all that said, you should definitely make it a point to run Scholomance to have a crack at some excellent items. In particular, the Dark Advisor's Pendant from Vectus (a low chance drop), Deadwalker Mantle from Rattlegore, Burial Shawl from the 6 mini-bosses at the end, Alanna's Embrace from Ras Frostwhisper (also low drop chance), Clutch of Andros from Kirtonos the Herald, Witchblade from Darkmaster Gandling, and Bonecreeper Stylus from Darkmaster Gandling are all EXCELLENT items for both shadow priests and warlocks. Combined with all the other potential loot and quest rewards (see below), it's really a dungeon that is worth diving into!

Step 4 - The Tailored Stuff

It should come as no surprise that professions will provide great rewards to those who take the time to level them up. And as a shadowcaster in particular, you have a range of items you could obtain FAIRLY easily. That being said, the dungeons will definitely be the more scenic route with friendly adventures along the way. But if you just CAN'T get an item to drop, here are 5 solid items with plus shadow damage that you could potentially get - the Felcloth Set (minus the Boots).

Worthy Felcloth Set Items:
Felcloth Hood (+30 Shadow)
Felcloth Shoulders (+26 Shadow)
Felcloth Robe (+36 Shadow)
Felcloth Gloves (+33 Shadow)
Felcloth  Pants (+26 Shadow)


I wouldn't recommend working on the Robe of the Void, though simply because the grind is intense and, honestly, you can much more easily acquire Robe of Winter Night instead - which is arguably better due to it having intellect instead of stamina. Plus, if you're a shadow priest...you can't equip the warlock robe anyway...


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If it's still phase 1, you should be pretty much done by this point. However, if you've capped in phase 2 or later, read on...

Step 5 (Phase 2 Onward) - DM West and North

If you're capping your shadow priest or warlock in phase 2 or later, you get the added benefit of having Dire Maul available to you right off the bat. Now, unfortunately, there aren't THAT many amazing items in these dungeons, but the ones that are there are REALLY good.

Dire Maul East really has nothing to write home about. The West and North wings, however, have some really interesting loot. Starting with the West, there are 8 potential useful drops and 3 of them are extremely good. They include the Amplifying Cloak from Magister Kalendris, Robe of Everlasting Night from Immol'thar, and Blade of the New Moon from Immol'thar. Again, there are more items that drop, so take a look down below for a full list.

Next up is DM North. This particular wing is home to 8 useful drops for shadowcasters, only two of which are extremely useful. However, there are also 3 quests with excellent rewards that are associated with this dungeon, making it by far the most lucrative of the DM instances. The best drops here are the Sublime Wristguards from Guard Mol'dar & Guard Slip'kik and, of course, the infamous Rod of the Ogre Magi from completing a Tribute Run. In addition to these, you can also obtain the Beads of Ogre Mojo from Falrin's Vendetta, the warlock's Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas from Harnessing Shadows (sorry shadow priests), and Gordok's Handwraps from Unfinished Gordok Business. All in all, it's a great dungeon if you're capping after phase 1. Just make sure to get the quests!

Step 6 - Visit the AH (and look for "of Shadow Wrath" greens)

Ok, you're all dungeoned out and getting really tired of summoning people or being forced to heal. Now what? Well, as always, you can head over to the auction house and pick up some high-level greens and blues...just to round out your set. Just remember, though, that people nowadays really know the value of some of these items, so you might need to spend a bit extra to get the BEST items. Still, it beats running Stratholme for the 700th time, I'm sure...

Final Thoughts

Congratulations on getting your shadow priest or warlock to 60 and good luck with the gearing process. Obviously this guide is quite extensive, as there's simply so many things you can do to gear up in Classic, but that's part of the experience. It's worth noting that there are also some potentially great items in Blackrock Spire (particularly the Briarwood Reed) and Stratholme Live, but since the whole point is to get geared as quickly as possible, it didn't seem right to throw in those dungeons just for one or two items. Really, if you just do the quests, run BRD, Strat UD, and Scholomance, then craft some items and check the auction house, you should be good to go in MC and Ony no matter what phase it is.

