Fresh 60 in Phase 4 - What to Prioritize

Let's break out the clipboards, people!

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here; back with another guide post for you.

As I'm sure you all know, phase 4 was just released and with it, scores of great new items, enchants, and the like. If you saw my most recent post about phase 4, I'm sure you have an idea about some of the things I'm most excited about in this new era of Classic. And as I mentioned in that post, the biggest reason I'm excited for phase 4 and Zul'Gurub is the simple fact that I now have a reason to finish leveling my alts.

Well, thinking about that got me to realize that there's probably a lot of people in a similar situation. And since there's now such a plethora of content that fresh 60s can engage in, I thought it might make sense to provide you all with a bit of a priority list in order to get your capped character - be it your first or your twelfth - geared up as fast as possible. (Note that many of these activities can be started before capping, so make it a point to start preparing as early as you can!)

So, without further ado, let's get right into it...

Priority #1 - Find a Guild that Suits Your Needs

No matter what your goals are at endgame, your absolute first priority should most definitely be to find a guild that suits your needs. After all, if you want to get your character fully decked out in tier 2, it only makes sense that you move on from your casual leveling guild that only has 3 level 60s in it, right?

To do this, clarify what it is you want at endgame, what your play schedule will look like, and how much effort you really want to put into your soon-to-be 60. Then, keep an eye out on the forums, in LookingForGroup and Trade chat channels, and even in the groups you run with toward endgame. Definitely shop around!

Look, guilds in Classic are absolutely mandatory for anyone with a desire to progress at endgame. They provide a social network of other like-minded individuals with similar play schedules. So find one that works for you! Obviously, you should do what you can to contribute to them in turn, but if you end up in a guild that doesn't provide you with any incentives to play, you'll get bored really fast.

Priority #2 - Run ZG As Often As Possible

WANTED: Hakkar the Soulflayer

Assuming you've reached level 60, your 2nd priority after finding a suitable guild should 100% be to run Zul'Gurub as often as possible. Now that ZG is out, you've got a shot at some of the best loot in the game every three days - with quality basically sitting somewhere between tier 1 and tier 2 loot. Moreover, ZG is also a 20-man raid, meaning there will be much less competition for the amazing items within. But in case those two facts aren't reason enough for you, the reputation associated with Zul'Gurub also offers amazing rewards, including epic enchantments and trade recipes, which will no doubt help your character even more. But more than your character, these rewards will be enticing MANY already geared raiders to run this troll raid over and over as well, even though they don't need any of the gear drops!

It's basically free loot! Get in there NOW!

Priority #3 - Get Attuned for the Big Raids (and run them, if possible)

Onyxia's Lair is still relevant!

Before you reach 60, or when you're already saved to ZG for a couple more days, your next priority should be to get attuned for the big raids - Molten Core, Onyxia's Lair, and Blackwing Lair. Even though these raids aren't as efficient in gearing your fresh 60 up as ZG is, the fact of the matter is that there are still amazing items in there. Plus, through running the dungeons to complete theses attunements, you're bound to pick up a few nice pieces of loot too. Be sure to pick up other relevant dungeon quests while you work on those portions of the attunement chains too though!

Once attuned, make an attempt to get into the raids weekly for a shot at some loot. This is where having a suitable raiding guild will be handy - especially if this is your first 60! But if you don't have the time to commit to these big raids every week, or if you just can't seem to find a guild that matches your needs, there are still a couple other ways you can get decently geared up.

Priority #4 - Complete Relevant Quests (depending on what slots you need)

Though often overlooked, there are some amazing quest rewards that every character should aim to grab while leveling up. If you got to level 60 by purely dungeon farming, however, you might have missed out on some great items. So, do a bit of research over on Classic WoWHead and see what sort of quest rewards you could pick up for any missing slots you may have.

I've listed a lot of quests in my guides previously, but here are a few highlights:

General Drakkisath's Demise [A] awards great trinkets for all classes. The Horde equivalent is part of their Onyxia attunement, so it should already be done by this point. You need to complete LBRS to start this chain, though.

In Dreams offers amazing rewards for all classes and requires players to run Strat Live. Since you're guaranteed a choice of a melee neck, healer ring, tank chest, and more, you really should knock this one out as you approach level 60.

Order Must Be Restored [A] / The Scarlet Oracle, Demetria [H] is the final quest in a long chain which awards a decent wand, bow, or intellect shield to adventurers who go the distance and complete it.

The Battle of Darrowshire is a long chain completed out in the open world that you can easily work on while still leveling. Though it sometimes takes a while to find a group to complete the final battle, the tank ring and caster/healer necklace it awards are excellent items to start your fresh 60 off right.

It's Dangerous to Go Alone is the finale to Linken's quest chain (which starts in Un'Goro Crater) and it awards an okay melee main hand weapon or an amazing caster/healer offhand, as well as a boomerang trinket.

Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village, is a must-do for Horde melee dps, tanks, and hunters as it awards an amazing hit+ap trinket that you definitely won't replace for a long time.

Priority #5 - Spam Dungeons and/or Visit the Auction House

Finally, your LAST resort for gearing up fast at endgame from phase 4 onward should be the traditional dungeon spamming method. Though you may want to farm reputation or collect some recipes for certain tradeskills, the fact of the matter is that the RNG of dungeon drops makes this method super tedious at this point in Classic's life cycle. If you're aiming for a specific quest reward, then by all means run the dungeon to work toward that and maybe pick up something along the way. But don't bash your head against the wall 200 times trying to get that Savage Gladiator Chain to drop.

Oh, the auction house...

