I’m not here to give your pre-raid best in slot items. Because realistically, you’re going to replace them anyway. If you really want to min-max your character, go for it. But this post is about reaching that minimum gear threshold fast so you can start knocking some bosses down (or at least, healing the players who do the head knocking).

My logic is the sooner you can step inside a raid, the sooner you can start replacing your stuff.

Now that you’ve hit 90, what’s the next step? If you’re like me, you’re going to want to start stepping into dungeons and raids. You’re most likely wearing a hideous amalgamation of quest greens and blues. Replace your lowest level gear first (through a combination of crafting, vendors, and dungeons).

Item level information

Scenarios: 425
Heroic MoP dungeons: 440
Raid finder: 463*

* I haven’t been able to find a hard confirmation of this but throughout my raid tests, my gear was normalized to item level 463. IF anyone knows for a fact, let me know in the comments.

I suggest running Gate of the Setting Sun a few times before making purchases at the vendors to fill in any gear gaps. I have a post up with a full list of drops from dungeons.

The List

Helm: Fallout-Filtering Hood (Saboteur Kip’tilak, 1st boss of Gate of the Setting Sun)

Neck: Tiger Opal Pendant (Jewelcrafting otherwise save valor for Links of the Lucid)

Shoulders: Regal Silk Shoulderpads (Dropped from Xin the Weaponmaster in Mogu’shan Palace, or else save for Valor for 2 straight weeks and obtain Tenderheart Shoulders)

Back: Sagewhisper’s Wrap (1250 valor if you can wait until your second week, or else Stormstout Brewery’s Hoptallus for Cloak of Hidden Flasks or reputation with August Celestials for Pressed Flower Cloak)

Chest: Mending Robes of the Golden Lotus (Quest: Battle Axe of the Thunder King)

Gloves: Gloves of Creation (Tailoring recipe, 4 days worth of cloth transmutes)

Belt: Fermenting Belt (Last boss in Stormstout Brewery or else keep saving until 1750 valor points for Klaxxi Lash of the Seeker)

Pants: Leggings of the Frenzy (3rd boss in Gate of the Setting Sun)

Boots: Motherseed Treads (Quest: Fires and Fears of Old)

Rings: Leven’s Circle of Hope (1250 Valor from the Golden Lotus), Alemental Seal (Since you’re running Stormstout Brewery often), Viscous Ring (Commander Ri’mok – Gate of the Setting Sun).

Trinkets: Scroll of Revered Ancestors (Shado-Pan Revered. Recommend getting this item first for valor at 1250). Empty Fruit Barrel (Ook-Ook from Stormstout Brewery), Relic of Chi-Ji (Darkmoon Faire), Thousand-Year Pickled Egg

Weapon: Cranedancer’s Staff Whoops, just found out that weapon isn’t available for Priests. Go into Arena of Annihilation instead.

Notes

Weapons

The first thing you can do when hitting 90 is upgrading your weapon. Cranedancer’s Staff comes from the quest Complete Your Training: The Final Test. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a main hand, you can pick up Liuyang’s Lovely Longstaff or Jol’Grum’s Frozen Mace by completing the Arena of Annihilation scenario.

Chest

One of the easiest things you can do right away is start working on daily quests for the Golden Lotus. In addition to securing some quick upgrades for your wrists and neck (at a combined 2500 JP) with Bracers of Eternal Resolve and Pendant of Endless Inquisition, you’ll net yourself a heroic dungeon quality chest piece: Mending Robes of the Golden Lotus. Bonus for tailors: Golden Lotus provides the patterns for Gloves of Creation and Robes of Creation.

It’s a quest chain but you’ll need to be Revered first. The quest chain starts with Battle Speak of the Thunder King, then Battle Helm of the Thunder King, before finishing with Battle Axe of the Thunder King.

