Shifting Perspectives: Balance gear in patch 3.3

Every week, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting druids and those who group with them. This week, we boom-boom-pow our way through Icecrown.

If Moore can yank out the Imogen Heap, I'm going to retaliate with Sigur Rós. Years from now, when the bloody YouTube wars on this site have slackened, people will point with hushed whispers to this week, saying, "It all started with the British synthesizer chick versus the Icelandic nonsense-syllable group."

Anyway. Where was I?

Moonkin gear in patch 3.3! Right. Do we know everything that's going to drop in Icecrown Citadel and the new 5-mans? Nope. I'm not going to pretend that the article in its current form is anything other than an extremely ambitious placeholder. That aside, I did want to get a preliminary list running on the gear choices that we do know about so far, and I'm just going to keep adding to it and revising as we see and confirm more items. Any additions to the list will be noted in future druid articles on the site in addition to notes here, so keep checking back.

Gear rankings are standard for the Balance spec, prioritizing +spellpower, then +haste, +crit, +intellect, and finally +spirit. I am not looking at +hit in the rankings quite as much, as most moonkin at the point of raiding ICC will be spending time trying to drop it from their gear sets rather than packing it on.However, if you find yourself in danger of falling below the hit cap, then pieces like Sightless Crown of Ulmaas will be superior to items higher on the list without +hit. Remember -- as with all gear lists, what's actually best-in-slot for you will depend on whatever else you're wearing.

An additional complication is that not all of this gear is yet loaded into Wowhead's PTR version (and none of it's on the regular Wowhead site), so take these rankings with a grain of salt. Consider them -- in the list's current form as of December 1st -- a very general guide at best. Once everything's been loaded into Wowhead's PTR or regular version, I should be able to place more of them in context for raiders with gear Trial of the Grand Crusader and whatnot.

If you see any items that aren't included here and don't seem to have much information yet, this is a quick-and-dirty guide to where you can expect to get different pieces:

I-level 277: Heroic 25-man ICC.
I-level 264: 25-man ICC, heroic 10-man ICC, or Emblem of Frost vendor.
I-level 251: 10-man ICC.
I-level 232: Heroic Icecrown 5-man.
I-level 219: Normal Icecrown 5-man.

We're going to do the head, neck, shoulders, cloak, chests, bracers, and gloves today, and return next week for the rest of the slots. I'm hoping in the interim that the loot lists for Icecrown will be fleshed out a bit more. On that note, if some of the lists seem a little sparse, remember -- we still don't know every drop. But as I write this, these are all the potential Balance drops we do know about.


HEAD

1. Sanctified Lasherweave Cover (heroic): 25-man heroic tier helm.

2. Sanctified Lasherweave Cover (normal): 25-man normal tier helm.

3. Corp'rethar Ceremonial Crown: Gunship battle-25 heroic. This is an MMO-C database link: it's not yet up on Wowhead.

4. Lasherweave Cover: 10-man helm.

5. Helm of the Elder Moon: Rotface-25 normal. MMO-C database link.

6. Corp'rethar Ceremonial Crown: Gunship battle-25 normal. MMO-C database link.

7. Sister Svalna's Spangenhelm: Valithria-10. MMO-C database link.

8. Cowl of Malefic Repose: Queen Lanathel-10.

9. Thaumaturge's Crackling Cowl: Saurfang-10.

10. Fallen Sentry's Hood: This will drop from one of the new Icecrown 5-mans on regular mode, but I'm not sure which. Due to the socket, this i-level 219 piece is actually superior to the Sightless Crown (below), which is an i-level 232.

11. Sightless Crown of Ulmaas: Marwyn, heroic Halls of Reflection.

12. Tattered Glacial-Woven Hood: This is another drop from one of the new 5-mans, but again, I'm not sure which.

NECK

1. Amulet of the Silent Eulogy: Gunship battle-25 heroic.

2. Soulcleave Pendant: Saurfang-10 heroic.

3. Soulcleave Pendant: Saurfang-10 normal.

4. Bone Sentinel's Amulet: Lord Marrowgar-25 normal.

5. Coil of Missing Gems: This is an i-level 219 and thus likely to drop in one of the new 5-mans on normal.

6. Holiday's Grace: An i-level 264 from Festergut-25 normal, but pretty obviously a healer piece. Pick it up if you don't have another option.

7. Arcane Loops of Anger: Devourer of Souls in heroic Forge of Souls.

8. Love's Prisoner: Bronjahm in heroic Forge of Souls. Again, healer piece -- pick it up if nobody wants it and it's better than what you've got.

