The Ultimate Ulduar Loot List for Trees

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The Ultimate Ulduar Loot List for Trees has eluded me for some time now. Either I had other things to do in game or in life, or I had other blog posts to write, or (let's be honest here), it just seemed too daunting to put together *all* the loot available and analyze it.

But hey, if Pallymar is able to do it, I shouldn't have a problem, right? ;)

A few N.Bs:

1. This ain't just a "loot list". If you just want a random list of what might drop off a certain boss, check out Wowwiki or Wowhead. What this is, is an *ordered* list of items from best to worst. For example, number 3 on the list of boots is better than number 4, and I'll tell you why. If you ever wanted to know whether that two-hander is better than a combo mainhand + offhand, or if that hard mode 10 man drop is better than that 25 trash drop, well, this is the place to look.

2. I didn't include cloth drops. Let's not take loot away from our wonderful clothie friends! It's their only option! Might there be a time when you have an option to roll on cloth because no other cloth-wearer wants it? Sure. But it's unlikely, at least until you've got Ulduar on farm.

3. I DID include cloth BoE crafted loot.

4. For the most part, I put loot in order from best to worst. If there was a "tie", I tried to label it as such. I labeled loot that was obviously Best in Slot. I occasionally included loot from tier 7 content, if it was relevant.

5. I disregarded the tier-piece bonuses when putting them in order of best to worst, and just looked at stats. Obviously there is more to these tier pieces than just stats, so please see my paragraph at the end regarding this.

6. Asterisks after items indicate that it only drops on hard mode. I also denote whether something drops in 10 man or 25 man. So yes - I list both 10 and 25s, but I am writing this from the perspective of a heroic raider. Sometimes 10 man loot is better than 25, and I wanted to illustrate that, however, I'm not going to be comparing Hero's Dreamwalker gear with Ulduar 10 man gear.

7. Keep in mind that these orders are NOT hard and fast rules. You might take something that's "less good" than something else, because maybe you already *have* a ton of spirit, or crit, or whatever, and don't need/want any more, therefore, this other "lesser" weapon over here is better for you, or maybe you don't want to break your set bonus, or something like that. In other words, take your current stats, etc, into consideration. Be smart.

8. If items had the *same exact* stats for everything except differed in the haste/crit department, I typically put the haste item ahead of the crit item. Keep that in mind.

Let's begin!


Weapons and weapon+OH combos

1. (lol, BiS) Val'anyr + Ironmender (Quest reward) + (25 - Kologarn)
2. Staff of Endless Winter* (25 - Hodir)

3. Guiding Star + Ironmender (25 - Razorscale) + (25 - Kologarn)
4. Soulscribe + Ironmender (25 - Yogg-Saron) + (25 - Kologarn)

5. Icecore Staff* (10 - Hodir)
6. Rapture (25 - Iron Council)
7. The Lifebinder (25 - Freya)

8. Plasma Foil + Ironmender (10 - XT) + (25 - Kologarn)
9. Stormtip + Ironmender (10 - Iron Council) + (25 - Kologran)

10. Devotion (10 - Yogg-Saron)
11. Pillar of Fortitude (10 - trash drop)

(note also the offhand Igniter Rod (10 - Ignis) is a good, but lesser choice for your offhand).

I put these in order based on the sum of main hand + offhand vs. two handers, and I think I've got a pretty good order here. Note that I divided them up into groups- and the weapons in each group are quite similar to each other. Val'anyr paired with any offhand is going to be the obvious BiS winner because of the proc. Of course, only a small percentage of readers are actually going to get Val'anyr, so let's look beyond that. The clear winner here is the two hander, Staff of Endless Winter. It's a hard mode drop, and rightly so - it's hands down BiS behind Val'anyr. Amazing spell power, two blue sockets, AND a spell power socket bonus to boot.

