Shadow Knight BiS List for Classic Everquest
This page is my BiS (Best in Slot) list for Shadow Knight in Classic Everquest. I created this guide in 2024 after the Tower was released, this is a new zone which is available on Progression servers and it gives you an entire set of very powerful non-vis gear in early eras. For this reason I will have a (Pre-Tower) note for some items which let you know it was BiS before Tower. This makes the BiS list still useful for private servers.
Shadow Knights will first want to get Haste on an item for the biggest dps and threat boost. After that you'll typically want AC, Stamina and HP for tanking. Getting some Intelligence and Mana will be important too since that will give you threat, damage and survivability.
Weapon Slots
Primary (1H): Bloodmoon (Lord of Ire in Plane of Hate)
Primary (2H): Khyldorn the Blood Drinker (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Necropotence Quest)
Secondary: Obtenebrate Mithril Guard (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Envenoming Quest)
Range: Bow of the Underfoot (a massive construct and a rock golem in Ruins of Old Paineel)
Ammo: N/A
Visible Slots
Arms: Golden Efreeti Vambraces (Noble Dojorn, Overseer of Air and the Hand of Veeshan in Plane of Sky)
Chest: Umbral Platemail Breastplate (Amygdalan knight in Plane of Fear)
Feet: Umbral Platemail Boots (Amygdalan knight in Plane of Fear)
Hands: Slime Blood of Cazic-Thule (Cazic Thule in Plane of Fear)
Head: Umbral Platemail Helm (Amygdalan knight in Plane of Fear)
Head (Magic Res): Crown of the Froglok Kings (the froglok king in Lower Guk)
Legs: Umbral Platemail Greaves (Amygdalan knight in Plane of Fear)
Wrist (1): Umbral Platemail Bracer (Amygdalan knight in Plane of Fear)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
Wrist (2): Granite Bracer (Petrifin in The Rathe Mountains)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
(Tower BiS) Non-Vis Slots
This section includes the best in slot items that come from Tower (aka Tides of Time), a dungeon added in 2024 which is available on the TLP servers. You can purchase a full set of non-vis armor from Tower which gets upgrades every 10 levels. During this era of EQ the best tower gear has the prefix "Excellent"; in order to make this gear BiS though you'll need to purchase the augs that go with it too. Each piece of gear from Tower has a slot 25, you'll need to put an aug in this slot to make the Tower gear exceptional.
If you're a melee class you'll want to use the aug with Vigorous on it. Casters will want to choose the aug with Brilliant on it.
Back: Excellent Cloak of Distant Echoes
Charm: Excellent Charm of Distant Echoes
Earring (1): Excellent Stud of Distant Echoes
Earring (2): Excellent Stud of Distant Echoes
Face: Excellent Mask of Distant Echoes
Fingers (1): Excellent Ring of Distant Echoes
Fingers (2): Excellent Band of Distant Echoes
Neck: Excellent Neck of Distant Echoes
Shoulders: Excellent Shawl of Distant Echoes
Waist(No Haste): Excellent Belt of Distant Echoes
Note: Allakhazam doesn't have links to this level tower gear atm, they have spotty database links to all of the Tower gear from what I have seen.
(Pre- Tower) Non-Vis Slots
Back: Cloak of Flames (Lord Nagafen in Nagafen's Lair or Talendor in Skyfire Mountains)
Charm: N/A
Earring (1): Black Sapphire Electrum Earring (Jewelcrafting 140 Skill)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
Earring (2): Blue Diamond Electrum Earring (Jewelcrafting 148 Skill)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
Face: Blood Sky Face Plate (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Disempowerment Quest)
Fingers (1): Djarn's Amethyst Ring (Efreeti Lord Djarn in Nagafen's Lair)
Fingers (2): Platinum Fire Wedding Ring (Jewelcrafting 268 Skill)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
Fingers (Magic Res): Platinum Diamond Wedding Ring (Jewelcrafting 287 Skill)
You can wear two of these if you'd like
Neck: Amulet of the Sphinx Eye (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Bash Quest)
Shoulders: Pearlescent Pauldrons (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Raising the Dead Quest)
Waist: Brell’s Girdle (Master Yael in Ruins of Old Paineel)
Waist (Haste): Pegasus-Hide Belt (Plane of Sky Shadowknight Test of Slash Quest)
Gear Alternatives
This section includes some other gear ideas which may or may not be BiS during this era. During this early phase of EQ you can't cap all of your stats and what's BiS varies a bit depending on your situation. That's why I wanted to give you a couple more options for gear instead of only using what's best in slot.
[Group Gears]
Primary: Mithril Two-Handed Sword, Dark Reaver, Tainted Steel Bastard Sword
Secondary: Cracked Darkwood Shield, Crested Mistmoore Shield
Range: Runed Bone Fork
Ammo: N/A
Arms: Azure Sleeves, Darkforge Vambraces
Chest: Enameled Black Chestplate, Darkforge Breastplate
Feet: Dwarven Work Boots, Boots of Brawn, Darkforge Boots
Hands: Dark Mail Gauntlets, Darkforge Gauntlets, Charred Gauntlets
Head: Skull-shaped Barbute, Darkforge Helm
Legs: Darkforge Greaves
Wrists: Darkforge Bracer, Hero Bracers, Granite Bracer
Back: Werewolf Skin Cloak, Cloak of the Ice Bear, Hooded Black Cloak, Cloak of Shadow
Charm: N/A
Earrings: Golden Sapphire Earring, Diamondine Earring, Ivandyr's Hoop, Black Sapphire Electrum Earring
Face: Carved Ivory Mask, Fine Plate Visor, Lizardskin Tribal Mask, Polished Mithril Mask
Fingers: Djarns Amethyst Ring, Platinum Fire Wedding Ring
Neck: Fine Plate Collar, Polished Mithril Torque, Glowing Bone Collar
Shoulders: Crested Spaulders
Waist: Black Iron Girdle, Thick Banded Belt, Flowing Black Silk Sash
[Raid Gears]
Primary: Ashenbone Abbasi, Ashenbone Axe, Blade of Abrogation, Soul Leech, Dark Sword of Blood
Secondary: Ashenbone Shield, Bladestopper, Crested Mistmoore Shield, Fearsome Shield
Range: Runed Bone Fork
Ammo: N/A
Arms: Umbral Platemail Vambraces
Chest: Umbral Platemail Breastplate
Feet: Umbral Platemail Boots
Hands: Umbral Platemail Gauntlets
Head: Umbral Platemail Helm
Legs: Umbral Platemail Greaves
Wrists: Umbral Platemail Bracer
Back: Hooded Black Cloak, Cloak of Flames
Charm: N/A
Earrings: Black Sapphire Electrum Earring
Face: Polished Mithril Mask, Grotesque Mask
Fingers: Djarns Amethyst Ring, Platinum Fire Wedding Ring
Neck: Black Sapphire Platinum Necklace
Shoulders: Crested Spaulders
Waist: Belt of Iniquity, Pegasus-Hide Belt