BFA Azerite Gear Guide WoW

Battle for Azeroth

Check new features first

Next: BFA Mythic+ Dungeons Guide Guide →

What is important to know about Azerite gear:

Azerite gear, a new armor type in BFA. Goes in 3 slots: Helmet, Shoulders and Chest.
It has no secondary stats, but a large amount of main stats instead and up to 4 traits in every item.
Traits are divided by tiers (description below), each tier is unlocked after reaching a certain Heart of Azeroth level.
Once you've selected some traits of an item they can only be changed by respeccing. Respec cost (gold) is high, get to know (simcraft) which traits are the most useful for your spec.
You'll change these items pretty often. Specific items for specific bosses. The bigger your collection the better.
Azerite gear cannot be Titanforged or Warforged. It has no socket or tertiary stats. It comes in ilvls listed below.
All the traits in every item are predefined. For example boss #6 in Uldir drops a 385 mythic cloth head and it will always has the same traits.

Heart of Azeroth level requirements for traits:

How to farm Azerite gear:

You can't trade Azerite gear. Even if you have an item of higher ilvl or the same exact item you won't be able to give it to another person.
Azerite gear does not drop in Mythic+ dungeons.
But it drops from weekly M+ chest, mythic dungeons (m+0), raids, rbgs, world quests, warfronts and one item comes as Champions of Azeroth reputation reward.
All the items that has less than 4 traits (any 325 ilvl or lower) can be abandoned as soon as you get the higher ilvl ones.
All the items that are 340+ilvl and has 4 traits are better keep stored. You'll never know when you need a trait for a buffed spec or during boss progress (Single Target, AoE, Cleave, etc...)
Raid items comes with effect that is similar to what we've seen with Antorus trinkets, which makes Azerite gear that drops from raid bosses more valuable for raiding.
All the sources good Azerite gear (340 ilvl) comes from are on weekly reset, you can't just go and farm a desired trait.

What to do if you don't have resources for a ship?

Tiers description:

Tier #	Commentary

Tier 1	The more valuable ones which give an average of +2%—5% dps/hps increase. 3 spec spefic ones + 1 zone/area specific trait.


Tier 2	Moderate value traits, an average of 1.5%—3% dps/hps increase. Usually a secondary stat proc.


Tier 3	Defensive traits, pretty strong for tanks. Will be good for progress and useless after.


Tier 4	All previous traits get a small boost because of the 5 ilvl increase of the item.

Next: BFA Mythic+ Dungeons Guide Guide →