What's in your Pants (WOTLK Style)? -and- Is that a Giant Bug on your Back?

It's time to revisit one of my favorite posts from last year (and to add to it another shortish topic). With the new expansion we have even more exciting things to put into our pants. Let's talk about the new leg armors and spellthreads we have with Wrath.

Leg Permanent Enchants

Tailoring

In the tailoring arena, we have four new spellthreads. Each of these create items that can be sold or traded and can be applied by anyone (of appropriate level). The first two are taught by any tailoring trainer in Northrend. The others require reputation.

1. Shining Spellthread This requires tailoring of 385 to learn from any tailoring trainer. This looks like the healer (or shadowpriest) variety of spellthread.
2. Azure Spellthread This requires tailoring of 395 to learn from any tailoring trainer. To me, this appears as the offensive caster variety.
3. Brilliant Spellthread This requires tailoring of  430. But that's not the tough part. It also requires exalted faction with the Argent Crusade. Better wear a tabard if you want to make this.
4. Sapphire Spellthread This spellthread also requires tailoring of 430. It's the "grown up" version of the Azure Spellthread. Best yet, it requires exalted faction with the Kirin Tor. Again, a tabard is in order.

Leatherworking

In leatherworking, we also have four new leg armors (actually six if you count the armor kits that can go on legs). Again, these armors can be used by anyone and freely traded and sold. Don't try to use these to "twink" low level characters those. These can only be applied to your own pants. If they are applied by a generous high level character to an non-soulbound item, the item will become bound to the applier.

1. Nerubian Leg Armor This requires 400 leatherworking to make and is available at all Northrend trainers. This is preferable to the tanking types.
2. Jormungar Leg Armor Just five points higher in leatherworking and still available at all trainers. This is the one for melee damage classes (and hunters).
3. Frosthide Leg Armor This is the "grown up" version of the Nerubian Leg Armor. It requires 425 leatherworking and is available at all Northrend Trainers. Unlike the better spellthreads which require faction to obtain the recipe, these do not. However, this (and the next) leg armor requires level 80 to apply. The exalted tailoring spellthreads only require level 70.
4. Icescale Leg Armor This is the better version of the Jormungar Leg Armor. It also requires 425 leatherworking to make with the pattern freely available at Northrend trainers
5. Borean Armor Kit This can be applied to chest, legs, hands or feet slots and so technically is a leg enchant. It takes only 350 leatherworking to make.
6. Heavy Borean Armor Kit This is the better version of the Borean Armor Kit above. It takes 375 leatherworking to make.

Back Permanent Enchants

These enchantments can only be applied to the tailors own cloak. I guess this is the parallel to enchanters being able to enchant their own rings (but no one else's). They each require a tailoring of 420. I'm really feeling like Blizzard missed the boat on at least one of these (potentially all of them). You'll see what I mean as we explore them.

1. Darkglow Embroidery This emboridery has a chance to restore 300 mana on spellcast
2. Lightweave Embroidery This embroidery has a chance to inflict 1000-1200 holy damange when you damage an enemy with a spell.
3. Swordguard Embroidery This embroidery has a chance to increase your attack power by 300 for 15 seconds when you do damage with a melee attack.

First of all, these embroideries do not stack with regular cloak enchants. Applying them will overwrite the enchant you do have on there (spell haste, protection, subtlety, etc.). In my opinion, the regular cloak enchants are superior to these rather lackluster abilities. At least the first two fit with the classes that tend to level tailoring however (clothies). I can't think of many reasons for someone who deals mainly melee damage (warriors, protection and retribution paladins, enhancement shamans, rogues and deathknights) to level tailoring. Granted, a tailor of any class can always make bags and now can craft a flying carpet. The swordguard embroidery seems rather substandard as a tailor-only perk for them.