But anyway, that's it for today. If you enjoyed this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below (underneath the list of all of the dungeon loot and quest rewards). Check out my YouTube channel too, where all of my guides are eventually put into video form. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on what I'm doing, and consider supporting me on Patreon if you're into that sort of thing. Thanks for reading. And as always...

Take it easy!

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Dungeon Loot List

All caster DPS items that shadow priests and warlocks can make use of that either drop in, or are related to running, the endgame dungeons. (Asterisks* denote good/great items.)

BRD

16 total drops, 5 very good ones.

Head
Chief Architect's Monocle from Fineous Darkvire.

Neck
x

Shoulders
*Kentic Amice from High Interrogator Gerstahn. (+14)

Back
*Spritecaster Cape from Houndmaster Grebmar. (+14)

Chest
Robes of the Royal Crown from Emperor Dagran Thaurissan. (+18)

Wrists
Flameweave Cuffs from Lord Incendius (Random Enchant)

Hands
Silkweb Gloves from Hedrum the Creeper (Arena Event).

Waist
***Ban'thok Sash from Ok'thor the Breaker (Arena Event). (1% Hit, +12)

Legs
Haunting Specter Leggings from the Trial of Seven.

Feet
*Omnicast Boots from Golem Lord Arglemach. (+22)
High Priestess Boots from Princess Moira Bronzebeard. (Terrible)

Finger
Cyclopean Band from Ok'thor the Breaker (Arena Event). (+9)

Trinket
**Burst of Knowledge from Ambassador Flamelash. (+12)

Main Hand
Kindling Stave from Pyromancer Loregrain (has crit chance on it, but no spell power).
Blood-etched Blade from the Trial of Seven. (+6)

Offhand
Enthralled Sphere from High Interrogator Gerstahn.

Ranged

Pyric Caduceus from Pyromancer Loregrain (Good for fire mages, but really just a wand for anyone else. Not useful in MC, however!).

Quest Rewards
Valconian Sash from A Taste of Flame.
Lagrave's Seal from The Last Element.
Manacle Cuffs from The Love Potion.
Eye of Orgrimmar from The Princess Saved? [HORDE]
Songstone of Ironforge from The Princess's Surprise. [ALLIANCE]
Azure Moon Amice from The Rise of the Machines. [HORDE]

Stratholme Undead Loot Summary

16 total drops, 4 very good ones.

Head

***Crimson Felt Hat from Magistrate Barthilas. (+30)

Neck

*Anastari Heirloom from Baroness Anastari. (+13 Shadow)

Shoulders

Soulstealer Mantle from Ramstein the Gorger.

Back

Royal Tribunal Cloak from Magistrate Barthilas.

Chest

x

Wrists

x

Hands

Shadowy Laced Handwraps from Baroness Anastari. (5Mp5)

Waist

Dreadmist Belt from trash.
Thuzadin Sash from Nerub'enkan. (+11)

Legs

Devout Skirt, Dreadmist Leggings, Magister's Leggings from Baron Rivendare.

Feet

Dreadmist Sandals from Baroness Anastari.

Devout Sandals from Maleki the Pallid.
***Maleki's Footwraps from Maleki the Pallid. (+27 Shadow)

Finger

Seal of Rivendare from Baron Rivendare.

Trinket

x

Weapon

***Scepter of the Unholy from Baron Rivendare. (+19 Shadow) MACE

Offhand

x

Ranged

Banshee Finger from Baroness Anastari.

Quest Rewards
Blood of the Martyr from Aurius' Reckoning.
Crown of the Penitent from Houses of the Holy. (6Mp5)
Royal Seal of Alexis from Ramstein. [HORDE]
Rune of the Dawn from The Active Agent.

Stratholme Live Loot Summary

16 total item drops (5 from Postmaster), 2 very good ones.