Likewise, unless you're sitting on an absolute mountain of gold, it's not really worth it to spend a bunch of gold on BoE items in the auction house either at this point. With ZG out, we now have 4 raids to collect gear in several times each week. Since many of the BoE items you can pick up will likely be replaced in a few weeks of running ZG, it really doesn't make a lot of sense to spend all of your gold so early on.

However, if you 100% don't plan on raiding at endgame, dungeons and the auction house can definitely be a great way to get some good gear. Just keep in mind that there are more effective methods out there to gear up fast...

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it - the top 5 priorities that you should have in preparing your fresh level 60 for PVE content from phase 4 onward in WoW Classic. I should also mention that there are other roads you could take to get gear, such as professions and PVP, so again, explore whatever options appeal to you. The priorities I listed here are pretty loose and really you should feel free to do anything you like in the game - it's your subscription, after all.

That being said, ZG and phase 4 in general has brought a lot to Classic, and it's really about time. Until now, we've basically all had to grind dungeons non-stop until we were fully decked out, but that's really no longer the case. Now, with just a team of 15 geared raiders and 5 fresh scrubs, we can smash through the troll city and collect phat lewtz to use in our attunement questing if we want. And that feels pretty good.

Anyway, that's it for today. If you found this priority list useful or interesting, let me know by leaving a comment down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts. And if you'd like to see more content like this in the future, consider adding yourself to my mailing list, or follow me on Twitter for updates when new content is released! Also, check out my videos over on YouTube if you enjoy video content as well. Thanks for reading, good luck gearing up your fresh 60, and as always...

Take it easy!

Gear Your Enhancement Shaman FAST! A simplified, Anti-RNG gearing guide

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got another guide for you!

With phase 3 well underway, and phase 4 recently announced, I thought it might be a good idea to pump another 'Get Geared FAST' guide out. After all, this new phase will bring ZG and a lot of catch up gear along with it, so you should make sure to be ready to step in as soon as possible, right?

Anyway, as we've covered a lot of different classes already, and since I want to celebrate recently hitting level 40 on my favorite alt, today we're going to look at how to gear up your Enhancement Shaman, FAST!

Let's get into it...

Priority Dungeons (and their quests)

Before discussing any RNG-free items that you can work on, it's worth noting that there are several dungeons that enhancement shamans should focus on running for attunements, quest rewards, and, of course, amazing drops. That being said, be mindful of important quests as you run the following dungeons before, and at, level 60...

First off, you should do BRD for your MC Attunement, Princess quest chain, and the quest A Taste of Flame. While there, keep an eye out for amazing items such as Hand of Justice and Dreadforge Retaliator as well.

Upon reaching level 58 or so, you should run LBRS at least once in order to knock out the first portion of the Onyxia attunement, as well as the quest The Pack Mistress, which awards a decent chest. There are a few nice drops in there, but nothing really worth repeating the dungeon for once your attunement is out of the way, in my opinion. Before choosing a quest reward from this quest, however, decide whether you will try to pick up the Devilsaur set, as you could pick up a nice leather belt OR gloves with a solid 2% hit, but little else.

Anyway, after wrapping up LBRS, you'll need to do UBRS three times as part of the Onyxia attunement as well. So, while you're in there, watch out for great drops such as the Truestrike Shoulders, Eye of Rend, and more. Also, remember to pick up the quest The Drakestone Tablet before running this dungeon so that you can pick up the Swiftfoot Treads as well, if you haven't gotten better boots by this point that is!

And finally, depending on what you got while completing those attunements (which should be your first priority at 60), you may want to hit up DM West, if only to complete the quest The Madness Within if you find yourself needing a nice helm or weapon. But we'll get more into that as we discuss the anti-RNG slots...

Guaranteed Items for Specific Slots

Just a quick note - in order to keep this list simple (and a bit shorter), I will only include what I feel are the best items that are guaranteed for any given slot that can be obtained via crafting or a quest. As such, expect only 1-3 options per slot!

Head

It's pretty easy to ensure you get a good helm. As I just said, you can pick up the Backwood Helm from the short DM West quest chain The Madness Within. If you'd rather take the weapon from this quest, though, you can always look for the BoE Tattered Leather Hood on the auction house, which is an excellent helm due to its +hit.

Neck

There are a bunch of solid necks you can obtain from quests as a Classic enhancement shaman, but the one you'll definitely want to pick up if you never plan on healing is the Mark of Fordring from Tirion Fordring's quest chain in the Plaguelands. If you would rather grab Fording's Seal for healing, however, you could make do with the Amulet of the Darkmoon instead, a reward from the Darkmoon Faire.

And though we're still in phase 3 currently, the upcoming phase 4 is slated to bring with it the BoE neck Abyssal War Beads, so if you're capping in phase 4 and want to try for that instead, it should be another option for you to explore.

Shoulders

For shoulders, you're definitely going to want to get the Truestrike Mantle from the first boss of UBRS. But, if you just can't seem to win it, the Wyrmhide Spaulders from the BRD quest A Taste of Flame will definitely go a long way to helping your DPS. However, if you are, or know, a leatherworker, you could also start working on the Black Dragonscale Shoulders as well - part of a set with amazing dps bonuses for you to enjoy. The pieces of this set are quite costly to craft, though, so be warned.

Back

Now, there aren't many great cloaks for enhancement shamans that can be obtained completely RNG free. That being said, the Deep River Cloak from the quest Strange Sources in Winterspring (chain starts with Finding the Source in Un'Goro) is definitely an option. Alternatively, you can check the auction house for a BoE green with better stats, but that's about all there is for capes...

Chest

There are a couple of decent green quality chests that you can obtain via quests on your shaman. First off, the Traphook Jerkin is a reward from the LBRS quest The Pack Mistress and should be obtained while you're working on your Onyxia attunement quest. If you prefer mail, though, you can also grab the Vest of the Den Watcher from the quest Winterfall Activity in Winterspring.

