BiS lvl 79 twink gear guide

[Blackberryy]

To confirm, there are huge Ilvl bumps coming, tbc buffs are about 4 ilvls for normal dungeons (@70) and 14 for epics, with mgt heroic being + 15 ilvls and kael thas being + 16. I went and did most of the argent vanguard quests out in northrend and found at 70 that the quest items do scale up in Ilvl if obtained after this patch. Northrend dungeons also gained a 4 Ilvl bonus for rare items and + 10 to epic. I can report in more detail later today, but as of now that’s what I’ve found. And even if this was findings at 70, this will still effect 79s and just wanting to make aware

 

[Kirise]

I went and did most of the argent vanguard quests out in northrend and found at 70 that the quest items do scale up in Ilvl if obtained after this patch.

When you say "after this patch", do you mean that people who do/did the quests before 8.1.5 are out of luck? The northrend quest greens I use on several twinks didn't change when I transferred them to the PTR.

 

[Blackberryy]

When you say "after this patch", do you mean that people who do/did the quests before 8.1.5 are out of luck? The northrend quest greens I use on several twinks didn't change when I transferred them to the PTR.

You have to obtain them after the upcoming patch to notice any change in them yes. I may be swapping factions on some toons just to re do these quests if this sticks when it goes live just to get them lol

 

[villiansv]

Yeah big changes are coming if 8.1.5 goes live as it apparently is. 79s will have access to mastery gems (cata gems need 102 ilvl for rare, 104 for epic), 70s might find dungeon gear better than SWP gear, 79s will no longer be able to use weapon enhancements (max ilvl 100 for oils/sharp/weightstones), the currently crap epic gear from Pit of Saron/Halls of Reflection/Forge of Souls may actually be good, ToC gear will be outstanding, TBC heroic dungeon gear might be competitive. All in all exciting stuff.

 

[Merlin]

Could warlock/hunter/some other DPS use vial of the sunwell?

no .. ONLY healing class can use it .. many posts in wow forum has that .. some blood DK was trying to use it too lolol
[doublepost=1548861766,1548861566][/doublepost]

79s will have access to mastery gems (cata gems need 102 ilvl for rare, 104 for epic)

do you mean they have access AND mastery is now a usable stat for lvl79 ? the cata blues gears have mastery stats on them, but if a lvl78 use it, it is a useless stat .. so mastery is gonna be a usable stat even for lvl79 now ? mastery currently only have effects on characters that are lvl80 or higher

 

[Blackberryy]

no .. ONLY healing class can use it .. many posts in wow forum has that .. some blood DK was trying to use it too lolol

You’re wrong, anything that can heal can use it.

 

[villiansv]

no .. ONLY healing class can use it .. many posts in wow forum has that .. some blood DK was trying to use it too lolol
[doublepost=1548861766,1548861566][/doublepost] do you mean they have access AND mastery is now a usable stat for lvl79 ? the cata blues gears have mastery stats on them, but if a lvl78 use it, it is a useless stat .. so mastery is gonna be a usable stat even for lvl79 now ? mastery currently only have effects on characters that are lvl80 or higher

I mean that you'll have the flexibility to gem mastery, if you so desire. I can't think of many classes that will benefit from it much, but e.g. resto shaman mastery is pretty nice. More options is always a good thing, it's a bit boring to have everyone gear/gem the same way
[doublepost=1548862230][/doublepost]

You’re wrong, anything that can heal can use it.

Actually not all healing spells charge it. E.g. the Mistweaver heal pvp talent Healing Surge does not.

 

[Blackberryy]

I mean that you'll have the flexibility to gem mastery, if you so desire. I can't think of many classes that will benefit from it much, but e.g. resto shaman mastery is pretty nice. More options is always a good thing, it's a bit boring to have everyone gear/gem the same way
[doublepost=1548862230][/doublepost]

Actually not all healing spells charge it. E.g. the Mistweaver heal pvp talent Healing Surge does not.

that is not what i said, "any class that can heal can use it", ill go ahead and change what i said since it was also wrong to specific classes, all specs of monk can proc and use it, all specs of druid can use it, all specs of priest can use it, just wanted to add this since saying on healer classes can use it is inaccurate, hope this helps.

 

[Swoops]

When you say "after this patch", do you mean that people who do/did the quests before 8.1.5 are out of luck? The northrend quest greens I use on several twinks didn't change when I transferred them to the PTR.

You should be fine unless 70-79 works differently than the other levels I've looked at (19-49, 80, 99). Gear from after 7.3.5 will get the ilevel boost. Judging by my 80, greens just aren't changing at all in that level range. New quest reward greens on PTR are the same as the ones I already have (ilevel 99 at 80). My 80's dungeon blues go up to 105, dungeon epics to 111, heroic dungeon epics to 113, all from 100 on live.

 

[Kirise]

You have to obtain them after the upcoming patch to notice any change in them yes. I may be swapping factions on some toons just to re do these quests if this sticks when it goes live just to get them lol

Oh man, this is disappointing to hear -- all that quest gear grandfathered with lesser stats.

