Cloak

One of the cat's best options is available to anyone who can get their hands on 50 Frost emblems, but two very good cloaks also drop off Faction Gunships-25 and Marrowgar-10. I would leave the Onslaught cloak alone until after you're sitting on four-piece tier 10, and even then the Frost badge belt is probably the better immediate buy if you're not likely to spend much time in ICC.

Enchant: Enchant Cloak -- Major Agility. If you're an engineer, Flexweave Underlay. If you're a tailor, Swordguard Embroidery.

• Recovered Scarlet Onslaught Cape This is close to best-in-slot for most players; you'd only get better off an Insanity run in ToGC-25 or heroic Faction Gunships-25. Available for 50 Emblems of Frost.
• Shadowvault Slayer's Cloak Expect a lot of competition for this, but if you get an ICC-25 PuG, you may see this off Faction Gunships.
• Shawl of Nerubian Silk Dropped by Marrowgar-10. Possibly a better option than either of the two cloaks above if you're looking for hit and expertise (two stats that get increasingly difficult to find on ICC gear).
• Accursed Crawling Cape Dropped by the Devourer of Souls in normal Forge of Souls. A surprisingly good piece, full of meaty cat stats.
• Saronite Gargoyle Cloak Don't bid on this over a plate DPS, but it's dropped by Faction Gunships in ICC-10.
• Drape of the Drakerider Dropped by Razorscale-25, so be on the lookout if you get her as the weekly raid quest.
• Titan-Forged Cloak of Victory Available for 25 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor.

Chest

Honestly? This is another slot that's easy to call. If you're going for the tier 8 bonus, get the tier 8 chest, and use that with the tier 8 helm until you can make the switch to four-piece tier 10. If you've outgrown tier 8, there are several great non-set pieces you can use until you can afford tier 10.

Enchant: Enchant Chest -- Powerful Stats.

• Shadow Seeker's Tunic Available for 95 Emblems of Frost. While this is slightly better than Ikfirus', I'm really hesitant to say run out and buy it. As your gear improves, you may very well need the expertise from Ikfirus more, and Ikfirus is also a better crossover piece if you ever tank.
• Ikfirus' Sack of Wonder Lovely for bears and great for cats as well. It's a BoE drop off Faction Gunships-25, and while competition for it is keen, it's a damn fine piece.
• Chestguard of the Frigid Noose Dropped by Lady Deathwhisper-10.
• Lasherweave Raiment Available for 95 Emblems of Frost.
• Knightbane Carapace (Alliance)/Knightbane Carapace (Horde) A very fine piece. Leatherworking BoE from tier 9.
• Choking Hauberk Dropped by Marwyn in heroic Halls of Reflection.
• Malfurion's Raiments of Triumph (Alliance)/Runetotem's Raiments of Triumph (Horde) The ilevel 245, tier 9 chest available for 75 Emblems of Triumph and 1 Trophy of the Crusade.
• Malfurion's Raiments of Conquest (Alliance)/Runetotem's Raiments of Conquest (Horde) The ilevel 232, tier 9 chest available for 50 Emblems of Triumph.
• Relentless Gladiator's Dragonhide Robes Available for 95 Emblems of Frost or 13,200 honor and 770 arena points.
• Conqueror's Nightsong Raiments Available for 58 Emblems of Conquest.
• Blackened Geist Ribs Dropped by the Captain's chest in normal Halls of Reflection.

Bracers

It may not seem like there are a lot of options here, but even the cat's second best-in-slot (heroic Toskk's is best in slot) is relatively easy to get. If you're not up to pugging ICC-25, the leatherworking BoE from Trial of the Crusader is a good alternative.

Enchant: Enchant Bracers -- Greater Assault. If you're a leatherworker, you'll want to slap on Fur Lining -- Attack Power instead.

• Toskk's Maximized Wristguards Dropped by Deathbringer Saurfang-25. This will be a heavily competitive piece, but be on the lookout if you snag a PUG doing ICC's first four bosses. Yes, this piece is named for the Toskk referenced earlier in this column!
• Bracers of Swift Death (Alliance)/Bracers of Swift Death (Horde) Leatherworking BoE from tier 9. Still an excellent piece.
• Chewed Leather Wristguards Dropped by Ick and Krick in heroic Pit of Saron.
• Wrathful Gladiator's Armwraps of Triumph Available for 43,400 honor.
• Armbands of the Wary Lookout Dropped by the Argent Confessor or Eadric in heroic Trial of the Champion.
• Mechanist's Bindings Dropped by Flame Leviathan in Ulduar-25. Look for this if Flame Leviathan is the weekly raid quest on your realm.
• Titan-Forged Armwraps of Triumph Available for 15 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor.

