Brewmaster Monk Tank Gear and Best in Slot — Midnight Pre-Patch (12.0)
On this page, you will find the best gear and best in slot items for your Brewmaster Monk in World of Warcraft Midnight Pre-Patch (12.0).
If you were looking for Mists of Pandaria Classic content, please refer to our Mists of Pandaria Classic Brewmaster Monk gear and best in slot.
Gearing your Brewmaster Monk
Although the bulk of your ideal pieces of gear will come from selecting items
within the Great Vault every week, raiding 
Mythic
Manaforge Omega, completing very high keys in
Mythic+, or even acquiring items crafted by
Professions using the Crafting Orders system and
Spark of Starlight, not all of this content will be feasible when first
reaching max level. Instead, your initial items will largely
come from exploring the world and participating in Delves. While their
item levels may appear unusually low, the Midnight Pre-Patch has included a stat
and item level squish that has greatly reduced their values everywhere while maintaining
their relative strength. This means that any item level above 150 is considered
"strong" for Level 80 players.
Fortunately, gearing as a Brewmaster is generally simple for most item slots: use the highest item-level gear you can get while trying to avoid unnecessary Haste. However, even an item that is 5 item levels higher with Haste will often still be an upgrade, so do not go entirely out of your way to avoid the stat. Rings are sometimes a different matter, as they do not contain Agility or Armor. However, unless you are trying to maximize your damage output, you can still safely equip a ring with a higher item level, no matter what its stats are. To learn about the rest of your stat priority, see our dedicated page for it.
Gearing Strategy and Recommendations for a Brewmaster Monk
When you are figuring out if an item is an upgrade, it is highly recommended to get in the practice of simulating it. You can only do this to compare gear offensively as a tank specialization, however; fortunately, if you are looking to improve your defenses, you can focus entirely on item level.
If you are unfamiliar with what simulations are or how to use them, our Simulation page can help you learn more. Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, you can safely prioritize item level.
Beyond the disclaimer above, please note that the following recommendations do not include items obtained from PvP. If you are interested in recommended crafted gear, please see the section dedicated to it below.
Brewmaster Monk Gear Upgrades
Continuing from previous seasons, the Midnight Pre-Patch retains the
presence of currencies known as 
Valorstones and Ethereal Crests,
both obtainable from practically all forms of content in the
game. They can be used to upgrade gear up to Item Level 170, which is
Mythic Raid Item Level. They can also upgrade Crafted Gear up to 167 as well.
For more information on the Gear Upgrades system, check out our dedicated page for it below.
With this system, remember that the cost to upgrade scales differs per slot but now also increases quickly as item levels go up.
Best Items to Upgrade for Brewmaster Monks
Given the near-universal nature of gear upgrades, it can be difficult to figure out what items you should invest your limited amounts of Ethereal Crests in each week. As the decision will ultimately be based on what items you have been able to obtain, listed below are some guidelines and "wishlist" items to upgrade as soon as possible:
- Weapons — this slot represents your single largest increase in damage as a Brewmaster. By upgrading it, you will also increase your self-healing capabilities.
- Trinkets — specifically, the top options listed in the full trinket breakdown below based on what you can obtain.
Best-in-Slot (BiS) Gear for Brewmaster Monks
Overall The War Within Pre-Patch Gear BiS List for Brewmaster Monks
This table contains loot from the current Mythic+ Dungeon pool, the Manaforge Omega raid, and recommended crafted gear. If you are purely striving for the absolute best options no matter the odds of obtaining everything, this is it; this list also assumes every item is at its highest possible item level.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head |  Half-Mask of Fallen Storms |
|
| Neck |  Bloodstained Memento |
Priory of the Sacred Flame |
| Shoulders |  Glyphs of Fallen Storms |
|
| Cloak |  Reshii Wraps (with Versatility) |
11.2 Campaign |
| Chest |  Gi of Fallen Storms |
|
| Wrists |  Rune-Branded Armbands(with  Writhing Armor Banding and  Algari Missive of the Quickblade) |
Leatherworking (see note) |
| Gloves |  Grasp of Fallen Storms |
|
| Belt |  Adrenal Surge Clasp |
Leatherworking |
| Legs |  Anomalous Starlit Breeches |
Tazavesh: So'leah's Gambit |
| Boots |  Interloper's Reinforced Sandals |
The Soul Hunters |
| Ring 1 |  Logic Gate: Alpha |
Plexus Sentinel |
| Ring 2 |  High Nerubian Signet |
