Big loot changes are coming to WotLK Phase 3! Do you want to fully understand the Trial of the Crusader loot system? From tribute chests to Crusader orbs, we have the most complete information including all the brand-new loot changes. We'll also cover who should get the two sets and the insane 272 cloaks. We'll talk about why you need to plan now, so you don't waste hours of time farming the wrong gear.

How Does the Loot System Work in WotLK?

Under personal loot, the game chooses a number of players (based on group size) and awards them a random item for their spec, while everyone else receives an amount of gold specific to them. Mounts can also be won via this method from bosses that drop them.

WotLK Phase 3 ToC Loot System Guide: New Tribute Chest System, Emblems & More in ToC

What’s New in WotLK Phase 3?

On June 22nd, we're getting a brand new raid with 4 different modes, the 10-man normal drops 232 gear while 25 normal drops 245 gear. Then heroic 10s will drop 245 gear while heroic 25s drop 258. In a brand new change, you can actually switch between heroic and normal for boss which will be great for progression. For example, your pug 10-man group could do easier fights like Northrend beasts and heroic mode, then they could swap to normal for Twin Valkyrs and a new brack which are a lot harder. 

Heroic Mode

It's very important to note that heroic mode will be available day one, this is a new change and it means you don't need to do a normal 25 to unlock the best possible loot. The key thing for non-tier loot is that your entire guild should have their best list submitted in advance. The ultimate mistake would be giving a 258 piece like a chest to your Death Knight that plans to get the 4 set of tier 9.5. 

New Emblems of Triumph

On top of the typical boss gear, you'll also be getting Emblems of Triumph from every boss. In 25 man, we can get 25 emblems, while you can expect 20 from 10 man mode. Emblems of Triumph can be used to purchase 232 item level tier 9 gear. There are actually 3 separate tier line sets for each spec. There's a 232 the 245 and the 258, these all share the same set bonuses, the rushing even the 232 on some classes can be worth it depending on set bonuses. The efficient way to decide what 232 pieces to get is to plan with your guild in advance. On the planning side of things, to get your 4 set of tier 9 will cost 160 to 180 emblems. This will depend on which pieces you buy. You can gain 104 emblems per week, so you can expect your full 4 set in two weeks. But before you buy anything, you really need to know an advantage of getting any of the higher item level pieces in the first week. If you know, you're going to end up with a 245 chest the first week, you don't want to end up with a worthless duplicate 232 items. But 232 is barely an upgrade for most players, so what about the higher item level sets? 

There's also the tier 9.25 gear which is 245 item level, this costs exactly 1.5 times more than the 232 gear. That means it'll cost 240 to 270 emblems depending on the pieces you buy for the four set. You'll need one trophy of the Crusade per piece as well. Previously, 5 trophies of the Crusade dropped for boss, but this just wasn't enough with the new lockout restrictions. So now Blizzard is giving us an additional trophy for boss, we can get 10 for red. 

Tribute Chest System 

Moving into the 258 tier 9.5 gear, this can only be obtained from the tribute chest at the end of the Hard Mode 25 raids. The tribute chest is a new loot system that rewards you based on how many attempts remaining out of 50 you have at the end of the range. If you can complete the raid with one or more attempts remaining, you'll get two regalias in the 25 man or Trophies of the Crusade and 10. And then with at least 25 remaining attempts, you'll get the regalias on top of a bonus weapon, with 45 or more attempts remaining, you'll get two bonus regalias and trophies as well. But the main goal is to do the whole raid with 50 attempts remaining or zero wipes.

If your guild can clear with zero wipes, you can get the maximum loot from the chest. Inside chest with the 272 physical DPS club, you also got the fleshrender weapon and 4 regalias. So going back to the close for a second. The 258 item level cape comes from the 10-man heroic, and then there's the 272 item level cape which is from 25-man heroic. These capes are best for literally everyone. But the difference between the 10 and 25 capes is pretty minimal, that means you should be hitting both a 10 and 25 man lockouts as much as you can for your guild. Tanks and scaling DPS like Affliction Warlock should be first in line for the cloaks. We also need to get back to the regalia.

What are regalias?

Regalias are the tier tokens locked to a specific set of classes, but they're not slot locked. If you are lucky enough to grab 4 regaliers for the druid week one, you can immediately step outside and cash them in for your four set, that means planning out your trophy and regalia distribution is very important. 

Crusader Orbs

On top of all the loot we've already talked about, there are also Crusader orbs to consider Crusader orbs dropped from 10-man heroic as well as the 25-man raids. These orbs can be used to craft 245 item level gear. All of this crafted gear is top three best for your spec right now, so it shouldn't be dismissed. You should prioritize Crusader arms for slots for your big DPS Healers are missing pieces. Let's take a mage that doesn't have grasp of reason, you could use your guild bank to buy the Bejeweled Wizard Bracers recipe day 1 to min max gear.