As you quest, you’re bound to pick up some fairly decent greens that will see you through, but you’re probably wondering if there are any special quests you should be doing or particular instance bosses you should be slapping around to get yourself some blue pieces that will improve your performance. Because there are so many items in the game, it’s impossible to list them all here, but I’ll make an attempt to list a variety of particularly attractive items for you to go after.
Armor
Black Wolf Bracers – These bracers drop from Fenrus the Devourer in Shadowfang Keep. While they don’t have any Agility or Attack Power on them, the added Stamina will increase the survivability of you and your pet.
Girdle of the Blindwatcher – This belt drops from Odo the Blindwatcher, also found in Shadowfang Keep. The extra Intellect on this belt will give you a bigger mana pool, meaning more shots before you have to stop to drink. Also, if you spec into Careful Aim, the Intellect will also give you some added Attack Power.
Deviate Scale Belt – This is another Leatherworking piece that you should be able to pick up from the Auction House. Because the materials used to make the belt are a bit more rare than others, it may be a bit pricey, but it’s worth it. The extra 1.5% hit on this belt is invaluable at this level, since hit rating is very difficult to come by until later levels.
Blackened Defias Belt – As an alternative to the belt from Shadowfang Keep or the Deviate Scale Belt, this belt drops in the Deadmines in Westfall. While it doesn’t provide a boost to any stats, it does have a respectable boost to Attack Power on it.
Fletcher’s Gloves – These gloves are crafted via Leatherworking, and if you’re not a Leatherworker you can probably pick them up from the Auction House with relative ease. The extra 4% crit at level 20 is an amazing boost.
Tunic of Westfall – This chest piece is a reward for the last quest in the Defias Brotherhood chain in Westfall. The stats on this chest piece are more Hunter-appropriate than the Blackened Defias Armor, so you’re better off with the quest reward than the dungeon drop in this case.
Serpent’s Shoulders – These drop from Lady Anacondra in the Wailing Caverns. Shoulder-slot items seem to be somewhat difficult to come by in this level range, and these provide a nice boost to Agility so making the trip over to the Barrens is definitely worth it if you can find a group (for you Alliance folks, that is).
Rugged Spaulders – Alternatively, if you find getting into Shadowfang Keep much easier, you may want to go after these instead. (Particularly if you’re already going for the bracers and belt.)
Footpads of the Fang – These boots drop from Lord Serpentis in the Wailing Caverns. One thing I would mention regarding the Fang set: given the set bonuses, these pieces are clearly designed for Druids so it’s not particularly beneficial to complete the set just for any set bonuses. However, most of the individual pieces do have stats on them that are good for Hunters, so don’t be afraid to roll on a couple if you have the chance.
Cape of the Brotherhood – This cape drops from Edwin VanCleef in the Deadmines. Alternatively, you could go with the Glowing Lizardscale Cloak from Wailing Caverns, but this one is slightly better.
Weapons
One thing worth noting here is that Hunters cannot dual-wield until Level 20. With that in mind, particularly when you’re running instances, if you come across any one-handed weapons–particularly swords and daggers–you may want to defer to any Rogues in your group. While the stats on those one-handers are great for both Rogues and Hunters, the difference here is that Rogues can dual-wield at Level 10 which means they’ll be able to use them immediately to the greatest effect. After Level 20, anything is fair game, but for now, let the Rogues have the one-handers if they want them.
Haunting Blade – This sword drops from a rare spawn in Shadowfang Keep, the Deathsworn Captain. The boost to Attack Power is more than you’ll likely find on any one-handed weapons and since you can’t dual-wield yet, this is a great choice.
Impaling Harpoon – If you don’t have any luck getting the Deathsworn Captain to spawn (let alone drop the sword), you might try for this polearm from the Deadmines. While the stats aren’t quite as good, it makes an acceptable substitute if your luck isn’t what you’d like it to be.
Venomstrike – If you didn’t have a reason to go to Wailing Caverns before, you do now. This bow is one of very few ranged upgrades in this level range. It drops off Lord Serpentis in the Wailing Caverns.
A Note on Stats
This is definitely something I’ve mentioned in numerous other guides here on the site, but I feel like it bears repeating here. As Hunters, there are certain stats you’ll specifically want to seek out on pieces of gear and others you can ignore. A good rule of thumb is that if an item has either Strength or Spirit on it, it’s probably not meant for you. Particularly at lower levels, other classes will make much better use of items with those stats on them, so look for items with only Agility, Stamina, Intellect, Hit, Crit or Attack Power on them.
Pass on anything with Spell Power, Defense or Expertise.
I’ll be posting similar gear guides for subsequent levels shortly, so keep an eye out for those in the coming days.
Happy Hunting!
In This Series
- Hunter Gear for Leveling (10-20)
- Hunter Gear for Leveling (21-30)
- Hunter Gear for Leveling (31-40)
- Hunter Gear for Leveling (41-50)
- Hunter Gear for Leveling (51-60)
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