Does BoE gear count for ilvl?

[Mercarcher]

If I were to buy a BoE epic, leave it in my inventory never equipping would it still count for my ilvl so I can queue for LFR?

[furriusmurrius]

Nope. BoEs don't count towards ilvl until they are bound for precisely the reason you are trying to weasel around it with.

[DarkTZeratul]

I believe you would have to equip it first.

[Mercarcher]

Aww, that is unfortunant.

[SamR]

My experience is that they do count. Keeping a tanking DMF trinket in my inventory that I didn't equip allowed me to go into HoF LFR the first time. I haven't really done a lot of testing, but it seemed to count for me.

[Spoiledkid]

I am using str cloak for my alts. And having it in a bag is enough (can't queue if it's on another character). And I have borrowed my crafted chests for guildies so they could get in and sent the chest back afterwards.

[Samurai]

In Cata you could get away with no equipping BoEs, people would buy BoEs from the AH, cheese to get into LFR/LFD, get legit gear and sell the BoEs again. But in MoP it goes from equipped ilvl instead, so you can't just cheese it.

[Termak]

I have borrowed my guildies unbound dmf trinkets to bump up their ilvl and done same myself, so i would say they do count. I think the only limit is that you have to be able to equip them. The trinket has been the tanking one btw, and the friends been casters.

[Belloc]

Aww, that is unfortunant.

Unfortunate would be having to do LFR when half the raid has unequipped BOE gear in their inventory.

[SamR]

In Cata you could get away with no equipping BoEs, people would buy BoEs from the AH, cheese to get into LFR/LFD, get legit gear and sell the BoEs again. But in MoP it goes from equipped ilvl instead, so you can't just cheese it.

It's definitely not equipped ilvl only. Every single character I've taken to MV LFR has had equipped a few points below 460 the first time.

[Mercarcher]

Unfortunate would be having to do LFR when half the raid has unequipped BOE gear in their inventory.

Well considering I've tanked the normal versions just fine I think I'll tank the LFRs just fine as well.

[Deleted]

Nope. BoEs don't count towards ilvl until they are bound for precisely the reason you are trying to weasel around it with.

most certainly does count towards average item level just tested with an alt giving it a crafted 476 ilvl chest in bags increasing the average item level by 1 (the alt is wearing 458 jp chest)

[Deleted]

They absolutely do count towards ilvl before being bound.