Item level

A chart showing item levels over time at the tier breakpoints, overlayed on the expansions

Item level (often abbreviated as ilevel or simply ilvl) is a rather important property of every item. It has two main functions — to reflect the item's usefulness and at the same time determine the minimum level a character must have in order to use it.

Item level serves as a rough indicator of the power and usefulness of an item, designed to reflect the overall benefit of using the item. Two items of equal ilvl should in theory therefore be of equal potential use. However, each item spends its ilvl 'budget' differently, in various primary and secondary stats, as well as in procs and effects. Since each of these values provide different benefits to different classes and specs, the true value of an item varies depending on the user, and cannot be determined solely by ilvl. Additionally, PvP Power is not counted towards an item's ilvl budget, allowing PvP gear of a given ilvl to provide an advantage in PvP compared to non-PvP gear of the same ilvl.

Item level is widely used as a means of assessing a character's power. Ilvl is used as a gating requirement when queueing for dungeons, raids and scenarios, and is often used in a similar way by players organising raids.

Individual items' item levels can be found in their tooltips. Each character's average ilvl can be found in the character sheet.

Notes

• Item level in battlegrounds, arena and rated battlegrounds is limited by the PvP item level cap.
• Item level on item tooltips can be enabled or disabled via an option found in the Display section of the Interface Options menu. Up until patch 3.2, the true item level was hidden in the game, and only UI mods could read it via the function GetItemInfo.
• Blizzard's use of a formula to calculate item level from an item's stats was first theorised by Hyzenthlei (Tauren Shaman 60 on Zul'Jin), and later confirmed by a presentation at Blizzcon.

Item level chart

Classic (minLevel = 1-60)