Head

x

Neck

**Star of Mystaria from Balnazzar. (1% Hit)

Shoulders

Shroud of the Nathrezim from Balnazzar. (1% Crit)

Back

Archivist Cape from Archivist Galford. (Random Enchantment, 4Mp5)

Chest

x

Wrists

Tearfall Bracers from The Unforgiven. (Random Enchantment)

Devout Bracers from trash.

Hands

Devout Gloves from Archivist Galford.

Waist

Grimegore Noose from Timmy the Cruel.

Legs

x

Feet

Magister's Boots from Hearthsinger Forresten [RARE, but common]

Finger

x

Trinket

x

Weapon

Gift of the Elven Magi from Balnazzar. (Pretty terrible though)

Offhand

Tome of Knowledge from Archivist Galford. (Pretty terrible though)

Ranged

*Skul's Ghastly Touch from Skul [RARE]. (+14 Shadow)

Other

Postmaster Set from Postmaster Malown.

Quest Rewards
Smokey's Lighter from The Great Fras Siabi.
Testament of Hope from The Restless Souls.

Scholomance Loot Summary

26 drops total, 7 very good ones.

Head

Devout Crown, Dreadmist Mask, Magister's Crown from Darkmaster Gandling.

Neck

Heart of the Fiend from Kirtonos the Herald. (Terrible)
***Dark Advisor's Pendant from Vectus. (+20 Shadow)

Shoulders

Dreadmist Mantle from Jandice Barov.

Magister's Mantle from Ras Frostwhisper.
*Deadwalker Mantle from Rattlegore. (+13 Shadow)
**Burial Shawl from 6 mini-bosses. (+20)

Back

x

Chest

*Alanna's Embrace from Ras Frostwhisper. (Very low drop chance!) (+20)

Wrists

x

Hands

Darkshade Gloves from Jandice Barov. (These are terrible though...)

Magister's Gloves from Doctor Theolen Krastinov and trash.

Dreadmist Wraps from Lorekeeper Polkelt and trash.

Waist

*Clutch of Andros from Kirtonos the Herald. (1% Hit)

Legs

Skullsmoke Pants from Vectus. (Very low drop chance!)

Feet

x

Finger

Dimly Opalescent Ring from 6 mini-bosses. (Random Enchant)

Trinket

x

Weapon

Headmaster's Charge from Darkmaster Gandling. (Very low drop chance!)

*Witchblade from Darkmaster Gandling. (+14)

Offhand

Spellbound Tome from Ras Frostwhisper.

Ranged

**Bonecreeper Stylus from Darkmaster Gandling. (+11)
Oblivion's Touch from Death Knight Darkreaver (paladins' epic mount quest boss).

Other

Necropile Raiment from the 6 minibosses at the end. (Very low drop chance for each item, 5 in total - chest, wrists, feet, legs, and shoulders)

Quest Rewards
Crown of Caer Darrow from The Lich, Ras Frostwhisper.
Penelope's Rose from Kirtonos the Herald.
Dancing Sliver from Dawn's Gambit.

LBRS Loot Summary

8 drops total, 2 very good ones.

Head

x

Neck

x

Shoulders

Sunderseer Mantle from Crystal Fang [RARE]. (+8)

Back

x

Chest

x

Wrists

Funeral Cuffs from Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin.

Hands

**Hands of Power from Quartermaster Zigris. (+26)

Waist

x

Legs

***Skyshroud Leggings from Highlord Omokk. (+34)

Feet

Ogreseer Tower Boots from Spirestone Lord Magus [RARE].

Finger

Magus Ring from Spirestone Lord Magus [RARE].

Trinket

x

Weapon

Trindlehaven Staff from Overlord Wyrmthalak. (+14)

Offhand

Globe of D'sak from Spiresone Lord Magus [RARE].