Next are two maces that have NO spirit. *gasp!* Their sheer spell power bumps them up to this slot here. Soulscribe has no mp5, so I've got it right behind Guiding Star. If you're set on regen, go for the SS, but keep in mind you'll be rolling against Paladins on this. If you win it and they look at you funny, let 'em know our spirit has been nerfed. They'll get over it soon. =)

Icecore is next, due to its awesome spell power, sockets, and socket bonus. Closely behind it are Rapture and the Lifebinder, both neck and neck.

Next we've got some combos. You have two choices for each: two daggers and two offhands. Keep in mind that the Plasma Foil is better than the Stormtip, and the Ironmender is better than the Igniter Rod. In fact, after adding up the stats for all four combos, it turns out that Ironmender is *so* good, that pairing it with either weapon is going to be better than any combo with the Igniter Rod. So if you're going to roll on an offhand or a main hand, keep in mind that the Ironmender is hands down BiS for offhands, and that the Plasma Foil is BiS for main hands.

Devotion, followed by Pillar, are at the very bottom - no sockets, and only 487 spell power. A sad drop for those guilds who get all the way to Yoggy, only to find Devotion. You'd think we'd be rewarded with something slightly more awesome.

Bracers

1. (BiS) Bracers of the Broodmother (25 - Razorscale)
2. Shackles of the Odalisque (25 - Razorscale) (cloth)
3. Bindings of the Depths (10 - Gen Vez)

"But Averna, you said there'd be no cloth drops on this list!" Yeah, I know, but there were only TWO options for bracers, and I wanted to give you guys a third, JUST in case it drops and no one else wants it. The Broodmother bracers are best in slot by just a bit, followed closely by the Shackles. In turn, the Shackles beat out the Bindings in both spirit and spell power, so if you get the chance to snag them, it's a good upgrade. There are a few other cloth bracer drops, but all have hit on them, and therefore didn't make the list.


Boots

1. Savior's Slippers (crafted: tailoring) (cloth)
2. Boots of Wintry Endurance (crafted: leatherworking)
3. Spellslinger's Slippers (crafted: tailoring) (cloth)

4. Boots of Hasty Revival (25 - XT)
5. Boots of the Petrified Forest (10 - Iron Council)

Interestingly, the top three boots are all crafted. *All three* have 2 sockets (blue and red), 81 spell power, and a +7 spell power socket bonus - they're really quite similar. What puts Savior's over the top is the +57 spirit. Wintry Endurance boots are next, at +49, and Spellslinger's are last at +41. If you need haste though, the Spellslingers are the way to go - the first two will only grant you some crit.

However, Ulduarian crafted items are insanely expensive (~6 runed orbs for each, which go for about 1-3k on the auction house - EACH), so your next best options are the Hasty Revival boots. With only one blue socket, they're not as good as the others, but they'll still be an upgrade from T7 content. The Petrified Forest Boots are, at best, a sidegrade (compared to Boots of Septic Wounds, for instance, they're actually *slightly* worse).

Cloak

1. Drape of the Sullen Goddess* (25 - Freya)
2. Shawl of Haunted Memories (25 - Yogg-Saron)
2. Cape of the Unworthy Wizard (25 - Kel'Thuzad)
3. Asimov's Drape (25 - Mimiron)

Yup, that's right - I have two "2"'s. Honestly, Blizzard dropped the ball on giving us any good cloak upgrades in Ulduar. Our KT cloak is JUST AS GOOD as the Yogg-Saron cloak. o.O Also, the number one cloak there doesn't even have any spirit on it. That's how bad our cloak itemization is. Bah.

Regardless - if you have the Unworthy Wizard cape, I would keep it. The Haunted Memories shawl is very much a sidegrade - you gain 4 intellect and lose 8 crit rating. It's really a wash. If you feel you can lose the spirit and be alright, then go for the Sullen Goddess (but you can bet that a million other classes plus your mom will be vying for it - and will probably raise their eyebrows at you if you roll as a resto druid, lest you explain that there are NO OTHER GOOD CLOAKS FOR US).