The Dawnbreaker |
| Weapon (2h) |  Harvester's Interdiction |
Ara-Kara, City of Echoes |
| Weapons (Dual Wield) |
|
|
| Trinkets |
|
Manaforge Omega Gear BiS List for Brewmaster Monks
This table exclusively contains loot from the Manaforge Omega raid. Although it is potentially easier to acquire, particularly pieces of your Tier Set, you will only have one chance to obtain gear per boss on each difficulty every week. In addition, there may be alternative items that are obtained elsewhere as part of your overall best-in-slot gear. However, these are the items from just the raid to look for.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Half-Mask of Fallen Storms |
|
| Neck |  Chrysalis of Sundered Souls |
Soulbinder Naazindhri |
| Shoulders | Glyphs of Fallen Storms |
|
| Cloak | Reshii Wraps (with Versatility) |
11.2 Campaign |
| Chest | Gi of Fallen Storms |
|
| Wrists |  Bindings of Lost Essence |
Soulbinder Naazindhri |
| Gloves | Grasp of Fallen Storms |
|
| Belt |  Reaper's Dreadbelt |
Nexus King Salhadaar |
| Legs |  Elite Shadowguard Legwraps |
Nexus King Salhadaar |
| Boots | Interloper's Reinforced Sandals |
The Soul Hunters |
| Ring 1 | Logic Gate: Alpha |
Plexus Sentinel |
| Ring 2 |  Band of the Shattered Soul |
Dimensius The All Devouring |
| Weapon (2h) |  Marvel of Technomancy |
Forgeweaver Araz |
| Weapons (Dual Wield) |
|
|
| Trinkets |
|
Mythic+ Gear BiS List for Brewmaster Monks
This table exclusively contains loot from the current Mythic+ Dungeon pool. These pieces can be "farmed" without any limits, so long as you have access to a keystone for the dungeon in question. However, they will not be obtainable at their highest item level unless obtained from the Great Vault. This means the items here may not always be your absolute best-in-slot choices.
For pieces of your Tier Set in particular, you will be reliant on either the Great Vault or Matrix Catalyst to acquire them. If making use of the Catalyst, you may use any relevant Mythic+ item to create the tier item.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Half-Mask of Fallen Storms |
|
| Neck | Bloodstained Memento |
Priory of the Sacred Flame |
| Shoulders | Glyphs of Fallen Storms |
|
| Cloak | Reshii Wraps (with Versatility) |
11.2 Campaign |
| Chest | Gi of Fallen Storms |
|
| Wrists |  Unbreakable Beetlebane Bindings |
Ara-Kara, City of Echoes |
| Gloves | Grasp of Fallen Storms |
|
| Belt |  Shadow Congregant's Belt |
The Dawnbreaker |
| Legs | Anomalous Starlit Breeches |
Tazavesh: So'leah's Gambit |
| Boots |  Geezle's Zapstep Boots |
Operation: Floodgate |
| Ring 1 | High Nerubian Signet |
The Dawnbreaker |
| Ring 2 |  Radiant Necromancer's Band |
Priory of the Sacred Flame |
| Weapon (2h) | Harvester's Interdiction |
Ara-Kara, City of Echoes |
| Weapons (Dual Wield) |
|
|
| Trinkets |
|
Am I better off dual-wielding or using a two-handed weapon?
Zephyrous Sail Carver and
Starforged Seraph's Mace) can offer similar performance, particularly in
lower target counts. Equip whichever BiS setup you acquire first, defaulting to
a two-handed option when you are choosing between gear of the same item level.
Useful Leveling Items for Midnight
For players returning during the Midnight Pre-Patch, it may not be feasible to acquire all of the gear shown in the lists above before needing to begin leveling to 90. Instead, if you only have time to get a few key pieces, prioritize finding the following for a smoother experience later:
- A crafted weapon (
Vagabond's Careful Crutch) — Weapons are your
largest source of power, and a high-level War Within craft will still compete with
Midnight questing rewards up until the level cap of 90. You will acquire the
Spark of Starlight and crests from any group content you do during the
Pre-Patch. Aim to use gilded or runed crests and an 
Algari Missive of the Quickblade,
and you can even add an 
Elemental Focusing Lens if you do not have any
Embellished pieces. - On-use damage trinkets, such as
Perfidious Projector, 
Unyielding Netherprism,
or 
Cursed Stone Idol — Leveling frequently benefits from gathering up
large groups of enemies and quickly bursting them down with overwhelming damage
to rapidly complete quests. With this in mind, trinkets that can deal this damage
on demand maintain their value far longer than their item level would suggest.
Fortunately, all of the examples here can be purchased with
catchup currency. - At least two pieces of your Manaforge Omega tier set — While the set bonus effect of these items has been converted into a generic damage increase, this still inflates their relative strength compared to a questing reward. While you would ideally want to acquire four Mythic pieces, even two will make a difference. If they are going to be from a lower difficulty, try to collect the glove and shoulder pieces due to their lower stat budget; this will still make them difficult to replace while leveling.
