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

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  619.89 APE (Hard)
2. Starfall Girdle  584.11 APE (Hard)
3. Soul-Devouring Cinch  565.92 APE (Hard)
4. Girdle of Embers  551.2 APE 
5. Relic Hunter’s Cord  524.26 APE
6. Belt of the Titans  519.24 APE (Crafted)
7. Belt of the Twilight Assassin  512.85 APE (Emblems)
8. Belt of the Singing Blade  507.65 APE  (Emblems)
9. Girdle of Chivalry  498.79 APE
10. Death-warmed Belt  496.76 APE (Crafted)

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

1. Starfall Girdle  576.51 APE (Hard)
2. Soul-Devouring Cinch  565.92 APE (Hard)
3. Girdle of Embers  551.2 APE 
4. Belt of Colossal Rage  526.36 APE (Hard)
5. Belt of the Titans  519.24 APE (Crafted)

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

1. Girdle of Embers  551.2 APE
2. Belt of Colossal Rage  526.36 APE (Hard)
3. Belt of the Betrayed  492.9 APE
4. Belt of Dragons  460.85 APE (Crafted)
5. Starfall Girdle  438.19 APE (Hard)

Blood - Top 5 Best in Slot Belt: Hit Capped

1. Starfall Girdle  576.51 APE (Hard)
2. Soul-Devouring Cinch  565.92 APE (Hard)
3. Girdle of Embers  551.2 APE 
4. Belt of the Titans  519.24 APE (Crafted)
5. Belt of Colossal Rage  501.92 APE (Hard)

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

1. Girdle of Embers  551.2 APE
2. Belt of Colossal Rage  501.92 APE (Hard)
3. Belt of the Betrayed  492.9 APE
4. Belt of Dragons  460.85 APE (Crafted)
5. Starfall Girdle  438.19 APE (Hard)

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 Belt

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  598.14 APE (Hard)
2. Starfall Girdle  548.03 APE (Hard)
3. Soul-Devouring Cinch  511.61 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Twilight Assassin  493.42 APE (Emblems)
5. Belt of the Singing Blade  490.92 APE  (Emblems)
6. Belt of the Titans  481.66 APE (Crafted)
7. Death-warmed Belt  470.11 APE (Crafted)
8. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE
9. Relic Hunter’s Cord  466.32 APE
10. Girdle of Chivalry  454.57 APE

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

1. Starfall Girdle  534.11 APE (Hard)
2. Soul-Devouring Cinch  510.17 APE (Hard)
3. Belt of Colossal Rage  486.22 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Titans  478.78 APE (Crafted)
5. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE

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

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  486.22 APE (Hard)
2. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE
3. Starfall Girdle  405.87 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Betrayed  404.93 APE
5. Belt of Dragons  395.87 APE (Crafted) 

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Belt: Hit Capped

1. Starfall Girdle  534.11 APE (Hard)
2. Soul-Devouring Cinch  510.17 APE (Hard)
3. Belt of the Titans  478.78 APE (Crafted)
4. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE
5. Belt of Colossal Rage  462.72 APE (Hard) 

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

1. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE
2. Belt of Colossal Rage  462.72 APE (Hard)
3. Starfall Girdle  405.87 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Betrayed  404.93 APE
5. Belt of Dragons  395.87 APE (Crafted)

Frost - Top 5 Best in Slot Belt: Expertise Capped

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  598.14 APE (Hard)
2. Belt of the Singing Blade  490.92 APE  (Emblems)
3. Death-warmed Belt  470.11 APE (Crafted)
4. Girdle of Embers  466.56 APE
5. Relic Hunter’s Cord  466.32 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 Belt

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  592.029 APE (Hard)
2. Starfall Girdle  529.443 APE (Hard)
3. Soul-Devouring Cinch  484.13 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Titans  479.596 APE (Crafted)
5. Girdle of Chivalry  479.131 APE
6. Belt of the Singing Blade  475.821 APE  (Emblems)
7. Girdle of Embers  461.97 APE 
8. Death-warmed Belt  448.127 APE (Crafted)
9. Belt of Dragons  440.512 APE (Crafted)
10. Girdle of Razuvious  421.857 APE

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

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  540.893 APE (Hard)
2. Starfall Girdle  525.811 APE (Hard)
3. Soul-Devouring Cinch  484.13 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Titans  479.596 APE (Crafted)
5. Girdle of Embers  461.97 APE

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

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  540.893 APE (Hard)
2. Girdle of Embers  461.97 APE
3. Belt of Dragons  440.512 APE (Crafted)
4. Starfall Girdle  438.171 APE (Hard)
5. Girdle of Chivalry  429.083 APE

Unholy - Top 5 Best in Slot Belt: Hit Capped

1. Starfall Girdle  525.811 APE (Hard)
2. Belt of Colossal Rage  499.533 APE (Hard)
3. Soul-Devouring Cinch  484.13 APE (Hard)
4. Belt of the Titans  479.596 APE (Crafted)
5. Girdle of Embers  461.97 APE  

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

1. Belt of Colossal Rage  499.533 APE (Hard)
2. Girdle of Embers  461.97 APE
3. Belt of Dragons  440.512 APE (Crafted)
4. Starfall Girdle  438.171 APE (Hard)
5. Belt of the Titans  416.996 APE (Crafted)

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