It is generally agreed that in WoW you can loot better drops than you can make for yourself, especially if you do instances. However, this isn’t always true. If you keep up an appropriate profession, there are a few rare moments where you can be very well equipped with hand made items. Up to about 45, that is, although tailoring seems to be valuable to a higher level.
But this is no good if you don’t know what are the good items, and plan to make them as soon as they become wearable. Hence this guide. I am going to assume that all classes need stamina as a secondary attribute, and spirit as a tertiary at best. Apart from that, all casters (mage, priest, warlock, shaman, druid) want int, rogues and hunters want agi, warriors and paladins get some use from str.
druid int/spi/sta
hunter agi/sta
mage int/sta
paladin sta/str/int
priest int/sta
rogue agi/sta
shaman int/sta
warlock int/sta
warrior sta/str
I am ignoring +damage items, as they are mainly mage only, and depend heavily on talents. Mages, look out for frostweave or cindercloth items, the Robe of the Archmage (57); warlocks and shadow priests for shadowweave and felcloth. Resistances are also ignored. Warlocks, also look for Robe of the Void (57). Priests, Truefaith Vestments (57).
I have also ignored non-stat items, apart from the first shoulders and head items, as they make a significant difference to armor when you can equip them.
For back items, check all lists – most back items are considered as cloth.
Sometimes I have paired two items at roughly the same level. Sometimes this is because they offers contrasting stats, like good stats for the class on one item, and useful effects on the other. At other times it is because one is a blue/purple item requiring some very hard to get ingredients and/or a specialisation, and the other is a more normal item. Sometimes the recipe may be a rare drop only recipe. As a broad sweeping generalisation, I am going to say that I think most of the good items in the lists below are from dropped recipes. At a later revision, I will probably highlight the good recipes that come direct from a trainer or vendor.
In the tables, * means that the recipe comes from a trainer; v means that it is provided by an NPC, sometimes sold as a vendor, at others the result of a quest (it’s hard to distinguish between the two, really). Vendor sold recipes can be very hard to obtain.
Cloth
Chest: | Red Linen Robe (10), Gray Woolen Robe (16), Lesser Wizard’s Robe* (22), Robes of Arcana (25), Green Silk Armor (28), Robe of Power* – BoP (33), Black Mageweave Vest* (36), Runecloth Robe v (47), Mooncloth Robe v (56) |
legs: | Handstitched Linen Breeches* (14), Heavy Woolen Pants* (17), Black Mageweave Leggings* (36), Runecloth Pants (52), Mooncloth Leggings (53) |
feet: | Soft-soled Linen Boots* (11), Spidersilk Boots* (20), Black Mageweave Boots* (41), Runecloth Boots v (51) |
hands: | Heavy Woolen Gloves* (12), Crimson Silk Gloves* (37), Dreamweave Gloves* (40), Ghostweave Gloves (49), Flarecore Gloves v (57)/Gloves of Spell Mastery ?? (57)/Mooncloth Gloves (57) |
waist: | Crimson Silk Belt* (30), Runecloth Belt* (46), Ghostweave Belt (48), Wisdom of the the Timbermaw v (53), Belt of the Archmage (57) |
wrist: | |
back: | Pearl Clasped Cloak* (14), Long Silken Cloak* (32), Runecloth Cloak v (48) |
back (for non-casters): | Crimson Silk Cloak v (31), Cloak of Fire (50), Cloak of Warding (57) |
shoulders: | Double-stitched Woolen Shoulders* (16), Green Silken Shoulders* (31), crimson silk shoulders (33), Black Mageweave Shoulders* (41), Flarecore Mantle v (56)/Mooncloth Shoulders (56) |
head: | Azure Silk Hood* (24), Enchanter’s Cowl v (28), Black Mageweave Headband* (41), Runecloth Headband (54), Mooncloth Circlet (57) |
Tailors can also make the following blues: Icy Cloak*, Dreamweave Vest*, Robe of Winter Night, Argent Boots v, Felcloth Gloves, Flarecore Wraps, Inferno Gloves, Mooncloth Vest, Robe of the Archmage BoP, Robe of the Void BoP, Trufaith Vestments BoP
Leather – Hunters (to 40)/Rogues
Chest: | Fine Leather Tunic* (12), Murloc Scale Breastplate v (14), Dark Leather Tunic (15), Green Leather Armor v (26), Dusky Leather Armor* (30)/Green Whelp Armor (30), Nightscape Tunic* (36), Stormshroud Armor (52), Wicked Leather Armor (56) |
Legs: | Light Leather Pants* (14), Dark Leather Pants* (18), Dusky Leather Leggings (28), Barbaric Leggings v (29), Nightscape Pants* (41), Stormshroud Pants v (50)/Wicked Leather Pants (53), Devilsaur Leggings (60) |