Best Use of Puzzling Cartel Chips for Brewmaster Monk
Patch 11.2.5 of The War Within Season 3 offered a way to acquire specific
items from Manaforge Omega through 
Puzzling Cartel Chips.
Up to nine of these can be obtained and exchanged, three at a time,
for any weapon, trinket, or "very rare" item in Manaforge Omega, along
with any trinket from the current Mythic+ dungeon pool. However, in order
to purchase any raid item, you must have defeated its respective boss at least once
on Normal difficulty or higher. In addition, the item level of your purchases
will be restricted to the "Hero" track (157) unless you have beaten the boss that normally drops the
item on Mythic difficulty, or have completed a given Mythic+ item's dungeon at +12 in time. See
our Puzzling Cartel Chip guide for more information on how this catchup
currency works and how to obtain it.
We have compiled a list of high-value items that you should prioritize with your Cartel Chips in the Midnight Pre-Patch as Brewmaster Monk. This list is not exhaustive or necessarily in order of priority, and you are best served by simming yourself for optimal results as the best pick will depend on the gear you already have available, along with what items you can purchase at Myth track from completing pinnacle endgame content.
- This trinket is your largest source of external damage and also offers potent defense over time. Despite taking up to four minutes of combat time to reach its full strength, even in a mythic+ dungeon it can then be maintained with ease. It is by far your top priority at Myth track if you continue to be unlucky with obtaining a drop naturally. Otherwise, due to being a tank-exclusive trinket, you may wish to gamble on its relatively low "demand" when it does eventually drop.
- This trinket is your biggest source of damage from a single item slot outside of a weapon for single-target fighting in particular. As you most likely have obtained or crafted a Myth-track weapon along the way to completing Mythic+ dungeons at +12 or higher, consider this among your top priorities if you have not already received its Myth version from your Great Vault.
- This trinket is a staple choice for damage across all target counts, especially
potent in larger AoE when paired with
Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox for
Shado-Pan players, and would require you to see it in your
Great Vault to obtain a Myth-track version otherwise. However, its
on-use nature may prove annoying if you are also wearing an on-use defensive
trinket and need to trigger it at a crucial time. - This trinket is an alternative choice for damage across all target counts,
though its effects are strongest when paired properly with
Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox/
Exploding Keg and its passive damage
specializes in smaller pulls. Similar caveats apply when also wearing a defensive trinket alongside this one. - Due to this item's bonus interaction with your
Reshii Wraps being based
on the "original" item level of the piece, a Myth-track version is a more noteworthy
improvement than usual over the Hero-track alternative. Plus, if you have already
defeated this boss to obtain a 
Brand of Ceaseless Ire, you are eligible to
purchase it too! However, Ethereal Barrier is a purely defensive cloak
effect, making the bonus less useful than for a DPS or healer. - If you are more concerned with AoE damage or are focused on Mythic+ content, then the Myth version of either of these trinkets may be a more tempting option that remains entirely passive to avoid clashing with any on-use defensive trinket options.
- This weapon is your best choice for the season, though it is only a minor
upgrade over a
Obliteration Beamglaive or crafted weapon of a similar
item level. Still, if you have already obtained Myth-track versions of many
of the above trinkets, then this is perhaps your only remaining power boost
to purchase with 
Puzzling Cartel Chips. - For most players, a farmable Hero-track version of either trinket is good
enough for almost any piece of content. However, those seeking to push the highest
key levels—and have already completed Operation: Floodgate at +12—may be
interested in the extra potency of
Ringing Ritual Mud at Myth track. Raid-focused
players, meanwhile, will prefer the smaller shield and cooldown of 
Soulbinder's Embrace.
(Overall) Brand of Ceaseless Ire (The Soul Hunters) - Why?
(Single-target) 
Tome of Light's Devotion (Priory of the Sacred Flame) - Why?
(On-Use large AoE) Cursed Stone Idol (Halls of Atonement) - Why?
(On-Use small AoE) Unyielding Netherprism (Fractillus) - Why?
Interloper's Reinforced Sandals (The Soul Hunters)- Why?
(Passive AoE) 
Improvised Seaforium Pacemaker/
Astral Antenna (Operation: Floodgate/Loom’ithar) - Why?
Harvester's Interdiction (Ara-Kara, City of Echoes) - Why?
(Defense) Ringing Ritual Mud/ Soulbinder's Embrace (Operation: Floodgate/Soulbinder Naazindhri) - Why?
