Your 10-Day Path to Raid Readiness
Mists of Pandaria Classic changes everything about raiding. Instead of the straightforward tank-and-spank encounters you remember from earlier Classic expansions, MoP throws three raids at you simultaneously: Mogu'shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, and Terrace of Endless Spring. These raids demand individual responsibility, quick reactions, and constant movement. One player messes up, and the whole raid wipes.
You get exactly 10 days between hitting level 90 and stepping into your first raid. Launch happens July 21st, 2025, and raids open July 31st. That's not much time to get ready, but it's doable if you know what to focus on.
This guide breaks down everything you need to accomplish in those 10 days. Stick to this plan, and you'll walk into raids with better gear than most players and enough consumables to last through your first clear attempts.
- Launch: July 21st, 2025
- Raids Open: July 31st, 2025
- Celestial Dungeons: August 12th, 2025
- Your Window: 10 days to get raid-ready
Build Your Foundation (Days 1-2)
Start Your Daily Reputation Grind
Three factions matter for raiding, but they're not all created equal. Blizzard slowed down reputation gains compared to original MoP, so you can't rush to exalted status before raids open.
The Tillers - Top Priority
This faction deserves your daily attention more than any other. Every crop you harvest at level 90 gives reputation, and you need Revered status to plant Motes of Harmony. These motes become crucial for crafting later on.
Start your farm the moment you hit 90. Do your daily harvest every single day without exception. Miss a day, and you're behind schedule.
The Klaxxi - Important but Limited
The Klaxxi offer a 489 item level ring at Exalted, but there's a catch. The repeatable Dread Amber Shard quest that lets you grind reputation stays disabled until after the first raid reset. Without that quest, reaching Exalted before raids open is nearly impossible.
Start the daily quest chain anyway. You'll need this reputation eventually, and the daily quests give decent rewards while you're gearing up.
Golden Lotus - Same Story
Like the Klaxxi, Golden Lotus sells a 489 item level neck piece at Exalted. The quest chain starts at the Pagoda and takes about 20 minutes to get rolling. Same problem though - getting to Exalted before raids open won't happen for most players.
Get these dailies started, but don't stress about the exalted rewards. They'll come the week after raids launch.
Get Your Legendary Quest Rolling
Head to the Tavern in the Mists and pick up Wrathion's legendary quest line. The first step requires Black Prince reputation, and here's the important part - you only gain this reputation when you have the quest active.
Kill anything in Dread Wastes or Vale of Eternal Blossoms without the quest in your log? You get zero Black Prince rep. Grab this quest immediately.
You can't progress past reputation gathering before raids open anyway, but starting early means every monster you kill while doing dailies counts toward your legendary progress.
Get Raid-Ready Gear (Days 2-4)
Hit the Item Level Requirement for Heroics
You need 435 item level to queue for random heroic dungeons. Getting there requires smart gear choices from multiple sources.
Crafted PvP Gear - Your Best Bet
Item level 450 PvP pieces hit the auction house a few days after launch. Buy what you can afford, or get guild crafters to make pieces for you. These items give the biggest item level boost for the gold spent.
Arena of Annihilation Scenario
This level 90 scenario hands you a 450 item level weapon for completion. Find Grikoof outside the Temple of the White Tiger (down the steps from where you opened the gates to Vale). He gives you the quest to enter the scenario.
Weapons contribute heavily to your overall item level, so this scenario should be one of your first stops at 90.
Quest Rewards and Currency
You should have decent blue items from Dread Wastes quest chains if you did them while leveling to 90. Spend your carried-over Justice and Honor points (you did cap them at 4,000 each before MoP launched, right?) on pieces that fill your lowest item level slots.
Auction House Options
Players with lots of gold can skip some of the grinding by buying world drop epics or crafted gear straight from the auction house. How viable this option is depends on your server's economy and how much gold you saved up.
Farm Heroic Dungeons Smart
Don't just spam random queues. Every day, queue specifically for the heroic dungeon that drops your best-in-slot epic from the final boss.
Example: Monks wanting fist weapons should queue for Shadow-Pan Monastery daily. You get one guaranteed shot at those fist weapons, plus whatever random queues give you.
After your specific daily queue, run randoms for 463 item level pieces. Focus on slots you won't replace with crafted gear or valor point purchases.