SHOULDERS

1. Sanctified Lasherweave Mantle (heroic): 25-man heroic tier shoulders.

2. Sanctified Lasherweave Mantle (normal): 25-man normal tier shoulders.

3. Lasherweave Mantle: 10-man tier shoulders.

4. Shoulders of Mercy Killing: Lady Deathwhisper-25. MMO-C database link.

5. Shoulders of Frost-Tipped Thorns: Blood Princes-25. MMO-C database link.

6. Stiffened Corpse Shoulderpads: These are a trash drop from ICC-25.

7. Bloodstained Surgeon's Shoulderguards: Festergut-10.

8. Very Fashionable Shoulders: Another Bronjahm in heroic Forge of Souls drop.

9. Frayed Abomination Stitching Shoulders: I'm not sure where this will drop, but judging from the i-level it'll be one of the ICC 5-mans on normal.

10. Mantle of Tattered Feathers: Same deal with this one.

11. Grim Lasher Shoulderguards: This one too. The stats on this are oriented more toward Restoration, but at least you won't be competing for it with all the clothies in the group.

CLOAK

1. Frostbinder's Shredded Cape: Heroic Valithria-25. MMO-C database link.

2. Greatcloak of the Turned Champion: No prizes for guessing where this drops -- it's heroic Saurfang-25.

3. Frostbinder's Shredded Cape: Normal Valithria-25. MMO-C database link.

4. Greatcloak of the Turned Champion: Normal Saurfang-25. MMO-C database link.

5. Volde's Cloak of the Night Sky: Purchased with 50 Emblems of Frost.

6. Drape of the Violet Tower: Purchased with 50 Emblems of Frost (which you won't be, because you'd be buying a Volde's).

7. Cloak of the Fallen Cardinal: I-level says it'll be a normal Icecrown 5-man drop.

CHEST

1. Sanctified Lasherweave Vestment (heroic): 25-man heroic tier chest.

2. Meteor Chaser's Raiment: Purchased with 95 Emblems of Frost. This is a really excellent piece.

3. Robe of the Waking Nightmare: Heroic Valithria-25.

4. Sanctified Lasherweave Vestment (normal): 25-man normal tier chest.

5. Vestments of Spruce and Fir: Purchased with 95 Emblems of Frost.

6. Sanguine Silk Robes: Blood Princes-25.

7. Deathwhisper Chestpiece: Lady Deathwhisper-25.

8. Lasherweave Vestment: 10-man tier chest.

9. Chestguard of the Failed Experiment: Rotface-10.

10. Ermine Coronation Robes: Purchased with 95 Emblems of Frost.

11. Ancient Polar Bear Hide: This should be a drop from one of the new heroic 5-mans, but I don't know which.

12. Chestguard of Broken Branches: This will be another heroic 5-man drop. A Wowhead commenter says it will be Halls of Reflection, but I haven't been able to confirm it.

13. Palebone Robes: Should be a normal 5-man drop.

14. Mord'rethar Robes: Devourer of Souls in heroic Forge of Souls.

15. Robes of the Cheating Heart: Well, now I'll have Hank Williams in my head for the rest of the day. Another normal 5-man drop.

BRACERS

1. The Lady's Brittle Bracers: Lady Deathwhisper-25. MMO-C database link.

2. Death Surgeon's Sleeves: Rotface-25.

3. Wrists of Septic Shock: Festergut-10.

4. Bracers of Dark Blessings: Lady Deathwhisper-10. MMO-C database link.

5. Bracer of Worn Molars: Falric in heroic Halls of Reflection.

6. Ghostly Wristwraps: Trash drop in heroic Pit of Saron.

7. Wristguards of Subterranean Moss: Likely to be an Icecrown 5-man on normal.

GLOVES

1. Sanctified Lasherweave Gloves (heroic): 25-man heroic tier gloves.

2. Gunship Captain's Mittens: Heroic gunship battle-25.

3. Sanctified Lasherweave Gloves (normal): 25-man normal tier gloves.

4. Lasherweave Gloves: 10-man tier gloves.

5. Gloves of the Great Horned Owl: Purchased with 60 Emblems of Frost.

6. Sister's Handshrouds (heroic): Heroic Lady Deathwhisper-10.

7. San'layn Ritualist's Gloves: Blood Princes-25.

8. Handguards of Winter's Respite: Lord Marrowgar-25.

9. Sister's Handshrouds: Lady Deathwhisper-10.

10. Gloves of Ambivalence: Purchased with 60 Emblems of Frost.

11. Essence of Desire: I'm not sure where these drop, but it should be a heroic Icecrown 5-man item.

12. Cold Sweat Grips: This should be a normal-mode Icecrown 5-man drop. If you're already hit-capped, they're not as good as #10.

13. Suspiciously Soft Gloves: These should be a heroic Icecrown 5-man item.

14. Marwyn's Macabre Fingertips: These should be a normal-mode Icecrown 5-man drop.

Every week, Shifting Perspectives treks across Azeroth in pursuit of truth, beauty, and insight concerning the druid class. Sometimes it finds the latter, or something good enough for government work. Whether you're a Bear, Cat, Moonkin, Tree, or -- for some unaccountable reason -- stuck in caster form, we've got the skinny on druid changes in patch 3.3, a close look at the disappearance of the bear tank, and thoughts on why you should be playing the class (or why not).