Zul’Gurub
As we reminded you earlier, this section is for WOW fans who don't have the Burning Crusades expansion pack, and cannot progress past level 60.
Zul’Gurub (ZG) is probably the first “real” raid encounter you experience (meaning you need a coordinated and routine-trained group to beat the content). The challenge at this point is not as much your equipment but the raid know-how of your guild. A decent set of equipment centered around tier 0 armor (the Wildheard set) should do the job for the first encounters in here. While clearing the first few mobs a couple of times you are likely to come across quest components for epic gear that provides the necessary stat increase to deal with the more difficult mobs. The druid item set dropped in Zul’Gurub can be found here: http://www.thottbot.com/?set=479
Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Nature based attacks are most common so appropriate resistance gear would help even though it is not as important as fire resistance in Molten Core. You needn’t be decked out in epics, but it’s a good idea to have upgraded some of your group instance equipment with at least Zul’Gurrub armor. If you got Molten Core on farm status, the 20 man AQ instance probably won’t pose a real challenge. Equipment wise you can stick with what you got during your natural progression before and in this zone.
Molten Core
In contrast to popular belief among first-time raiders, Molten Core isn’t all about fire resistance gear. Of course it helps and for Ragnaros it’s absolutely mandatory. But before your guild is ready for him, you should have acquired already some pieces in MC that help you reach the recommended unbuffed 150 fire resistance. Don’t forget though that you are already equipped with some high fire resistance items that are extremely efficient in MC: A brain, eye-sight and fingers – they help you to move out of the way of Magmadar’s lava spits and Gehennas’ fire rain. What I am getting at here: Unlike (burst) melee damage, most of the fire damage in MC can be avoided. Thus you should focus more on intelligence, spirit, stamina, mana regeneration and healing bonus items for this instance.
It is recommended that you have at least tier 0 armor and no green items equipped in any of your slots. In other words – you need to spend some time at level 60 doing 5, 10 and 20 man raiding before a raid guild will take you with them to Molten Core.
Sample gear setup:
?Armor: Wildheart Raiment (http://www.thottbot.com/?set=185)
?Cloak: Cloak of the Cosmos (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35674)
?Neck: Star of Mystaria (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=14039)
?Ring: Zanzil’s Band (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=51331)
?Ring: Zanzil’s Seal (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=51325)
?Trinket: Mindtap Talisman (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35819)
?Trinket: Briarwood Reed (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=19202)
Alternatively please refer to the healing equipment outlined in the level 50 – 60 equipment chapter.
Budget items for Ragnaros to reach the minimum fire resistance if you are in a hurry or broke (keep in mind that most of them are green and only suitable as emergency fire resistance gear):
?Volcanic Armor Set (http://www.thottbot.com/?set=141)
?Felhide Cap (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35667)
?Coal Miner Boots (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=39937)
?Flamescarred Girdle (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=22029)
?Smokey's Drape (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=38728)
?Necklace of Sanctuary (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=7755)
?Elemental Circle (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6918)
?Ward of the Elements (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=15385)
Sample gear setup for Ragnaros:
?Armor: Cenarion Raiment (http://www.thottbot.com/?set=205)
?Cloak: Onyxia Scale Cloak (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36050)
?Neck: Blazefury Medallion (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36238)
?Ring: Seal of the Archmagus (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=27567)
?Ring: Dragonslayer's Signet (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36041)
?Trinket: Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=38431)
?Trinket: Talisman of Ephemeral Power (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=39255)
The druid item set dropped in Molten Core can be found here: http://www.thottbot.com/?set=205
Blackwing Lair
In Blackwing Lair (BWL) you really need a decent set of gear to last through the really long fights. For Vael you should have 300+ fire resistance though other stats aren’t that important for this fight – meaning do everything for fire resistance, even if you have to equip green items. Fire resistance enchantments are essential. From the three drakes onwards all bosses cast shadow flame. Surviving shadow flame requires a Cloak of Onyxia – though guilds working at BWL should have a sufficient number of Onyxia Scales to provide everyone with one.
Sample gear setup:
?See Molten Core – Ragnaros gear
The druid item set dropped in Blackwing Lair can be found here: http://www.thottbot.com/?set=214
Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
The zone starts at a difficulty level of Molten Core and ends well past Blackwing Lair. Wit will get you a long way in here, but nature resistance gear and nature protection potions (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5195) make things much, much easier.
Equipment suggestions to bolster up your nature resistance (for specific slots only – not suggested as a complete set due to overall lower stats):
?Bramblewood Belt (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=53521)
?Bramblewood Helm (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=53520)
?Bramblewood Boots (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=53522)
?Living Breastplate (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=27867)
?Cenarion Reservist's Leggings (http://www.thottbot.com/?i=52128)
For AQ the poison resistance enchantments are a good solution since general poison resist gear with adequate stats is hard to obtain outside of AQ. The druid item set dropped in the Temple of Ahn’Qiray can be found here: http://www.thottbot.com/?set=493
Naxxramas
(This section will be revamped and expanded in the near future)
In the first part of this dungeon, you will profit of the Nature resistance gear you acquired already for Ahn’Qiray. For Sapphiron and Kel'Thuzad, you can probably look forward already to farming frost resistance gear for the final encounters in this dungeon. Shadow resistance will probably be required for Scourge Death Knights and Necromancers – and of course for Kel'Thuzad. Shadow Resistance gear can be found scattered throughout most instances and a lot of the epic armor pieces have got at least some basic shadow resistance on them already, so this shouldn't be a problem.
Loot (Tier 3 set parts):
Abomination Wing
Patchwerk (Shoulder)
?Grobbulus (Shoulder)
?Gluth (Shoulder/Belt/Wrist/feet)
?Thaddius (Headx2)
Deathknight Wing
?Instructor Razuvious (Feet)
?Gothik the Harvester (Feet)
?The Four Horsemen: (Chestx2)
Plague Wing
?Noth The Plaguebringer (Belt)
?Heigan the Unclean (Belt)
?Loatheb (Leggingx2)
Spider Wing
?Anub'Rekhan (Wrist)
?Grand Widow Faerlina (Wrist)
?Maexxna (Handx2)
Kel’Thuzrad Chamber
?Kel'Thuzad (Ringx2)
Naxxramas Loot: http://www.curse-gaming.com/en/wow/naxxramas.html