However, both of these pale in comparison to the Black Dragonscale Breastplate, which has a whopping +50 attack power and great set bonuses. Considering the cost of crafting this bad boy, though, it's unlikely that you'll get this very fast...

Wrists

For wrists, there are several BoE options, including the Lordly Armguards and dungeon set bracers for various classes. However, as prices for these items vary, you may consider just picking up the Crypt Demon Bracers from the BRD quest Disharmony of Fire. Since this quest is a prerequisite to the quest awarding Wyrmhide Spaulders, it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll have them already though, so consider dropping some gold on a BoE upgrade.

Hands

Alright for hands, there's really only two options you should consider as an enhancement shaman trying to gear up fast - the BoE Devilsaur Gauntlets, which are pricey to craft but are great when combined with the Leggings, and the Ony attunement quest reward Voone's Vice Grips, which offer 2% hit by themselves. Choose wisely.

But if you're cheap and don't want the hit for some reason, dungeon set gloves are typically up on the auction house for 3-6 gold a pop, so...yeah...that's another option I guess...

Waist

Ok now that we're finally on belts, we can talk about this one. There's only one guaranteed quest reward that's halfway decent for enhancement shammies - Vosh'Gajin's Strand from the quest  Warlord's Command. However, if you decide to go with the vastly superior Voone's Vice Grips as your reward from that quest, you can pick up a dungeon set belt from the auction house, or have a blacksmith craft a Heavy Timbermaw Belt for you.

Legs

For legs, as you'd probably expect, there are a few BoE options: including the crafted Devilsaur Leggings I've mentioned a few times already, the Black Dragonscale Leggings, and the Plaguehound Leggings I described in my guide for feral tanks. In terms of quest rewards, though, the only decent option are the Outrider Leggings from the Lar'Korwi quest chain in Un'Goro Crater. So basically, quest in Un'Goro while leveling, then work on crafting something better at level cap.

Feet

For boots, you'll probably want to work toward crafting the Black Dragonscale Boots, but since the materials are quite pricey, the Swiftfoot Treads are a decent option that's awarded by simply doing an UBRS quest. Really, those are pretty much the only two guaranteed boots worth working on for an enhancement shaman though, so good luck with drops.

Fingers

There are a number of decent rings that your enhancement shaman can use. First off, you can snag Thrall's Resolve from the quest The Princess Saved? while you're running BRD, but this is pretty terrible when compared to the Alliance's counterpart, so you might be better off grabbing the spellpower option instead for when you need to heal.

So, instead of that one, you should focus on getting two rings while leveling up. First off, make sure to complete Zul'Farrak's Divino-matic Rod quest to obtain a Masons Fraternity Ring, which has high agility and will start you off right. Then, be sure to complete the quest Bone-Bladed Weapons to obtain a White Bone Band while you're leveling in Un'Goro Crater.

Other than those quest rewards, there are two BoE rings you can keep an eye out for as well: the Innervating Band, and Myrmidon's Signet. Both of these are very powerful, but also very expensive, so you may be better off buying a Tarnished Elven Ring from one of the many Tribute runners instead (or tribute runs yourself), depending on your budget.

And finally, even though I've already mentioned way more rings than I probably should have, there is one more that's guaranteed that you MIGHT be interested in, if you're into PVP - Don Julio's Band which is a reputation reward for reaching exalted with the Frostwolf Clan. Now, this won't be fast by any means, but it IS guaranteed and amazing, so just keep it in mind.

Trinkets

There are two trinket quest rewards you should get as an enhancement shaman. First off, make sure to collect the Rune of the Guard Captain from the  Hinterlands quest, Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village. Also, after completing the first UBRS run for your Onyxia attunement, you'll want to take Blackhand's Breadth from the quest For the Horde!. You'll lose out on Eye of the Beast, but if you stick to melee, it shouldn't bother you too much.

Yeah, shammy trinkets are easy.

Weapon

Alright, the last stop - your weapon. There are a few options here...

First off, if you're into PVP and have want to grind AV rep to exalted, you can get The Unstoppable Force, which is great and guaranteed, but definitely not going to come fast with hour+ queue times. So, instead, you can snag the mace Bonecrusher from the DM West quest The Madness Within if you don't need the helm reward. If neither of those suits your needs, however, you can always pick up a Twig of the World Tree or Lord Alexander's Battle Axe from the auction house.

But, if you want to grind out mats instead, the best crafted weapons for enhancement shamans will most definitely be the Arcanite Reaper or Nightfall. The former is better for your individual character, but the latter is what enhancement shamans are brought to raids for (both of those, however, are very pricey and you may find that in order to Get Geared FAST, you'll just default to buying a BoE from the auction house instead).

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading this guide, and good luck with gearing up your enhancement shaman! As always, this guide is not exhaustive, and there's many other ways to collect gear - dungeon drops, BoE greens on the auction house, and more. But assuming you just want to get geared well enough as fast as possible without relying on RNGeesus, this should suit you just fine. 

Anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide, found it useful, or have anything to add that you think I might've missed, let me know by leaving a comment down below! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on new content, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer multimedia content instead! Thanks again for reading, good luck with gearing, and as always...

Take it easy!

Gear Your Tanky-Bear FAST! A Simplified Pre-Raid Gearing Guide for Feral Tanks

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here and I'm back today with another Get Geared Fast guide for you! Man, it's been a LONG time since I did one of these...

So far we've discussed priests, pallies and shamans, warrior tanks and dps, and a whole bunch of casters. But one of my favorite types of character has long-been neglected: the bear tanks! So, since phase 3 is now out and getting pre-raid gear is easier than ever, I thought now's as good a time as ever to help get your big fuzzy bois all geared up to raid!

