ModernWotLK BIS Tooltip

Understand the gear in front of you without leaving your item tooltip.

A free gearing reference for the original WoW 3.3.5a client, Interface 30300, with compact class-colored BIS, ALT and PRE RAID rows. Recommendations are stored locally; the addon does not make web requests during gameplay. Modern Retail and Classic clients are not supported.

What it adds

• Class/spec recommendations in standard item tooltips, including bags, equipment, Inspect and opened chat links.
• Always-visible BIS and ALT rows with matching specializations grouped together.
• PRE RAID 1, 3 and 4 starter acquisition pools, including class/spec suggestions where reviewed.
• Item acquisition context and source diagnostics.
• Compact fonts and narrow lines, with standard Vendor, Auction and Disenchant pricing kept below the recommendations.

Understanding the labels

BIS identifies an item recorded in a curated best-in-slot setup. ALT identifies a gearing alternative. An asterisk indicates conditions that should be checked before using the recommendation.

Phase labels describe source history, not a live realm progression filter. PRE RAID labels describe starter acquisition pools, not guaranteed raid readiness or fully optimized per-spec sets. Race, hit/expertise caps, set bonuses, weapon speed and trinket behavior still matter.

Included in 0.4.3-beta

• Acquisition and class/spec coverage for 632 Trial of the Crusader boss/tribute equipment entries across 10/25 Normal and Heroic, Horde and Alliance.
• Coverage for 56 Ruby Sanctum equipment entries across 10/25 Normal and Heroic.
• 2,830 new conditional ALT 4 assessments, preserving all 2,605 previous assessments.
• Existing ICC and Sanctified tier support.
• 1,342 PRE RAID starter items and 4,939 class/spec suggestions across 1,223 of those items. Remaining starter items explicitly retain unreviewed suitability text.

New ALT rows combine exact item-ID guide evidence, reviewed faction/difficulty variants and manual original-3.3.5a role reviews. They are progression options, not automatic upgrades. Original raid acquisition sources are used; Classic-only currencies are not imported.

Installation and use

1. Close WoW and back up your previous addon folder.
2. Extract ModernWotLKBISTooltip into World of Warcraft/Interface/AddOns.
3. Verify the path is Interface/AddOns/ModernWotLKBISTooltip/ModernWotLKBISTooltip.toc.
4. Enable the addon at character selection and start the game.
5. Hover an item or open an item link to see available guidance.

Commands

• /mwbis — show version and active realm profile.
• /mwbis coverage — show actual database counts.
• /mwbis item 47286 — show source information and conditions for an item ID.
• /mwbis profile auto — select automatic realm detection.
• /mwbis profile generic — use the generic profile; reload after changing.

Scope and limitations

This is a beta with a partial recommendation database, not an item simulator or complete coverage of every specialization, phase and item. No rating means missing curated evidence, not that an item is bad. Realm profiles share the same PvE database; detection does not verify raid unlocks, availability or PvP suitability. Custom tooltip frames may require integration.

The package includes provenance files for recommendations and acquisition facts. Lua 5.1 regression checks cover tooltip hooks, repeated hovers, source references and preservation of previous assessments. Live-client feedback remains valuable.

Feedback and optional support

Report an issue with your addon version, item ID, screenshot and relevant tooltip addon names.

ModernWotLK BIS Tooltip is completely free to download and use. To support development and future updates, Donate / Leave a tip via Revolut. Contributions are entirely optional. Thank you for testing and sharing feedback!