ilvl	PvE (solo/party)	PvE (raid)	PvP	Crafted
1-61 (heirloom)	Heirlooms
2 (common)	Initial quests level 1-4 zones
3 (common)	Initial quests level 1-4 zones
4 (common)	Initial quests level 1-4 zones
5 (common)	Quests level 1-4 zones
6 (common)	Quests level 5-10 zones
7 (common)	Quests level 5-10 zones			req. 2 crafted items
8 (common)	Quests level 5-10 zones			req. 3 crafted items
9 (common)	Quests level 5-10 zones			req. 4 crafted items
10 (common)	Vendors level 1-10 zones Quests level 5-10 zones
10 (uncommon)	Finalizing quests at level 10			req. 5 crafted BoEs
12 (uncommon)	Finalizing quests at level 10			req. 7 crafted BoEs
13 (uncommon)	Finalizing quests at level 10			req. 8 crafted BoEs
14 (uncommon)	Finalizing quests at level 10			req. 9 crafted BoEs
15 (uncommon)	Friendly and Revered reputation awards with Tranquillien			req. 10 crafted BoEs
16 (uncommon)	Finalizing quests at level 10			req. 11 crafted BoEs
17 (uncommon)	Honored reputation awards with Tranquillien			req. 12 crafted BoEs
18 (rare)	Ragefire Chasm
19 (uncommon)				req. 14 crafted BoEs
20 (rare)	Deadmines
21 (uncommon)				req. 16 crafted BoEs
21 (rare)	Shadowfang Keep Wailing Caverns Exalted reputation awards with Tranquillien			[Deviate Scale Belt]
22 (uncommon)				req. 17 crafted BoEs
23 (uncommon)				req. 18 crafted BoEs
24 (uncommon)				req. 14 and 19 crafted BoEs
24 (rare)				[Spidersilk Boots]  [Spidersilk Drape]  [Toughened Leather Armor]
25 (uncommon)				req. 20 crafted BoEs
25 (rare)	Blackfathom Deeps Stormwind Stockade			[Fletcher's Gloves]
26 (uncommon)				req. 21 crafted BoEs
27 (uncommon)				req. 22 crafted BoEs
27 (rare)				[Toughened Leather Gloves]
28 (uncommon)				req. 23 crafted BoEs
29 (uncommon)				req. 24 crafted BoEs
29 (rare)	Gnomeregan
30 (uncommon)				req. 25 crafted BoEs
31 (rare)	Scarlet Halls
32 (uncommon)				req. 27 crafted BoEs
32 (rare)				[Barbaric Bracers]
33 (uncommon)				req. 28 crafted BoEs
33 (rare)	Scarlet Monastery
34 (uncommon)				req. 29 crafted BoEs
35 (common)				[Haliscan Pantaloons]  [Tuxedo Pants]
35 (uncommon)				req. 30 crafted BoEs
35 (rare)	Razorfen Kraul Lord Vyletongue, Tinkerer Gizlock (Maraudon)
36 (uncommon)				req. 31 crafted BoEs
37 (uncommon)				req. 32 crafted BoEs
37 (rare)	Celebras, Noxxion, Razorlash (Maraudon)			[Gem-Studded Leather Belt]
38 (rare)				[Robe of Power]
39 (uncommon)				req. 34 crafted BoEs
39 (rare)	Landslide, Meshlok the Harvester, Princess Theradras, Rotgrip (Maraudon)
39 (epic)	Princess Theradras, Rotgrip (Maraudon)
40 (uncommon)				req. 35 crafted BoEs
40 (rare)	Uldaman			[Icy Cloak]  [Comfortable Leather Hat]  [Shadowskin Gloves]
41 (uncommon)				req. 36 crafted BoEs
41 (rare)	Dire Maul, East wing Lady Falther'ess (Razorfen Downs)
42 (uncommon)				req. 37 crafted BoEs
43 (uncommon)				req. 38 crafted BoEs
43 (rare)	Scholomance
45 (uncommon)				req. 40 crafted BoEs
45 (rare)	Dire Maul, West wing Razorfen Downs			[Dragonscale Gauntlets]  [Dreamweave Gloves]  [Dreamweave Vest]  [Wolfshead Helm]
46 (uncommon)				req. 41 crafted BoEs
46 (rare)				[Gauntlets of the Sea]
47 (uncommon)				req. 42 crafted BoEs
47 (rare)	Stratholme, Main Gate
47 (epic)	[Book of the Dead]
48 (uncommon)				req. 43 crafted BoEs
49 (rare)	Dire Maul, North wing Zul'Farrak
50 (rare)	Stratholme, Main Gate			[Dreamweave Circlet]  [Feathered Breastplate]  [Helm of Fire]
51 (uncommon)				req. 46 crafted BoEs
51 (rare)				[Dragonscale Breastplate]
52 (rare)	[Savage Gladiator Chain]			various LW craftables
52 (epic)	Blackrock Depths
53 (uncommon)	Nerub'enkan (Stratholme, Service Entrance)			req. 47 en 48 crafted BoEs
53 (rare)	Skul (Stratholme), Main Gate Stratholme, Service Entrance
53 (epic)	Lord Aurius Rivendare (Stratholme), Main Gate Stratholme, Service Entrance
55 (uncommon)	Nerub'enkan (Stratholme, Service Entrance)			req. 50 crafted BoEs
55 (rare)	Sunken Temple			[Cloak of Fire]
55 (epic)	[Dragon's Call],  [Embrace of the Wind Serpent]
56 (uncommon)	Nerub'enkan (Stratholme, Service Entrance)			req. 51 crafted BoEs
56 (rare)	Grim Guzzler, Inner and Outer Blackrock Depths
56 (epic)	[Circle of Flame]  [Ironfoe]
57 (rare)				req. 52 crafted BoEs
58 (rare)				req. 53 crafted BoEs
58 (uncommon)				req. 54 crafted BoEs
58 (rare)	Lower Blackrock Spire
58 (epic)	[Felstriker]  [Blackblade of Shahram]			craftable epics
58 (epic)				craftable epics
58 (epic)				craftable epics
58 (epic)		Tier 1 sets (Molten Core) General Rajaxx, Kurinnaxx (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj)
58 (epic)		Ayamiss the Hunter, Buru the Gorger (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj)
58 (epic)		Moam (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
58 (epic)		General Rajaxx, Kurinnaxx (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj)
58 (epic)		Ossirian the Unscarred (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj)
58 (epic)		Shoulderpads, weapons (Razorgore, Blackwing Lair) Ayamiss the Hunter, Buru the Gorger (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj) The Profet Skeram (Temple of Ahn'Qiraj)
58 (epic)		Moam (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
58 (epic)		Tier 2 leggings (Ragnaros, Molten Core) Other Tier 2 sets (Blackwing Lair) Bracers (Razorgore, Blackwing Lair) Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
58 (epic)		Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
58 (epic)		Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
58 (legendary)		[Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros]  [Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker]
59 (epic)		Ouro, Twin Emperors (Temple of Ahn'Qiraj)
61-62 (epic)		Tier 3 boots, shoulderpads, bracers (Black Market Auction House)
62 (epic)		Tier 3 belts, gloves, headpieces, leggings (Black Market Auction House) C'Thun (Temple of Ahn'Qiraj)
63 (legendary)		Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian
65 (epic)		Tier 3 tunics (Black Market Auction House)

The Burning Crusade (minLevel = 58-80)

Noteworthy elements of TBC itemization include:

• The introduction of the ratings system: rather than giving a flat 1% or 2% bonus to a stat, everything was converted to a point value that provided the equivalent percentage at level 60, but scaled downwards as character level increased. e.g. 1% crit became 14 crit rating, 1% hit became 10 hit rating.
• Stamina was de-budgeted. 1 point of Stam cost 2/3 of a point. This was not retroactively applied to Classic items.