Let's get right into it!

Priority Dungeons

As a druid tank, you're going to have little difficulty finding dungeons as you approach level cap, due to the immense demand for tanks at endgame. That being said, there are 4 dungeons you'll want to prioritize as you reach that glorious level 60: BRD, UBRS, DM North, and Stratholme. And, as a general rule of thumb when gearing, make sure to focus first on the dungeons with important quests before farming for gear.

First up in the list, you'll want to be running BRD repeatedly, just like basically every other class, for a chance at up to 18 items, as well as a pre-raid BiS ring reward for Horde druids - Thrall's Resolve. Since you can start clearing this dungeon as early as level 53, and need to run it to complete attunement quests, it's just a great way to get the gearing process started. In particular, watch out for Arglemach's Naglering, The Emperor's New Cape, Plugger Spazzring's Mixologist's Tunic, and many more solid pieces while you work on those necessary quest chains.

Next up, UBRS is an absolute must-go dungeon for everyone in Classic, as it's home to several attunement quests, great quest rewards, and, of course, amazing drops. As you work on these quests to pick up your Mark of Tyranny and Drakefire Amulet, keep an eye out for Truestrike Shoulders, Blademaster Leggings, Blackmist Armguards, and some pieces of Wildheart or Shadowcraft that you can make good use of.

Third on the list of must-do dungeons is DM North Tribute Runs. This is mostly just to get the awesome weapon Unyielding Maul and/or the Tarnished Elven Ring from the tribute chest at the end. Now that we're in Phase 3, these items are easier to obtain than ever, and considering the high armor and defense of the mace, it's worth it to try and pick it up - unless you have the Warden Staff, that is.

Finally, Stratholme is a two wing dungeon that has several good leather items, but if you haven't gotten a helm yet, what you'll want to try for is the Mask of the Unforgiven from the boss bearing the same name. It's fairly common to see farming runs for this boss, so consider setting one up or joining a group to pick this amazing helm up, assuming you don't have something decent from leveling in BRD that is.



Ok, now that you know which dungeons to prioritize in your gearing process, let's discuss some RNG-free items for specific slots that you can collect if dungeon drops prove to be elusive along the way...

Quick Tip!

Feral tanks have several great items that they can pick up reaching rank 3 in PVP and grinding their Alterac Valley reputation to honored, so if you enjoy this form of content at all, keep that in mind as you work on gearing up!

Guaranteed Items for Specific Slots

Head

Unfortunately, the helm is one of the worst pieces in terms of a guaranteed slot, so your safest bet is to ignore upgrading this piece until completing all the attunements and related dungeons, then trying for the Mask of the Unforgiven from Stratholme if you haven't gotten a suitable piece by then. But, if you don't want to farm, you could hit up the Auction House to look for a Tattered Leather Hood, a Pridelord Halo, or a simple Wicked Leather Headband. Alternatively, you can complete the Deadwood of the North quest in Felwood to obtain a Helm of the Pathfinder, but chances are good that you'll be wanting to upgrade from that anyway at level 60.

Neck

Fortunately, there are several decent neck options for druid tanks pre-raid - especially for tauren:

If you are into PVP and feel like grinding AV rep to Honored, you can easily purchase a decent Stam+AP necklace, the Frostwolf Leginnaire's Pendant or Stormpike Soldier's Pendant

If you're Horde and hate the idea of hour-long AV queues, you can simply do the quest Wanted: Vile Priestess Hexx and Her Minions in the Hinterlands to obtain the Woven Ivy Necklace instead.

And like every class, druids can also consider completing Tirion Fordring's quest chain to obtain a Mark of Fordring, though it's definitely more of a dps item and you'd have to give up Fording's Seal to get it, so choose carefully if you do In Dreams.

As a final note, you can also look in the auction house for a Medallion of Grand Marshal Morris. Though it's usually quite expensive, it's an excellent necklace for all tanks, so keep it in mind as an option.

Shoulders

Hopefully, you'll get Truestrike while completing your attunements and whatnot, but if you NEED something else, there are three potentially decent items you can grab to help you tank early on:

First of all, Horde have access to the Duskwing Mantle from Nathanos's quest Duskwing, How I Hate Thee, which is a great place to start even before you go into UBRS.

Another potential shoulderguard you could obtain, even as Alliance, are the Wyrmhide Spaulders from the BRD quest A Taste of Flame. While they have no stamina or agility, the 2% hit makes them great for threat generation.

Finally, you can pick up the crafted Stormshroud Shoulders for some stamina and evasion if none of the other options seem good enough, though whether or not you believe it's worth the cost in materials is up to you.

Back

Luckily, druid tanks have access to several great cloaks that are fairly easy to obtain, though two of the best ones require a bit of PVP...

First off, the Sergeant's Cape/Cloak is a reward for attaining PVP Rank 3. If you've decided to farm AV rep anyway, this should basically be a free item AND it's pre-raid BiS due to it's high armor and stamina. If you somehow don't make rank 3 before hitting honored, though, you can also pick up a decent cloak from the reputation quartermaster instead: the Frostwolf Legionnaire's Cloak / Stormpike Soldier's Cloak.

Of course, if you're hellbent on avoiding PVP, there are a couple of crafted cloaks that you could obtain instead. The Cloak of Warding is particularly good due to its high armor and defense stats. The Shifting Cloak is an excellent druid tanking cloak as well, though the mats will likely take just as long to farm out as AV reputation, so...yeah. Choose wisely!

Chest

There are actually quite a few great chest that are guaranteed for bears that seek them out, but three stand out above the rest:

First off is the VERY tanky Warbear Harness, which is crafted via leatherworking. With a ton of stamina and decently high armor, it's definitely a worthwhile investment. If you prefer more agility though, the Wicked Leather Armor is another great crafted item that you could use.

