Heya guys!!  Welcome to the T8 edition of Best in Slot Items for Death Knights!!  Today we’re gonna talk about the best Bracers for your wrist 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 Bracers

1. Decimator’s Armguards  455.75 APE
2. Armbands of Bedlam  436.11 APE  (Hard)
3. Bitter Cold Armguards  429.55 APE  (Hard)
4. Solar Bindings  418.46 APE (Hard)
5. Fluxing Energy Coils  412.72 APE (Hard)
6. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  400.31 APE
7. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  358.39 APE  (Emblems)
8. Bracers of the Tyrant  356.42 APE
9. Bracers of the Smothering Inferno  348.1 APE
10. Frost-bound Chain Bracers  345.26 APE

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  436.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  421.95 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  416.02 APE (Hard)
4. Decimator’s Armguards  384.11 APE
5. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  358.39 APE  (Emblems) 

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  436.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  421.95 APE  (Hard)
3. Decimator’s Armguards  384.11 APE
4. Wristwraps of the Cutthroat  321.15 APE  (Emblems)
5. Fluxing Energy Coils  318.74 APE (Hard)

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Bracers: Hit Capped

1. Armbands of Bedlam  436.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  421.95 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  416.02 APE (Hard)
4. Decimator’s Armguards  365.39 APE
5. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  358.39 APE  (Emblems)

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  436.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  421.95 APE  (Hard)
3. Decimator’s Armguards  365.39 APE
4. Wristwraps of the Cutthroat  321.15 APE  (Emblems)
5. Mechanist’s Bindings  304.92 APE 

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 Bracers

1. Decimator’s Armguards  407.55 APE
2. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  393.15 APE
3. Fluxing Energy Coils  378.27 APE (Hard)
4. Armbands of Bedlam  377.83 APE  (Hard)
5. Bitter Cold Armguards  372.63 APE  (Hard)
6. Solar Bindings  358.12 APE (Hard)
7. Thrusting Bands  332.61 APE
8. Frost-bound Chain Bracers  331.35 APE
9. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  326.87 APE  (Emblems)
10. Bracers of Lost Sentiments  323.42 APE

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  377.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.27 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  352.36 APE (Hard)
4. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  326.87 APE  (Emblems)
5. Decimator’s Armguards  324.03 APE

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  377.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.27 APE  (Hard)
3. Decimator’s Armguards  324.03 APE
4. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  284.99 APE
5. Fluxing Energy Coils  265.79 APE (Hard)

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Bracers: Hit Capped

1. Armbands of Bedlam  377.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.27 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  352.36 APE (Hard)
4. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  326.87 APE  (Emblems)
5. Decimator’s Armguards  306.03 APE 

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  377.11 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.27 APE  (Hard)
3. Decimator’s Armguards  306.03 APE
4. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  261.99 APE
5. Sinner’s Bindings  258.93 APE

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Bracers: Expertise Capped

1. Decimator’s Armguards  407.55 APE
2. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  393.15 APE
3. Fluxing Energy Coils  378.27 APE (Hard)
4. Armbands of Bedlam  377.83 APE  (Hard)
5. Bitter Cold Armguards  372.63 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 Bracers

1. Armbands of Bedlam  433.439 APE  (Hard)
2. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  372.098 APE
3. Bitter Cold Armguards  363.677 APE  (Hard)
4. Decimator’s Armguards  360.259 APE
5. Solar Bindings  356.332 APE (Hard)
6. Bracers of the Tyrant  330.687 APE
7. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  322.775 APE  (Emblems)
8. Fluxing Energy Coils  315.787 APE (Hard)
9. Frost-bound Chain Bracers  306.513 APE
10. Sinner’s Bindings  285.342 APE

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  433.439 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.045 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  356.332 APE (Hard)
4. Bracers of the Tyrant  330.687 APE
5. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  322.775 APE  (Emblems) 

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  433.439 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.045 APE  (Hard)
3. Bracers of Unrelenting Attack  322.05 APE
4. Decimator’s Armguards  321.091 APE
5. Sinner’s Bindings  285.342 APE  

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Bracers: Hit Capped

1. Armbands of Bedlam  433.439 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.045 APE  (Hard)
3. Solar Bindings  356.332 APE (Hard)
4. Bracers of the Tyrant  330.687 APE
5. Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress  322.775 APE  (Emblems)   

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

1. Armbands of Bedlam  433.439 APE  (Hard)
2. Bitter Cold Armguards  360.045 APE  (Hard)
3. Decimator’s Armguards  289.411 APE
4. Sinner’s Bindings  285.342 APE 
5. Solar Bindings  282.777 APE (Hard)

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.

Tags: Best in Slot Items