World of Farmcraft

There is great loot dropping in Naxxramas, however only the best can take it wearing crappy greens or crappier T6.

The rest of us need some blue-purple starter gear for two reasons:

• to be able to provide decent damage/heal for our raid, so the boss actually goes down.
• to be accepted to a raiding guild at the first place.

In WoW there always was one way to get starter gear: farming. It's not about to change. However the way of farming does, and in a way that makes any dishonest goblin smile (honest goblins do not exist).

In BC it was:

• farming HC instances to get that 1 epic drop from the endboss (LFM 3 DPS and a healer to HC Mechanar anyone?).
• farming daily HC to get enough badges for badge gear
• grind rep to get that 1 special item from exalted
• Afk Valley to get S1/S2/vindicator
  

While in WotLK there are badges and there are rep rewards, but the big shot is the BoE heaven. While the raid-drop epic BoE-s won't be readily available, the crafted ones do, and also the Band/Signet of Kirin Tor. For example let's see what can crafters offer for a PvE restodruid:

• Earthliving boots (10 heavy borrean leather, 5 eternal water, 5 eternal life, frozen orb), bit worse than the 40 badge of valor boot.
• Earthliving legguards (12 heavy borrean leather, 6 eternal water, 6 eternal life, frozen orb), I think better than T7, definitely better then Hateful Gladiator
• Moonshroud gloves (4 Moonshroud, 4 Bolts of Imbued Frostweave, Frozen orb), beats Hateful Gladiator, slightly worse than T7.
• Moonshroud robe (6 Moonshroud, 6 Bolts of Imbued Frostweave, Frozen orb), beats Hateful Gladiator, slightly worse thanT7.
• Titanium spellshock necklace (2 titanum bar, 4 dragon's eye, 6 eternal shadow, 6 eternal water, Frozen orb), bit worse than Hateful Gladiator, worse than 25 badge amulet.
• Titanium spellshock ring (2 titanum bar, 4 dragon's eye, 4 eternal air, 4 eternal water, Frozen orb), better than Hateful Gladiator
• Signet of Kirin Tor, (8000G), just slightly worse than the 25 badge ring
• Whispcloak, (5 Bolts of Imbued Frostweave, 6 eternal life, 4 eternal water, Siren's Tear, Frozen orb), worse than 25 badge of valor cloak, better than Hateful Gladiator.
• And the crown jewel: Titansteel Guardian (6 Saronite Bar, 6 Titansteel Bar, 2 Frozen orb), has no competition from vendored items
  

It's a nice shopping list. Eternals run around 30G, and I have not even seen a Frozen orb in AH. It will be dropped by a bosses and also to be sold for 10 badges. Since people first farm gear for badges, it's price will be very high, my guess is around 1000G. So each of these items will cost around 2000G. So gearing up from farming will cost something like 25000G, not counting the enchants, gems and such.

Why is it very different from BC? In BC the usage of money for something that makes sense was limited:

• consumables
• enchants
• gems
  
• power-leveling professions for BoP and profession specific buffs like ring enchants
• mats for profession-BoP

Behind these, you could only use your money for faster mount and more bag space which was nice extra comfort but not necessary.

After these you could just waste them on extra mounts, pets, sparkling ring, giga-bag and such nonsense. In WotLK you can gear up from it and not even into lousy gear. In Wotlk: gold = ilvl 200 gear!

This will also mean that huge amount of players will farm elementals and such for materials or for sell. If you follow the goblin way, you will never-ever have to do it.

I will constantly monitor the prices to get materials for my shopping list. When it's cheap, I buy it. By the time I ding lvl80 I'll have full ilvl 200 gear.

Note to self and everyone: Moonshroud and Titansteel creation has cooldown. Most people who have the skill don't use their CD-s yet since they don't have mats or just don't care. Try to find them, offer them mats and tip. Start stockpiling these items.