ilvl	PvE (party)	PvE (raid)	PvP	crafted
58-100 (heirloom)	Heirlooms
81 (uncommon)	req.57 world drop BoEs initial quest rewards
85 (rare)	Hellfire Ramparts Honored reputation weapons and rings
88 (rare)	Blood Furnace
91 (rare)	Slave Pens
93 (uncommon)				req. 61 crafted BoEs
94 (rare)	Underbog
97 (rare)	Mana-Tombs
102 (uncommon)				req. 64 crafted BoEs
106 (rare)				req. 67 crafted BoEs
108 (uncommon)				req. 62 crafted BoEs
109 (rare)				req. 69 crafted BoEs
111 (uncommon)				req. 67 crafted BoEs
112 (rare)	Escape from Durnholde Keep Honored reputation recipes Sethekk Halls and Heroic dungeons			req. 69 crafted BoEs
114 (rare)	Honored reputation recipes			req. 70 crafted BoEs
115 (rare)	Heroic and level 70 dungeons Honored reputation items Revered reputation items
95 (epic)			Terokkar spirit shard rings	Basic engineering goggles
70 (epic)	req.70 world drop BoEs Exalted reputation weapons Darkmoon cards Heroic MT event rings (Yor)
105 (epic)	Heroic end-boss weapons Exalted reputation armor Terokk BoE cloaks Ogri'la event rings (Shartuul) Ogri'la Apexis Infusion epics			most crafted BoEs
75 (epic)				BS T1 weapons
110 (epic)	Heroic end-boss armor SW-MT Kael'thas (Normal) 2.0 badge loot (jewelry, off-hands, helms) Seasonal event boss drops	Violet Signet (Honored)
113 (epic)			S1 (General's/Marshal's) bracers S1 necklaces
115 (epic)	SW-MT (Heroic) Exalted Shattered Sun FR badge gear	Karazhan  [Violet Badge]  [Phoenix-Fire Band]	S1 relics	BS FrR chest; NR chest/legs/helm JC NR ring LW set bracers/belts Tailoring  [Primal Mooncloth Belt]
120 (epic)		Tier 4 sets (Karazhan/Gruul/Magtheridon) Violet Signet (Revered) Outdoor raid boss drops		LW set chests LW  [Cloak of Darkness] Tailoring  [Primal Mooncloth Robe]
80 (epic)			S1 Arena weapons S1 Arena armor sets S1 (General's/Marshal's) belt/boots S1 (Sergeant's) cloaks	BS T2 weapons
125 (epic)	SW-MT Kael'thas (Heroic)	Karazhan end-boss (Malchezaar) High King Maulgar/Gruul the Dragonkiller Magtheridon		JC T2 figurines
126 (epic)			S2 (Veteran's) bracers
127 (epic)				BS T2 armor Eng T1 goggles
128 (epic)	Zul'Aman badge gear	Zul'Aman gear Serpentshrine Cavern gear Tempest Keep gear Band of Eternity (Friendly)	S2 (Veteran's) rings/necklaces S4 PVP trinket	SSC/TK crafted BoP boots SSC/TK crafted BoE belts
130 (epic)		Violet Signet (Exalted)		BT crafted SR gear
80 (epic)		Zul'Aman weapons
133 (epic)		Tier 5 sets (SSC/TK) Zul'Aman end-bosses (Malacrass/Zul'jin)	Battlemaster trinkets
134 (epic)		SSC/TK weapons
84 (epic)	[The 2 Ring]
80 (epic)		Band of Eternity (Honored)	S2 (Merciless) Arena weapons S2 (Merciless) Arena armor sets S2 (Veteran's) belts/boots S3 cloaks	BS T3 weapons
138 (epic)		SSC/TK end-boss gear (Vashj/Kael'thas) ZA end-boss weapons
141 (epic)	Sunwell badge gear	Hyjal/BT gear SSC/TK end-boss weapons	S3 (Vindicator's) bracers/rings/necklaces	Hyjal/BT crafted BoP shoulders Hyjal/BT crafted BoE bracers
80 (epic)		Band of Eternity (Revered)
146 (epic)	Sunwell badge weapons	Tier 6 sets (Hyjal/BT)	S3 (Vengeful) Arena weapons S3 (Vengeful) Arena armor sets S3 (Vindicator's) belt/boots	BS T3 armor
151 (epic)		Hyjal/BT end-boss weapons (Archimonde/Illidan) BT trash rings
88 (epic)		Band of Eternity (Exalted)
154 (epic)		Tier 6 bracers/belt/boots Sunwell Plateau gear	S4 (Brutal) Arena weapons S4 (Guardian's) bracers/rings/necklaces
90 (legendary)		Twin Blades of Azzinoth
92 (epic)		Sunwell token-exchange gear	S4 (Brutal) Arena armor sets S4 (Guardian's) belt/boots	Eng T2 goggles SWP crafted BoP chests SWP crafted BoE gloves JC BoE rings; BoP necklaces
94 (epic)		Sunwell end-boss (Kil'jaeden)  [Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury]

Wrath of the Lich King (minLevel = 58-80)

