Every figure shows its source. Where a source is missing, the number is a placeholder — and it is never written as fact.
Latest on this boardLoot table read from Blizzard’s Adventure Guide journal · 8 Oct 2026Every item read from Blizzard’s Item API — stats, effects, sockets — with who can use it · 9 Oct 2026

By GamGem ResearchLast updated 9 Oct 2026

Our drawing of the type: Shield. Not the in-game Venom-Slashed Scuteward.
Our drawingShield
Dropped item · should I take it?

Venom-Slashed Scuteward — Off Hand drop, item level & who can use it

Epic off hand from The Lost Explorers in The Venomous Abyss: item level 282–321 by difficulty. 8 specs can use it — it carries Strength or Intellect, Haste · Crit. Stats only — no effect to sim.

Hero 2/6 · Off Hand · Epic
Dropped on
Equipped ✎295
308HeroicUPGRADE
why?
Why? · VerdictBuilt from the item level you set (295) against this drop on Heroic (308), whether it has an effect, and whether your spec can use it. GamGem’s rule of thumb, not a sim: +6 or more is an upgrade, within ±5 a sidegrade, −6 or less a downgrade; any effect asks for a sim.

+13 item levels — an upgrade on item level alone.

Top keys: 5 specs wear it — most, 32% of Elemental Shaman (n 340, #2 of 5 in off hand), week of Oct 6–14. Every spec ›

Item level change295 → 308+13
Specs that can use itHoly Paladin, Protection Paladin +68Grows toHero 6/6321Nearest competitorSpine of the Hissing Abyss308
Stats onlygame data
why?
Why? · EffectNo effect line from Blizzard’s item record. Its numbers are at the record’s preview item level (219), not the level it drops at.

No special effect — its stats are the whole item.

The Lost Explorers · The Venomous AbyssRaid boss · Boss lootRoute ›

What actually changes?

why?
Why? · StatsBlizzard’s item record prints stats at a preview level that differs between items, so the rows compare how each item SPLITS its secondary rating — the share of each stat — not the raw numbers.
StatDroppedComparedΔ pts
Critical Strike33%0%+33
Haste67%32%+35
Mastery0%68%−68
PrimaryStrength / IntellectIntellect
Effectnonenone
Item level, same track308308

Shares of each item’s secondary rating, from Blizzard’s item records; the raw numbers sit at different preview levels, so they are not compared. Rows that move 20 points or more are lit.

How far can it grow?

why?
Why? · Upgrade trackItem level per rank is the gear page’s track table; every rank costs 20 Mistcrests of the item’s own track. A Mythic 344 drop is past the track and upgrades no further.
  1. Adven­turermax 282
  2. Vet­eranmax 295
  3. Cham­pionmax 308
  4. Heromax 321
  5. Mythmax 334
At 2/6: 308 item level
Out-levels 11 same-slot rivals: Bubblefin Splash Guard, Frostscale's Mystic Frond, Bulwark of Brimming Potential….
No upgrade from where it dropped.

Sockets & extras

  • Socketsnone on this item0
  • Unique-equippedno limitno

What does it compete with?

why?
Why? · CompetitionThe season’s other items for the same slot, the same armour and a shared primary stat, at their item level on the same track as this drop. “Different job” means one has an effect and the other does not — our rule.
308 · dropped on Heroic

On the Hero track it out-levels 11 of its 12 same-slot rivals — none beats it on item level.

Which specs want it?

off hand · 8 of 40 specs can use it
why?
Why? · Spec demandCan use = the class wears this armour, has the weapon skill (each class’s Warcraft Wiki page) and the spec’s primary stat is on the item (Blizzard). Stat fit is OUR comparison of the item’s two biggest secondaries with a stat order a GamGem spec guide sources — not a guide’s pick.
SpecStat fit · our comparison · top keysGuide
Holy PaladinStrong · Raid orderTop keys · 24% wear itOpen ›
Protection PaladinStrong · Raid orderTop keys · 18% wear itOpen ›
Retribution PaladinPartial · Raid orderTop keys · under 2%Open ›
Elemental ShamanStrong · Raid orderTop keys · 32% wear itOpen ›
Restoration ShamanStrong · Raid orderTop keys · 19% wear itOpen ›
Arms WarriorStrong · Raid orderTop keys · under 2%Open ›
Fury WarriorPartial · Raid orderTop keys · under 2%Open ›
Protection WarriorStrong · Raid orderTop keys · 18% wear itOpen ›

Can use it · game data · full BiS lists

Who can use it: 2 tanks · 2 healers · 4 damage

No skill for this weapon · 31 specs: Death Knight · Demon Hunter · Druid · Evoker · Hunter · Mage · Monk · Priest · Rogue · Warlock

Without its primary stat · 1 specs: Enhancement Shaman

Stat fit is our comparison of the item’s two biggest secondary stats with a stat order a GamGem spec guide sources (today: all 40 specs) — not a guide’s pick. The BiS links open each spec’s own page on Method and Wowhead. Every class and spec ›

Where to get it again?

why?
Why? · SourceBoss and instance from Blizzard’s Adventure Guide journal. No source publishes drop rates, so none is shown.
  • The Lost ExplorersThe Venomous Abyss · Boss lootFight guide ›
  • The Venomous AbyssRaid · loot group 2 of 4Open ›
  • Weekly lockoutRaid Finder, Normal and Heroic bosses give loot once per difficulty each week; Mythic+ keys have no lockout.1 / week
  • Great VaultHeroic bosses · Myth 1/6318
Weekly-gatedGreat Vault optionBonus-roll targetShared table · 9 itemsDrop rate not published

Effort to target: once a week · 8 other items share its table

Also drops here · 8

Who wears it in top keys

5 of 40 specs · +16–23 keys, US+EU, week of Oct 6–14 (Blizzard API)

Share = of that spec’s top-key characters still in the spec when read, the part wearing this item in that slot (rings and trinkets: either slot). Counted by GamGem from Blizzard’s Mythic+ leaderboards and character profiles, 11,985 characters, read 2026-10-09. Top keys, not all players — what they wear, not a ranking of the item.

