How to Gear Up in The War Within

Gearing in The War Within isn’t just about hitting the new 723 item level cap — it’s about doing it efficiently so you can jump into Mythic+ dungeons, raids, and competitive PvP without falling behind the curve. This guide covers every reliable gearing path in Season 3 — from the moment you hit 80 to farming BiS (Best-in-Slot) gear — including dungeons, raids, world content, professions, PvP, and The Great Vault.

1. Early Game: Fresh 80 Starting Point

Your first objective after hitting level 80 is to stabilize your gear so you can enter endgame content without constant wipes.

🔸 Priority Actions:

Complete the Campaign
Buy Starter Gear on the Auction House
Queue for Heroic Dungeons

2. Dungeons — Core Progression Path

Dungeon content is the backbone of fast gearing in The War Within.

🔸 Season 3 Dungeon Difficulties & Rewards

Difficulty	Drop ilvl	Vault ilvl
Heroic	665	678
Mythic 0	681	691
M+2–3	684	694
M+4	688	697
M+5	691	697
M+6	694	701
M+7–8	697	704
M+9	697	704
M+10–12	701	707

💡 Pro Tip:

Aim to clear M+10 weekly for 707 Vault gear.
If undergeared, farm M0 → M+2 → M+5 in sequence for smooth progression.

3. Raid Gear — Manaforge Omega

Raids remain the highest single-source loot path.

🔸 Raid Difficulties & Gear

Difficulty	Bosses 1–3	Bosses 4–6	Bosses 7–8	Crest Type
LFR	671	675	678	Wearhered
Normal	684	688	691	Carved
Heroic	697	701	704	Runed
Mythic	710	714	717	Gilded

🔸 High-Value Boss Drops (714 ilvl Mythic):

Dimensius: Band of the Shattered Soul
Fractillus: Diamantine Voidcore
Soulbinder Naazindhri: Voidglass Spire
Nexus-King Salhadaar: Maw of the Void

💡 Pro Tip: Even if you can’t raid Mythic, Heroic loot plus Vault upgrades can rival it.

4. World Bosses

K’aresh World Boss: Reshanor, The Untethered

Drops 688 ilvl loot (good filler gear).
Examples: Feasting Fiend’s Barbute, Void-Bound Hauberk.
Spawns on a predictable weekly rotation — worth killing for catch-up gear.

5. World Quests

Great for transition gear between Campaign rewards and dungeon loot.
Only target WQs offering gear rewards — check the map before committing.
Can drop ~680 ilvl gear early in the season.

6. Crafted & Profession Gear

Crafted gear is flexible and customizable via Embellishments:

Examples: Arathor Armor Patch, Blessed Weapon Grip, Earthen Master's Arsenal.
Ideal for filling stubborn slots or pre-BiS weapons.
Early patch tip: craft key slots ASAP — prices will spike.

7. Reputation Gear — K’aresh Trust

Renown 7: 668 ilvl chest.
Renown 16: 681 ilvl bracers.
Mostly cosmetic beyond this — low gearing priority.

8. PvP Gear

PvP gear is powerful in PvP and viable in PvE at lower levels.

🔸 Season 3 PvP Gear

Gear Type	PvP ilvl	PvE ilvl
Crafted	723	681
Honor	710	652
Conquest	723	681
War Mode Gear	720	678

Honor Gear: Entry-level PvP — farm BGs, skirmishes.
Conquest Gear: Weekly caps, upgradeable, PvP BiS.
War Mode Gear: Purchased with Bloody Tokens from WPvP.

9. The Great Vault

Weekly loot selection from Raids, M+, World Content.

Up to 9 choices (3 per activity type).
Vault ilvl can exceed direct drop ilvl — especially for Tier Sets.
Always fill as many slots as possible each week.

10. Weekly Cache

Rewards Veteran-tier gear from weekly activities.
Open immediately — loot ilvl is fixed on acquisition.

🔸 Optimized Gearing Path — From Fresh 80 to 723

Complete Campaign → 660–665 ilvl.
Buy key AH pieces to fill gaps.
Heroic Dungeons → M0 → M+5 progression.
Target M+10 clears weekly for Vault 707 ilvl.
Join Normal/Heroic Raids ASAP.
Supplement with Crafted/World Boss/WQ gear.
PvP for extra weapons/slots if needed.
Farm Great Vault weekly for best upgrades.

By combining M+ dungeons, raids, crafted gear, and Vault rewards, you can hit the 723 ilvl cap efficiently and stay competitive for all Season 3 content. Whether your focus is PvE or PvP, the key is to keep all gearing avenues active so you’re never dependent on a single loot source.