Pre-Raid gear

There are a number of pre-raid gear guides already in existence. For the sake of space conservation, I will not repeat those here.. What I will do here is give you my personal opinion as to the "best" heroic and crafted items for each spec. Rather than give you a "best-in-slot" breakdown, I have assembled sets of gear for each spec that leave you hitcapped without the use of Focused Aim. FOllow the general rules of socketing AP gems and choosing AP enchants unless specified. I will supply links to other, more complete gearing guides in the links section.

Beast Mastery spec:

This set will grant 263 hit rating, 4100 AP, and 18% crit self-buffed. A BM hunter in this set should be capable of 2200 dps or more on a tank&spank boss with no additional buffs.

Head
Plunderer's Helmet (Heroic Utgarde Keep, Ingvar the Plunderer)

Neck
Titanium Impact Choker (Jewelcrafting crafted BoE)
*or*
Necklace of Arcane Spheres (Heroic Violet Hold, Xevozz)

Shoulder
Spaulders of the Black Arrow (Knights of the Ebon Blade - Revered)

Back
Ice Striker's Cloak (Leatherworking crafted BoE)
*or*
Cloak of the Gushing Wound (Heroic Violet Hold, Erekem)

Chest
Polished Regimental Hauberk (Argent Crusade, Exalted)
*Vivid Forest Emerald

Wrist
Eaglebane Bracers (Leatherworking crafted BoE)

Gloves
Handgrips of the Savage Emissary (Heroic Violet Hold, Cyanigosa)

Waist
Sovereign's Belt (Heroic Utgarde Pinnacle, King Ymiron)
*Eternal Belt Buckle + Bright Scarlet Ruby

Legs
Leggings of Stone Halls (Heroic Halls of Stone, Sjonnir The Ironshaper)
*or*
Giantmaim Leggings (Leatherworking crafted BoE)

Boots
Dragon Slayer's Sabatons (Heroic The Nexus, Keristraza)
*Icewalker*

Rings
Ring of Scarlet Shadows (Jewelcrafting crafted BoE)
*Bright Scarlet Ruby
Titanium Impact Ring (Jewelcrafting crafted BoE)
*Bright Scarlet Ruby
*or*
Mobius Band (Heroic Culling of Stratholme, Chrono-Lord Epoch)

Trinkets
Sphere of Red Dragon's Blood (Heroic The Nexus, Keristrasza)
Incisor Fragment (Heroic Drak'Tharon Keep, King Dred)

Melee Weapons
For pre-raid max dps, I went with the Runeblade.

1H
Savage Cobalt Slicer (Blacksmith crafted BoE)
*or*
Broken Stalactite (Sons of Hodir - Revered)
Fang of Truth (Wyrmrest Accord - Honored)

2H
Runeblade of Demonstrable Power (Knights of the Ebon Blade - Revered)

Ranged Weapons
Drake-Mounted Crossbow (Heroic Utgarde Keep, Ingvar the Plunderer)
Nesingwary 4000 (Engineer crafted BoE)



Marksman (16/51/4 as linked above) spec:

Same as BM, but swap out Incisor Fragment for Meteoric Whetstone (Heroic Utgarde Pinnacle, King Ymiron) This setup will give a MM hunter 263 hit, 4k AP, and 26% crit self-buffed. A hunter with this setup should be capable of 2400 dps or more on a tank&spank boss with no additional buffs.



Survival (1/18/52 as linked above)


This set will grant 266 hit rating, 4400 AP and 32% crit self-buffed. A SV hunter in this set should be capable of maintaining approximately 2500 dps or more on a tank&spank boss. This set is the same as the BM set, but with Delicate Scarlet Rubys instead of Bright Scarlet Rubies, and the gear modifications below:

Back
Cloak of the Gushing Wound (Heroic Violet Hold, Erekem)

Gloves
Handgrips of the Savage Emissary (Heroic Violet Hold, Cyanigosa)
* Agility

Rings
Mobius Band (Heroic Culling of Stratholme, Chrono-Lord Epoch)
Titanium Impact Ring (Jewelcrafting crafted BoE)
*Delicate Scarlet Ruby

Trinkets
Meteoric Whetstone (Heroic Utgarde Pinnacle, King Ymiron)
Incisor Fragment (Heroic Drak'Tharon Keep, King Dred)

Melee Weapons
1H
Savage Cobalt Slicer (Blacksmith crafted BoE)
*Superior Agility
Fang of Truth (Wyrmrest Accord - Honored)
*Superior Agility