ilvl	PvE (5-man party/solo)	PvE (10-man raid)	PvE (25-man raid)	PvP	Crafted
74-83 (uncommon)	req.67 world drop BoEs
83 (uncommon)					req.70 crafted BoEs
83 (uncommon)	req.68 world drop BoEs initial quest rewards in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord				req.68 crafted BoEs
83-87 (rare)	final quest rewards in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord
87 (uncommon)					req. 72 crafted BoEs
87-88 (uncommon)	initial quest rewards in Dragonblight
89 (rare)	finalizing quest rewards in Dragonblight				req. 73 crafted BoEs
150 (uncommon)
94 (rare)					req. 74 crafted BoEs
154 (uncommon)	initial quest rewards in Grizzly Hills
154 (rare)	group quest rewards in Grizzly Hills				req. 75 crafted BoEs
155 (rare)	Utgarde Keep
158 (uncommon)	initial quest rewards in Zul'Drak				req. 76 crafted BoEs
158 (rare)	finalizing quest rewards in Zul'Drak
159 (rare)	The Nexus
162 (uncommon)	initial quest rewards in Sholazar Basin				req. 77 crafted BoEs
163 (rare)	Azjol-Nerub
167 (rare)	Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom
171 (rare)	Drak'Tharon Keep
174 (uncommon)	initial quest rewards in Icecrown initial quest rewards in Storm Peaks
174 (rare)	finalizing quest rewards in Icecrown finalizing quest rewards in Storm Peaks
175 (rare)	Violet Hold group quest rewards in Zul'Drak
179 (rare)	Gundrak
183 (rare)	Halls of Stone
100 (rare)	Normal lv80 instances Honored reputation rewards				Rare craftables
100 (rare)	Heroic instances Revered reputation rewards Argent Tournament armor			S5 Savage set
100 (epic)	Heroic Dungeons (Final Boss) gear Trial of the Champion 3.0 [Justice Points] rewards Exalted reputation rewards Argent Tournament weapons World drop BoE epics	Heroes' Tier 7 sets Naxxramas Obsidian Sanctum		S5 Hateful Set and Accessories S5 Wintergrasp rewards (3.08)	[Frozen Orb] craftables Darkmoon cards
100					[The 5 Ring] (fishing daily reward)
100	3.0 [Justice Points] rewards	Kel'thuzad Eye of Eternity Obsidian Sanctum (with Drakes)	Valorous Tier 7 sets Naxxramas Obsidian Sanctum	S5 Deadly gear S6 Wintergrasp rewards (3.1)
100	Heroic Trial of the Champion Forge of Souls Pit of Saron Halls of Reflection	Valorous Tier 8 sets Ulduar
100	3.1 [Justice Points] rewards	Ulduar (Hard Modes) / Ulduar Weapons	Kel'thuzad Malygos Obsidian Sanctum (with Drakes) Conqueror's Tier 8 Sets Ulduar	S6 Furious honor accessories S7 Wintergrasp rewards (3.2)	[Runed Orb] craftables
100	Heroic Forge of Souls Heroic Pit of Saron Heroic Halls of Reflection	Ulduar Hard Mode Weapons Trial of the Crusader Conqueror's Tier 9 Sets	Ulduar weapons	S6 Furious set pieces S6 T1 Furious weapons
100			Ulduar (Hard Modes)	S6 T2 Furious weapons
100	3.2 [Justice Points] rewards	Trial of the Grand Crusader	Triumphant Tier 9 Sets Trial of the Crusader  [Val'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings]	S7 Relentless accessories S7 T1 Relentless weapons	[Crusader Orb] craftables
100	Quel'Delar quest rewards Elemental Unrest Event Bosses	Tier 10 Sets Icecrown Citadel Ashen Verdict Friendly rings		S7 Relentless set pieces S8 Wintergrasp rewards (3.3)
100		Trial of the Grand Crusader Tribute Chests Lich King Ruby Sanctum	Trial of the Grand Crusader Totally Triumphant Tier 9 Sets	S7 T2 Relentless weapons
100		Ashen Verdict Honored rings
100	3.3 [Justice Points] rewards	Sanctified Tier 10 Sets Heroic Icecrown Citadel	Sanctified Tier 10 Sets Icecrown Citadel	S8 Wrathful accessories S8 T1 Wrathful weapons	[Primordial Saronite] craftables
100		Ashen Verdict Revered rings
100				S8 Wrathful set pieces S8 Wrathful off-hands, relics and shields
101		Heroic Lich King Heroic Ruby Sanctum	Lich King Ruby Sanctum
100			Trial of the Grand Crusader tribute chests
102		Ashen Verdict Exalted rings	Tier 10 Heroic Sanctified sets Heroic Icecrown Citadel	S8 T2 Wrathful weapons
102			Heroic Lich King Heroic Ruby Sanctum  [Shadowmourne]

Cataclysm (minLevel = 80-90)

For Cataclysm items there no longer appears to be any relation between item budget and rarity; that is, an uncommon ilvl300 and a rare ilvl300 will have the same budget of points and potentially identical stats. The difference lies in the character level requirement, with rares being equippable one or more levels earlier than uncommon items of the same ilvl. World drop blues appear to be about one character level better than greens of the same ilvl, crafted items two levels, and zone drops up four levels earlier.

Uncommon/green quality caps out at ilvl 318 for Twilight Highlands quest rewards and world drops requiring character level 85. The highest rare/blue items are ilvl 346 with the exception of the upgraded crafting recipes for the later seasons' entry-level PVP gear.

In practice, almost all items from Cataclysm onward are similarly budgeted: all items of the same slot and equal ilvl will have equal amounts of primary stat and Stamina, as well as two roughly equal secondary stats, minus the points for sockets.

Cataclysm introduced reforging, allowing players to convert 40% of an item's secondary stat into another stat of their choice. Only one stat can be converted, and the points cannot be added to a stat that is already on the item. Reforging makes it easier to juggle hit and expertise caps, as well as "wasting" less points in an undesirable stat.

