One of the oldest rules in WoW is that the better you look, the more damage you deal. I’m sorry, I don’t make ‘em up. What I do know, though, is that the level of confidence you gain when wearing a top-notch set of gear—whether it’s pre-made by Blizzard or self-curated—is something that every WoW player deserves to experience.
Before the age of transmogrification (introduced in Patch 4.3 in 2011), armor sets were the ultimate way to look badass in WoW. Completing a full set meant you had put more time into the game than the average player, and you had literal walking proof of it. Now, most armor sets (aside from those in the current raid tier) are purely cosmetic. But if you want to live in the past and display your favorite look from a time gone by, you can still do so through transmog.
While there is an endless amount of armor sets that could make this list, we chose the top five that could be easily agreed on as at least contenders by the majority of the player base. These sets are either visually appealing, historically significant, or massively popular—and usually all of the above. Keep in mind that the top five transmog sets listed in this article are all complete sets with no mixed-and-matched elements.
Here are our top five transmog sets in World of Warcraft history.
5) Battlewear of the Unblinking Vigil (Hunter Tier 16)
Hunters have always had some of the most fun armor sets throughout WoW’s history. During the early days of the game, Hunter sets were typically homages to the beasts and monsters they had taken down in their travels. But in contrast to early sets that featured Dragon spikes and Giant eyes along the armor, the Battlewear of the Unblinking Vigil is one of the only Hunter sets to give the class the feelings of strength and dominance that had been given to classes like Warrior and Paladin for so long. Its blue and gold color scheme was just subtle enough to make an impact, while the bright yellow helmet is a frightening and mysterious visage that has widespread appeal and versatility in handcrafted sets as well. The shine on the armor makes it comparable to some of the most ornate Plate sets in the game, which was a first for Mail-wearers when this set launched in 2013.
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4) Boneblade Battlegear (Mythic Leather Dazar’alor)
Although class-specific tier sets went away between 2018 and 2022, some of the armor-specific sets that were introduced during that time period were still pretty eye-catching. And none are more impressive than the leather set that came out of the Battle of Dazar’alor raid. The Boneblade Battlegear is a white and blue leather armor set that is most recognizable for its intimidating combination of bones, spikes, and feathers, while the glowing blue and bone-white helmet has one of the most iconic models for a leather item in all of WoW. It’s wearable by Rogues, Druids, Monks, and Demon Hunters.
3) Regalia of the Arcane Tempest (Mage Tier 20)
Every class’ tier set from the Tomb of Sargeras echoed sets from the Black Temple back in 2007, updating those models and adding more elements of modernity like newer graphics and extra effects (like lightning, glowing auras, and armor adornments) to each of the sets. No armor set, though, received more of a makeover than the one belonging to Mages, whose Regalia of the Arcane Tempest combines elements of gold lightning and silver plate to almost give off the appearance of a stereotypical “battlemage.”
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2) Fire-Charm Vestments (Monk Tier 15)
Back in early 2013, this set from the Throne of Thunder put Monks on the map as a class that had the potential to look really cool and fresh in comparison to some of the other classes in WoW at the time. The helmet from the set—the Fire-Charm Headpiece—is a staple in Monk transmogs to this day. Chances are, you’ve seen at least one Monk out in the wild wearing bits and pieces of this set, if not the whole thing. Usually, the helmet is combined with the glowing green shoulders from Blackrock Foundry, the Mantle of the Somber Gaze (although the standard Fire-Charm Shoulders are still a solid option).
1) Judgment (Paladin Tier 2)
Do you ever get something right on your first try? Like, just absolutely nail it? That’s what Blizzard did when it made the Judgment set for Paladins all the way back in Vanilla WoW. The Judgment armor, which has drop sources in Molten Core and Blackwing Lair (WoW’s first two raids), is easily the most iconic armor set in the game, even almost 20 years after its original release. The set’s red and gold tinting perfectly captures the aesthetic of the Paladin class, while the “hidden face” element of the helmet leans into the fantasy of a righteous executioner. For an armor set to look this good so early in the game’s lifespan was a thing of wonder. Blizzard could release the Judgment set today and it would fit right in with all of the other modern sets, but the fact that it’s two decades old makes it all the more impressive, appealing, and downright timeless.