Craft Your Epic Items
Engineering Goggles
Level your engineering and craft epic goggles. Head pieces are hard to come by, so this item often stays equipped for weeks.
Chest and Glove Pieces
Leatherworking, Tailoring, and Blacksmithing all create epic chest and glove pieces. These items are Bind on Equip, so you don't need the profession yourself.
Work with guild crafters if you don't have the right profession. Help them gather materials in exchange for crafted items. Everyone benefits from this arrangement.
Advanced Preparation (Days 4-7)
Get Your Darkmoon Faire Trinket
Every class wants a Darkmoon Faire trinket. These trinkets outperform most alternatives you'll find in early raids. Getting one requires serious time investment or a fat wallet.
The Inscription Route
Multiple scribes give you the best shot at completing a deck before raids open. The bottleneck isn't inscription skill - it's the daily Scroll of Wisdom cooldown. You can start making these scrolls at skill level 1.
If you followed pre-90 advice, your inscription cooldowns should already be running. Each day you wait is a day behind schedule.
The Gold Route
Buy individual cards from the auction house and trade cheaper cards for expensive ones with other players. Buying a complete deck costs more than piecing it together yourself, but it's faster if you have the gold.
Bank Your Valor Points
Valor points cap at 1,600 per week with a rolling total. By raid launch, you'll have roughly 3,200 points to spend on upgrades.
Smart Valor Purchases
Valor gear sits at 489 item level compared to 463 from heroics. That 26 point difference shows up in your damage and survivability.
Collect Lesser Charms for Bonus Rolls
You need 90 Lesser Charms for three bonus rolls (this might drop to 50, but plan for 90). Bonus rolls give extra chances at loot from raid bosses.
Pet Battle Method
Pet trainer battles give consistent Lesser Charm rewards. Complete the pet battle quest chain for a 3,000 gold bonus, then farm any missing charms from open world pet battles.
This method fits well into your schedule after other priorities are handled.
Reset Planning
Focus on steady daily progress rather than trying to game reset timings for extra bonus rolls. The confirmed launch schedule makes timing tricks unreliable.
Final Touches (Days 7-10)
Consider Conquest Point Gear
Even raiders benefit from PvP gear due to item level advantages. Conquest gear sits at 483 item level - higher than heroic dungeon drops.
Best PvP Pieces for Raiders
Target bracers, belts, cloaks, and other non-set pieces. In Cataclysm, two-piece PvP sets gave significant primary stat bonuses, so watch for similar benefits in MoP.
Conquest Cap Uncertainty
Original MoP used a 1,650 weekly cap, but Classic might implement the 4,000 rolling cap from Cataclysm Classic. Either way, conquest gear paired with valor purchases can push your item level very high for raid entry.
Max Out Profession Cooldowns
Alchemy First
Start Living Steel cooldowns immediately. You'll need these for belt buckles when you start replacing gear in raids.
Everything Else
Once your main character has adequate heroic gear and starts working on Darkmoon Faire trinkets, begin daily cooldowns on all professions. Level alt professions to expand your daily cooldown capacity.
Building material reserves now saves time and gold later when you need to craft upgrades quickly.
Celestial Dungeons launch August 12th - two weeks after raids open. If you're reading this guide after that date, your strategy changes completely.
Post-Celestial Priority
Spam Celestial Dungeons for LFR-equivalent gear. This makes most other preparation secondary except for Darkmoon Faire trinkets, which remain valuable throughout the expansion.
Advanced Raiding Knowledge
What Makes MoP Raids Different
MoP raids break the mold from earlier Classic content. Instead of standing still and following simple rotations, you'll deal with:
New Raid Challenges
Individual Responsibility
One player screws up a mechanic, and 10-25 people wipe. Personal execution matters more than raid-wide coordination.
Constant Movement
Static positioning gets you killed. Encounters like Lei Shi and Garalon force continuous repositioning while maintaining DPS rotations.
Multi-Phase Complexity
Bosses change their behavior patterns mid-fight. You can't memorize one strategy and repeat it - you need to adapt on the fly.