Feet: | Dusky Boots (35), Nightscape Boots* (42), Corehound Boots v (54), Mongoose Boots (57) |
Hands: | Deviate Scale Gloves v (16)/Nimble Leather Gloves* (19), Toughened Leather Gloves* (22), Barbaric Gloves (25), Shadowskin Gloves v (35), Wicked Leather Gauntlets v (47), Devilsaur Gauntlets v (53) |
Waist: | Deviate Scale Belt v (18)/Dark Leather Belt* (20), Green Leather Belt* (27), Dusky Belt* (34), Wicked Leather Belt (55), Molten Belt v (60) |
Wrist: | Barbaric Bracers v (27), Green Leather Bracers* (31), Wicked Leather Bracers (48) |
Back: | Deviate Scale Cloak v (13) |
Shoulders: | Hillman’s Shoulders* (21), Dark Leather Shoulders (23), Barbaric Shoulders* (30), Nightscape Shoulders v (37), Stormshroud Shoulders (54) |
Head: | Comfortable Leather Hat (35), Nightscape Headband* (36), Helm of Fire* (50)/Wicked Leather Headband (51) |
Leather – Druid/Shaman (to 40)
Chest: | Moonglow Vest v (13), Guardian Armor (30), Big Voodoo Robe (38), Feathered Breastplate* (45), Ironfeather Breastplate (53), Living Breastplate (55), Runic Leather Armor (57) |
Legs: | Embossed Leather Pants* (10), Fine Leather Pants (16), Guardian Pants* (27), Barbaric Leggings v (29), Big Voodoo Pants (42), Living Leggings (52), Runic Leather Pants (55) |
Feet: | Embossed Leather Boots* (10) |
Hands: | Fine Leather Gloves (10), Runic Leather Gauntlets (49) |
Waist: | Guardian Belt (29), Girdle of Insight (57), Corehound Belt v (60) |
Wrist: | Barbaric Bracers v (27), Guardian Leather Bracers (34), Runic Leather Bracers (50) |
Back: | Guardian Cloak (32), Big Voodoo Cloak (43), Hide of the Wild (57) |
Shoulders: | Hillman’s Shoulders* (21), Ironfeather Shoulders v (49)/Living Shoulders v (49), Runic Leather Shoulders (57) |
Head: | Comfortable Leather Hat (35), Big Voodoo Mask (39), Wolfshead Helm* (40:druid), Runic Leather Headband v (53) |
Leatherworked Mail – Hunter (40+)
Chest: | Tough Scorpid Breastplate (39) |
Legs: | Tough Scorpid Leggings (44) |
Feet: | Tough Scorpid Boots (42) |
Hands: | Dragonscale Gauntlets* (40)/Tough Scorpid Gloves (40), Chromatic Gauntlets v (60) |
Waist: | |
Wrist: | Tough Scorpid Bracers (39), Swift Flight Bracers (57) |
Back: | |
Shoulders: | Tough Scorpid Shoulders (43) |
Head: | Tough Scorpid Helm (45) |
Leatherworked Mail – Shaman (40+)
Chest: | Turtle Scale Breastplate* (37), Green Dragonscale Breastplate v (47)/Heavy Scorpid Vest (48), Blue Drgaonscale Breastplate v (52) |
Legs: | Turtle Scale Leggings* (42), Green Dragonscale Leggings (49), Heavy Scorpid Leggings (52) |
Feet: | |
Hands: | Turtle Scale Gloves v (36), Heavy Scorpid Gauntlets (50) |
Waist: | Heavy Scorpid Belt (51) |
Wrist: | Heavy Scorpid Bracer v (46) |
Back: | |
Shoulders: | Blue Dragonscale Shoulders (54), Heavy Scorpid Shoulders (57) |
Head: | Turtle Scale Helm* (41), Heavy Scorpid Helm v (54) |
Leather also has blues/purple that I didn’t see fit to include: Gem-studded leather belt,
Mail/Plate – Paladins/Warriors
Chest: | Copper Chain Vest v (5), Runed Copper Breastplate (13)/Ironforge Breastplate v (15), Silvered Bronze Breastplate (21), Shining Silver Breastplate* (24), Green Iron Hauberk* (31), Heavy Mithril Breastplate* (41), Truesilver Breastplate* (44), Demon Forged Breastplate v (52), Imperial Plate Chest v (55), Enchanted Thorium Breastplate v (58) |
Legs: | Runed Copper Pants* (8), Rough Bronze Leggings* (16), Green Iron Leggings* (26)/Silvered Bronze Leggings (26), Heavy Mithril Pants (40), Imperial Plate Leggings v (56), Enchanted Thorium Leggings v (58) |
Feet: | Silvered Bronze Boots* (21), Barbaric Iron Boots v (31), Heavy Mithril Boots* (42), Imperial Plate Boots v (54) |
Hands: | Gemmed Copper Gauntlets (10), Silvered Bronze Gauntlets* (22), Heavy Mithril Gauntlet* (41)/Truesilver Gauntlets* (40), Stronghold Gauntlets (57)/Gloves of the Dawn v (59) |
Waist: | Imperial Plate Belt v (47), Girdle of the Dawn v (53) |
Wrist: | Patterned Bronze Bracers* (20), Mithril Scale Bracers v (38), Imperial Plate Bracers v (49) |
Back: | |
Shoulders: | Rough Bronze Shoulders* (17), Silvered Bronze Shoulders (20), Green Iron Shoulders (27), Heavy Mithril Shoulder* (41), Imperial Plate Shoulders v (47) |
Head: | Green Iron Helm* (29), Steel Plate Helm* (40)/Mithril Coif* (41), Imperial Plate Helm v (54), Enchanted Thorium Helm v (57) |
Wildthorn Mail (49), Fiery Chain Girdle v (54), Storm Gauntlets v (54), Fiery Chain Shoulders v (57), Helm of the Great Chief (56) – Blacksmithing, but check for shamans
Weapons
These are all blacksmithing only. Level, dps and max damage are given.
