Returning to the game after a break

[Akshak]

Right now my pally's iLvl is 488 but obviously that's not high enough for the SoO related raids and bosses in terms of LFR. I left middle of the summer and just decided to come back now but was curious about the best route to go about getting the iLvl up enough. I'm not a raider by any means outside of LFR or if I'm somehow free one evening with my guild needing someone (and my wife letting me play that long).

Any suggestions or input? I haven't even set foot on the Timeless Isle much less even read up on it as it was introduced while I was away from the game. Thanks guys for any tips or suggestions. (no I'm not looking for handouts or "cop out" easy ways to gear up)

[Grumpy Old Man]

Go to Timeless Isle, do the quests there and keeping killing mobs/rares. All mobs have a chance to drop an item that can be used to create a piece of gear appropriate to your class/spec (item level 496). Also, there is a rare item called "burden of eternity" which you can use on said item (BEFORE using it to create a piece of gear) and then the gear created will be item level 535.

You can find a guaranteed burden of eternity in a chest, in a room left of Ordos sanctuary. To cross the broken bridge to Ordos you will need to have a legendary cloak (at least in one character in the same account), if not you will need to ask a warlock to summon you there, or a priest to life grip you, or whatever.

Other burdens are very rare drops, maybe you're lucky and can get another. Also all mobs/quests in the isle give you timeless coins, with 50000 of these you can buy an item level 535 trinket. Keep an eye on the rares in the isle, often people call them in chat. Kill Ordos weekly (if you have the legendary cloak), kill also one celestial weekly, they can drop high level items.

While doing all that, keep queueing for all LFRs you can. Do flex mode raiding too, if you can find a group that accepts your item level.

[Krekko]

Yeah, go to the Timeless Isle and just farm there, and queue for ToT and SoO LFRs.

With very little work a 90 I've had for all of a day is at 511 iLvl.

The biggest mistake you can make is NOT Go to timeless isle. I had a guildy who REFUSED to go, a month and a half later he's still hardly out of 500 iLvL (He refused to believe us/ went there and died and gave up).

Heh.

[rhandric]

Honestly, the hardest part of gearing up is getting a weapon, though queueing for LFR while you're on the Timeless Isle, and a bit of luck (and ideally some Mogu charms) could get you one - hopefully you have better luck than I do, though.

[Krekko]

Honestly, the hardest part of gearing up is getting a weapon, though queueing for LFR while you're on the Timeless Isle, and a bit of luck (and ideally some Mogu charms) could get you one - hopefully you have better luck than I do, though.

Yeah, I was stuck with a 435 weapon until I gave in an 476 weapon from timeless coins.

Being a second Ret Paladin, it quite sucks because it's holding me back.

[rhandric]

Yeah, I was stuck with a 435 weapon until I gave in an 476 weapon from timeless coins.

Being a second Ret Paladin, it quite sucks because it's holding me back.

My ret offspec got lucky and has the weapon from Nazgrim (but my prot mainspec is still sporting a weapon from ToT). My DK, on the other hand, was sporting the 450 scenario weapon for the longest time, until I decided to lay down the coins for the 476 timeless weapon (and is still using that, to my chagrin).

[Akshak]

Thanks guys - very helpful. I poked my head around on a warrior I've got and in less than an hour had 5 496 items.
I'm going to take my pally up there this evening for awhile.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I was stuck with a 435 weapon until I gave in an 476 weapon from timeless coins.

Being a second Ret Paladin, it quite sucks because it's holding me back.

Why didn't you just at least get the 483 weapon from Sha of Fear in LFR. It's basically over a 50% droprate now so doesn't take much.

[Deleted]

Make sure you run August Celestials each week and have a coin for a second roll - a 553 piece can be a real boost to your ilevel. In the same spirit, it might be worth joining raids for the old world bosses - especially Nalak which drops 522 gear for no effort. oqueue often advertises them.

Getting some of the various coins to give you a second roll can be good for old LFRs - you can get some from the Isle of Thunder, for example, if using the key to the treasure solo scenario. If you are on a PvE server, doing the PvP quests on Isle of Thunder is a fast way to get lesser coins - takes about 11 minutes to get 19 each day. The rare elites in Pandaria and the Isles can often drop the other 31, so you can get your weekly 50 in an hour or so.

Don't overlook the JP gear - what used to be formerly VP 496 gear. There are some decent trinkets there for all specs. Add that to the trinket from the Isle 496 drops and you've got a good starter combo.

[Krekko]

Why didn't you just at least get the 483 weapon from Sha of Fear in LFR. It's basically over a 50% droprate now so doesn't take much.

Because amazingly, a 50% drop rate still means it has 50% to NOT drop.

Got NO LFR weapons this week.

And still no luck with the 2 (haven't done my third today) Heroic Scenarios.

RNG was just not in my favor this week. My main Paladin had no luck with trinkets this tier either.

[Deleted]

It nonetheless takes far less time to run Terrace enough times than to farm 10k coins on the island in gear that would appreciate T14 LFR.