Blizzard has quietly added the first set of PvP spell haste necklaces for TBC Classic. They were first seen during the early part of TBC Classic’s Phase 4 PTR. Partway through the PTR, the items were removed from the honor vendors and they weren’t present when Phase 4 fully launched. But players started reporting seeing these highly sought-after spell haste items back on the vendor as early as March 30, 2022. They are currently available in the game for anyone with enough honor and battleground tokens. This guide will help even the least PvP inclined players to earn the honor and marks needed to get their own PvP spell haste necklace during TBC Classic Phase 4.
PvP Spell Haste Necklaces – TBC Classic Phase 4
While intended as PvP pieces, the new PvP spell haste necklaces in TBC Classic Phase 4 offer the all too rare state of spell haste. Spell haste is a top priority for all casters, second only to spell hit. As such these items rank high on most BiS lists (though not quite at the top), even with stat allotment given to resilience, which is wasted in PvE content.
DPS Necklace
Vindicator’s Pendant of Subjugation
Cost: 15,300 Honor & 5 Eye of the Storm Marks of Honor
This is the caster DPS necklace, offering spell haste, spell damage, intellect, a lot of stamina, and a gem slot. With a Runed Crimson Spinel it beats other haste neck options for spell power. And it more closely matches the old favorite, The Sun King’s Talisman. Essentially exchanging spell crit for spell haste, which is better for most casters.
| Vindicator's Pendant of Subjugation | Brooch of Nature's Mercy | Loop of Cursed Bones | The Sun King's Talisman | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spell Haste | 21 | 33 | 27 | 0 |
| Spell Damage | 25 (37 w/gem) | 25 | 32 | 41 |
| Spell Crit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Intellect | 15 | 24 | 20 | 16 |
| Stamina | 31 | 0 | 19 | 22 |
| Gem Slot | 1 Yellow | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The current BiS caster necklace is either Brooch of Nature’s Mercy or Loop of Cursed Bones, depending on your class. Both drop from ZA and will be heavily sought after. The brooch is also healer priority for many guilds. Going for the PvP necklace loses you a few (and only a few) DPS, but could save you loot points and/or gold to spend on other upgrades.
Healing Necklace
Vindicator’s Pendant of Reprieve
Cost: 15,300 Honor & 5 Eye of the Storm Marks of Honor
The healer version of the new spell haste necklaces. It offers spell haste, healing, intellect, and again a lot of stamina and a gem slot. Adding a Teardrop Crimson Spinel allows it to beat out the old BiS, Nadina’s Pendant of Purity. The PvP neck still lacks a few points of healing, but the spell haste should more than compensate for that.
| Vindicator's Pendant of Reprieve | Brooch of Nature's Mercy | Nadina's Pendant of Purity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spell Haste | 23 | 33 | 0 |
| Healing | 51 (73 w/gem) | 75 | 79 |
| Spell Crit | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| MP5 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Intellect | 16 | 24 | 14 |
| Stamina | 34 | 0 | 16 |
| Gem Slot | 1 Yellow | 0 | 0 |
The current BiS healing necklace is Brooch of Nature’s Mercy from ZA. But depending on your raid/pug/gold situation the PvP neck may be the easier option. The healing neck is also BiS for several DPS casters, and in pugs, you’re as likely as not to be competing against them.
PvP Spell Haste Ring – TBC Classic Phase 4
There is also a PvP spell haste ring which has been added alongside the new necklaces. It is not as exciting of a piece for PvE, as it is completely lacking any spell damage or healing bonus.
Vindicator’s Band of Subjugation
Cost: 15,300 Honor & 5 Alterac Valley Marks of Honor
Instead, it offers more spell haste (30 rating, almost 2%) along with a lot of intellect and stamina. The lack of a gem slot keeps you from adding spell damage and/or healing.
Other haste rings are available from ZA and Black Temple. All of which offer about the same amount of haste while also giving you other spell damage or healing stats. The new PvP spell haste ring would also be attractive to a new character with more time spent in battlegrounds than raids.
Earning Marks of Honor
There is no avoiding going into the Eye of the Storm and/or Alterac Valley battlegrounds if you want the PvP haste neck/ring. The necks require 5 marks of honor each from Eye of the Storm. The ring requires 5 marks of honor from AV. The good news is you won’t need to do more than 5 games, maybe less.