Reshii Wraps for Brewmaster Monks
Patch 11.2 brought with it a new upgradeable artifact cloak known as
the Reshii Wraps. This item is obtained early on in the 11.2 story
campaign and is essentially the only cloak you will wear until reaching Level 90
in Midnight; in fact, you are entirely unable to enter the Manaforge Omega
raid or participate in its encounters without it! Needless to say, this factor,
along with its maximum item level of 170, means it is a best-in-slot item for you
to acquire as soon as possible.
Of course, just having a higher item level would not make the Reshii Wraps
a very special item. Fortunately, this cloak also features a unique fiber socket
that allows you to select its secondary stat. For Brewmasters, you will likely
stick to the 
Pure Dexterous Fiber, which grants Versatility, though the
Pure Precise Fiber may also be used to gain Critical Strike instead. Beyond
this, the cloak contains a unique passive effect that changes based upon your
specialization. As a tank specialization, Brewmasters will regularly gain
an Ethereal Barrier absorb, along with a much larger Ethereal Barricade
in an emergency. Due to being entirely passive and dealing no damage, you do not
need to worry about trying to optimize this power in any way; instead, simply enjoy
the extra defense.
Finally, there exist a couple of items that further empower your Reshii Wraps'
passive effect and are found in the Manaforge Omega raid. This includes a pair
of boots ( Interloper's Reinforced Sandals) and a ring ( Band of the Shattered Soul).
Of the two, you should only focus on obtaining the boots, as the ring's massive
amount of Haste and defensive bonus are both underwhelming and unnecessary for a
Brewmaster.
For more information on how to acquire or upgrade the Reshii Wraps, make sure to check
out our dedicated guide!
Recommended Crafted Gear and Embellishments
When gearing, you have the option to utilize profession gear to a greater
extent than ever before, including the ability to create powerful items at
an item level of up to 167. However, acquiring items of suitable strength is
limited by a unique reagent known as a Spark of Starlight, which must be obtained
from a variety of endgame content. Over time, you can utilize entire sets
of crafted gear if you are willing to create them (with or without the help of
the Crafting Orders system), but be warned that you cannot convert
crafted gear into tier pieces at the
Matrix Catalyst.
In addition to having customizable secondary stats, there are a variety of powerful optional effects that are either innately present on crafted gear or can be manually added with extra reagents. These bonuses are known as embellishments, and you may have up to two effects present on equipped crafted gear at a time.
Ideal Gear to Craft
Due to the flexibility of crafted gear, such as the ability to specify your
secondary stats along with your potential embellishment, you have many options
available for gear to be created depending on items you have been able to
obtain from other content sources. In general, however,
some items are more likely to be useful for all Brewmaster Monks,
which are listed below for convenience. For any items where you are able to
customize their secondaries, we recommend using an Algari Missive of the Quickblade
to select Critical Strike and Versatility.
Adrenal Surge Clasp — crafted by Leatherworkers,
the Adrenal Surge Clasp is a tank-oriented belt with a unique built-in embellishment
effect. While worn, taking damage has a chance to grant a large Agility buff while
also temporarily reducing your Mastery by a small amount. Despite this downside,
the bonuses to your offensive and defensive powers are noteworthy in AoE while
still remaining reliably strong in single-target. Plus, this belt comes with
Critical Strike and Versatility, which is otherwise a rare stat combination on other
Pre-Patch belts.- Embellished Armor featuring a
Writhing Armor Banding — made through
Leatherworking, any armor piece can optionally include the
Writhing Armor Banding embellishment, doubling the effects of your
Adrenal Surge Clasp!- This embellishment effect is optimally crafted in the bracer slot due to the number of more useful items taking up the other common slot choices of cloak or boots.
- You may also use the
Dawnthread Lining or 
Duskthread Lining
embellishments instead for effectively identical performance, though their effects
are slightly more conditional. The exact thread choice will also vary with your
current secondary stat distribution.
- Jewelry, such as
Amulet of Earthen Craftsmanship or 
Ring of Earthen Craftsmanship —
made by Jewelcrafters, crafted jewelry is an easy way to
acquire a large amount of your preferred secondary stats while also nearly matching
the strength of the absolute best-in-slot choices available for the season.
Consider crafting for your Neck or a Ring slot with a Algari Missive of the Quickblade
to bypass needing to make up for a lack of crit/vers rings in the Pre-Patch. - Weapons, such as
Everforged Longsword or Vagabond's Careful Crutch — made by
Blacksmiths or Scribes, crafted
weapons can offer some of your biggest damage gains if you are unable to obtain any of the season's
unique effect weapons at their higher item
levels. Depending on your goals for a character, crafting a weapon may even make
sense as your first choice and still can feature a useful embellishment
( Elemental Focusing Lens).