Class Performance in MoP Raids
Top Tank Choices
- Brewmaster Monks: New class, new mechanics. Stagger damage absorption and high mobility make them ideal for movement-heavy fights
- Protection Warriors: Shield-based mitigation handles predictable damage patterns well
- Guardian Druids: High health pools provide safety margins during progression attempts
Healing Powerhouses
- Mistweaver Monks: Best AoE healing in the game for raid-wide damage events
- Discipline Priests: Shields prevent damage spikes that kill players during progression
- Holy Paladins: Consistent tank healing and utility cooldowns
DPS Standouts
- Warlocks: Multi-dotting capabilities destroy raid encounters with multiple targets
- Hunters: Mobility lets them maintain DPS during movement-heavy phases
- Shadow Priests: Self-healing reduces pressure on healers during difficult encounters
Consumable Requirements
Stock up on these items before your first raid:
| Consumable Type | Specific Items | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Flasks (Mandatory) | Flask of the Warm Sun (Int) Flask of Winter's Bite (Agi) Flask of Falling Leaves (Spirit) |
Lasts through death |
| Potions (Use on Cooldown) | Potion of Mogu Power (Str) Jade Serpent Potion (Int) |
Every cooldown |
| Food Buffs (300-Stat Min) | Chun Tian Spring Rolls Mogu Fish Stew Steamed Crab Surprise |
Persistent until death |
Gems and Enchants
Every piece of gear needs full gemming and enchanting. Secondary stat priorities vary by class (Haste, Crit, or Mastery). Sha-Touched Gems from the legendary quest line provide extra power.
Guild Organization Tips
- Set consistent raid schedules for reliable attendance
- Track attendance and prioritize consistent raiders
- Fund repairs and consumables through guild banks
- Study boss mechanics before every pull
- Require Weakauras or Deadly Boss Mods for all raiders
- Schedule dedicated progression time separate from farm content
Your 10-Day Action Plan
- Start Tillers, Klaxxi, and Golden Lotus daily quests
- Pick up Wrathion's legendary quest line
- Reach 435 item level for heroic dungeons
- Begin inscription cooldowns if available
- Farm heroic dungeons with daily specific queues
- Craft or buy profession epic items
- Maintain daily reputation routines
- Start Darkmoon Faire card collection
- Hit first valor point cap
- Complete Darkmoon Faire trinket
- Collect 90 Lesser Charms
- Start conquest point earning if beneficial
- Spend valor points on best upgrades
- Buy conquest point gear
- Fully gem and enchant all equipment
- Stock complete consumable supplies
Priority System
Task Priorities
| Priority Level | Tasks | Impact | Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Must-Do | Tillers dailies, Heroic dungeons, Profession epics, Valor cap | Critical for raid entry | 2-3 hours daily |
| Should-Do | Darkmoon trinket, Other dailies, Lesser Charms, Legendary quest | Significant advantage | 1-2 hours daily |
| Nice-to-Have | Conquest gear, Alt professions, Full consumables, Secondary chars | Minor optimization | Additional time |
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Focus on must-do upgrades over perfect upgrades. Buy cheaper Darkmoon Faire cards instead of complete decks. Work with guild members for material sharing. Use carried-over currencies before spending gold.
Stick to must-do priorities only. Use rest periods for profession cooldowns. Join guild groups for faster dungeon clears. Prepare consumables in bulk when you have time.
Run more heroic dungeons beyond daily specific queues. Consider PvP gear for problem slots. Work with guild crafters for profession items. Use valor points strategically for gear gaps.
Final Readiness Check
- Daily reputation routines active for all three factions
- Legendary quest line started and progressing
- Item level 463+ from heroics and crafted epics
- Darkmoon Faire trinket acquired
- Valor points maxed and spent wisely
- Conquest points used if helpful
- 90 Lesser Charms ready for bonus rolls
- All gear fully gemmed and enchanted
- Full consumable stock prepared
- Guild schedules and coordination confirmed
Follow this preparation plan, and you'll enter Mogu'shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, and Terrace of Endless Spring with gear that exceeds minimum requirements by a wide margin. This over-preparation provides safety nets for learning new encounters and speeds up progression through MoP's challenging raid content.
The time you invest in these 10 days pays off throughout the entire expansion. Good gear, reputation progress, and systematic preparation habits create momentum for continued success in future raid tiers and content releases.