Gloves

Ferals in four-piece tier 10 usually switch out either the chest or gloves for a non-set piece (principally Aldriana's Gloves of Secrecy off Rotface if you can get them), but (as always) it's pretty individual to each player. Toravon has a chance to drop the tier gloves if you run VoA regularly.

Enchant: Enchant Gloves -- Major Agility. If you're an engineer, Hyperspeed Accelerators.

• Cat Burglar's Grips Available for 60 Emblems of Frost.
• Sanctified Lasherweave Handgrips Dropped by Toravon-25.
• Scourge Stranglers Dropped by Deathbringer Saurfang-10.
• Lasherweave Handgrips Available for 60 Emblems of Frost or dropped by Toravon-10.
• Malfurion's Handgrips of Triumph (Alliance)/Runetotem's Handgrips of Triumph (Horde) The ilevel 245, tier 9 gloves, available for 45 Emblems of Triumph and 1 Trophy of the Crusade.
• Malfurion's Handgrips of Conquest (Alliance)/Runetotem's Handgrips of Triumph (Horde) The ilevel 232, tier 9 gloves, available for 30 Emblems of Triumph.
• Carpal Tunnelers Dropped by Marwyn in normal Halls of Reflection.
• Relentless Gladiator's Dragonhide Gloves Available for 60 Emblems of Frost, 8,000 honor and 440 arena points, or dropped by Toravon/Koralon.
• Gloves of the Blind Stalker Available for 28 Emblems of Conquest.
• Gloves of the Argent Fanatic Dropped by the Argent Confessor or Eadric in normal Trial of the Champion.

Belt

Unless you can get a raid that clears Putricide for Astrylian's Sutured Cinch (or, alternatively, Lady Deathwhisper for Soulthief's, below), your best bet is the Frost emblem belt.

Enchant: Eternal Belt Buckle.

• Vengeful Noose Available for 60 Emblems of Frost. A very good piece, coming in third behind Astrylian's Sutured Cinch (both the normal and heroic versions, the latter being best in slot) off Professor Putricide.
• Soulthief's Braided Belt Dropped by Lady Deathwhisper-10.
• Death-warmed Belt Leatherworking BoE.
• Flayer's Black Belt Dropped by Forgemaster Garfrost in normal Pit of Saron.
• Belt of the Twilight Assassin Available for 28 Emblems of Conquest.
• Relentless Gladiator's Belt of Triumph Available for 34,400 honor or dropped by Toravon/Koralon.
• Belt of Fierce Competition Dropped from the Champion's Cache in normal Trial of the Champion.

Legs

You have a lot of options here, but you're best off saving toward tier (not least because they contain the increasingly hard-to-find expertise).

Enchant: Icescale Leg Armor.

• Bladeborn Leggings Leatherworking BoE. This is one of the two melee leather recipes from Icecrown, and still hugely expensive to have made.
• Sanctified Lasherweave Legguards Dropped by Toravon-25
• Lasherweave Legguards Available for 95 Emblems of Frost or dropped by Toravon-10.
• Malfurion's Legguards of Triumph (Alliance)/Runetotem's Legguards of Triumph (Horde) The ilevel 245, tier 9 legs available for 75 Emblems of Triumph and 1 Trophy of the Crusade.
• Malfurion's Legguards of Conquest (Alliance)/Runetotem's Legguards of Conquest (Horde) The ilevel 232, tier 9 legs available for 50 Emblems of Triumph.
• Relentless Gladiator's Dragonhide Legguards Available for 95 Emblems of Frost, 13,200 honor and 770 arena points, or dropped by Toravon/Koralon.
• Shaggy Wyrmleather Leggings Dropped by Scourgelord Tyrannus in normal Pit of Saron.
• Fleshwerk Leggings Dropped by Scourgelord Tyrannus in heroic Pit of Saron. Yep, the normal mode version is better. Why? Unless you're already at the hard armor penetration cap (unlikely while you're gearing up), you'll get more DPS out of the armor pen on the normal version than you will out of haste on the heroic version.
• Proto-Hide Leggings Dropped by Razorscale-25. Look for these if Razorscale's the weekly raid quest.
• Leggings of Wavering Shadow Available for 39 Emblems of Conquest.
• Titan-Forged Leather Legguards of Triumph Available for 40 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor.
• Leggings of Brazen Trespass Dropped by Eadric in normal Trial of the Champion.

Filed under: Druid, (Druid) Shifting Perspectives