*Here it is, my long awaited list of cat/bear gear*
Pre-Heroic Druid Bear/Cat Gear Failsafe Guide
This Guide will provide a list of gear for bear/cat druids that is not dependent on drops from regulars (unless noted) that should get you ready to start running the wonderful world of Cata heroics. I am putting together this list with items from Quest rewards, Crafted Items, and items you can purchase with Justice Points, but will offer suggestions of alternate items in the case of JP items.
This is my first attempt at making such a guide, so please bear (no pun intended) with me.
Helm
I would go with Mask of Vines
This is the best helm outside of pvp and heroics, it will take a while to get, but could last you until raids if you are unlucky with the RNG gods.
How do I get it? Purchasable with 2200 Justice Points
To help fill the gap between starting heroics and having enough JPs to by the Mask, Dunwald Winged Helm (Shocktrooper Hood –Horde) has a nice amount of agility, which translates into AP and Crit, both of which are yummy for kitties. This would also be a nice choice for bears; as agil will also turn into dodge, and it is available from a quest.
How do I get it? It is a quest reward from Krazz Works! (Horde) or Doing it like a Dunwald (Alliance)
Shoulders
Both: the best option here is Embrace of the Night Nice amount of Agil and Stam, and a blue socket with agil bonus. Really the only difference is going to be the gem and inscriptions you use.
How do I get it? Purchasable for 1650 Justice Points
Alternate: Aledrinker Shoulderpads (Cult-hide Spauders-Horde) This will get you by and into running regulars…but isn’t the best option. Use as merely a filler piece until you can start heroics or have enough JP to get the Embrace
How do I get it? It is a quest reward from Dressed to Kill (Horde) or Anything but Water (Alliance)
Neck:
There are a few good options here: Pendent of Victorious Fury is a nice quest reward. Acorn of the Daughter Tree is a great rep reward from Guardians of Hyjal, requiring revered. Last but not least there is a perk for all of us that are JC’s or at least have JC alts/friends that owe us favors. Entwined Elementium Choker is a JC crafted piece, requiring 525 skill.
How do I get it? The Pendent is a quest reward from Battle of Life and Death, Acorn can be purchased once you are revered (at least) with Guardians of Hyjal, and the Choker can be bought off the
AH, or made for just a few mats.
Back:
We have a couple options here.
Razor-Edged Cloak is top of the line 346 LW crafted piece, but given its mats cost you will pay a pretty penny for it.
Cloak of Beasts on the other hand has a much lower mats requirement and is very good.
There is also the reputation option here as well: Softwind Cape is also a decent starting cloak, and could very well get you clear into raid content.
How do I get it?
Either cruise the AH, make friends with a LW or get started on that grind with the Earthen Ring to at least revered. If you are going bear, then you will need the ER rep for your Arcanum of the Earthen Ring anyway.
Chest:
Another slot which we have a couple options as well:
Tunic of Sinking Envy and Sly Fox Jerkin are both good items, with a red and a blue socket each, both wonderful colors for either spec of feral, and good socket bonuses.
How do I get it?
The Tunic is purchasable for 2200 Justice Points, while the Jerkin is purchasable from the Guardians of Hyjal starting at Honored.
Wrists
This is a slot that gear is lacking in, either you go with Flarefire Bracers, ( Buildingblast Bracers – Horde) or you go with the Leatherworking crafted PVP Bracers. Remember, you cannot reforge resilience. The pvp ones are a good stop gap, due to better stats, but really neither is ideal for heroics.
How do I get it?
The PVP bracers can be made by a Leatherworker of at least 510 skill level.
The other set are a quest reward from Call in the Arillery, Call in the Artillery, (Alliance)
Hands
The only option here is Sticky Fingers. Just gotta grind them out., as these will do you better than the pvp crafted, or the 318 quest rewards.
For those of us just starting out, and don’t have a stockpile of JPs yet, there is the Blackscale Wraps (Alliance) and Heth'Jatari Battlegloves (Horde), both of which are quest rewards from the Twilight Highlands quests
How do I get it?
Purchasable for 1650 Justice Points, or : Naga Reinforcements -Alliance, and Blast Him! - Horde.
Rings
3 rings, 2 slots
Terrath’s Signet of Balance – Do not get confused by the name, this is for Ferals, not our feathery brethren. It is a nice ring for either spec. (Remember hit can be reforged to dodge for bears, or crit for those dual purposing)
Elenmentium Destroyer’s Ring and Band of Blades have the same mats, and similar stats; However I am partial to Elenmentium Destroyer’s Ring’s crit/mastery combo as that is most benificail to both specs.
How do I get it?
Terrath’s Signet of Balance is available to you at revered with Therazane, the Cata version of Sons of Hodir.