Dagger: | Copper Dagger* (6/5.0/10), Big Bronze Knife (15/10.0/25), Pearl-handled Dagger (18/11.5/26), Deadly Bronze Poniard (20/12.8/30), Glinting Steel Dagger (31/18.7/37), Searing Golden Blade (34/21.4/39), Ebon Shiv (46/30.3/59), Black Amnesty (60/47.8), Heartseeker (58/41.5) |
One handed sword: | Copper Shortsword (4/3.8/11), bronze shortsword (19/11.2/31), Hardened Iron Shortsword (27/16.7/39), Jade Serpentblade (30/18.3/62), Wicked Mithril Blade (40/26.7/80), dazzling mithril rapier (43/28.5/63), Phantom Blade (44/32.7/111), Blazing Rapier (51/37.1/82), Frostguard (58/41.3/124), Blackguard (60/51.7), Dark Iron Reaver (60/42.7) |
Two handed sword: | copper claymore (6/6.3), heavy copper broadsword (14/12.6), bronze greatsword (21/16.0), moonsteel broadsword (31/24.6), frost tiger blade (35/28.8), Truesilver Champion (47/45.0), Corruption (53/49.7), Arcanite Champion (58/53.8) |
one handed mace: | copper mace (4/3.9), bronze mace (17/10.0), heavy bronze mace (20/12.9), iridescent hammer(23/14.4), big black mace (41/27.5), The Shatterer (42/31.7), runed mithril hammer (44/29.2), Serenity (52/37.5), volcanic hammer (53/34.6), Masterwork Stormhammer (58/41.5), Ebon Hand (60/51.5) |
two handed mace: | heavy copper maul (11/9.5), bronze warhammer (20/15.2), solid iron maul (26/21.1), golden iron destroyer (29/22.9), Dark Iron Pulverizer (50/47.4), Enchanted Battlehammer (51/48.1), Hammer of the Titans (58/53.8), Sulfuron Hammer (60/63.6) |
one handed axe: | copper axe (4/3.9), bronze axe (18/10.5), might iron hammer (25/15.5), edge of winter (33/20.5), heavy mithril axe (37/24.1), blue glittering axe (39/25.8), Dawn’s Edge (50/36.4), ornate thorium hand axe (32.6), Annihilator (58/41.5), Dark Iron Destroyer (60/42.7) |
two handed axe: | copper battle axe (8/9.1), thick war axe (12/8.6), bronze battle axe (22/16.9), massive iron axe (32/25.6), shadow crescent axe (35/29.0), Dark Iron Sunderer (52/48.8), huge thorium battleaxe (51/43.3), Arcanite Reaper (58/53.8), Nightfall (60/67.0) |
polearm: | Blight (45/43.3), Black Fury (60/62.6) |
Other blacksmithing blues: Shining Silver Breastplate, Dark Iron Plate, Fiery Plate Gauntlets, Dark Iron Bracers, Dark Iron Helm, Invulnerable Mail, Lionheart Helm, Whitesoul Helm
Other Fripperies
Tailoring – bags. Details are:
Linen Bag – skill 45, 6 slot.
Woolen Bag – 80, 8.
Small silk pack – 150, 10.
Mageweave bag – 225, 12.
Runecloth bag – 260, 14.
Mooncloth bag – 300, 16.
Bottomless bag – 300, 18.
Leatherworking – armor kits
Blacksmithing – chains, counterweights, sharpening stones, weight stones, shield spikes