 

[Warglave]

You have to obtain them after the upcoming patch to notice any change in them yes. I may be swapping factions on some toons just to re do these quests if this sticks when it goes live just to get them lol

Are you sure about your info? I just did the questline for https://www.wowhead.com/item=38240/staff-of-the-purposeful-mendicant a few weeks ago at 59, and when I copy over to the PTR it scales up to the new ilvl just fine. Am I thinking of a different Argent Vanguard?

edit- nevermind… I was.

 

[Blackberryy]

Are you sure about your info? I just did the questline for https://www.wowhead.com/item=38240/staff-of-the-purposeful-mendicant a few weeks ago at 59, and when I copy over to the PTR it scales up to the new ilvl just fine. Am I thinking of a different Argent Vanguard?

this must have just updated, because on the ptr i am also seeing my signet of bradenbrad scaled up now to 84

 

[Warglave]

It's been like that for weeks at 59. Kudos.

 

[Blackberryy]

It's been like that for weeks at 59. Kudos.

well my signet just gained 1 stamina and 4 ilvls, did the quest line on my lock and it was a higher ilvl then the prvious trinkets i had obtained on live, also super wierd that some dungeon pieces arnt scaleing up on the ptr along with a few quest rewards on my lock

 

[ShadowDragon]

Yeah big changes are coming if 8.1.5 goes live as it apparently is. 79s will have access to mastery gems (cata gems need 102 ilvl for rare, 104 for epic), 70s might find dungeon gear better than SWP gear, 79s will no longer be able to use weapon enhancements (max ilvl 100 for oils/sharp/weightstones), the currently crap epic gear from Pit of Saron/Halls of Reflection/Forge of Souls may actually be good, ToC gear will be outstanding, TBC heroic dungeon gear might be competitive. All in all exciting stuff.

Maybe lv100 weapon would be better than Toc epic

 

[villiansv]

Maybe lv100 weapon would be better than Toc epic

If you mean because of the sharpening stones/oils, I doubt it. Maybe for casters who have a few good quest green options. We'll see.

 

[Btk_bloodrush]

Great guide, thanks so much! Following this closely on my mage currently!

Are you able to confirm that all head enchants have been removed from the game? I see a few 79 twinks on XPoff that may have G-fathered their 15 stam / 17 resil head enchantments from previous expansions.

PS: my mage is 79.

Cheers!

Chris.

 

[villiansv]

Great guide, thanks so much! Following this closely on my mage currently!

Are you able to confirm that all head enchants have been removed from the game? I see a few 79 twinks on XPoff that may have G-fathered their 15 stam / 17 resil head enchantments from previous expansions.

PS: my mage is 79.

Cheers!

Chris.

Happy you're finding it useful! To the best of my knowledge, head enchants are not currently obtainable.

 

[Warglave]

Even the ones that sat in banks unused, the head option got removed. At least the ZG ones.

 

[BrbWifeNaked]

Hello everyone. I wanted to add some resources for lvl 79 twinks. I did my best to find the BiS gear for all 4 armor types, going over all my random notes I'd made when planning my own twinks. This is usually based on socket numbers, but also on secondary stat preferences, and whether you want the 4-set bonus or not.

I'll throw a disclaimer right off the bat - I don't have a BiS twink for every (or even most) class/spec so it's entirely possible that I missed something, or my conclusions were wrong in some sections. So I urge you to provide constructive feedback in the comments. Did I miss an item? Is an item I listed actually not BiS? I'll edit as needed.

Without further ado, here's the google docs link for the gear - clicky

Trinkets are now included! If you have a trinket that is better than the ones listed, please reply below with your reasoning and I'll include it if it makes sense. However, trinkets are very much a personal choice dependent on your playstyle, and ultimately it's hard to give a definitive BiS list. That said, I don't think I've missed any popular ones.

2h Staff or 1h+offhand for casters?

In general, 1h+offhand is very slightly better. It boils down to 2 sockets vs 18 int, or 10 crit vs 8 int (assuming the 5int/5crit gems are used). The difference is minor though so compare the secondaries you get to make a final decision. The Manual of the Tides offhand quest reward is incredibly well itemised, and is usually the BiS option together with a 1h - unless you want versa over crit+haste.

Should I go for the dungeon set 4-piece bonus?

That depends. Some set pieces have zero secondaries, so if you go for the 4-set you gain the proc but you lose out on raw stats.

If you are a healer, the answer is no.

If you are a mail DPS, the answer is yes (unless you're an ele shaman).

If you're cloth DPS, the answer is no - the proc on that set is weak, and you give up a lot of secondary stats to gain it. You should probably be using the Wrath of Spellfire set anyways, which prevents you from getting the full dungeon set.

If you're plate or leather DPS, it really depends. Check the linked doc, and see for yourself if the loss in secondary stats is worth it to you. Moonkins obviously get no benefit from the 4-set bonus.