Brewmaster The War Within Pre-Patch Tier Set - Crash of Fallen Storms
Season 3 of The War Within featured a new set of Monk-themed gear to collect,
known as the Crash of Fallen Storms set. Pieces of this armor can be earned
from bosses in the Manaforge Omega raid, alongside any of the nine slots
in the weekly Great Vault, and can also gradually be made at the
Matrix Catalyst as a catchup system. This armor, when enough pieces of
it are worn, unlocks special bonuses for Brewmasters. However, in the Midnight
Pre-Patch, these bonuses have been converted into generic damage and healing increases
rather than truly unique effects. Fortunately, most of them have turned into official
Hero Talent nodes for both 
Shado-Pan and 
Master of Harmony
Brewmasters, such as 
Harmonic Surge.
Monk - Midnight PrePatch - 11.2 Class Set 2pc — All ability damage dealt is increased
by 6%.- Monk - Midnight PrePatch - 11.2 Class Set 4pc — All ability damage dealt is increased
by a further 10%.
As there are five total slots, but only four are needed to gain both equipment bonuses, we recommend that you consider ignoring the leg piece in favor of the remaining four. However, getting your set bonuses takes priority over getting the "correct" pieces, and in Pre-Patch especially, all five remain very close in overall performance.
Choosing a Weapon
Brewmaster Monks are unique in that they can opt for either a two-handed weapon or to dual-wield one-handed weapons. This results in a massive amount of potential choices to consider. Although you will often opt for whichever choice has the higher item level or more Weapon DPS, there is some nuance to bear in mind.
Dual-wielding and Two-Hand Comparison
As you are acquiring weapons, you may have to, at times, decide between
dual-wielding a weapon in each hand or equipping a single two-handed option.
Although the difference is ultimately small, when dual-wielding your autoattack
damage is generally greater and when using a two-handed weapon your ability damage
is higher instead. However, if both of your dual-wielded weapons are enchanted,
then they generally can make up this difference in ability damage. Of course, this
assumes all three weapons involved are the same item level and have identical
secondary stats. Beyond this, Shado-Pan Brewmasters may also be concerned
about how each type interacts with generating 
Flurry Charges. Fortunately,
both dual wielding and 2h weaponry will generate the same number of Charges
on average, with dual-wielded attacks having a high chance of generating 1 Charge
per swing and two-handed attacks always generating 2.
To summarize: when deciding between dual-wield and 2h, you can safely choose either option if it results in a higher total item level or amount of secondary stats. If you would like to know the best offensive option for your current selection of weapons, then it is still recommended to simulate your character for the best item available.
Weapons with Unique Effects in The War Within Pre-Patch
Between Dungeons, Delves, and Manaforge Omega, The Midnight
Pre-Patch features three weapons with unique effects that Brewmasters
can equip: Harvester's Interdiction, 
Spellstrike Warplance, and
Befouler's Syringe.
They are all very powerful, should you seek them out, and which remains
best will be highly dependent on your current gear.
Harvester's Interdiction
Spellstrike Warplance
Befouler's Syringe
Harvester's Interdiction
Harvester's Interdiction, from Ara-Kara, City of Echoes, is a two-handed
staff with a chance to deal bonus Shadow damage over a short period, roughly twice per minute.
This effect does not affect the stat budget of the weapon, making it purely a bonus. There is
also a hidden "set bonus" when paired with the 
Harvester's Edict trinket, increasing
the chance to trigger both items' effects by 25%.
If you are looking for your strongest two-handed choice (and strongest weapon
overall for the season, even without the "set bonus"), Harvester's Interdiction
represents a convenient answer. Plus, it is a weapon that can be farmed from
Mythic+, making it easy enough to obtain!
Spellstrike Warplance
Spellstrike Warplance, from Eco-Dome Al'dani, is a two-handed
polearm that features a unique on-use effect. Once every two minutes, you may
trigger a 
Warplance Strike, dealing Spellstrike damage split between
enemies in a 12-yard cone in front of you. Notably, this does not trigger
the 20-second cooldown that prevents using multiple on-use effects at once. In
addition, its effect exists purely as a bonus that does not affect the stat
budget of the weapon. The damage of this effect is not especially noteworthy,
but a bonus is a bonus.
Similarly to Harvester's Interdiction, this weapon is one of your strongest
two-handed weapons for the season (and one of the strongest overall). Likewise, it
is farmable from Mythic+. Focus on obtaining either of the two for a helpful power
boost in the season.
Befouler's Syringe
Befouler's Syringe is somewhat unique even among "unique" weapons in
that it can be obtained as a very rare drop from any Nerubian-themed content,
including Nerubian Delves, Dungeons, or the three "World/Delve" slots
of the Great Vault. However, this means that its maximum item level is
effectively capped to the Veteran, Champion, or Hero
upgrade tracks, which are 137/150/157.
