Heya guys!!  Welcome to the T8 edition of Best in Slot Items for Death Knights!!  Today we’re gonna talk about the best Breastplate for your chest slot that you can get for your DK. 

Items have been broken up into 6 categories depending on your current Hit and Expertise Rating.  Please refer to the Hit and Expertise Revisited post if you have any questions regarding Hit and Expertise caps, their value, and how to get there.

PLEASE read the notes at the bottom of the post.  The notes are important.

Blood - Top 10 Best in Slot Chest

1. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  796.54 APE 
2. Chestguard of the Recluse  766.02 APE 
3. Chestguard of Insidious Intent  758.05 APE 
4. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  745.46 APE (Set) 
5. Winter’s Icy Embrace  742.64 APE
6. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  737.55 APE 
7. Undiminished Battleplate  734.91 APE
8. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  702.32 APE  (Set)
9. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  687.72 APE
10. Embrace of the Gladiator  687.13 APE (Hard)

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit Capped

1. Chestguard of the Recluse  766.02 APE 
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  745.46 APE (Set) 
3. Winter’s Icy Embrace  742.64 APE
4. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  737.55 APE 
5. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  702.32 APE  (Set) 

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  687.72 APE
2. Embrace of the Gladiator  687.13 APE (Hard)
3. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  669.96 APE 
4. Chestguard of Insidious Intent  636.51 APE 
5. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  636.09 APE (Set)

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit Capped

1. Chestguard of the Recluse  766.02 APE 
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  745.46 APE (Set)
3. Winter’s Icy Embrace  742.64 APE
4. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  737.55 APE 
5. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  702.32 APE  (Set)  

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  687.72 APE
2. Embrace of the Gladiator  687.13 APE (Hard)
3. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  637.72 APE 
4. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  636.09 APE (Set)
5. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  609.61 APE (Set)

Blood APE Values for Tier Set Bonuses

• T7 2pc  60 APE
• T7 4pc  39 APE
• T8 2pc  83 APE
• T8 4pc  104 APE 

Frost - Top 10 Best in Slot Chest

1. Undiminished Battleplate  740.73 APE
2. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  724.56 APE
3. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  692.14 APE (Set) 
4. Chestguard of Insidious Intent  689.35 APE
5. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  682.03 APE 
6. Chestguard of the Recluse  664.29 APE 
7. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  652.8 APE  (Set)
8. Winter’s Icy Embrace  617.77 APE
9. Breastplate of Frozen Pain  593.13 APE
10. Cult’s Chestguard  591.34 APE (Hard)

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit Capped

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  689.26 APE (Set) 
2. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  680.59 APE 
3. Chestguard of the Recluse  663.57 APE 
4. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  649.92 APE  (Set)
5. Winter’s Icy Embrace  614.89 APE 

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  574.24 APE
2. Embrace of the Gladiator  565.62 APE (Hard)
3. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  563.31 APE (Set)
4. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  562.77 APE
5. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  547.77 APE

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit Capped

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  689.26 APE (Set) 
2. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  680.59 APE
3. Chestguard of the Recluse  663.57 APE
4. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  649.92 APE  (Set)
5. Winter’s Icy Embrace  614.89 APE  

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Embrace of the Gladiator  565.62 APE (Hard)
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  563.31 APE (Set)
3. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  562.77 APE
4. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  547.77 APE 
5. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  543.24 APE

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Expertise Capped

1. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  724.56 APE
2. Chestguard of Insidious Intent  689.35 APE
3. Undiminished Battleplate  623.94 APE
4. Breastplate of Frozen Pain  593.13 APE
5. Embrace of the Gladiator  569.94 APE (Hard)

Frost APE Values for Tier Set Bonuses

• T7 2pc  73 APE
• T7 4pc  97 APE
• T8 2pc  150 APE
• T8 4pc  75 APE

 Unholy – Top 10 Best in Slot Chest

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  690.164 APE (Set) 
2. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  677.966 APE
3. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  650.92 APE  (Set)
4. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
5. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  641.969 APE
6. Undiminished Battleplate  637.261 APE
7. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set)
8. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  616.197 APE
9. Chestguard of Insidious Intent  586.555 APE
10. Breastplate of Frozen Pain  585.568 APE

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit Capped

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  690.164 APE (Set) 
2. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  677.966 APE
3. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  650.92 APE  (Set)
4. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
5. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set) 