However, both of those items pale in comparison to the newly introduced Grizzled Pelt from the druid Sunken Temple quest chain, which has an excellent spread of tanking stats. However, if you want to pick up the healing chest from that quest instead for offspec, the leatherworking items are still a great bet.

Wrists

Unfortunately, there's no really decent bracers that can be crafted or obtained via a quest, so keep an eye out for the Malefic Bracers, Shadowcraft Bracers, or Deepfury Bracers on the auction house.

Hands

For hands, there are a few viable options. First off, you can collect the Blight Leather Gloves from the Felwood quest A Final Blow - the final part of the Jaedenar quest chain. This is a good start, and one you can get pretty easily at level cap, but you'll probably want to upgrade from this anyway.

As such, there are two other BoE options are the widely-popular. The Devilsaur Gauntlets have ok stats, but an amazing 2 piece bonus for threat generation if you also get the Leggings. Alternatively, you could easily pick up the Shadowcraft Gloves from the auction house, which offers an excellent 2 piece bonus for damage mitigation - 200 more armor. So, if you have the belt or bracers anyway, it might be a great idea to drop the 4-6 gold on this dungeon set item too, assuming you don't particularly feel like spending hundreds of gold on the Devilsaur items, that is.

Waist

There are three guaranteed belts that you  can aim for for your big lovable bear:

First off, if you've been farming AV reputation, you can get your Stormpike or Frostwolf Leather Belt, which is available upon reaching honored.

If PVP isn't your thing, you can most definitely pick up Vosh'Gajin's Strand from the quest Maxwell's Mission, if you're Alliance or Warlord's Command if you're Horde. Horde is actually much luckier when it comes to this slot, as this quest is the first part of their Onyxia attunement quest, so every tanky tauren bear should have it already by this point.

If neither of those options suits your needs though, or if you want to make sure you can get double two-piece bonuses from Devilsaur and Shadowcraft sets, the Shadowcraft Belt is another viable option that is typically pretty cheap on the auction house. So, consider that as well.

Legs

Unfortunately, there are no really solid legs for bears that can be obtained from quests, but there is a nice selection of BoE items you can pick up from the auction house or have crafted for you:

Again, the Devilsaur Leggings are a great item for bears wanting to get that 2% hit for threat generation. They lack a bit in survivability though, so unless you've got the gloves to match, you may be better off keeping an eye out for the Plaguehound Leggings - a high-agi pair of pants with 1% hit.

But, if you're cheap like me, you'll probably end up just going for the Warbear Woolies - a crafted BoE item that is super cheap to craft. It might take a bit of time to find someone with the pattern, but it'll definitely save you some gold.

Feet

Ok, almost done with all the leather. For boots, druid tanks have a few guaranteed options. To start, the Spry Boots from the DM East quest Pusillin and the Elder Azj'Tordin offers some great avoidance and decent armor, so it might be a good place to start if you haven't gotten any other drops by this point.

If you want a bit more in stats, however, the Mongoose Boots and Dawn Treaders crafted by leatherworkers are also viable options that you can most definitely work toward. Keep in mind, though, that both of these can be quite pricey - especially the Dawn Treaders.

Fingers

For your rings, there are several awesome, guaranteed drops that you can work on:

First and foremost, Horde druids can and should get Thrall's Resolve from the quest The Princess Saved? in BRD. This ring is BiS and will last you a LONG time in your tanking adventures. Unfortunately, Alliance druids can't obtain this, as Magni's Will is the melee reward from their version of the chain, but to be fair, it's a great ring as well, so...yeah. All druids should really do this quest.

Other than the BRD quest, though, there are two great quest rewards out in the open world that you can and should work toward getting. While leveling up in Tanaris, you can complete the quest Tooga's Quest in order to obtain the Band of the Great Tortoiose, which is awesome for druid tanks due to the high armor in the ring slot - one that typically doesn't provide armor in the first place. Once you get up to level 60, though, you'll want to also obtain a Ring of Protection from the Battle of Darrowshire quest chain. This ring, with its high armor and stamina, is amazing for bear tanks, so make it a priority to pick it up!

Trinkets

Alright, now for the fun bit - the trinkets! As a druid tank, there are several awesome trinkets from quests and other sources that you'll want to pick up if possible:

First off, we've got the Rune of the Guard Captain from the Horde-exclusive quest Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village. This is basically a must-have for any Horde melee class - tank or dps alike. As a tank, it will provide you with great threat generation and should only be swapped out for fights where high mitigation is more important than threat.

Next up is Mark of Tyranny, one of the pre-raid BiS trinkets for druid tanks. This is obtained from the quests General Drakkisath's Demise for Alliance and For the Horde! for Horde. Again, this is basically a guaranteed slot for Horde characters, as it is part of the Onyxia attunement quest chain. However, you should also be aware that by taking this item, you're giving up two other excellent trinkets as well - Eye of the Beast and, more importantly for threat generation, Blackhand's Breadth. Choose wisely.

If you're an enchanter, you should consider trying to pick up the recipe for Smoking Heart of the Mountain, a BoP crafted item made by enchanters that is comparable to Mark of Tyranny and offers several resistances. As of right now, the pattern is being sold for a pittance and other than the Blood of the Mountain itself, the materials are mostly quite cheap as well.

If you've decided to go the PVP route to gear your druid, you can make good use of the AV Trinket Frostwolf / Stormpike Insignia as well, which offers some dodge, health, and frost resistance AND improves as you gain more reputation with your faction. Sure, it's not the best, but it's something!

