Emblem of Heroism Pick Order - DPS gear

I can't wait for dual specs. Even though my respec cost is only up to 30g, I've managed to squeeze in a couple of decent Arms Warrior sessions in of late, and my DPS set is coming along nicely. When DPSing as a warrior I want to be ARMS! A brute force killing machine with a giant weapon - a commanding presence with some serious burst DPS and AOE capabilities. I know the consensus is that fury is the best raid spec... but I'd prefer avoid the wrist guards and remedial hand massages that come with titan's grip.

I couldn't find a guide to how to spend my excess emblems, ala Tanking Tips... so I thought I'd write my own.

Here is the available Emblem choices for a DPS Warrior:

>> [Heroes' Dreadnaught Battleplate] - 80 Emblems
>> [Heroes' Dreadnaught Gauntlets] - 60 Emblems
>> [Verdungo's Barbarian Cord] - 40 Emblems
>> [Mirror of Truth] - 40 Emblems
>> [Pendant of the Outcast Hero] - 25 Emblems
>> [Lillehoff's Winged Blades] - 15 Emblems

A reminder that I'm writing this from the perspective of a Tank, looking to add some beef to their DPS outfit - so while I have emblems to spare - something you'd buy for your primary spec to give you that boost while you wait for a drop - may be deemed too expensive to purchase.

For an Arms warrior, my general goals are
- Get hit capped (hopefully through gear alone)
- Get 35% crit (crit is HUGE for an Arms warrior)
- Get a huge whack of AP
- Enjoy the haste and armor penetration as it happens to be included in upgrades

With mostly blue / epic lvl 200 items, I'm so far managed (in polearm spec) roughly:
- 7.5% hit (1 drop away from capped without gems (13 runs and nada))
- 31% crit
- 3000 AP
I'm still wearing a couple of tanking items, but karma did pay off as I won [Incisor Fragment] while DPSing Heroic Drak'Tharon keep yesterday.

A lot of this discussion will focus around competition. Regular plate items are easy to acquire, particularly if you pair yourself up with an excellent DPSer in plate (thank you Zeltan). Each time you go into a heroic instance, you can rest assured that they have got the DPS item you are interested in, or something better. Neck, Rings, Weapons and Trinkets, however.... you have a lot more competition, including rogues, hunters, kitties and enhancement shamen as well as the regular Ret Pally, Deathknight and Warriors. Remember too that the Holy Pally, Resto Shammie and Tree might also want to roll on these items for offspec.

Here's my order:

1. [Mirror of Truth] - 40 Emblems

You can't go past this trinket as Arms. The crit is fantastic, and the chance on crit proc screams at you - "Arms Warrior - buy me NOW!". It's worth it's weight in gold and for anything even close to this trinket, you'll have up to half the raid to fight it out with.

2. [Heroes' Dreadnaught Gauntlets] - 60 Emblems

These are a clear upgrade over any of the rare level dungeon drops, and have a stack of expertise help fill in that gap left by chasing the hit cap and crit / attack power gear. Plenty of hit, and a yellow socket for some crit, and they are my second choice for your valuable emblems. Make sure you run Heroic Occulus for a shot at [Gauntlets or Dragon Wrath] before you buy them... but you will want to get these given enough emblems in any case. I also need figure out how good 10% extra slam damage is before I get carried away about the 2 set bonus for Tier 7.

3. [Pendant of the Outcast Hero] - 25 Emblems

The Pendant has excellent itemisation for an Arms warrior. It's better than [Collar of Dissolution] from Naxx 10 unless you badly need the hit and/or expertise - but you will have every physical DPS clamoring for that one anyway. It's a steal at 25 Emblems so pick this up as you make your way down the list.

4. [Heroes' Dreadnaught Battleplate] - 80 Emblems

I currently have [Breastplate of Undeath] from Heroic Drak'Tharon Keep, which is very similarly itemised, with agility versus crit coming out about even. The upgrade is worth about the 2 sockets in the T7, which is handy for plugging the gaps in your stats. It's a must have, but given that for just 5 extra emblems you can have both the gloves and neck, I had to put this fourth. Depending what you are wearing for gloves and neck, your mileage may vary.

Here is the DON'T buy list

1. [Verdungo's Barbarian Cord] - 40 Emblems

It is just not enough of an upgrade to [Flame-Bathed Steel Girdle] to justify the purchase, which is easily obtainable in one of the easiest heroics - The Nexus. Even if you have the same luck I've had with [Staggering Legplates] - I still wouldn't buy this belt.

2. [Lillehoff's Winged Blades] - 15 Emblems

Even at 15 Emblems, it's not worth it. Get [Drake-Mounted Crossbow] from Heroic Utgarde Keep. It's the best you are likely to see for quite some time, particularly if you are in a guild (like many) that can have up to three hunters in a 10 man, and no less than 5 in a 25.

That wraps it up for the Emblem of Heroism pick order for DPS warrior gear. I would love to get some feedback from Tanks looking to improve their DPS gear, or dedicated DPS (especially Arms) with discussion about the list, resources for DPSing in plate or just to pop by and say "hey hey".