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

1. Gauntlets of the Wretched  569.41 APE
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  556.43 APE (Set)
3. Gloves of the Stonereaper  553.14 APE
4. Gloves of the Endless Dark  544.33 APE (Hard)
5. Gloves of the Steady Hand  543.39 APE (Hard)
6. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  523.79 APE (Emblems)
7. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  521 APE (Set)
8. Crude Discolored Battlegrips  512.65 APE
9. Frosted Adroit Handguards  499.64 APE
10. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  494.33 APE

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  523.79 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  494.33 APE
3. Gauntlets of the Wretched  491.8 APE
4. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  489.66 APE
5. Gloves of the Fiery Behemoth  461.46 APE

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  523.79 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  494.33 APE
3. Gauntlets of the Wretched  491.8 APE
4. Gloves of the Fiery Behemoth  461.46 APE
5. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  444.99 APE (Set)

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Gauntlets: Hit Capped

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  523.79 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  494.33 APE
3. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  489.66 APE
4. Gauntlets of the Wretched  471.52 APE
5. Gloves of the Fiery Behemoth  461.46 APE

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  523.79 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  494.33 APE
3. Gauntlets of the Wretched  471.52 APE
4. Gloves of the Fiery Behemoth  461.46APE 
5. Gloves of Taut Grip  430.07 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 Gauntlets

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  545.67 APE (Set)
2. Gloves of the Steady Hand  517.24 APE (Hard)
3. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  511.02 APE (Set)
4. Crude Discolored Battlegrips  510.69 APE
5. Gloves of the Stonereaper  509.08 APE
6. Gauntlets of the Wretched  504.54 APE
7. Gloves of the Endless Dark  544.33 APE (Hard)
8. Frosted Adroit Handguards  483.45 APE
9. Dislocating Handguards  448.28 APE
10. Valorous Scourgeborne Gauntlets  447.87 APE (Set)

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  440.91 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  425.86 APE
3. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  421.07 APE
4. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  414.31 APE (Set)
5. Gauntlets of the Wretched  414.06 APE 

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  440.91 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  425.86 APE 
3. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  414.31 APE (Set)
4. Gauntlets of the Wretched  414.06 APE
5. Gloves of the Steady Hand  398.36 APE (Hard)

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Gauntlets: Hit Capped

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  440.91 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  425.86 APE
3. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  421.07 APE
4. Gauntlets of the Wretched  394.56 APE
5. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  386.31 APE (Set)

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

1. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  440.91 APE (Emblems)
2. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  425.86 APE
3. Gauntlets of the Wretched  394.56 APE
4. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  386.31 APE (Set)
5. Gloves of the Steady Hand  373.36 APE (Hard)

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Gauntlets: Expertise Capped

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  545.67 APE (Set)
2. Gloves of the Steady Hand  517.24 APE (Hard)
3. Valorous Scourgeborne Gauntlets  511.02 APE (Set)
4. Crude Discolored Battlegrips  510.69 APE
5. Gloves of the Stonereaper  509.08 APE

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 Gauntlets

1. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  525.091 APE (Set)
2. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  491.688 APE (Set)
3. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  490.363 APE
4. Gloves of the Steady Hand  485.059 APE (Hard)
5. Gloves of the Endless Dark  481.907 APE (Hard)
6. Crude Discolored Battlegrips  468.511 APE
7. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  455.343 APE
8. Gauntlets of the Wretched  448.555 APE
9. Frosted Adroit Handguards  440.294 APE
10. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  433.066 APE (Emblems)

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

1. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  490.363 APE
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  464.163 APE (Set)
3. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  455.343 APE
4. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  435.112 APE (Set)
5. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  433.066 APE (Emblems) 

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

1. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  490.363 APE
2. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  464.163 APE (Set)
3. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  435.112 APE (Set)
4. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  433.066 APE (Emblems)
5. Gloves of the Steady Hand  430.659 APE (Hard)  

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Gauntlets: Hit Capped

1. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  490.363 APE
2. Zeliek’s Gauntlets  455.343 APE
3. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  433.066 APE (Emblems)
4. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  414.883 APE (Set)
5. Gloves of Unerring Aim  400.067 APE  

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

1. Gauntlets of Ruthless Reprisal  490.363 APE
2. Bladebreaker Gauntlets  433.066 APE (Emblems)
3. Conqueror’s Darkruned Gauntlets  414.883 APE (Set)
4. Gloves of Unerring Aim  400.067 APE
5. Valorous Darkruned Gauntlets  389.352 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