With all of these potential restrictions, what power does it have to justify
them? This polearm features no Agility, instead having a passive damage
effect. At roughly 3 procs per minute, your attacks apply Befouled Blood
to the enemy, a 10-second DoT. If a target with Befouled Blood perishes, it will
instead become the Befouler's Bloodlust buff on you, empowering your next
melee attack to deal additional Nature damage.
Although the passive damage effects of Befouler's Syringe are strong
enough to outweigh the lack of Agility and even be better than weapons at similar
item levels, its reduced maximum cap of up to 157 (exclusively when obtained
from the Great Vault) greatly limits its potential for players that
can acquire Myth track gear that can instead be upgraded to 170.
Indeed, players can similarly choose to craft 167 weapons with their
Spark of Starlight instead, outclassing this rare weapon. With that being
said, it is equally usable by Strength classes, making warbound versions helpful
for gearing alts.
Useful Trinkets for Brewmaster Monk
Trinkets are a gear slot that can provide shifting value across different areas of content. They are also the easiest piece to alter how offensive or defensive-minded you wish to be. Because of this, you should keep many of the trinkets you obtain and be ready to swap them out when the situation calls for it.
Bloodmallet can also be used to see a comprehensive grouping of all available trinkets for Brewmaster Monks organized by their damage capabilities. If the source of the trinket is not listed on mouseover, then it only appears from world quests or events and will be difficult to acquire.
Finally, note that the items are listed in order of their approximate strength. If a trinket is not discussed here, then it is not worth seeking out or holding onto due to its lackluster effects compared to the alternatives.
Useful Trinkets for Brewmaster Monk
Offensive Manaforge Omega Raid Trinkets
- Brand of Ceaseless Ire — A somewhat "hybrid" choice between damage
and defense, this trinket quickly becomes your best possible offensive option
any time you are able to maintain all 15 stacks of its Infuriated buff,
while also reliably providing you with additional absorbs against damage. Fortunately,
when leaving combat, you will only lose one stack of Infuriated every 3 seconds, giving
plenty of time to keep the bonus to this trinket's damage and absorb going even
in a mythic+ environment. Consider it your top priority to acquire.
- Unyielding Netherprism — Consistency is the goal of this trinket,
which reliably triggers its effect every 10 seconds while letting you additionally
gain an Agility buff on demand with its on-use effect. Consider seeking it out
in particular if you are interested in playing around specific damage windows,
and focus on activating it with Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox or Exploding Keg
when possible.
- Perfidious Projector — Although this trinket features a Brewmaster's
least-favorite secondary stat for damage (Haste), its on-use damage effect is
certainly potent enough to make up for it while also increasing when hitting multiple
enemies. Consider it a simple and effective source of on-demand burst.
Sigil of the Cosmic Hunt — If you are looking for a simple, passive
option for damage at all target counts, this trinket provides it nicely. With its
combination of a generous 2.5 procs per minute, increasing damage based on the target's
lost health, and echoing to nearby enemies, you really cannot go wrong.- Astral Antenna — One of the simplest options available among your
trinket choices, this item passively provides you with large amounts of Critical Strike
roughly 2.5 times per minute. On top of this, multiple buffs can even temporarily
overlap with one another for an even bigger stat boost!
Araz's Ritual Forge — If you are instead looking for the largest
possible source of burst damage, then this trinket's astronomical Agility buff
that lines up nicely with Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox for 
Master of Harmony
players may be to your liking. While the maximum health cost to activate its
2-minute on-use seems significant, Brewmasters can often mitigate most of the risk
thanks to 
Stagger.
Offensive Dungeon Trinkets in The War Within
- Tome of Light's Devotion — This trinket is not only a hybrid
choice of defense and damage, but secretly one of your strongest offensive choices
when utilized properly. While equipped, you will alternate between the buffs of
Inner Resilience and 
Inner Radiance, switching automatically as
you take damage and gain up to 50 stacks of "reading" the tome.- While "reading" Resilience, you gain a small amount of passive Armor and a chance to gain an absorb against Magic damage.
- While "reading" Radiance, you instead gain passive Critical Strike and a chance to deal bonus Holy damage with your abilities.