Belt

1. Belt of Arctic Life (crafted: leatherworking)
2. Cord of the White Dawn (crafted: tailoring) (cloth)

3. Belt of the Crystal Tree (10 - Iron Council)
3. Flamewrought Cinch (25 - Ignis)
3. Belt of the Sleeper (25 - trash drop)

4. Unravelling Strands of Sanity (25 - Malygos)
5. Belt of the Living Thicket (28 Emblems of Conquest)

Again, the top two are crafted BoEs. Arctic Life and White Dawn both have two sockets (/drool - if you add an eternal belt buckle, you get THREE) and the same spell power - but Arctic Life will grant you haste as opposed to crit, and more importantly, more spirit, which pushes it up into BiS.

After the first two, I had a hell of a time ordering them. After a good hour of deliberation (yeah, I know, I'm insane. Just pick em, right?) I decided to put all three in one spot. The socket on the Crystal Tree could potentially push it over the top if you use a spell power gem, but the int and spirit on it are pretty low.

I like the Malygos belt a lot because you get a good helping of spirit AND a dash of mp5. To me, they go together like cinnamon and sugar. Mmmmm. You know you're getting solid mana regen with that baby. Keep in mind though that you're potentially giving up haste or crit. And finally, the badge belt, which to be honest, isn't worth its cost.

Gloves

1. (BiS) Gloves of the Frozen Glade* (25 - Hodir)
2. Grips of the Unbroken (25 - Gen Vez)
3. Handguards of Potent Cures (10 - Flame Leviathan)
4. Conqueror's Nightsong Handguards
5. Valorous Nightsong Handguards

Gloves of the Frozen Glade are solidly best in slot here, followed by The Unbroken gloves. Potent Cures are definitely better (stats wise) than the Conqueror's Handguards, which is interesting, because they're 10-man-first-boss loot - but not by much, so don't feel too bad swapping in number 4 for number 3 for a tier bonus.

Head

1. Conqueror's Nightsong Headpiece
2. Unwavering Stare (25 - Auriaya)
3. Valorous Nightsong Headpiece
4. Cover of the Keepers (10 - Auriaya)

This is a great progession from 1-4, very clear cut as to what's better than what (I love it when it's like that. Makes my job here easier =P) It's also obvious that if you're trying for a 2 piece or 4 piece bonus tier set, you should make the helm one of your chosen pieces.

Legs

1. Conqueror's Nightsong Leggings
2. Leggings of the Lifetender (25 - Freya)
3. Wildstrider Legguards (39 Emblems of Conquest)
4. Valorous Nightsong Leggings

Conqueror's Nightsong Leggings beat out the Lifetenders, but *just* barely. They've got a spell power socket bonus and a bit more intellect which juuust puts them over the top. I would recommend that if you put together a conqueror's tier bonus set, you add these legs in. The Leggings of the Lifetender trump the Wildstriders due to more spirit and a nice red socket for spell power itemization.

Shoulders

1. Shoulderpads of Dormant Energies* (25 - Flame Leviathan)
2. Conqueror's Nightsong Spaulders
2. Malleable Steelweave Mantle (25 - Mimiron)
3. Valorous Nightsong Spaulders
4. Valorous Dreamwalker Spaulders
5. Shoulderguards of Assimilation (10 - Mimiron)

Dormant Energies take the cake here with high stats, two sockets, and a spell power socket bonus. The next two are pretty much *exactly* the same - same socket/socket bonus, same haste, same spell power, and practically the same stats. As such, I'd recommend getting your hands on the tier piece (they're both listed as number two, but keep the tier bonus in mind) if you end up with a choice between the two.

The Assimilation shoulderguards are nothing to write home about. Even our current Valorous Dreamwalkers (tier 7.5) are better.