How sure is this?

why?
Why? · EvidenceEvery row says what kind of evidence it is. Simulations and logs are not attached — no source with terms we can show.
RowKindResultFromRead
Item recordgame data5 stats · 0 effect · 0 socketsBlizzard API2026-10-09
Item level by difficultysourced table282–321gear page sources2026-10-09
Who can use itgame data8 of 40 specsBlizzard API · Warcraft Wiki2026-10-09
Stat fitour comparison40 specs with a sourced orderGamGem2026-10-09
Simulationsimulatednot attached——
Logs (who equips it)observednot attached——

Where evidence disagrees

  • • It carries Strength or Intellect: one piece serves specs of 2 kinds, so they can want the same drop.
  • • The Great Vault pays 318 for Heroic bosses — more than the drop itself (308).

What else to look at?

Share with the group

Venom-Slashed Scuteward308 Off HandUPGRADE295 → 308
Raid · HeroicStats only
The Lost Explorers · The Venomous Abyss · checked 2026-10-09
Venom-Slashed Scuteward — 308 Off Hand
UPGRADE: 295 → 308 · Heroic · Raid
Effect: none — stats only
Source: The Lost Explorers · The Venomous Abyss
Can use it: 8 of 40 specs
Checked 2026-10-09 · Blizzard API data · GamGem

Ask about this drop

Try: “is it an upgrade?” · “where does it drop?” · “who can use it?” · “item level on Mythic?”

Full item record

IDs, raw stats, effects, flavour text
Environment
Live 12.1 — the 12.1.5 PTR is not mixed in
Item ID
268196
Quality (base)
Epic
Type
Armor · Shield
Binding
Binds when picked up
Required level
90
Preview item level
219 (Blizzard’s record — not the drop level)
Stats at preview level
Intellect 99 · Strength 32 · Stamina 502 · Critical Strike 18 · Haste 36
Armour
618
Sockets
0
Unique-equipped
no
◆ Blizzard — Game Data API: items, journal, specializations◆ Warcraft Wiki — Lockout◆ Warcraft Wiki — each class’s page◆ Blizzard — Curse of Ula’tek content update notes◆ Method — raid, Mythic+, Delve and Prey loot◆ Method — Great Vault item levels◆ Icy Veins — the raid’s final two bosses

Venom-Slashed Scuteward — quick answers

Where does Venom-Slashed Scuteward drop?

The Lost Explorers in The Venomous Abyss (Boss loot), in Midnight Season 2. No source publishes its drop rate.

What item level is Venom-Slashed Scuteward?

Raid Finder 282 · Normal 295 · Heroic 308 · Mythic 321. Item levels are the season’s track table, by difficulty or key level.

Which specs can use Venom-Slashed Scuteward?

8 of 40: Holy Paladin, Protection Paladin, Retribution Paladin, Elemental Shaman, Restoration Shaman, Arms Warrior, Fury Warrior, Protection Warrior.

Who uses Venom-Slashed Scuteward in Mythic+?

5 of 40 specs wear it in top keys — Elemental Shaman 32% (#2 in off hand, n 340), Holy Paladin 24% (#2 in off hand, n 336), Restoration Shaman 19% (#2 in off hand, n 339), Protection Paladin 18% (#2 in off hand, n 326), Protection Warrior 18% (#2 in off hand, n 310). +16–23 keys, US+EU, week of Oct 6–14 (Blizzard API); 11,985 characters read. A measurement of top keys, not a ranking of the item.

What does Venom-Slashed Scuteward do?

No special effect — it is a off hand with Strength or Intellect and Haste · Crit.

What competes with Venom-Slashed Scuteward?

12 items for the same slot: Spine of the Hissing Abyss, Bubblefin Splash Guard, Frostscale's Mystic Frond, Bulwark of Brimming Potential….

Sources & how we checked

We read Blizzard’s Item API for this item (ID 268196) on 2026-10-09 and took its boss from Blizzard’s Adventure Guide journal. Its item levels are the season’s track table, read for its boss’s loot group by difficulty. Who can use it joins each class’s armour and weapon skills (Warcraft Wiki) with each spec’s primary stat (Blizzard). Stat fit is our own comparison with a stat order a GamGem spec guide sources. Nothing here comes from a sim or from logs.

Midnight Season 2 · live patch 12.1 (the 12.1.5 PTR is not mixed in) · item data from Blizzard’s Game Data API, read 2026-10-09. Item levels are the season’s track table; spec fit is game data; stat fit is our own comparison. No player names, profiles or logos. Your item level, difficulty and spec are saved in this browser only.