Also note that the Cataclysm-era PVP gear was reitemized prior to Mists of Pandaria with lower item levels but greater overall PVE stats. See below for details. Seasons 9-11 armor were affected by these changes, but not crafted gear. The Cataclysmic (S11) T1 weapons suffered an ilvl nerf without receiving the budget split or PVP power to offset it, but no other weapons were changed. The gear is listed here under the current ilvl along with its historic values.

ilvl	PvE (solo/party/LFR)	PvE (10/25-man raid)	PvP	Crafted
272 (uncommon)	req.77 world drop BoEs Hyjal/Vashj'jir quest rewards
278 (uncommon)	req.78 world drop BoEs
283 (uncommon)	req.79 world drop BoEs
289 (uncommon)	req.80 world drop BoEs Deepholm quest rewards
292 (rare)	req.80 world drop BoEs
295 (uncommon)	req.81 world drop BoEs
300 (rare)	req.81 world drop BoEs			req.79 crafted BoEs
308	req.78 world drop BoEs req.82 world drop BoEs Blackrock Caverns Throne of the Tides			req.80 crafted BoEs
312 (uncommon)	Uldum quest rewards
316	req.83 world drop BoEs Stonecore Vortex Pinnacle			req.81 crafted BoEs
318 (uncommon)	Twilight Highlands quest rewards
325	req.84 world drop BoEs			req.82 crafted BoEs
333	req.85 world drop BoEs Grim Batol Halls of Origination Lost City of the Tol'vir Honored reputation rewards			req.83 crafted BoEs
339			S9 Bloodthirsty armor (i352 during 4.x)	S9 crafted PVP armor
346 (rare)	Heroic dungeons 4.0 [Justice Points] rewards Revered reputation rewards			Jewelcrafting rings/necks 4.0  [Chaos Orb] weapons/cloaks
352 (epic)			S9 Vicious armor (i365 during 4.x)
353	Zul'Aman Zul'Gurub
358			S10 Vicious armor (i371 during 4.x)	S10 Bloodthirsty PVP armor (rare)
359	4.? [Justice Points] rewards Exalted reputation rewards World boss BoEs	4.0 [Valor Points] rewards and Tier 11 Normal Blackwing Descent, Normal Bastion of Twilight, and Normal Throne of the Four Winds	S9 Vicious T1 weapons	4.0  [Chaos Orb] chests and belts Archaeology artifacts Darkmoon Card trinkets
365	Holiday event bosses Elemental Bonds cloaks [Mark of the World Tree] vendors			4.2  [Chaos Orb] weapons
371			S10 Ruthless armor (i384 during 4.x)
372		Heroic Blackwing Descent, Heroic Bastion of Twilight, Heroic Throne of the Four Winds and Tier 11	S9 Vicious T2 weapons
377			S11 Ruthless armor (i390 during 4.x)	S11 Vicious PVP armor (rare)
378	End Time Well of Eternity Hour of Twilight 4.3 [Justice Points] rewards	4.2 [Valor Points] rewards and Tier 12 Firelands Avengers of Hyjal rewards	S10 Ruthless T1 weapons	[Living Ember] gloves and boots
379		Heroic Lady Sinestra
384	Raid Finder Dragon Soul and Tier 13	Ragnaros	S11 Cataclysmic T1 weapons (i397 during 4.x)
390	Raid Finder Deathwing		S11 Cataclysmic armor (i403 during 4.x)
391		Heroic Firelands and Tier 12 Avengers of Hyjal Exalted rings	S10 Ruthless T2 weapons
397		Heroic Ragnaros  [Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Rest] 4.3 [Valor Points] rewards Normal Dragon Soul and Tier 13		[Essence of Destruction] legs and bracers
403		Normal Deathwing
410		Heroic Dragon Soul and Tier 13	S11 Cataclysmic T2 weapons
416		Heroic Deathwing Fangs of the Father

Mists of Pandaria (minLevel = 80-90)

As in Cataclysm, item budget is solely derived from item level. Rarity is purely cosmetic, designating the item's origins. The major addition is blue world drops from Pandaria with reduced (Cata-level) requirements, making them extremely useful to levelling alts.

Ghostcrawler had previously discussed the possibility of an "item squish", where item stats would be rescaled every expansion, adjusting damage, healing and health along with them. However, beta-test items listed on Wowhead indicated that this would not happen in Mists of Pandaria.

Patch 5.1 added an upgrade system in which items of ilvl 458 and higher could be upgraded +8 ilvls for 1500 of the relevant currency (Justice for PVE rares, Valor for PVE epics, Honor for PVP rares, Conquest for PVP epics). The epics are done in two steps of +4 ilvls for 750 VP/CP, while the rares are done in a single step. The upgrade simply adds more of the item's existing stats; as certain pieces (helms, chests, legs, and particularly weapons) have larger budgets than others (bracers, amulets, rings) at any given ilvl, the same number of points spent can add far more stats on different pieces. However, the total gained is typically much less than replacing a lower-level piece with a higher. The upgrade system was removed for 5.2, so players would not have to choose between upgrading old gear and purchasing new. The system was brought back for 5.3, with a reduced cost (2x250 VP) for PVE epics. Season 12 upgrades remained at their original cost, and no Season 13 or later PVP gear can be upgraded at all. In lieu of direct nerfs to Siege of Orgrimmar, 5.4.8 extended the item upgrade system, allowing SoO gear to be upgraded an additional two times for an additional 8 ilvls per piece (+16 total).