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Melee Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
2. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set) 
3. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  616.197 APE
4. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  604.089 APE (Set)
5. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  587.196 APE 

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit Capped

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  690.164 APE (Set)
2. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  677.966 APE
3. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  650.92 APE  (Set)
4. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
5. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set)

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Hit and Expertise Capped

1. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
2. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set)
3. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  616.197 APE
4. Valorous Darkruned Battleplate  604.089 APE  (Set)
5. Steelbreaker’s Embrace  587.196 APE

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Chest: Expertise Capped

1. Embrace of the Gladiator  647.351 APE (Hard)
2. Chestplate of Titanic Fury  641.969 APE
3. Valorous Scourgeborne Battleplate  630.803 APE (Set)
4. Chestplate of Vicious Potency  616.197 APE
5. Conqueror’s Darkruned Battleplate  604.089 APE (Set)   

Unholy APE Values for Tier Set Bonuses

• T7 2pc  78.3 APE
• T7 4pc  160.2 APE
• T8 2pc  37.92 APE
• T8 4pc  115.7 APE

Notations

• (Hard) – This comes from a boss on Hard mode.  This will not be easy to get.
• (Set) – Remember to account for the 2 and 4 Piece Set Bonuses.  This will adjust the ranking of this item.
• (Crafted) – This should be easier to attain if you have the gold and can find a crafter with the recipie.
• (Emblems) – This can only be purchased through Emblems at a vendor.

Things to remember

1. Please see my “Best in Slot Items” (BISI) page for a comprehensive list of all BISI items.
2. THIS DOES NOT ADD IN SET BONUSES!!!  At the end of each Spec’s section, there is a listing of the APE values of the set bonuses.  When you attain a bonus you can then add in that APE to item values.  Remember it is not a bonus per each Tier item.  For example if you got 5 pieces of T8 Unholy you would add a total of 153.62 APE to your toon, and no more.
3. These items are weighted using a system commonly refered to as APE, or Attack Power Equivalency.  This uses mathematical formulas, and often times simulators, to determine how much each attribute contributes to your dps.  It equates item stat values into a numeric value that equals 1 Attack Power, or 1 AP.
4. APE means exactly what it says, this item has an equivalent value of x AP.  So if it says 1 is 519 APE and 2 is 492 APE, swapping from 2 to 1 would be like gaining 27 Attack Power.
5. Take everything here with a grain of salt.  Short of running a simulator, it’s nearly impossible to know what the best stats are for any one character.  APE changes as your stats change.  As one stat goes up, its value to your dps goes down.  Meanwhile other stats’ values will go up in value.  This however is a good baseline, assuming you have the equivalent best in slot items and have kept your stats balanced while gearing out.
6. Keep in mind  that my information could be wrong.  But even if it is, it is most likely the closest source of information to the actual truth about DK APE values available.
7. Agility adds armor, so if you have the Bladed Armor talent this can be adding AP as well as Melee Crit %.
8. Hit and Expertise can be capped.  You do not want more than you can actually use.  Items with a stat that you’ve exceeded the cap are not worth their “true” value anymore because you’re not getting all of the benefit.
9. 262.32 Hit Rating is equal to 8% Melee Hit (this is the Melee Hit cap).
10. 445.91 Hit Rating is equal to 17% Spell Hit (this is the Spell Hit cap).  The spell hit cap is 288.53 rating or 17% if you have 3/3 Virulence and Misery debuff up.
11. 213.2 Expertise Rating is equal to 26 Expertise (this is the Expertise cap).  172.2 expertise rating  (21 skill) will hit the cap when talented.
12. Your stats need to be balanced.  If you pick gear that always has +Strength on them, then you’re going to be screwed. These items are balanced around the concept that you do not overstack certain stats.  Aka, 4% hit and 3000 AP is bad.  But so is 15% hit and 1500 AP.  Sticking with these item lists will usually avoid that however.
13. If you don’t agree you should seriously take a moment to stop and think about what factual data you have to back up that feeling.  Often times the number crunchers out there find things that look wrong to the average person.
14. When gemming gear most of the time you will ignore the slot colors.  Only pay attention to slot colors when trying to meet a metagem requirement if you need to.  Otherwise every gem slot should be either +Strength, +Expertise, or +Hit.  These numbers assume you are using Rare gems available to any player.
15. For more information on the Expertise and Hit caps you should read here: Hit and Expertise Revisited.

-Suffer Well Brothers and Sisters.

Tags: Best in Slot Items