The plate, mail and cloth set pants have no sockets (vs 3 on off-set pieces), so they shouldn't be used. The leather set shoulders are afaik not currently obtainable.

You should almost always go for the 2-set bonus, unless for some reason you really prefer haste/versa over crit (e.g. I didn't take it on my MW monk, and due to using the Wrath of Spellfire set on my warlock I didn't want to use suboptimal pieces of the dungeon set).

Optimal dungeon set slots

Plate: chest+shoulders for 2-set, everything but the pants (0 sockets) for 4-set.

Mail: Pick anything except pants, they are all BiS regardless.

Leather: head+pants for 2-set (gloves+pants if you prefer the 3-socket offset helm), everything but the shoulders (unobtainable) for 4-set.

Cloth: pick from shoulders, chest and gloves for 2-set, everything but the pants (0 sockets) for 4-set.

Tips for farming

If you're farming with a friend, the fastest way to go back to the dungeon entrance is to delete your hearthstone, then Esc --> Help --> Character Stuck and click the button there. This will kill you in 10s and you will respawn at the dungeon entrance. You take no durability damage. This does not work in Magisters' Terrace, but works everywhere else.

Some items are easier to obtain via the dungeon finder than via a boost by a high level. E.g. I was after the chestpiece from the Mechanar 2nd boss on my monk. As a brewmaster loot spec, the chest is the only option that could drop - so if I get a drop, it will be the chest item. Similarly the plate set chest is the only reward if you select Prot as a Warrior or Paladin, or Frost as a DK.

A lot of the BiS gear comes from the last boss in Old Hillsbrad Foothills (Epoch Hunter). This dungeon is a drag, with a 110 clearing it takes 12-15 minutes from start to finish. As such, I highly recommend to solo the last boss (have your booster log off after clearing the 3 trash waves before the boss - quick vid showing how it's done). You can solo him on healer specs - I have done so on a resto shaman, MW monk, disc priest and holy pala in heirlooms only (and on a Blood DK in half-twink gear). Soloing him gives you 2 items to loot instead of 1, doubling your chances to get what you want. It takes 3-5 minutes to kill him as a healer.

Gems and enchants

Use this amazing thread to gem and enchant your shiny new gear. However, keep in mind that it's aimed at 70s and some consideration for being 79 should be taken. If the thread lists 2 alternate enchants, one of which is a TBC era one, and the other is newer - use the newer enchant. That's because TBC enchants stop scaling at 70, and you can eke out a point or 2 by using newer ones. For example, Cat's Swiftness and Assasin's Step are equivalent at 70, but at 79 Assassin's Step gives 1 more Agi.

Consumables

Food:
Blackened Dragonfin (Agi),
Dragonfin Filet (Str),
Firecracker Salmon (SP, there are other equivalent recipes for casters),
Blackened Worg Steak (Track Humanoids).
Fish Feast is best for casters, but needs more mats.

See also all secondary stat recipes here.

Flasks:
Flask of Endless Rage (AP),
Flask of the Frost Wyrm (SP),
Flask of Pure Mojo (Versa),

Flask of Distilled Wisdom and Flask of Supreme Power are notably better for casters and are the ultimate BiS flask. However, they require Black Lotus, a notoriously rare herb, so are likely much harder to obtain.

There may be some Elixir combos that would theoretically be slightly better, but the fact that flasks persist through death makes them superior.

Potions:
Shared Cooldown:
Haste Potion (15s 245 haste, about 2/3rds of a Bloodlust),
Free Action Potion (24s of stun/root/slow immunity),
Swiftness Potion (15s of 50% runspeed),
Major Rejuvenation Potion (the mana restore is very beneficial for hybrid classes that have innately small mana pools, like Ret/Prot paladins, Enh/Ele shamans, or Balance/Feral druids),

Potions that do not share a cooldown with the above 4:
Runic Healing Potion,
Healthstone (you don't need a warlock - simply queue for the Proving Grounds from your class trainer and you can get one, then leave the PG).

Weapon Enhancements:
Adamantite Sharpening Stone / Adamantite Weightstone (Melee DPS, 9 dmg + 7 crit),
Superior Wizard Oil (Casters, 32 Int),
Superior Mana Oil (All classes/specs, 20 versa).

Remember that you can mix and match the sharpening/weightstones and the Mana Oil if you dualwield, depending on your preferences. I personally use a weightstone on MH and Mana Oil on OH on my Enh Shaman.

Others:
Noggenfogger Elixir (Being tiny makes a difference. Play a Tauren Priest and then a Gnome Priest and see for yourself . Joking aside, it's generally not useful against good players, but does provide 2 trash debuffs to protect against purge/dispel/spellsteal. The average leveler is definitely less likely to target you with this on, which is still great.)

I hope the above comes in handy for anyone considering twinking at 79.

Can I follow this as a 70 or would a level 70 not receive the sockets from those bosses?