Trinkets

As for trinkets, it’s almost time for Brewfest, isn’t it? Take on the next iteration of Direbrew and pray to the RNG gods that you’ll get a crack at the Thousand-Year Pickled Egg. There’s also the option of the Relic of Chi Ji, the Darkmoon Crane Deck. Otherwise, you can keep running Stormstout Brewery and taking on Ook-Ook repeatedly until Empty Fruit Barrel drops.

Again, there’s going to be a little luck involved here. You’re not going to be able to snag all the items you want in one go. Generally speaking, save your valor for trinkets. It’s cheap and you’re going to be a mana hog for the first few weeks while you get adjusted to your new level 90 version of you. Replace your lowest level items which will gradually contribute to raising your character’s item level. Eventually, you’ll reach the point where you can jump into raid finder or raid decently in the new normal instances (or at least, try to).

Augments

Stat allocation’s going to be fun. Since spirit is now the sole value when it comes to mana regen, it’s going to be something you’ll want a lot of. My beta Priest has 7495 spirit (which translates to 8460 mana per 5) and that’s barely enough. I was able to get by and heal a few raid finders with 6800+, but that was really cutting it close. My personal strategy right now is to use gems with spirit (or hybrid spirit gems) until I get to a comfortable level.

Enchants

Enchant Bracer – Super Intellect

Enchant Boots – Pandaren’s Step

Enchant Chest – Glorious Stats
Enchant Chest – Mighty Spirit – Cheaper alternative

Enchant Cloak – Superior Intellect

Enchant Gloves – Superior Mastery
Enchant Gloves – Greater Haste – Cheaper alternative

Enchant Off-Hand – Major Intellect

Enchant Weapon – Jade Spirit – Use this for really good weapons
Enchant Weapon – Windsong – Use this for not-so-good weapons

(Enchanters, you know you get your ring enchants)

Vendors

Head over to Townlong Steppes to find Commander Lo Ping and Commander Oxheart (38.0, 64.4) sell Justice and Valor gear respectively. The faction specific quartermasters will also sell them.

Golden Lotus

	Item level	Reputation required	Type	Cost
Bracers of Eternal Resolve	450	Honored	Wrist	1250 justice
Pendant of Endless Inquisition	450	Honored	Neck	1250 justice
Leven’s Circle of Hope	489	Revered	Ring	1250 valor
Robe of the Five Sisters	489	Revered	Chest	2250 valor
Tenderheart Shoulders	489	Revered	Shoulders	1750 valor
Pattern: Gloves of Creation	476	Honored	Tailoring gloves recipe	4 Imperial Silk
Pattern: Robes of Creation	476	Honored	Tailoring chest recipe	6 Imperial silk

The Klaxxi

Emperor’s Riding Gloves	450	Honored	Gloves	1750 justice
Amber Scythe of Klaxxi’vess	463	Exalted	Staff	191g 59s 64c
Amber Spine of Klaxxi’vess	463	Exalted	Dagger	151g 62s 92c
Poisoncrafter’s Kilt	489	Revered	Legs	2250 valor
Links of the Lucid	489	Revered	Neck	1250 valor
Klaxxi Lash of the Seeker	489	Revered	Belt	1750 valor

The August Celestials

	Item level	Reputation required	Type	Cost
Pressed Flower Cloak	450	Honored	Cloak	1250 justice
Subversive Leggings	450	Honored	Legs	2250 justice
Storm-Sing Sandals	489	Revered	Feet	1750 valor
Gloves of Red Feathers	489	Revered	Hands	1750 valor
Bracers of Inlaid Jade	489	Revered	Wrist	1250 valor
Formula: Enchant Bracer – Super Intellect				36 G

Shado-Pan

	Item level	Reputation required	Type	Cost
Sorcerer-King’s Seal	450	Honored	Ring	1250 justice
Robe of Quiet Meditation	450	Honored	Chest	2250 justice
Scroll of Revered Ancestors	489	Revered	Trinket	1250 valor
Yalia’s Cowl	489	Revered	Head	2250 valor
Sagewhisper’s Wrap	489	Revered	Cloak	1250 valor
Formula: Enchant Weapon – Jade Spirit