Nerub’ar Palace,the first raidofWorld of Warcraft:The War Within, has brought some wonderful new armor to the game. Thankfully, each class gets its own new gear from the raid, instead of there merely being one armor set for each armor type.
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The rankings of this article will focus primarily on each armor set’s aesthetic to determine their places on the list, not the gameplay of the tier set bonuses.
Furthermore, due to the sheer racial variance in the game, some will look better in a specific armor set than others (and some worse than others).
As such, races will only be considered in the rankings when they conflict with the visuals: said visuals of the gear themselves will be the primary method of judgment.
13Death Knight
Are Those Spiky Candles or Glowing Spikes?
Exhumed Centurion’s Relics
Armor Type
Death Knights often get some pretty great tier sets. That said, for Nerub-ar Palace, they came up a tad short when compared to all the other sets.
While thespikes with the glowing tips on the helm and shoulders are cool,they are a bit excessive (and when seen at a glance, they look like a bunch of candles on the Death Knight’s head).
More Wings!
Entombed Seraph’s Radiance
Like Death Knights, Paladins have a lot of great sets (looking at you, Judgment Armor), and their tier set in Nerub-ar Palace is pretty great, too. But, also, like the Death Knights, it’s lacking a bit when compared to the others.
The wings and runic wrappings around the neck, gauntlets, and belt are slick,but other than that, it is a very simple set (with a slightly oversized helm when placed against the shoulders in many cases).
11Demon Hunter
Same Edge, Different Horns
Husk of the Hypogeal Nemesis
The Demon Hunter set is just as edgy as we’ve come to expect fromDemon Huntertier sets.It has horns, lots of spikes, and cool glow effects,and it is reminiscent of many Legion sets that share similar traits overall.
While there’s not much lacking in this set, there isn’t much overly unique about it (except, perhaps, the curve of the horns on the helm), hence its lower place on the list.
A Down To Earth Set
Mane of the Greatlynx
Druids gota lotof love at the end of Dragonflight with the Emerald Dream patch, so it’s only fair that they get an average set at the start of The War Within to leave some glory for the other classes.
This is one of the more tame tier sets Druids have, but the tameness allows the two different shoulder pads, belt, and helm to stand out a great deal more.
On top of that,there is a really cool fur-braid-scarf-looking piece on the chest armor that matches the fur over the thighs beautifully. Seeing 3-dimensional parts on a chest piece (and leg guards) is always a treat.
All Around Me Are Familiar Faces
Warsculptor’s Masterwork
Warriors have a very heavy-looking set, as always, with the highlights being the shoulder pads and helm. Why limit horns to the helm when the shoulders can have horns, too?
The faces of the Earthen dwarves on the shoulders, while extremely intimidating, can look a tad strangedepending on which race is wearing them. Make no mistake: the Earthen faces make sense since they are one of our primary allies in this expansion.
However, as awesome as the lightning effects and horns are, how it looks across all races must be considered here. Having faces on shoulder pads (or any other gear piece) is a very strong choice, and one that is good when the faces are of something common among all races.
More importantly, they need to be common among the class itself.
For example, the Monk set (as we’ll see later) has ox faces on the shoulder pads, and that’s great for all races because the ox isn’t exclusive to a single race or faction. More crucially, though, the ox is a key symbol of the Monk, due to Niuzao, the August Celestial.
On the flip side, when it comes to the Earthen faces – yes the Earthen can be a part of either the Alliance or Horde – butit nonetheless feels strange to see any non-dwarf race wearing dwarven faces on their shoulders.
Earthen can also be plenty of other classes than warrior.
It’s Got A Water Fountain On Its Head!
Waves of the Forgotten Reservoir
The Shaman set is simple, regal, and has an elemental aesthetic. Admittedly, the water spout from the helm can be viewed as more comical than stylish, but the set is nonetheless an overall winfor Shaman mains.
The chains cinched across the shoulder pads and thigh plates are a very nice detail, and the swirling balls of water within the shoulder pads are a nice change of pace from the usual lightning, earth, and fire aesthetics of most element-focused Shaman tier sets.
Homage To The Kirin Tor
Sparks of Violet Rebirth
It doesn’t happen a lot, butMages got another set with pants instead of robes.Joy and rapture to all our battle-mage fans!
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This set, like the Druid’s, is a tame one, and it is the better for it. The shoulders complement the helm well and have just enough glow on them. The Kirin Tor style eye over our eyes is a wonderful detail for this set, with the implication being“vengeance for Dalaran.”
Extra Sneaky, Extra Edgy
K’areshi Phantom’s Bindings
The Rogue set is – dare it be said – edgier than the Demon Hunter set. It’s got more subdued spikes and glow, making it appear scarier through a dab of minimalism.
It also combines ascended Nerubian and Ethereal vibes(the latter being the case due to the bandages wrapped around the torso and lower legs). Overall, this is something we can expect from a rogue set, and it doesn’t look too clunky (as can often happen for a class all about being stealthy).
About Time Niuzao Got His Due
Gatecrasher’s Fortitude
Monks have gotten a couple of August Celestial-inspired sets in the past (i.e. Xuen’s Battlegear or Chi-Ji’s Battlegear, both from Legion raids). Still, they haven’t gotten one inspired by Niuzao in particular.
Their tier set in Nerub-ar Palace really hammers the “great ox” aesthetic home, with the massive ox-faced shoulder pads and ox-horned helm being the stars of the set.
Certainly, one of the flashier Monk sets out there, but the simplicity (aside from the shoulders and helm) and historical tones are very pleasant. They also heavily complement the grandiose visuals of the ox horns and faces.
Perfectly balanced,as Monks tend to be.
PracticalAndStylish!
Lightless Scavener’s Necessities
Hunter sets tend to be a bit of a hit or miss, but this time around, they are definitely a hit. There is an obvious lack of a chain mail aesthetic, but the skull and bone aesthetic easily makes up for it.
In addition to a stunning (yet edgy) helm and shoulders with cool glow effects,the set has some wonderful details that truly make it feel like a Hunter should be wearing it:the knife strapped to the right boot and the trap hanging off the right side of the waist.
Also, the mythic version of the Hunter set goes quite well with one of the new mounts,the Sureki Skyrazor.
