Introduction
Heirloom gear provides a streamlined leveling experience by scaling with your character’s level and granting bonus experience. However, using heirlooms effectively requires understanding their scaling caps, choosing the right pieces for your class, and supplementing them with other gear at key breakpoints. This guide covers selection, acquisition, and optimal usage of heirlooms from level 1 through max level.
Acquiring Heirlooms
Heirlooms can be purchased or unlocked via:
- Heirloom Vendors: Smith Hauthaa in Stormwind, Auction House purchases, and holiday event rewards.
- Collections Interface: Earn heirloom appearances by reaching Renown milestones or completing Legacy achievements.
- War Resources & Seals: Some heirlooms cost war resources or Seal of Wartorn Fate from Emissaries.
Scaling and Caps
Heirlooms scale in steps—each piece has level thresholds beyond which its stats no longer increase:
- Helm, Shoulders, Back: Scale to level 50 or 60.
- Chest, Legs, Feet: Scale to level 70 or 80.
- Trinkets: Typically scale to 90 or 100.
Monitor your stats at these breakpoints; plan to replace heirloom pieces with world‑drop or crafted gear once you exceed their scaling cap to maintain optimal performance.
Class‑Specific Recommendations
Choose heirlooms that match your primary stats:
- Melee (Warrior, Rogue): Strength or Agility heirloom weapons and trinkets with on‑use damage procs.
- Casters (Mage, Priest): Intellect heirloom off‑hands and trinkets granting mana/regen boosts.
- Hybrids (Druid, Paladin): Select pieces offering versatility or mastery, swapping trinkets based on specialization phase.
Supplement heirloom XP bonuses with rested XP and holiday buffs (Darkmoon Faire, seasonal events) to minimize downtime between zones.
Conclusion & Upgrade Path
Heirlooms smooth the leveling curve but are not a permanent solution. Track your gear score relative to heirloom caps and integrate crafted or dropped gear at level thresholds. Use the table below to plan your heirloom swap and replacement schedule.
Heirloom Upgrade Timeline
| Level Range | Heirloom Active | Swap/Upgrade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–50 | Helm/Shoulders/Weapon | None | Max XP bonus |
| 50–60 | All Heirlooms | Upgrade Back/Chest | Chest scales to 60 |
| 60–70 | Trinkets, Legs, Feet | Swap Weapons to Crafted | Crafted gear surpasses stats |
| 70–80 | Trinkets | Replace Trinkets | World drops recommended |