- Cursed Stone Idol — While using it may prove somewhat annoying, this
trinket combines everything you would want in a useful item: static Agility, on-demand
damage, a Critical Strike buff, and a low cooldown that can regularly align with
Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox for Shado-Pan players thanks to
Efficient Training! Do not be afraid to let it briefly
sit off cooldown to stay synced up with this ability, but be warned that this trinket
is on the global cooldown and you are unable to dodge enemy attacks during its very
brief channel. - Improvised Seaforium Pacemaker — If stats are of more interest to
you, then this trinket offers a novel way to get a Brewmaster's favorite secondary
of Critical Strike. Every 60 seconds, using an ability will grant a Critical Strike
buff for 15 seconds, though during this time any additional Critical Strikes will
extend the duration by up to 30 seconds in total! This form of on-demand stats
makes it excellent for AoE, provided you are able to time the effect with your
bigger damage moments.
Lily of the Eternal Weave — Similar to the 
Signet of the Priory,
this trinket offers a large stat buff, but on a shorter, 90-second cooldown. This
results in a similarly useful trinket that favors the natural cooldown reduction
to Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox that Shado-Pan players enjoy.- Signet of the Priory — If Critical Strike or Versatility is your highest
secondary stat, then this trinket may be a better way to obtain your preferred
choice for burst damage or defense on a 2-minute cooldown. As an extra bonus, any
allies also wearing this item will gain a smaller amount of the same stat with
every activation! Master of Harmony players in particular may enjoy
this trinket due to the easier time they may have with lining up Invoke Niuzao, the Black Ox's
cooldown.
Ticking Sack of Terror — While this trinket offers Mastery, a stat
that is normally only average for damage, its damage effect is deceptively potent for
its item level. However, due to needing to stack its debuff on a target multiple times
(or manage to have it time out before their demise), this trinket's strength is largely
limited to single-target fighting, though it is among your stronger options for it.
Offensive World/Delves Trinkets in The War Within
As a reminder, all trinkets from Delves have a lower maximum item level than those from Dungeons or Raids. They will often still be useful upgrades for your character but will rarely be the best choices available.
Depleted K'areshi Battery — Similar to the 
Turbo-Drain 5000 trinket
of an earlier season, this trinket triggers roughly 3 times per minute to passively
deal additional Arcane damage over time to your target. However, its value is largely
limited to single-target fighting.
Chaotic Nethergate — In spite of its reduced item level, this trinket
is secretly one of your strongest choices in larger AoE fighting due to featuring
uncapped damage provided your enemies will stay within its zone for the full
10-second duration. It also offers a small amount of healing during this time.
Void-Touched Fragment — While the 15 fragment requirement to trigger
this trinket's large Mastery buff is daunting, its 10 fragments per minute, on top
of a bonus whenever an enemy dies, results in surprisingly decent uptime in an
AoE environment. Even in single-target, it will be one of your best Delve trinket
choices.
Defensive Manaforge Omega Raid Trinkets
- Soulbinder's Embrace — One of the most useful forms of defense
in a trinket is an on-demand absorb on a low cooldown, and this trinket offers not
only that but a small amount of damage with each activation as well. This results in
an option that is likely available for almost any deadly situation, while still
being strong enough to enable your survival on its own. Seek it out as your first
line of defense if you need such an option.
All-Devouring Nucleus — This trinket is one of a type commonly
known as a "cheat-death", which normally activates when you receive fatal damage
and has some sort of conditional effect or long cooldown between uses. In the
case of this trinket, it offers a bonus source of passive damage and healing when
taking damage, which is disabled should the actual cheat-death effect occur. Despite
this, the relatively low amount of damage and healing means that this trinket suffers
from the common problem of being fairly useless if you are not at risk of activating
it. Only consider wearing it if you are especially concerned about dying.
Defensive Dungeon Trinkets in The War Within
- Ringing Ritual Mud — While similar to the
Chromebustible Bomb Suit
from Liberation of Undermine in that this trinket also provides an
on-demand absorb that triggers AoE damage, it is in some ways superior. This is
due to featuring static Versatility instead of Haste, alongside any DoT effects
triggering a reduction to its baseline 2-minute cooldown. However, your own
Stagger damage does not count for this! Even so, it is your strongest
defensive option in general. - Tome of Light's Devotion — This trinket is not only a hybrid
choice of defense and damage, but secretly one of your stronger offensive choices
when utilized properly. While equipped, you will alternate between the buffs of
Inner Resilience and Inner Radiance, switching automatically as
you take damage and gain up to 50 stacks of "reading" the tome
- While "reading" Resilience, you gain a small amount of passive Armor and a chance to gain an absorb against Magic damage.
- While "reading" Radiance, you instead gain passive Critical Strike and a chance to deal bonus Holy damage with your abilities.
Codex of the First Technique — This trinket deserves a special mention
precisely due to how misleadingly weak it actually is. Although the damage
reflection effect results in an apparently potent amount of damage and effective
healing over time, this is unfortunately tempered by the trinket's passive stat
being Stamina rather than any secondary stat or Agility. As a result, nearly half
of what makes the best trinkets so strong is missing, and a decent effect does not
make up the difference.