Chest

1. Vestments of the Blind Denizen* (25 - GenVez)
2. Conqueror's Nightsong Robe
3. Phaelia's Vestments of the Sprouting Seed (25 - Iron Council)
4. Valorous Nightsong Robe
4. Vest of the Glowing Crescent (10 - XT)

Holy sockets, Batman! Look at that BiS chest piece! Hands down, Blind Denizen is awesome. However, if you want to keep a tier bonus, or can't get to GenVez hard mode, the Tier chest is still pretty awesome. Phaelia's is third, and is only very marginally better than the Valorous Nightsong Robes and the Glowing Crescent due to its higher amount of spirit. If you've got number 4 making your set bonus, I'd think long and hard about ditching it for Phaelia's or the Crescent. It just might not be a good enough upgrade to be worth it.

As for the Glowing Crescent, it's got a great heaping pile of spell power - 124, plus a red socket, PLUS a spell power socket bonus. No matter what combo of gems you use in the Valorous Robes, you won't be able to match that spell power (it's a few points off, I believe). I'm wary though, because of the Crescent's measly amount of spirit. The Valorous robes will allow you more flexibility due to having two sockets, but it won't pack the spell power punch like Crescent will. After a lot of deliberation, I finally put these two at a tie.

Also note that ALL of these robes are itemized with crit, so you won't have to make a difficult haste-or-crit decision here. =)

Rings

1. (BiS) Glowing Ring of Reclamation (25 - Flame Leviathan)
2. Lady Maye's Sapphire Ring (10 - Iron Council)

These are pretty much your only options for rings unless the vendor starts to sell them. Reclamation for 25s, and Lady Maye's in 10s.

Necklaces

1. (BiS) Sapphire Amulet of Renewal* (25 - Hodir)
2. Watchful Eye* (10 - Iron Council)
3. Evoker's Charm (19 Emblems of Conquest)
4. Unblinking Eye (25 - Iron Council)

If you put a Seer's Forest Emerald in the Watchful Eye, it puts it on par with the other two necklaces, however, the flexibility you have with the socket elevates it slightly above them. All of these also trump the BiS neck from tier 7, which was the heroic Malygos quest line neck, the Life-Binder's Locket. Its lack of spirit wasn't too worrisome back in Naxx, but post 3.1 we need all the spirit we can get.

A note on Trinkets and Idols: There are so many different trinkets, it's really hard to order them in any which way, so unfortunately for you, readers, I'm not going to even try. It really depends on your other gear and what you're looking for. I will say though, that spell power trinkets are still king, but having a spirit one at your disposal is really great for those longer fights. Also, the only resto druid Idol in Ulduar is the Idol of Flourishing Life, which, if you use Nourish *at all*, you should try to pick up. If you're looking for a 'boost-my-healing' idol, it does way more throughput healing than the Idol of Lush Moss.

Oh, also, check out Lissanna's post about trinkets here - it gives a good rundown of what's available and what your best bets are.

A note on tier bonuses: Our two piece and four piece set bonuses are pretty hot. You can get the two piece with Emblems of Conquest (helm and chest can be purchased at the merchant in Dalaran), but if you want the four, you're going to have to rely on drops. Now, I'd say get the four in whatever way you can, with any combo of pieces, but if you DID have a choice, I would go with the legs, chest, helm, and shoulders - the gloves are probably the weakest link in the bunch, so if you're gonna ditch one, ditch those.

Personally, I'm going to get the 2 piece and see where it goes from there. I would love to get all four, but it's tough when 1. we only raid twice a week, 2. we might not even get to bosses that drop tier pieces, 3. even if we DO get to those bosses, they might not drop them, and 4. even if they DO drop them, I might not win the bid.

TL;DR: Do I think the four piece is worth it? Yes, I really do. It's an amazing buff to our rejuv. Should you pass on other gear in order to "save up" for the four piece which may or may not drop right away? Well, that's gotta be your call. You know your guilds' loot systems and how easy or difficult it will be to get the tier pieces.


Now, if you see something that looks funny or doesn't sit right with you, or if I linked something wrong somewhere, let me know! Comparing all of this gear made my brain kinda fuzzy, and it's very possible I overlooked something.

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