PVP gear underwent a number of changes. Resilience and a new stat, PVP power, became free additional stats to compensate for PVP gear now being lower ilvl than its PVE equivalent. The budgeting on PVP gear was changed from a split between primary/stamina/secondary/resilience to primary/stamina/secondary/secondary, making it exactly the same value as PVE gear of its level for PVE purposes. In Patch 5.3, baseline resilience was increased to 65%, while resilience was removed from all current gear and the power of PVP gems/enchants was reduced. Finally, the maximum ilvl in instanced PVP was set to be equal to that of current PVP gear. The net effect of all of these changes made PVE gear somewhat more useful for entry-level PVP, with current PVE gear being comparable to current honor gear. Baseline resilience was further increased to 72% with Patch 5.4 and to 77% with 5.4.7 and the stopgap Season 15.

ilvl			PvE (solo/party/LFR)	PvE (10/25-man raid)	PvP	Crafted
364 (uncommon)			req.83 BoEs
372 (uncommon)			initial quests Jade Forest vendors Valley of the Four Winds vendors
377 (uncommon)			req.84 BoEs
384 (uncommon)			Jade Forest quests			BS/LW/T/JC initial crafted gear
390 (uncommon)			req.85 BoEs
393 (uncommon)			Kun-Lai Summit vendors Townlong Steppes vendors
399 (uncommon)			Valley of the Four Winds quests Krasarang Wilds quests
400 (rare)			Jade Forest rare spawns
403 (uncommon)			req.86 BoEs
404 (rare)			Jade Forest BoAs and rare quests			BS/LW/T/JC initial crafted gear
408 (uncommon)			Townlong Steppes vendors Dread Wastes vendors
409 (rare)			req.80 rare BoEs
410 (rare)			Stormstout Brewery Temple of the Jade Serpent Valley of the Four Winds rare spawns
414 (uncommon)			Kun-Lai Summit quests
416 (uncommon)			req.87 BoEs
417 (rare)			req.81 rare BoEs
419 (rare)			Valley of the Four Winds BoAs and rare quests Krasarang Wilds BoAs and rare quests Kun-Lai Summit BoAs
420 (rare)			Krasarang Wilds rare spawns
425 (rare)			req.82 rare BoEs
429 (uncommon)			Townlong Steppes quests req.88 BoEs
430 (rare)			Kun-Lai Summit rare spawns
433 (rare)			req.83 rare BoEs
434 (rare)			Kun-Lai Summit rare quests Townlong Steppes BoAs
435 (rare)			Shado-pan Monastery
437 (uncommon)			Dread Wastes quests
440 (rare)			Townlong Steppes rare spawns Dread Wastes rare spawns Vale of Eternal Blossoms rare spawns Krasarang Wilds rare spawns (epic)
442 (rare)			Townlong Steppes rare quests req. 84 rare BoEs
450 (rare)			Dread Wastes BoAs and rare quests Mogu'shan Palace req.85 rare BoEs			S12 Contender's PvP armor Jewelcrafting rings/amulets
458 (rare)	466		Honored 5.0 Justice vendors		S12 Dreadful armor	S13 crafted Dreadful armor
463 (rare)	471		Heroic dungeons 5.0  [Cache of Treasures] rewards			5.0 Blacksmithing weapons and shields 5.2 Blacksmithing TBC T1 weapons Archaeology equipment
470 (epic)	478		Holiday event bosses		S12 Malevolent weapons S13 Malevolent weapons
476 (epic)	484		Raid Finder Mogu'shan Vaults Heroic dungeons rare drops 5.1  [Greater Cache of Treasures] rewards World drop BoE epics		S13 Malevolent armor	BS/LW/Tailoring chests/gloves Inscription staves and offhands Engineering goggles 5.2 Blacksmithing TBC T2 weapons
483 (epic)	491		Raid Finder Tier 14 sets Raid Finder Heart of Fear Raid Finder Terrace of Endless Spring		S12 Malevolent armor
489 (epic)	497		5.0 Valor vendors Exalted reputation quest rewards Battlefield: Barrens armor rewards	Normal Mogu'shan Vaults
490 (epic)	498				S12 Malevolent Elite weapons
496 (epic)	504		Sha of Anger (T14 gloves/legs) Galleon 5.1 Dominance Offensive / Operation Shieldwall vendors 5.2 Sunreaver Onslaught / Kirin Tor Offensive vendors 5.4 Timeless Isle armor tokens	Normal Tier 14 sets Normal Heart of Fear Normal Terrace of Endless Spring	S13 Tyrannical armor	[Blood Spirit] chests/gloves
498 (epic)					S13 Tyrannical weapons
502 (epic)	510		Raid Finder Tier 15 sets Raid Finder Throne of Thunder	Heroic Mogu'shan Vaults		5.2 Blacksmithing TBC T3 weapons
503 (epic)	511			Normal Elite Terrace of Endless Spring
509 (epic)	517			Heroic Tier 14 sets Heroic Heart of Fear Heroic Terrace of Endless Spring
516 (epic)	524		5.3  [Heroic Cache of Treasures]	Heroic Elite Terrace of Endless Spring
522 (epic)	530		Nalak (T15 gloves/legs) Oondasta 5.2 Shado-Pan Assault vendors	Normal Tier 15 sets Normal Throne of Thunder	S14 Grievous armor/weapons	[Haunting Spirit] helms/boots
528 (epic)	536	544	Raid Finder Tier 16 sets Raid Finder Siege of Orgrimmar	Normal Thunderforged Throne of Thunder
535 (epic)	543	547	5.4  [Burden of Eternity] Timeless armor	Heroic Tier 15 sets Heroic Throne of Thunder
540 (epic)	548	556	Celestial world bosses (T16 gloves/legs)	Normal Tier 16 sets Normal Siege of Orgrimmar Normal Hellscream BoAs
556 (heirloom)
541 (epic)	549			Heroic Thunderforged Throne of Thunder Ra-den
550 (epic)					S15 Prideful armor/weapons
553 (epic)	561	569		Heroic Tier 16 sets Heroic Siege of Orgrimmar Heroic Hellscream BoAs		[Spirit of War] belts/legs
569 (heirloom)
559 (epic)	567	575	Ordos
566 (epic)	574	582		Mythic Tier 16 sets Mythic Siege of Orgrimmar Mythic Hellscream BoAs
582 (heirloom)
600 (epic)	608	616	Celestial Cloaks of Virtue
608 (legendary)		616