Elenmentium Destroyer’s Ring and Band of Blades are Jewelcrafting made, both requiring 525 JC skill.
Waist
Yet another slot that we have choices in
Sash of Musing is a nice piece for either spec with the red socket and a +10 mastery bonus.
The other option here is Quicksand Belt which is a great bear belt with its blue slot and +10 agil bonus.
How do I get it?
Sash of Musing will set you back 1650 Justice Points, while Quicksand Belt requires you be at least Revered with Ramkahen, the cat people of Uldum.
[Legs
The +20 socket bonus with a red and blue socket on Leggings of the Burrowing Mole make them wonderful feral leggings.
Shaw’s Finest Leggings (Garona’s Finest Leggings – Horde) are another nice pair of pants. While no sockets, they also don’t require instance running being a quest reward.
Finally, there are Swiftflight Leggings (Leggings of the Impenitent – Horde) which have a red/yellow socket, +20 crit bonus, and aren’t bad, but they aren’t the best either. These are better for Cat then Bear.
How do I get them?
Leggings of the Burrowing Mole is available for purchase for a mere 2200 Justice Points, but well worth it, as these may stay with you well into raid content.
The Finest Leggings are quest rewards in Twilight Highlands, from Skullcrusher the Mountain (same quest name for both Alliance and Horde)
And finally, Leggings of the Impenitent and Swiftflight Leggings require honored with Dragonmaw and Wildhammer Clans respectively.
Feet
Sadly, another slot that druids get no love:
The PVP Crafted are a nice stop gap, if you know a leatherworker, but I would just stick it out with Flameproof Treads (Heartstone Treads – Horde) until you get into heroics or get lucky on drops from regulars. The quest rewards should get you into heroics.
How do I get it?
The quest rewards are from Paint it Black and Magamlord Falthazar respectively.
If you are a Leatherworker, or know one, the PVP Crafted require 515 leatherworking, but the mats aren’t outrageous.
Relic
(the slot formerly known as Idol)
I suggest making buddy buddy with a scribe and seeing if you can sweet-talk him/her into making you a Silver Inlaid Leaf.
If that is not an option, than there is another scribed idol, Runed Dragonscale, or some quest rewards in Relic of the Waywalker (Same item name for both horde and alliance)
How do I get it?
As stated before, either be a scribe, or make friends with one. Requires 515 Inscription and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=86653]some hefty mats [url].
The Runed Dragonscale is a little easier on the wallet then its higher tiered cousin, but still requires 505 inscription.
Relic of the Waywalker is a reward from The Wrong Sequence - Alliance and The Wrong Sequence - Horde, in Deepholm.
Trinkets
This is where your profesions really shine
JC: Figureine – Demonic Panther is your best friend. Added bonus is the name if you are a cat.
For those of us who like big butts, I mean are of the bear persuasion, there is Figureine – Earthen Guardian. The sheer massive amount of stam on this would give any tank a nerdgasm back in Wrath, and is still nice now in Cata. Add on use ability, it gets better, even if it is just dodge.
Alch: Currently there is just a bear option in Alchemist Stones, but an agil version will be added in 4.0.6, namely Quicksilver Alchemist Stone
Engineering: Engineers got some love in Cata, in the form of [url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=60403]Elementium Dragonling[url]. Mastery plus a on use ability.
If you aren’t a JC, Alch, or Eng, then you have a few less choices.
Tol Barad has a decent trinket at Honored.
And last but not least is the quest reward, from Firing Squad in Uldum.
Weapons
The aspiring bear/cat has a few options here, and really comes down to if you are friends with a BS. if your faction is good at pvp(or dont mind a really long grind on fewer dailies).
top of the heap here is Elementuim Poleaxe. With its crit and mastery stats, it is a great choice for both specs, however the cost of 3 chaos orbs could really jack up the price on this.
With the same Agil and Stam as the Elementuim Poleaxe, Spear of Trailing Shadows, Alliance version is a nice weapon if you are unlucky winning rolls on the orbs, broke, or both. The drawback is it requires a pretty hefty grind to revered with your Tol Barad faction.
Another option here is the surprisingly nice quest reward Staff of Draconic Pacification (Torth-Slayer's Staff-Horde) from Twilight Highlands. With the haste, it isnt the best weapon, but hey that is something you can reforge to hit/crit, or dodge if you are bear
Note – These are just items of 333-346 ilvl to help get you into heroics. I did not add any dungeon drops, just crafted items, BoE drops, and quest rewards.
The stat weights were based on just my past experience as a feral/feral druid and may or may not be correct.
That said; I hope this list helps you in gearing up you druid, whether they be cat or bear.
Changes:
1/30/11 - added weapons to the list
1/31/11 - updated some of the commentary based on further research, added trinkets that were left out.
bldavis
Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:53 pm
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