How do I gear up for raiding?

[kangamooster]

I am a Fire Mage planning to raid with my guild - unfortunately, I just don't know where to get PvE upgrades any more other than having to wait weekly for Valor Points. I'm still yet to be hit capped (working on Tol Barad reputation for Stump of Time), and that's my main issue.

My main problem is, I'm primarily a PvPer - and my guild doesn't help run Zandalari heroics. I've run my gear through RAWR and, as crappy luck would have it, my PvP gear is more DPS than heroic 346 pieces. However, I do have some PvE pieces that are better - namely, DMC:V.

What can I do to gear up in lieu of raid epics/Valor Point gear? Which factions are the best to grind?


Thanks; also, inb4 flames for my PvP gear =/. As stated earlier, I can't help it at this point.

[Upptagen]

Get all reputation to exalted that contains an epic for you. Also, make sure you got everything gemmed and enchanted even if they're blues. That's enough for early raiding.

You can also buy some BoE epics if you got the money, but it aint needed.

[frownface2000]

Yeah, basically just grind heroics and PuG raid when you can. get your reps to exalted for free epics, and then when your gear level is above 350 start running Zandalari heroics for better gear.

[Deepstroke]

Run reg lvl 85 dungeons till you can run heroics... run those untill you can run ZA/ZG. Good to go.

Getting all craftable 359 epics and 359 rep gear also helps.

[Ummagummas]

I think a lot of people have the mindset that you need to have at least 80% epics before you can raid. This is not true. When I started raiding with my guild, a lot of the group only had one or two epics from rep or the crafted gear. We ended up wiping a few times of course, but this was having to learn the mechanics of the fight. Once you get how the fight works, you don't have to out gear the encounter. If you play your class to the potential that it has, then you won't need to be fully "epiced" out to beat the boss fights.

TL;DR version: Get at least full heroic 5 man gear. One or two epics from rep factions or crafted gear is all that is needed to beat the encounters once you learn them.

[Magicochon]

U'd want to have an arcane or frost spec since they do much more dmg than Fire where its only good side is aoe... and unless you do heroic halfus aoe isn't an issue in normal mode.

[Deepstroke]

I think a lot of people have the mindset that you need to have at least 80% epics before you can raid. This is not true. When I started raiding with my guild, a lot of the group only had one or two epics from rep or the crafted gear. We ended up wiping a few times of course, but this was having to learn the mechanics of the fight. Once you get how the fight works, you don't have to out gear the encounter. If you play your class to the potential that it has, then you won't need to be fully "epiced" out to beat the boss fights.

TL;DR version: Get at least full heroic 5 man gear. One or two epics from rep factions or crafted gear is all that is needed to beat the encounters once you learn them.

I don't think it's as much that you NEED all those epics as much as most guilds/pugs demand that you have them. If your guild is looking at you, and another mage, and the other mage is rocking 5 epics to your 2 and you both have the same xp with the guild as far as raiding goes I think it's plain to see whats going to happen.

Sadly there is no true meter to measure skill in a raid fight besides xp. SO getting into your first one is not very easy, as I am now finding out with my Mage and Hunter. Full heroic/epic gear and still not a high enough ilvl to raid according to 90% of my server.

As is life...

[Coolio2]

You don't need your guild to run za/zg. Some groups will be fail and some won't.

[RuffwarWoW]

U'd want to have an arcane or frost spec since they do much more dmg than Fire where its only good side is aoe... and unless you do heroic halfus aoe isn't an issue in normal mode.

Frost definitely does not out dps Fire, and Arcane is very heavily based on gear.

[Focault]

Fire is fine starter raid spec at entry gear levels.

[Skelly]

First off, get the craftable Belt and pants.
Dragonmaw has a rep Neck
Earthen Ring has rep Gloves
Ramkahen has rep Boots
Revered with Hyjal gives you a head enchant
Exalted with Therazane gives you the shoulder enchant
Fight in Tol Barad whenever you can, this also gives you rep to speed up getting stump of time.
Use your 359/372 PvP MAIN HAND (not 2H), the added spellpower is awesome.
Find a pug for AT LEAST Halfus, he is easysauce at any gear lvl and drops wrists and an off-hand for mages.

