Icecrown Gear Roundup Part 1: Emblem of Frost and Primordial Saronite

3.3 is really looming now. Loot lists are far from complete, and we haven't seen all of the Ashen Verdict rings yet, but two lists are presumed complete. We've known the crafted items for some time, and Emblem of Frost vendors are up with some nice itemlevel 264 goodness.

So let's browse the shop and see what we like, eh?

Crafted items this time around are made with Primordial Saronite, the Icecrown raid material. Patterns this time around are boots and pants.

The two options are pretty much identical aside from one stat. Deathfrost Boots clock in at 122 spellpower, 64 hit, 80 crit, red/blue sockets with a 7 spellpower socket bonus. The socket bonus is nice, socket layout is favorable for hitting it (it's a good candidate for your meta gem requirement if your spirit scale factor doesn't justify the bonus alone). The alternative is Sandals of Consecration, with 122 spellpower, 64 crit, 80 spirit, two yellow sockets with a 7 spellpower bonus. The socket colors make the bonus a no-go. Honestly, neither one is likely to be attractive to an Icecrown raider, there'll likely be a haste alternative in the zone itself. They're both good options for the warlock still in lower content or the non-raider.

Pants have Leggings of Woven Death and Lightweave Leggings. Both have a massive 164 spellpower (just beating out ilevel 258 ToGC epics), R/Y/B sockets (Three socket pants, at that - two has been the norm in tier 9 content) with a 9 spellpower bonus, which isn't bad at all, Woven Death have 84 crit and 108 haste, Lightweave trade the haste for 108 spirit. Neither is at all bad. There will likely be a haste/spirit option in the raid that would take preference over Lightweave, but Woven Death has some hefty haste attached and isn't a bad looking pair of pants.

That's the patterns, how about the Emblems?

First slot up is two robe options. Meteor Chaser's Raiment and Ermine Coronation Robes. Again, crit/spirit and haste/crit. Both have three gem slots and a 9 spellpower bonus, and both edge out ToGC loot by a few spellpower.

There's a belt, Circle of Ossus. Dunno who Ossus is, but he damn sure likes haste/spirit, with two gem slots and the best stat spread you could ask for, this will probably be a high priority for many buyers. With red/blue sockets and a 7 spellpower bonus, it's probably one to go for, too.

Gloves of Ambivalence, with two yellow sockets, look more like healer gear, but still, monster spellpower, crit/spirit, and even though the sockets probably aren't worth hitting for a 7 sp bonus, they're not complete wastes of itemization.

Volde's Cloak of the Night Sky is the only real cloak option. crit/spirit again, yellow socket with only a 5 sp bonus. Still, at 97 spellpower, this isn't a cloak to take lightly.

Lastly, we have a trinket. Maghia's Misguided Quill pretty much lives up to it's name: Misguided. There's a reason the Triumph trinket wasn't popular, and it's because there's really no reason to invest so much hit in a trinket in the equivalent level gear, let alone so much more than previous versions. The use effect is pretty lackluster next to Icecrown Citadel loot, too. Dying Curse is still the one good hit trinket in all of Wrath. Note that while this trinket has doubled Dying Curse's hit, it's proc is still less effective spellpower than that ancient tier 7 itemlevel 213 trinket. If that hit were... anything, anything at all except maybe intellect or MP5, this could be a good trinket. Haste, crit, spellpower, even spirit would look good there. But hit makes this one a great big pass.