Warlords of Draenor (minLevel = 90-100)

The changes to items in WoD so far include:

• The item level power curve has been squished.
• Primary stats for armor slots (Head, Shoulders, Chest, Wrist, Hands, Waist, Legs, Feet) now dynamically change depending on the specialization the character is currently in. For example, a plate intellect chest worn by a Holy Paladin will convert to strength if the player switches to Retribution. Secondary stats do not change based on spec.
• Secondary stats removed: Hit, Expertise, Dodge, Parry
• Secondary stats added: Multistrike, Versatility, Bonus Armor
• Tertiary stats added: run speed, Leech, Avoidance, Indestructible
• Items in raids can drop with any or all of: a tertiary stat, a bonus socket, or bonus ilvl (a la Thunderforged/Warforged). At last report, there was a separate 10% chance of each bonus, so the odds of an item with two is 1/100 and all three is 1/1000.
• Item reforging removed
• Item upgrading removed
• Item enchants and sockets reduced
• PVP gear has a base PVE ilvl that is boosted during PVP combat

ilvl	PvE (solo/party/LFR)	PvE (raid)	PvP	Crafted
483 (uncommon)	req. 90 BoEs
494 (uncommon)	req. 91 BoEs
505 (uncommon)	req. 92 BoEs
510-525 (uncommon)	Frostfire Ridge quest rewards Shadowmoon Valley quest rewards
515 (rare)	Warlords of Draenor intro experience rings, necklaces and cloaks
515-525 (rare)	Frostfire Ridge rare quest rewards Shadowmoon Valley rare quest rewards
516 (uncommon)	req. 93 BoEs
520 (epic)	Warlords of Draenor intro experience trinkets
522-536 (uncommon)	Gorgrond quest rewards
525 (rare)	req. 91 rare mob drops
527 (uncommon)	req. 94 BoEs
530 (rare)	Normal Bloodmaul Slag Mines
534-548 (rare)	Gorgrond rare quest rewards
537 (rare)	req. 92 rare mob drops
538 (uncommon)	req. 95 BoEs
540 (rare)				req. 92 BS/LW/Tailor pants req. 92 JC rings req. 91 Inscription trinket
545-549 (uncommon)	Talador quest rewards
549 (uncommon)	req. 96 BoEs req. 93 rare mob drops
550 (rare)	Normal Iron Docks Level 90 Upper Blackrock Spire event			req. 95 JC amulets
550-555 (rare)	Talador rare quest rewards
560 (uncommon)	req. 97 BoEs
561 (rare)	req. 94 rare mob drops
565 (rare)				req. 95 BS/LW/Tailor chests req. 95 Inscription trinket
568-586 (uncommon)	Spires of Arak quest rewards
570 (rare)	Normal Auchindoun
571 (uncommon)	req. 98 BoEs
573 (rare)	req. 95 rare mob drops
582 (uncommon)	req. 99 BoEs
585 (rare)	req. 96 rare mob drops			req. 98 BS/LW/Tailor helms req. 98 JC rings req. 98 Inscription trinket
587-604 (uncommon)	Nagrand quest rewards
588-593 (rare)	Spires of Arak rare quest rewards
593 (uncommon)	req. 100 BoEs
597 (rare)	req. 97 rare mob drops
600 (rare)	Normal Skyreach			req. 91 Eng trinkets
609 (rare)	req. 98 rare mob drops
615 (rare)	Normal Everbloom Normal Grimrail Depot Normal Shadowmoon Burial Grounds Normal Upper Blackrock Spire
620 (rare)			S16 Primal Honor gear (PVP i675)	req. 91 Alchemy trinket
621 (rare)	req. 99 rare mob drops
136 (rare)	Level 100 Heroic dungeons Apexis stage 1 armor Brawler's Guild ring (epic)			req. 91 BS/Eng/Scribe stage 1 weapons req. 91 BS shield req. 91 Inscription offhand
137 (epic)	Raid Finder Highmaul Challenge mode daily reward Legendary quest stage 1 ring			req. 91 BS/LW/Tailor armor req. 91 Tailoring cloaks req. 91 JC rings/amulets req. 91 Engineering stage 1 goggles req. 91 BS stage 1 weapons req. 91 BS stage 1 armor
137-138 (epic)	Apexis stage 2 armor			req. 91 BS/Eng/Scribe stage 2 weapons
138 (epic)	Drov the Ruiner Tarlna the Ageless			req. 95 BS stage 2 weapons req. 95 BS stage 2 armor
138 (epic)	Apexis stage 3 armor Raid Finder Blackrock Foundry	Normal Highmaul		req. 91 BS/Eng/Scribe stage 3 weapons req. 91 Engineering stage 2 goggles
138 (epic)	Raid Finder Blackrock Foundry sets		S16 Primal gear (PVP i690)
138 (epic)	Rukhmar	Normal Tier 17 sets		req. 91 Engineering stage 3 goggles
138-139 (epic)		Heroic Highmaul Normal Blackrock Foundry		req. 91 BS stage 3 weapons req. 91 BS stage 3 armor
138 (epic)	Raid Finder Hellfire Citadel (Early Bosses)
138 (epic)	Legendary quest stage 2 ring
139 (epic)	Level 100 Mythic dungeons Raid Finder Hellfire Citadel (Late Bosses)	Mythic Highmaul Heroic Tier 17 sets Heroic Blackrock Foundry		req. 91 Alchemy stage 4 trinket req. 91 BS stage 4 weapons req. 91 BS stage 4 armor
140 (epic)	Legendary quest stage 3 ring	Normal Hellfire Citadel (Early Bosses)
141 (epic)		Normal Tier 18 sets Normal Hellfire Citadel (Middle Bosses)
140-142 (epic)		Mythic Tier 17 sets Normal Hellfire Citadel (Late Bosses) Mythic Blackrock Foundry	S17 Wild gear (PVP i730)	req. 91 Alchemy stage 5 trinket req. 91 BS stage 5 weapons req. 91 BS stage 5 armor
143 (epic)		Normal Hellfire Citadel (Archimonde Only) Heroic Hellfire Citadel (Early Bosses)
144 (epic)		Heroic Tier 18 sets Heroic Hellfire Citadel (Middle Bosses)
145 (epic)	Legendary quest stage 4 ring	Heroic Hellfire Citadel (Late Bosses)		req. 91 Alchemy stage 6 trinket req. 91 BS stage 6 weapons req. 91 BS stage 6 armor
146 (epic)		Heroic Hellfire Citadel (Archimonde Only) Mythic Hellfire Citadel (Early Bosses)
147 (epic)		Mythic Tier 18 sets Mythic Hellfire Citadel (Middle Bosses)
148 (epic)		Mythic Hellfire Citadel (Late Bosses)
149 (legendary)	Legendary quest stage 5 ring	Mythic Hellfire Citadel (Archimonde Only)

