Quick answer: in this worked example, a player starts with 500 Arena Points, earns points from an eligible 3v3 team, buys Hands in Week 1 and Chest in Week 2, then saves until a 1700 weapon rating requirement is met in Week 5. The selected 4,655-point plan is completed with 2,283 points left.
This is a reproducible planning example for our WoW TBC Arena Gear Planner. It shows how weekly rewards, rating growth, purchase priority and a rating-gated item interact. The figures below are editable assumptions, not a promise of future rating or a substitute for checking the current in-game vendor.
Scenario assumptions
| Input | Value used | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current Arena Points | 500 | Carried into Week 1 |
| Eligible bracket | 3v3 only | 10 games per week; other brackets set below 10 games |
| Starting 3v3 rating | 1,500 | Sets the first weekly reward |
| Weekly rating change | +50 | A scenario assumption, not a forecast |
| Point cap | 5,000 | No cap loss occurs in this example |
| Purchase priority | Cheapest first | Buys usable pieces instead of waiting on the weapon |
| Selected items | Hands 930; Chest 1,550; Main-hand 2,175 | Total planned cost: 4,655 points |
| Weapon requirement | 1,700 rating | The Main-hand stays locked through Week 4 |
Checked five-week roadmap
The official Blizzard explanation says a bracket needs at least 10 games, the highest-paying eligible bracket is used, and 3v3 receives 88% of the base result. Points arrive at the start of the following week. This example applies those rules and rounds each displayed weekly award to the nearest whole point, matching the live planner.
| Week | Assumed rating | Starting points | Weekly award | Before purchase | Purchase | Points left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,500 | 500 | 978 | 1,478 | Hands (930) | 548 |
| 2 | 1,550 | 548 | 1,115 | 1,663 | Chest (1,550) | 113 |
| 3 | 1,600 | 113 | 1,276 | 1,389 | None | 1,389 |
| 4 | 1,650 | 1,389 | 1,450 | 2,839 | None: weapon still locked | 2,839 |
| 5 | 1,700 | 2,839 | 1,619 | 4,458 | Main-hand (2,175) | 2,283 |
Arithmetic check: 500 starting points + 6,438 earned points − 4,655 spent points = 2,283 points remaining. The highest pre-purchase balance is 4,458, so the assumed 5,000-point cap does not remove any points.
Why purchase order changes the result
“Cheapest first” converts points into two immediately usable pieces while the weapon is rating-locked. A weapon-first plan would hold every point until Week 5 even though enough currency exists earlier for Hands and Chest. The final completion week is still controlled by the 1,700 rating requirement, but the cheapest-first order delivers upgrades sooner.
If rating stays at 1,500 instead of increasing by 50 each week, the Main-hand never becomes eligible during this five-week scenario. More points alone cannot satisfy a rating requirement. That is why the planner separates affordability from eligibility.
Reproduce or edit this example
- Open the TBC Arena Gear Planner.
- Enter 500 current points and a 5,000 point cap.
- Set 3v3 to 1,500 rating and 10 games. Keep 2v2 and 5v5 below 10 games so only 3v3 is eligible.
- Select Hands, Chest and Main-hand with costs of 930, 1,550 and 2,175. Set the Main-hand requirement to 1,700.
- Choose “Cheapest first,” +50 weekly rating growth and a horizon of at least five weeks.
- Compare the roadmap with the table above, then replace the example values with your own vendor costs and realistic rating assumption.
Important limitations
- The +50 weekly rating change is deliberately editable. Competitive results can rise, fall or remain flat.
- Item costs and rating requirements are planning inputs. Verify the current item, season and vendor in game before buying.
- You must remain eligible each week. Fewer than 10 games in a bracket means that bracket contributes no weekly award.
- Blizzard describes the formula as applying to the current Burning Crusade Anniversary season and may adjust it later.
- The planner models point flow and purchase gates; it does not rank class-specific item value, set bonuses or matchup performance.
Continue planning
Use the Arena Points Calculator to compare bracket rewards, the weekly eligibility guide to check which bracket pays, and the bracket comparison guide to understand when 2v2, 3v3 or 5v5 produces the larger award.
Editorial and calculation check: 27 September 2026. Official rules reference: Blizzard Entertainment’s “Calculating Arena Points in Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary,” published 18 February 2026.