Gear Compare Tool
Select one or two specs to view their pre-raid BiS gear lists. Compare items across every equipment slot to plan which dungeons, reputations, and crafts to prioritize.
Select at least one spec above to view BiS gear.
Pick two specs to compare them side-by-side.
Pre-Raid BiS Gear by Class
Every spec in TBC Classic has a unique set of Best-in-Slot items for pre-raid content. Below is a summary of available BiS lists — use the comparison tool above to view full item details with stats, sources, and Wowhead tooltips.
Warrior BiS Gear
Arms Warrior Melee DPS
A methodical two-handed weapon specialist that excels in PvP with Mortal Strike but takes a back seat in PvE raids.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Arms Guide →Fury Warrior Melee DPS
A dual-wielding berserker that ramps up with crits, delivering relentless sustained damage in raids.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Fury Guide →Protection Warrior Tank
The classic dungeon and raid tank with unmatched cooldowns and reliable threat generation.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Protection Guide →Paladin BiS Gear
Holy Paladin Healer
The premier single-target healer with unmatched mana efficiency and tank-healing throughput.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Holy Guide →Protection Paladin Tank
The undisputed king of AoE tanking and heroic dungeons, with strong raid viability.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Protection Guide →Retribution Paladin Melee DPS
A burst-oriented melee DPS that brings powerful raid buffs but modest personal damage.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Retribution Guide →Hunter BiS Gear
Beast Mastery Hunter Ranged DPS
The top Hunter DPS spec in early TBC, leveraging a powerful pet and the devastating Bestial Wrath cooldown.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Beast Mastery Guide →Marksmanship Hunter Ranged DPS
A precision shooter focused on big Aimed Shots and personal damage, but generally outperformed by BM and Survival.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Marksmanship Guide →Survival Hunter Ranged DPS
A trap and utility specialist that becomes one of the strongest Hunter specs in late TBC thanks to Expose Weakness.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Survival Guide →Rogue BiS Gear
Assassination Rogue Melee DPS
A poison-focused spec that deals strong sustained damage with Mutilate daggers.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Assassination Guide →Combat Rogue Melee DPS
The go-to PvE Rogue spec with versatile weapon options and consistent damage output.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Combat Guide →Subtlety Rogue Melee DPS
The ultimate PvP Rogue spec with Shadowstep and Preparation, but poor PvE viability.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Subtlety Guide →Priest BiS Gear
Discipline Priest Healer
A shield-focused healer that prevents damage before it happens and provides powerful tank support.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Discipline Guide →Holy Priest Healer
The most versatile healer in TBC with strong single-target and AoE healing tools.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Holy Guide →Shadow Priest Ranged DPS
A damage-over-time caster that restores mana and health to the entire party. Every raid wants exactly one.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Shadow Guide →Shaman BiS Gear
Elemental Shaman Ranged DPS
A burst-oriented caster that deals Lightning and Fire damage while providing powerful caster totems.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Elemental Guide →Enhancement Shaman Melee DPS
A dual-wielding melee fighter that enhances weapons with elemental power and supercharges the melee group.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Enhancement Guide →Restoration Shaman Healer
A chain-healing powerhouse that excels at keeping melee groups alive and provides essential totems.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Restoration Guide →Mage BiS Gear
Arcane Mage Ranged DPS
A burst-oriented spec that trades mana for massive damage, excelling in shorter fights.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Arcane Guide →Fire Mage Ranged DPS
A proc-based spec centered on critical strikes, Ignite, and Combustion for sustained and burst damage.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Fire Guide →Frost Mage Ranged DPS
A safe, consistent DPS spec with strong survivability, great for leveling and PvP but weaker in raids.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Frost Guide →Warlock BiS Gear
Affliction Warlock Ranged DPS
A damage-over-time specialist that ramps up slowly but provides strong sustained damage and Malediction for the raid.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Affliction Guide →Demonology Warlock Ranged DPS
A pet-empowering spec centered on the Felguard demon, providing solid damage and excellent utility.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Demonology Guide →Destruction Warlock Ranged DPS
A direct-damage powerhouse that combines Shadow Bolt spam with fire spells for the highest Warlock DPS.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Destruction Guide →Druid BiS Gear
Balance Druid Ranged DPS
The Moonkin caster that deals nature and arcane damage while buffing the caster group's spell crit.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Balance Guide →Feral Combat Druid Tank / Melee DPS
A dual-purpose spec that can tank in Bear Form or deal melee DPS in Cat Form, often switching between both.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Feral Combat Guide →Restoration Druid Healer
A HoT-based healer in Tree of Life Form that excels at sustained raid healing and mana efficiency.
17 equipment slots covered with primary and alternative options from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests.
Full Restoration Guide →BiS Gear FAQ
What does BiS mean in WoW TBC Classic?
BiS stands for Best-in-Slot — the single best item available for each equipment slot for a given class and spec. Pre-raid BiS lists cover the best gear you can obtain before stepping into raid content like Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, or Magtheridon's Lair. These items come from heroic dungeons, reputation vendors, crafted gear, and quest rewards.
Where do pre-raid BiS items come from in TBC?
Pre-raid BiS items come from six main sources: heroic dungeon drops (the most common source of epic pre-raid gear), normal dungeon drops, reputation vendors (requires Revered or Exalted standing), crafted items from professions like Blacksmithing, Tailoring, and Leatherworking, quest rewards from max-level dungeon quests, and Badge of Justice vendors in Shattrath City.
Do I need full pre-raid BiS before raiding?
No. Karazhan is designed to be clearable in a mix of quest blues and dungeon gear. However, targeting key BiS pieces — especially your weapon, trinkets, and any crafted epics — will make a noticeable difference. Focus on the biggest upgrades first: weapons for DPS, a shield and defense-capped gear for tanks, and high bonus-healing pieces for healers.
What stats should I prioritize for pre-raid gear?
Stat priority varies by role. Melee DPS should cap hit rating first (roughly 95 rating for dual-wield, 64 for two-hand), then stack critical strike and attack power. Spell casters need spell hit rating (76 for most, 64 with talents), then spell damage and spell crit. Healers prioritize bonus healing, MP5, and intellect. Tanks need 490 defense rating to be crit-immune, then stack stamina and avoidance (dodge, parry, block).
Which heroic dungeons should I run first for pre-raid BiS?
The best heroics to start with depend on your spec, but some dungeons have unusually dense loot tables: Mechanar, Botanica, and Arcatraz (Tempest Keep dungeons) drop a wide range of strong items. Shadow Labyrinth is excellent for casters and healers. Old Hillsbrad and Black Morass are required for Karazhan attunement and drop solid gear along the way. Use the comparison tool above to identify which dungeons drop your specific BiS items.
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