Everything in this set can be had before the first raids open on 9 December, and every item in our pool has published Forever stats. It is leather built on crit, hit, Agility and Strength around one two-hander, at an average item level of 62.4. The weapon is the slot that matters most: your paw hits for its damage per second.

Pre-raid gear

Each slot lists the items that came next and the score you would give up for each on this fight. On three bosses no gear search runs for tanks. The bear wears the single-boss set of the same length, so those fights repeat these tables.

"Level" marks a gap too small for the sim to separate from noise. A runner-up can read a few points higher than the pick: the Threat search also weighs Survival a little, and the pick wins on the two together.

Weapons

The main hand on every fight is The Unstoppable Force, a 3.6-second two-handed mace bought from the Alterac Valley supply officers. Its 61.5 damage per second is the highest in the pool, and that is all a bear's weapon gives besides its stats: in form every weapon swings at 2.5 seconds. No other slot loses as much: the runner-up weapon costs 33.6 TPS on a one-minute single-boss fight.

Every Threat set opens with Manual Crowd Pummeler, a Gnomeregan mace whose use gives 50 % attack speed for 30 seconds. You use it at the pull, then swap to your main hand when the Haste ends (see Rotation). Wowhead's Forever tooltip lists it with three charges, so it may last only three pulls. The sim uses it once a fight either way.

Head and chest

Mask of the Unforgiven is the helm on most fights. Mask of the Unforgiven drops in Stratholme and carries 2 % hit, which this set is short of. On two minutes the Leatherworking Outlaw's Collar takes its place.

The chest is a Leatherworking craft that binds on equip: Dawn Armor on three minutes, Timbermaw Tunic on one and two. The next chest outside the two crafts costs 25.1 TPS on a three-minute single-boss fight.

Trinkets and idol

Adaptive Combat Assistant is your expertise, 2 % from one slot. It is a Pix Xizzix item from Stranglethorn Vale, and replacing it costs 11.2 TPS. Rune of the Guard Captain is a quest reward from Revantusk Village, a Horde village in The Hinterlands. Our item pool lets the Alliance wear it too, which may not hold in game. The next two trinkets in the table are Enchanting crafts.

The idol is a tie. Idol of the Ursine Twins gives Lacerate a 10 % chance to reset Primal Bite, and Enraged Idol adds 10 Rage to every Enrage. On a one-minute single-boss fight the set wears Enraged Idol, and the next idol in the table, Idol of the Ursine Twins, is level, so wear the one you have.

Reputation pieces

Two Barrens factions sell the shoulders and gloves at Exalted: the Theramore Expeditionary Force has Theramore Pauldrons and Theramore Gloves, the Darkspear Raiders Darkspear Pauldrons and Raider Gloves. Ferocious Watcher's Signet is an Exalted reward from The Watchers. Grinding those reputations is the slowest part of the set, so begin early.

Enchants

• Weapon: Crusader. Weapon procs work in form in Forever, so Crusader's Holy Strength runs 49.8 % of the fight.
• Head: Arcanum of Rapidity. Legs: Arcanum of Rapidity. The search switches between Arcanum of Rapidity (1 % haste) and the Strength Lesser Arcanum of Voracity depending on the fight, so either will do.
• Chest: Greater Stats. Wrists: Superior Strength. Hands: Superior Strength.
• Back: Lesser Agility. Neck: Strength. Feet: Greater Agility.

Consumables

The threat bear's standing list: Elixir of the Mongoose (4.3 %), an Elemental Sharpening Stone on your weapon (2.6 %), Juju Power (2.5 %), R.O.I.D.S. (2.1 %), Smoked Desert Dumplings (1.6 %) and Juju Might (1.5 %). The stone works in form in Forever. Dragonbreath Chili adds 0.2 %.

In our sims Flask of the Titans takes 1.2 % off your threat, and the Stamina elixir and Rumsey Rum shave a little more, because in our engine health shrinks the Rage each hit pays. That rule left the game on 8 October, so take the flask regardless. Nothing else on the list gives as much health. Elixir of Greater Defense does nothing for threat.