Ranged

x

Quest Rewards
Wyrmthalak's Shackles from Maxwell's Mission [ALLIANCE] / Warlord's Command [HORDE]
Astoria Robes from Put Her Down [ALLIANCE] / The Pack Mistress [HORDE]

UBRS Loot Summary

13 drops total, 4 very good ones.

Head

Starfire Tiara from Jed Runewatcher [RARE].

Neck

Tooth of Gnarr from General Drakkisath. (+3M)

Shoulders

Devout Mantle from Solakar Flamewreath.

Back

Frostweaver Cape from The Beast.

Chest

Devout Robe, Dreadmist Robe, Magister's Robes from General Drakkisath.

Wrists

x

Hands

x

Waist

Dustfeather Sash from Solakar Flamewreath. (+9)

Legs

*Spiritshroud Leggings from The Beast. (+19)

Feet

**Dragonrider Boots from Warchief Rend Blackhand. (+18)

Finger

**Band of Rumination from Warchief Rend Blackhand. (5Mp5, 1% Crit)

Trinket

***Briarwood Reed from Jed Runewatcher [RARE]. (+29)

Weapon

x

Offhand

x

Ranged

Serpentine Skuller from Jed Runewatcher [RARE].

Quest Rewards

Eye of the Beast from General Drakkisath's Demise [ALLIANCE] / For The Horde! [HORDE]

DM East Loot Summary

5 drops total, 3 good ones.

Head
x

Neck
Tempest Talisman from Hydrospawn. (1% Crit)

Shoulders
x

Back
x

Chest


Wrists
x

Hands
*Gloves of Shadowy Mist from Zevrim Thornhoof. (+19 shadow)

Waist
x

Legs
x

Feet
x

Finger
Ring of Demonic Guile from Alzzin the Wildshaper. (6Mp5)

Trinket
x

Weapon
Quel'dorai Channeling Rod from Lethtendris. (8Mp5)
*Energetic Rod from Alzzin the Wildshaper. (+14) MACE

Offhand
x

Ranged

*Lethtendris's Wand from Lethtendris. (+9)

Quest Rewards

Lorespinner from Lethtendris's Web. (3Mp5)

DM West Loot Summary

8 drops total, 3 very good ones.

Head
x

Neck
Elder Magus Pendant from Magister Kalendris.

Shoulders
x

Back
*Amplifying Cloak from Magister Kalendris. (+18)

Chest
**Robe of Everlasting Night from Immol'thar. (+27)

Wrists
x

Hands
Brightspark Gloves from Tsu'zee. (1% Crit)

Waist
x

Legs
x

Feet
x

Finger
x

Trinket
Mindtap Talisman from Magister Kalendris. (11Mp5)

Weapon
Stoneflower Staff from Tendris Warpwood. (1% Crit)
***Blade of the New Moon from Immol'thar. (+19 Shadow)
Mind Carver from Prince Tortheldrin. (+12) SWORD

Offhand
x

Ranged

x

Quest Rewards

x

DM North Loot Summary

8 drops total, 2 very good ones.

Head
Crown of the Ogre King from King Gordok. (1% Crit)

Neck
x

Shoulders
x

Back
Heliotrope Cloak from Guard Mol'dar & Guard Slip'kik. (1% Crit)

Chest
Mindsurge Robe from Tribute Run. (10Mp5)

Wrists
**Sublime Wristguards from Guard Mol'dar & Guard Slip'kik. (+12)

Hands
x

Waist
Oddly Magical Belt from Tribute Run. (+16)

Legs
x

Feet
x

Finger
x

Trinket
x

Weapon
**Rod of the Ogre Magi from Tribute Run. (1% Crit, +23)

Offhand
Kreeg's Mug from Stomper Kreeg.

Ranged

Mana Channeling Wand from Cho'Rush the Observer. (4Mp5)

Quest Rewards

Beads of Ogre Mojo from Falrin's Vendetta. (+13)

Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas from Harnessing Shadows. (+23)

Gordok's Handwraps from Unfinished Gordok Business. (1% Crit)