Dinging 70 is the easy part. The expensive part starts the moment you open your character sheet and realize every slot needs a gem, an enchant, and a stack of consumables before any raid leader will look at you twice. Here's an honest, slot-by-slot checklist of what a fresh 70 actually spends to go from "hit max level" to "raid ready," with realistic gold ranges so nothing blindsides you.

The big-ticket items first

Two purchases dwarf everything else, so budget for them before you obsess over gems.

  • Epic flying: the riding skill alone runs around 5000g at the trainer, on top of the flying mount itself. This is the single largest gold sink any fresh 70 faces. You don't strictly need it day one, but you'll want it for Skettis, Ogri'la and Netherwing dailies, and for keeping up with your group in flying zones.
  • Repair and respec buffer: keep a cushion of a few hundred gold floating for repairs and the inevitable talent respecs as you settle into a raid build. Full repairs after a rough progression night aren't free.

Enchants: the per-slot reality

Enchants are where a fresh 70 quietly bleeds gold, because the good ones need raid mats or rare formulas. Rough expectations for a full set of solid enchants:

  • Weapon: the strongest enchants (Mongoose, Major Spellpower, Executioner) are the priciest single enchant you'll buy, often several hundred gold because they eat primals and Large Prismatic Shards.
  • Chest, cloak, bracers, gloves, boots: mid-tier each, mostly priced by the Prismatic Shards and primals (Primal Earth, Primal Life, Primal Air) the formula consumes.
  • Head and shoulders: these come from reputation, not the auction house. Head enchants are Aldor/Scryer at Honored/Revered, shoulders from Sons of Hodir-equivalent factions in TBC are the Aldor/Scryer inscriptions. Budget rep grind time, not just gold.

Across a full set, expect enchanting to be one of your three biggest expenses after flying. The smart move is to buy the materials yourself and tip an enchanter the cut fee rather than paying full retail on finished scrolls where they exist.

Gems: socketing a fresh set

Most fresh 70 gear is blue-quality dungeon or crafted pieces, which means a lot of sockets. Quality cut gems from a jewelcrafter cost real gold each, and a full set of meta plus colored gems adds up quickly.

  • Meta gem: one per build (Relentless Earthstorm Diamond for melee, Chaotic/Insightful for casters). These are expensive because they require a transmute cooldown and specific rep. Often your priciest single gem.
  • Colored rares: Living Ruby, Talasite, Teardrop Living Ruby and the hybrid stones for hitting socket bonuses. Several per character, each a chunk of gold.
  • Budget tip: on a fresh 70 it's fine to socket cheaper uncommon (green) gems as placeholders for everything except your meta and your big stat priorities. Save the rares for your raid pieces, not your blue dungeon gear you'll replace in two weeks.

Consumables: the recurring sink

Gems and enchants are one-time. Consumables drain your wallet every single raid night, and this is the cost most fresh 70s underestimate.

  • Flask: a Flask of Relentless Assault or Flask of Pure Death persists through death and lasts two hours, but a raid week of flasks is a meaningful ongoing cost.
  • Battle and guardian elixirs as the cheaper alternative if you're not flasking.
  • Food buff: Spicy Hot Talbuk, Golden Fish Sticks and the like for your stat food.
  • Potions and oils: Super Mana/Healing Potions, Haste Potion, weapon oils or sharpening stones, and reagents for your class (Symbol of Kings, Holy Candles, soul shards).
  • Repairs: every wipe night, full repairs after a hard progression session.

Realistically, a serious raider spends a steady weekly amount on consumables alone, often rivaling the cost of a good enchant every single week. This recurring sink is why "I have gold" at ding 70 evaporates by your second raid lockout.

Putting the checklist together

Tackle it in order: epic flying riding skill (~5000g) is the mountain, then weapon enchant and meta gem, then a full enchant pass, then colored gems on your best slots, then a stockpile of flasks and food. Don't socket rares into gear you'll replace, and don't pay retail for finished enchants when buying mats and tipping is cheaper.

The uncomfortable truth is that a fresh 70 needs a five-figure gold buffer to do all of this without grinding dailies for weeks first, and most players hit max level with their bags nearly empty from leveling repairs. If you'd rather raid this week than farm Skettis for a month, topping up is the fast path. PewPewShop hand-delivers gold face-to-face in roughly seven minutes on realms like Spineshatter and Thunderstrike, so you can clear the riding trainer, enchant your set and walk into your first raid fully consumed and gemmed instead of apologizing to your group.

FAQ

What should a fresh 70 buy first, flying or enchants?

Functionally, weapon enchant and meta gem matter more for raid performance than flying. But epic flying transforms your daily-quest gold income, so if you can afford both eventually, prioritize the enchant and meta gem for raid night and grab flying as soon as your gold recovers.

Is it worth gemming blue dungeon gear with rare gems?

No. Socket cheap green gems into early blue pieces you'll replace within a lockout or two. Reserve expensive rare cuts and your meta for the gear you'll actually keep, like crafted epics and raid drops.

How much do consumables really cost per raid week?

More than newcomers expect. Between flasks, food, potions, weapon enhancements and repairs, a committed raider spends a meaningful recurring sum every lockout, often comparable to a mid-tier enchant each week. Budget for it as an ongoing cost, not a one-time purchase.