[SilkforCalde]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...alfunde/simple

This is my shaman. I have already raided on him. He's not that geared. All I've done is BH 20 man and 5 / 6 BWD 10 man, but I am a healer so my role is fairly important and if I was not able to carry my weight, especially on fights like Chimaeron, we wouldn't have been able to handle the bosses so easily. I got Nefarian in that same BWD run but I didn't trust my shaman's gear so I healed it on my druid. I may have been geared enough for Nefarian anyway.

To get this gear, I ran heroic 5 mans. Pretty much nothing else. I have no raid drops yet except some enhance legs.

Edit: my ring slot is empty. That is because I use Ring of the Boy Emperor on both my resto druid and my resto shaman, as it is a BOA Archaeology 359 epic.

[Zoa]

I think a lot of people have the mindset that you need to have at least 80% epics before you can raid. This is not true. When I started raiding with my guild, a lot of the group only had one or two epics from rep or the crafted gear. We ended up wiping a few times of course, but this was having to learn the mechanics of the fight. Once you get how the fight works, you don't have to out gear the encounter. If you play your class to the potential that it has, then you won't need to be fully "epiced" out to beat the boss fights.

TL;DR version: Get at least full heroic 5 man gear. One or two epics from rep factions or crafted gear is all that is needed to beat the encounters once you learn them.

^ this what you actualy need !

[SilkforCalde]

^ this what you actualy need !

Nah, you can most definitely raid in 365 pvp gears and 333 pve gears. Ummagummas should've mentioned that.

[Ineras]

and my guild doesn't help run Zandalari heroics.

What can I do to gear up in lieu of raid epics/Valor Point gear? Which factions are the best to grind?

Don't worry about the Zandalari heroics. People were raiding fine before they were out so it isn't necessary to have gear from them before stepping into a raid.

Like others have said, there are drops from heroics and gear from factions.

Guardians of Hyjal - Waywatcher's Boots
Ramkahen - Robes of Orsis, Desert Walker Sandals
The Earthen Ring - Cloak of Ancient Wisdom, Flamebloom Gloves
Therezane - Diamant's Ring of Temperance
Twilight Highlands - Lightning Flash Pendant / Yellow Smoke Pendant

[Gotem]

Use atlasloot add-on for all your gear needs

Using www.chardev.org also helps soooooooooooooooooooooo much

but tbh using the wep/OH pvp epics is fine with heroic 346 gear and a few epics for starting raiding. Of course by now everyone that raids is full epics for sure, so just be cognizant that people will either think you are an alt or you are a bad.

[Lenergy73]

Rep + ZA/ZG = raid ready for sure.

[Luminatyra]

First item I would get is Volcano Deck. You'll be using this piece for awhile and is BIS for fire.
The most important rep piece imo are the Ramkahen boots (Desert Walker Sandals). They give 169 hit and 149 haste. You'll be using these until 372 Chim boots. Next best rep item is probably the Wildhammer/Dragonmaw neck piece. Earthern Ring gloves will be replaced by tier gloves very quickly. I'd work on Therazane/Hyjal for Shoulder/Head enchants.
Should only get 1 crafted piece and that's the Dreamless Belt. It gives hit+mastery and is virtually tied for best 359 belt.
I think it's better to hold off on the crafted leg because neither of them give hit and they will be replaced by tier pants. Even legs off magmaw are better hit+crit and that's one of the first bosses you will probably kill.

[Deleted]

baradin hold for tier pieces the dps required is low so u can do it in blues.
pvp EPICS are probably worth it but pvp blues generaly not unles your replacing a green item.
even if your at weekly valor ap troll instances probably have sumthing for you. ie wand or wrists which i hear are very hard to get for most classes atm.

[Howard Moon]

1) grind dailies for the rep epics you need
2) buy all the crafted epics you can
3) fill the remaining slots with 346 blues from hc dungeons or Justice points.
4) Buy a tier epic if you have enough Valor points, otherwise save for later.

Done. Ready to raid.