- Battleground Loss = 1 mark of honor
- Battleground Win = 3 marks of honor
- Battleground Win + Battleground Daily Quest = 6 marks of honor
Given that you only need a few marks of honor you can run the battleground you need most anytime. During a holiday weekend that your battleground certainly increases the number of players queuing up, so you’ll have less wait time. But the only real shortcuts are to win (not completely under your control) or win while holding a matching battleground daily quest. But for many, you may find you get the 5 marks you need from 5 loses before you ever see a win.
Any honor you earn while playing these matches can also go toward the 15,300 honor required for each of the spell haste items. But don’t fixate on the honor if you don’t like playing in a battleground. There’s an easier way to earn what you need if you’re not in a rush.
Earning Honor With Less Actual PvP In TBC Classic
The easiest way to pick up honor is to complete up to three PvP related daily quests each day. Each of these quests awards 943 honor and two of them can involve zero actual PvP combat and take only minutes to complete, provided you can be logged on at the right times. Ignoring honor earned while getting your marks of honor you’ll need to complete 16 of these daily quests to earn enough for one spell haste item. That’ll take between 6-16 days, depending on how many different dailies you regularly complete.
Honor from Spirit Towers
Spirit tower in Terokkar Forest nearest the Alliance base just before a reset
The easiest way to pick up honor is doing the daily PvP quest from Terokkar Forest. If you can be online at the right time you can pick up a chunk of honor for little effort and probably little to no PvP action. This is easiest on PvE servers where you’re part of the dominant faction.
- Pick up the PvP daily quest from Terokkar Forest (Alliance | Horde).
- Note the time remaining on the Spirit Towers while in Terokkar Forest. You’ll need to be online for one of the resets that day. The towers reset every 6 hours.
- Shortly before the Spirit Towers reset gather around one of the towers. Preferably the one closest to the quest giver and with members of your own faction. Flag for PvP (/pvp) to get capture credit when the reset occurs.
- Once you’ve helped capture one tower you’re done, turn in the quest and pick up your 943 honor points.
If just doing Spirit Towers you’ll need to do the daily quest up to 16 times, depending on how much honor you started with and got running EotS and AV for marks.
Honor from Hellfire Fortifications
One of three Hellfire fortifications in the center of Hellfire Peninsula
This PvP daily quest requires either a more faction balanced server or an organized opposite faction flipping team. I’ll assume the latter, at which point the best time to complete this quest is immediately after a Spirit Tower reset.
You can get all the honor you need from the easier and more reliable Spirit Tower daily quest. But if you can pull this one off too then you can cut the wait time in half.
- Complete the Spirit Tower reset daily if you haven’t yet, then head straight to Hellfire Peninsula.
- Pick up the PvP daily quest from Hellfire Peninsula (Alliance | Horde). You could do this in advance and head straight to the fortifications.
- Make sure you’re still flagged for PvP.
- Head toward the fortifications and follow the crowd. Flippers usually operate in a set rotating pattern.
- Hover over the fortification, DO NOT LAND if it is still flagged for your faction. You want only the opposite faction flippers on the ground to reset the flag.
- Once the flag goes to neutral land and gets capture credit. Then follow the crowd to the next fortification. Repeat the process.
- If you miss one don’t panic, the flippers usually reset each flag a few times. Stay with the crowd, then head to the one you missed when most everyone else is done.
- Turn in the quest for another 943 honor points.
Honor from the Battleground Daily
If you really want to get your spell haste item ASAP then consider running the daily battleground quest. Each day one of the battlegrounds is selected for the daily and you need to win a match to complete the quest. Winning rewards you with the same 943 honor as the other two daily quests above. As well as three marks of the honor for the battleground and whatever honor you earned during your game(s).
In some cases, this could be a one-and-done. It’ll take longer than the other dailies, but not too bad. In other cases, you could end up feeling like your hitting a brick wall with no results. The good news is you’ll be earning honor the whole time, though maybe not a lot.
If you can regularly complete the daily battleground quest on top of the other two PvP daily quests then you could get all the honor you need for a spell haste item in 5 days or less. But PvP adverse players should probably focus on the first two dailies and expect it to take around 8 days.