Finally, if you've just got no incentive to grind out any of those other trinkets, you could simply complete the long Blasted Lands quest chain ending in You Are Rakh'likh, Demon in order to pick up the Demon's Blood trinket - offering some defense, health, and more. Though, to be honest, you really should try to get the other trinkets over this one, as it's a lot of work for little reward. You do get a 16 slot bag with it too though, so...

Weapon(s)

Finally, the most important aspect of nearly every class's gearing process OTHER than feral druids, the weapon!

As a start to your tanking adventures, Horde players can pick up Sarah's Guide from the quest The Corpulent One in the Eastern Plaguelands, though this is really just for the stamina if you've gotten literally nothing better by that point.

Better than that stat stick are two very good two handers: the BiS-through-Naxx Warden Staff, which is a BoE world drop that you could use as early as level 43 and will cost you an arm and a leg to purchase, and the significantly less expensive Twig of the World Tree, which typically runs around 10 gold on the auction house. Obviously, the former is better, but the latter is more affordable, so...yeah.

As a final note about weapons, it's also VERY possible to find a high stamina/agility 2-hander from the auction house, so keep an eye out for those as well. As druid weapons are just glorified stat-sticks, it really doesn't matter all that much what it is so long as the stats are good. That being said, I wish you luck in getting either a cheap Warden Staff or an Unyielding Maul from your DM North tribute runs!

Final Thoughts

So yeah, that's basically all it takes to Gear Your Tanky-Bear FAST! To summarize, run BRD, UBRS, DM North, and possibly Stratholme for the quest rewards and many potentially great drops, grind AV for honored reputation and rank 3 if you're into PVP, and then fill in the gaps with the quest rewards and BoE items I just listed. Easy-peasy!

Thanks for reading this guide and good luck in gearing up your big ole huggable bear! As tanks are in high demand, I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we appreciate your role and hope you are able to get as much loot as you need as fast as possible! As a final note, remember that in addition to the items listed here, it's definitely possible to find high level stam/agi greens on the AH to round out your set as well, though those are never guaranteed and may be quite expensive, so feel free to prioritize the quest items and PVP rewards instead if you are financially strapped.

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by adding yourself to my mailing list and by leaving a comment down below! Also, consider following me on  Facebook and Twitter for updates when I release new guides and content like this in the future, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer content like this in that form as well.

Thanks again for reading, good luck with the gearing process, and as always...

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Worst Classic Quests

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got another top 5 post for you.

In looking over some of my previous top 5s, I realized that I typically focus on the best things, which is pretty much expected for something called a Top 5. So, today, I thought it might be a bit of fun to rant about just the opposite - the Worst 5 of something so to speak. And since I've been enjoying leveling my dwarf paladin and orc shaman when not raiding BWL, I've been rudely reminded of some terribad quests that exist in Classic.

So, that's what we're going to talk about today: My Top 5 Worst Classic Quests.

Let's get started.

#5 - A Solvent Spirit

Screw these lobster dudes...

Starting off my list is this absolute shitshow of a quest that EVERY player that's ever rolled an orc or a troll has experienced at least once. At first glance, A Solvent Spirit seems simple enough - kill some crabs and lobster dudes along the coast of southern Durotar and collect some items from them. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong.

First off, this is one of those underwater quests for the most part, as that's where most of the crabs and all of the lobster guys are, so that's already annoying enough. But it gets worse - the drop rate of the mucus and eyes is HORRENDOUS. Sure, wowhead might say it's around 30% or whatever, but I can personally attest to having had to grind these sons of bitches for over an hour, which just shouldn't happen on a level 8 quest!

Sure it's not the worst quest in the game, but I hate A Solvent Spirit. But hey, at least the Really Sticky Glue was a nice reward, right?

#4 - Deep Ocean, Vast Sea

Looks easy, right?

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I completely forgot that this quest existed - especially since I haven't been to Darkshore in ages, but Deep Ocean, Vast Sea has got to be one of the most horrendously designed quests in the history of not just classic, but all of WoW. Again, it's one of those underwater quests (luckily the last one on this list, in case you're wondering), which already makes it a pain in the ass to do - especially at like level 17 when you'd try to do it. Some quests like this, though, aren't all that bad - like the Gnomish tools quest in Durotar. Swim down, pick up some items, then swim up.

Oh, if only it were so simple...

No, the ships you have to swim down into to collect the lockboxes from are absolutely SWARMING with murlocs. And not just any murlocs either, murlocs that can apparently see through walls and will eat your face faster than your shitty little aquatic form can help flail away through the water.

So...yeah, this quest sucks. And I'm pretty glad that I haven't had a reason to attempt it in Classic yet.

#3 - Mok'thardin's Enchantment

1.9% Drop Rate? Good luck!

Next up in this list of dumpster fire quests is the Horde exclusive quest chain from Grom'gol, Mok'thardin's Enchantment. Now, we all know that Classic is full of quests that force you to grind mobs for 10 years for a drop, but if you've ever tried to do this chain, you know the true definition of a grind.

It starts off simple enough, as all these quests do: kill some panthers and tigers to collect claws and a fang. The claws are pretty easy to collect - dropping from Shadowmaw Panthers that you'd normally kill for Hemit Nesingwary anyway. The Pristine Tigress Fang, however, is another story entirely - dropping only from Stranglethorn Tigresses at a measly 6% drop rate (and even THAT sounds too high to me). Be prepared to kill nothing but cats for the next 3 hours of your life...

But anyway, you get the fang! Woo! The worst is over, right? Nope! Go get some raptor feathers! Well...that wasn't so bad, actually. Maybe I'm done now...

Nope! Kill gorillas for the rest of your time in STV to find an Aged Gorilla Sinew! Less than 2% drop rate! That oughta keep you occupied for the next 3 days!

Seriously, screw this quest chain. I'm ok with some grinding, but sub 10% drop rates on quest items back to back is no bueno...