Defensive World/Delves Trinkets in The War Within
As a reminder, all trinkets from Delves have a lower maximum item level than those from Dungeons or Raids. They will often still be useful upgrades for your character, but will rarely be the best choices available.
Veiling Mana Shroud — While it is ultimately a simple effect, this
trinket combines passive Agility and a bonus proc of Versatility on a regular basis,
amplified by your Stagger giving it even more opportunities to occur.
Enchants and Sockets
Once you have obtained a piece of gear containing a prismatic socket or needing to be enchanted, you will need to know how to modify it. Details about these tweaks can be found on our dedicated gems, enchants, and consumables page.
Changelog
- 19 Jan. 2026: Updated for Midnight Pre-Patch.
- 30 Nov. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.2.7.
- 23 Oct. 2025: Slightly adjusted Puzzling Cartel Chip recommendations.
- 05 Oct. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.2.5.
- 15 Aug. 2025: Added further noteworthy offensive trinkets to their respective sections.
- 12 Aug. 2025: Revised trinket recommendations due to updated simulation data.
- 04 Aug. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.2.
- 23 Jun. 2025: Adjusted DISC belt recommendations based on recent tuning.
- 15 Jun. 2025: Added discussion of the DISC belt of Patch 11.1.7; embellishment recommendations adjusted.
- 12 May 2025: Puzzling Cartel Chip recommendations adjusted based on purchase requirements.
- 21 Apr. 2025: Puzzling Cartel Chip purchase recommendations added for Patch 11.1.5.
- 23 Mar. 2025: Best damage trinket adjusted due to recent tuning hotfixes; added Sigil of Algari Concordance discussion.
- 01 Mar. 2025: Cyrce's Circlet recommendations adjusted as of latest post-hotfix sims.
- 24 Feb. 2025: Updated for Patch 11.1.0.
- 20 Feb. 2024: Gear, trinket, and crafting recommendations updated for Season 2 of The War Within.
- 20 Dec. 2024: Cyrce's Circlet citrine guidance adjusted based on further tuning and updated simulations.
- 15 Dec. 2024: Added Cyrce's Circlet citrine recommendations; page reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
- 21 Oct. 2024: Added Befouler's Syringe to list of unique weapons.
- 13 Sep. 2024: Embellishment crafting slot choices adjusted and further explained; trinkets adjusted ahead of upcoming tuning; recommended tier offpiece shifted.
- 10 Sep. 2024: Embellishment recommendations adjusted with latest simulation findings.
- 09 Sep. 2024: Gear, trinket, and crafting recommendations updated for Season 1 of The War Within.
- 21 Aug. 2024: Updated with Pre-Season and Season 1 BiS gear for The War Within
- 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 22 Apr. 2024: Gear lists updated with Dragonflight Season 4 recommendations; added Antique Bronze Bullion purchase recommendations; created additional tables for unique weapons and trinkets.
- 19 Mar. 2024: Offensive raid trinket order revised; page reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 15 Jan. 2024: Page reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 10 Nov. 2023: Slight gear adjustments based on recent hotfixes and simulation optimizations, particularly regarding trinkets.
- 06 Nov. 2023: Adjusted with new recommended Dungeon/Raid gear and Trinkets for Dragonflight Season 3; adjusted unique weapon discussion; added an explanation of Amirdrassil set bonus effects.
- 04 Sep. 2023: Page reformatted for Patch 10.1.7.
- 12 Jul. 2023: Mentioned the possibility of a higher item level Borrowed Time; rings reordered for better clarity.
- 10 Jul. 2023: Added Dawn of the Infinite gear; rings adjusted.
- 24 May 2023: Added mention of Firelands Timewalking trinkets and a recent Weapons of Order hotfix.
- 10 May 2023: Updated special weapon discussion due to updated simulations; offensive trinkets slightly revised.
- 03 May 2023: Embellishment/crafted gear priority modified; recommended tier slot "offpiece" changed based on recent simulations.
- 01 May 2023: Adjusted with new recommended Dungeon/Raid gear and Trinkets for Dragonflight Season 2; added sections on unique weapon effects and upgrade priorities.
- 20 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 12 Jan. 2022: Added additional information on embellishments; adjusted dungeon trinket recommendations.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Dungeon gear revised and recommended raid gear added; trinkets substantially expanded for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
More Monk Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Sinzhu, a Mythic raider on US-Kiljaeden who has passionately played Brewmaster for the past ten years. He also contributes to the Peak of Serenity and is a Moderator of the Monk Class Discord.
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