Legion (minLevel = 98-110)

The changes to items in Legion include:

• Removal of multistrike, spirit and bonus armor.
• Item level of drops in leveling zones and dungeons is dynamically adjusted to match the character's current level.
• Increased likelihood of items randomly having higher ilvl ("Warforged" if +5 or +10, "Titanforged" if +15 or greater).
• Mythic+ dungeons offer very high quality gear at top levels.

ilvl	PvE (solo/party/LFR)	PvE (raid)	PvP	Crafted
137 (uncommon)	Class Trial and Class Boost starting gear
138 (uncommon)	Demon hunter starting gear
138 (rare)	Level 98 Legion dungeon gear
138-140 (rare)	Demon Hunter starting zone quest rewards.
141 (rare)	Level 99 Legion dungeon gear
142 (rare)	Level 100 Legion dungeon gear
144 (rare)	Level 101 Legion dungeon gear
146 (rare)	Level 102 Legion dungeon gear
148 (rare)	Level 103 Legion dungeon gear
150 (rare)	Level 104 Legion dungeon gear
152 (rare, artifact)	Level 105 Legion dungeon gear Artifacts (without relics)
154 (rare)	Level 106 Legion dungeon gear
158 (rare)	Level 108 Legion dungeon gear
161-165 (rare, epic)	Class Order Hall set items
166 (epic)	Level 110 Legion Normal dungeon gear
168 (epic)	Broken Shore Dauntless catchup gear
174 (epic)	Legion Heroic dungeon gear
162-180 (epic)		The Emerald Nightmare
166-186 (epic)		Trial of Valor
172-188 (epic)	Highest possible world quest reward (before warforging) Final bosses of Legion zone invasions.	Broken Isles world bosses
172-192 (epic)		The Nighthold
182 (epic)	Legion Mythic dungeon gear
182-220 (epic)		Tomb of Sargeras Broken Shore world bosses
192 (epic)	Argus Reliquary reward.
210 (epic)		Argus world bosses
195-250 (epic)		Antorus, the Burning Throne
265 (legendary)	Upgraded Legion legendary items

Battle for Azeroth (minLevel = 110-120)

The changes in BfA are so far:

• Item level squish.

ilvl	PvE (solo/party)	PvE (raid)	PvP	Crafted
176 (uncommon)	Class Boost starting gear
225 (uncommon)				req.111 crafted BoEs
280 (artifact)	[Heart of Azeroth]
340-485 (epic)		Uldir
370-415 (epic)		Battle of Dazar'alor
375-425 (epic)		Crucible of Storms
400-445 (epic)		Eternal Palace
430-485 (epic)		Ny'alotha, the Waking City

See also

• Combat rating system
• AEP, HAP
• Tanking Points