My favorite tool

So you're rolling a class you've never played before and really don't know much about, and you want a quick guide to which stats and bonuses to look for on gear. Where do you go?

For the quickest answer, I go to the official website: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/items/armorsets/

The bonuses: You can get a very quick glimpse at which stats help your class and spec, and, by omission, learn which to ignore. Back in the day you could also see which races looked best in the high-end armor, but since it hasn't yet been updated for Wrath, all you can see is still the old stuff.

The cons: There's no explanation or theorycrafting; it's great as a quick guide, but if you're trying to figure out whether to sacrifice agility for pure AP, it's not much help, especially considering the class changes that came with the new expansion.

Basically, it's just good for when you hit the 20s and 30s and for the first time start getting stats on quest rewards and dungeon gear. By the time you get to the higher levels (I'd say probably Outland on), you probably want to have a decent grasp of what makes your class tick instead of just a checklist of stats.

One other con: If you like to play dress-up with your toons like I do, you will end up with a checklist of lower-level gear to brow-beat your achievement buddy into helping you farm. Ahami WILL be getting the old school dungeon set for RP. Onashne will likely be following suit. Luckily, most of the hunter and mage armor is hideous, so I won't have to farm crap four times in a row.