#2 - The Beacon Quests (All 3 of them)

It's just a simple escort, right?

Ahh, here it is! The three quests that EVERYONE expected to be on this list! Quests so infamous that they've been complained about on forums and YouTube videos for over a decade, the three beacon quests located in the Hinterlands, Tanaris, and Feralas are among the most frustrating quests ever designed.

The quests themselves are pretty straightforward - loot an item, find the robotic chicken, then escort it to a large open space where it can takeoff (because it can fly, obviously). The actual escort, however, is the biggest pain in the ass ever conceived. Though the chickens have a clear and set path, they aggro literally EVERYTHING near that path. And as if the massive aggro range isn't bad enough, each of these three escort events has set points where groups of between 2-4 mobs will spawn and start attacking both the chicken and you. So if you thought you could solo this at the appropriate level, think again!

But, in my opinion, the worst part of these three quests isn't the mobs or the aggro range - it's the freaking blazing saddles speed at which the chickens run ahead. Seriously, why can't we take a mana break for like 10 seconds after pulling everything in a 30 yard radius AND having 4 mobs spawn and attack us?!!!?!?!??!?!

Needless to say, I hate all three of these damn chicken escorts...but not as much as I hate the number 1 quest on this list! But first, some dishonorable mentions, just for good measure...

Dishonorable Mentions

Bloody Bone Necklaces - So many gd trolls die for this quest that it isn't even funny.

Verog the Dervish - Just how many fucking centaur do I have to kill before he spawns?

The Messenger Quests in Lakeshire - Because I'm not a goddamn mailman!

#1 - The Horde Onyxia Attunement

Ok so...this might be super unexpected, especially after I praised the hell out of the Alliance's Ony attunement chain, but GOD DAMN the Horde's questline is awful. First off, you can't even start this chain until around level 58, as the very first quest involves running Lower Blackrock Spire. Then, after finishing that admittedly straightforward quest, you're tasked with going back to Upper Blackrock Spire to kill Rend - meaning after running all the way back to Orgrimmar you have to get back to UBRS - hopefully with someone who has actually assembled the damn Seal of Ascension.

Ok, to be fair, this isn't all that bad for Classic. But hold on, it gets a LOT worse...

After finishing the first portion and turning in Rend's head, which triggers a much sought-after world buff that only Horde gets, you get the super-fun task of tracking down Rexxar somewhere in Desolace.

God...dammit.

He could be ANYWHERE along that path...and more...

If you play Horde, you've probably noticed that there is literally someone asking where Rexxar is at least 3 times every hour in LFG chat. This is because his patrol around Desolace and Feralas is absolutely massive and he could be anywhere at any point. Luckily, you'll have a mount by the time you do this quest, so it's not as bad as leveling in Desolace, but still...screw finding this guy, alright?

Anyway after talking with him, you end up having to go all the way across the map to the Western Plaguelands, then back into UBRS to collect dragon eyes. If there's ANYONE else on the quest in your group, good luck getting enough eyes in one run! They drop 2 at a time and only one person can loot them from any given mob, so you might have to run it more than once to get all 20 needed.

But you know, that's still not too bad if I'm being honest. The worst part is yet to come.

Here's Emberstrife...

After collecting a bunch of eyes and finding Rexxar again, you need to find and talk to some dragon in Dustwallow Marsh, who tasks you with finding and killing 3 unique drakes in different corners of the world. Because that's how everyone wants to spend their evening - putting together a raid group to run around the entire world map to kill 3 mobs. Then, to make matters worse, you have to go BACK to Dustwallow Marsh, back to that dragon in the cave to turn in those 3 quests before you can pick up ANOTHER quest to go and kill a dragon in the fucking Wetlands!

So, you get over to Hammerfall, run down into the marshes to the south, get to Grim Batol and pray to god that Axtroz isn't bugged. Oh yeah as if running all over the place and killing random named dragons everywhere isn't bad enough, the quest itself is bugged to hell - with the skull very often not showing up on the corpse for one or more people on the quest! This literally happened to me FOUR TIMES.

A drake without a skull...apparently...

Now I know what you're thinking - "Maybe you didn't have the right Test of Skulls quest." But no, I had done the 3 drakes, gone back to the Marsh, and had picked up Test of Skulls - Axtroz. It was all for naught and I had to abandon the quest after joining two different raid groups and pulling several of my guildies in to help me finish it. Luckily, someone re-shared the quest after I dropped it and I was able to loot the skull after disabling ALL my addons and picking up the quest, but it literally made no sense.

Anyway, yeah, I've got a bit of a personal vendetta against this quest chain, but hell, it's my list and I'm sticking to it. Fuck the Horde Ony attunement quest. I much prefer Jailbreak!

Oh, and after you finally finish all the drake quests, you have to go find Rexxar again, do UBRS a 3rd time, and get the Drakefire Amulet by finding Rexxar a fucking fourth time for good measure. GG Blizz. GG...

Final Thoughts

So, yeah, there you have it - just a few of the worst quests Classic has to offer. Interestingly, I actually had quite a challenge thinking of quests to fill this list with, as the game has so many really interesting ones that are much more memorable. But, as you can tell, there's still some crap mixed in among all the gems... Obviously, it goes without saying that these are all my opinion, and I'm sure that there are many other terrible quests in the game. So, if you think I missed any terrible quests, or if you have your own Worst 5, let me know by leaving a comment down below.

Anyway though, that's it for today. If you liked this post and would like to see more, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list below, so you don't miss out on any other posts in the future. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on new content, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer to watch this type of content instead. Have an awesome day, good luck with your questing adventures, and as always...

Take it easy!

Anti-RNG 60 Warrior Tank Gearing Guide

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here, and today I've got a new type of guide for you all to enjoy.

When I first started making guides for WoW Classic, I thought it would be interesting to discuss how to get geared as efficiently as possible. However, as I worked on all of those guides, I found one issue became very clear - it's all very reliant on RNG. Many of the items were drops from dungeon bosses and the like.

Well, after rounding out the most-played roles and classes, I've decided that it's now time to tackle RNGeesus himself with a new style of guide - the Anti-RNG 60 Gearing Guides. Here, I will tell a few items for each slot that can be obtained through quests or professions. Some of these will undoubtedly be quite challenging - involving full runs of dungeons and more. However, since they provide guaranteed loot, it's worth the trouble if you just can't seem to fill that one slot...

So, without further ado, let's get right into it! Today, we're starting with warrior tanks...

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As a tank, there are several options for decent items as you approach max level - including quest rewards, blacksmithing gear, and more. If you're running dungeons and finding yourself lacking, the first stop should undoubtedly be the auction house, as you can often find decent items for cheap, including blues and high-level greens. However, if gold isn't a viable route for you, or if you just can't seem to find one slot that is appropriate, here are some other potential loot venues...

* denotes highly recommended item

Head
*Avenguard Helm from The God Hakkar questchain, starting in Tanaris.
Southsea Head Bucket from Southsea Shakedown in Tanaris (a start).
Imperial Plate Helm from Blacksmithing.

Neck
*Drakefire Amulet from the Onyxia Attunement chain. [A] [H]
*Conqueror's Medallion from Operation: Death to Angerforge quest [H] in BRD.
Heroic Commendation Medal from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.

Shoulders
Bark Iron Pauldrons from The Mystery of Morrowgrain [A] in Feralas.
*Imperial Plate Shoulders from Blacksmithing. (Honestly the better bet.)

Back
Smokey's Drape from When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent in EPL.
Shaleskin Cape from A Taste of Flame in BRD.

Chest
*Ornate Adamantium Breastplate from In Dreams quest chain in WPL and EPL.
Imperial Plate Chest from Blacksmithing.

Wrists
Shining Armplates from Guarding Secrets [H] in Winterspring (kill Owlkin to get the drop).
Runesteel Vambraces from A Prayer to Elune [A] in the Searing Gorge.
*Imperial Plate Bracers from Blacksmithing.

Hands
*Voone's Vice Grips from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. Though mail, these gloves are great for threat generation and are well worth the armor sacrifice! (Also, this quest is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde)
Gordok's Handguards from Unfinished Gordok Business in DM. This is a bit of a PITA though, apparently.
Emerald Mist Gauntlets from The Crystal of Zin'Malor (starts with The Ruins of Kel'Theril) [A] in Winterspring.
Lavaplate Gauntlets from The Rise of the Machines quest chain [H] in the Burning Steppes and BRD. 

Waist
*Stalwart Clutch from Disharmony of Fire [H] / Incendius! [A] in BRD.
Omokk's Girth Restrainer from Warlord's Command [H] / Maxwell's Mission [A] in LBRS. This is part of the Onyxia attunement for Horde!
Imperial Plate Belt from Blacksmithing.

Legs
*Bejeweled Legguards from A Little Help From My Friends in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Leggings from Blacksmithing.

Feet
Eschewal Greaves from Calm Before the Storm [H] [A] (starts with Bungle in the Jungle) in Un'Goro.
*Cragplate Greaves from Beware of Pterrordax in Un'Goro.
Imperial Plate Boots from Blacksmithing.  

Rings
Dalson Family Wedding Ring from Locked Away in WPL. 
Ring of Protection from The Battle of Darrowshire chain (Starts with Little Pamela) in the EPL and WPL. 
Thrall's Resolve from The Princess Saved? [H] in BRD. 
Magni's Will from The Princess's Surprise [A] in BRD.


Trinkets
*Rune of the Guard Captain from Job Opening: Guard Captain of Revantusk Village [H] in the Hinterlands.
*Mark of Tyranny (for survivability) or Blackhand's Breadth (for threat generation) from For The Horde! [H] / General Drakkisath's Demise [A] in UBRS.
Royal Seal of Eldrethalas from Codex of Defense in DM. 


Weapon
*Mirah's Song from the Kirtonos the Herald quest chain in Scholomance. 
Swiftstrike Cudgel from Lost Thunderbrew Recipe [H] Hurley Blackbreath [A] / in BRD. 
Intrepid Shortsword from The Scourge Cauldrons quest chain [A] [H] in WPL.


Offhand
*Darrowshire Strongguard from The Lich, Ras Frostwhisper quest chain in Scholomance. Continues from Kirtonos the Herald quest chain!
Argent Defender from The Argent Hold (Starts with The Archivist) in Stratholme / EPL. 
Milli's Shield from Shards of the Felvine in DM East.

Ranged
*Gorewood Bow from The Call to Command [H] / The First and the Last [A] quest chains.
Sandstrider's Mark from Wanted - Deathclasp, Terror of the Sands in Silithis. This may not be available yet, though.

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And there you have it! A whole bunch of quest rewards, and a blacksmithing set, that you can work on obtaining should you face great challenges gearing up your tank in dungeons. Obviously, many of these items are less-than-ideal for raiding in endgame (such as the greens from level 40-50 quests). However, if you just can't take it anymore, it's probably worth it to just say screw it and grind out those last few slots by grabbing some items listed here. I'm sure you'll be glad you did...

But anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide or found it useful, let me know by leaving a comment down below and adding yourself to my mailing list. Also, check out my videos over on YouTube where I eventually turn written content like this into videos for your viewing and/or listening pleasure. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on content and in-game activities, and consider supporting me over on Patreon as well. Thanks for reading this, good luck gearing up, and as always...

Take it easy!