The highest item level shoulder armor a level 41–50 character can wear start with Alabaster Plate Pauldrons (item level 55, uncommon). 91 items fit the slot and band; the top 25 are ranked here by item level, then quality, not by simulation.
| # | Name | ILvl | Req. | Armor | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alabaster Plate Pauldrons | 55 | 50 | 393 | Plate | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+629 more) (vanilla) |
| 2 |  Charged Scorpid ShoulderFOREVER | 55 | 50 | 223 | Crafted: Leatherworking | |
| 3 |  Mystical Mantle | 55 | 50 | 54 | Cloth | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+629 more) (vanilla) |
| 4 |  Swashbuckler's Shoulderpads | 55 | 50 | 108 | Leather | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+632 more) (vanilla) |
| 5 |  Laminated Scale Shoulderpads | 55 | 50 | 201 | Found in Solid Chest (Eastern Plaguelands) at 2.1% (+643 more) (vanilla) | |
| 6 |  Ironfeather ShouldersCHANGED | 54 | 49 | 117 | Leather | Crafted: Leatherworking |
| 7 |  Living Shoulders | 54 | 49 | 117 | Leather | Crafted: Leatherworking |
| 8 |  Ebonhold Shoulderpads | 54 | 49 | 220 | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+629 more) (vanilla) | |
| 9 |  Highborne Pauldrons | 54 | 49 | 53 | Cloth | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+625 more) (vanilla) |
| 10 |  Lofty Shoulder Pads | 54 | 49 | 387 | Plate | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+625 more) (vanilla) |
| 11 | Merciless Epaulets | 54 | 49 | 220 | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+625 more) (vanilla) | |
| 12 | Praetorian Pauldrons | 54 | 49 | 106 | Leather | Drops from Zaricotl (Badlands) at 1.0% (+625 more) (vanilla) |
| 13 |  Light Plate Shoulderpads | 54 | 49 | 348 | Plate | Found in Solid Chest (Eastern Plaguelands) at 2.1% (+643 more) (vanilla) |
| 14 | Crusader's Pauldrons | 53 | 48 | 216 | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+532 more) (vanilla) | |
| 15 | Heavy Lamellar Pauldrons | 53 | 48 | 380 | Plate | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+528 more) (vanilla) |
| 16 |  High Chief's Pauldrons | 53 | 48 | 380 | Plate | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+525 more) (vanilla) |
| 17 |  Imperial Plate Shoulders | 53 | 47 | 380 | Plate | Crafted: Blacksmithing |
| 18 | Ironhide Pauldrons | 53 | 48 | 216 | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+525 more) (vanilla) | |
| 19 | Jadefire Epaulets | 53 | 48 | 104 | Leather | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+525 more) (vanilla) |
| 20 | Serpentskin Spaulders | 53 | 48 | 104 | Leather | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+529 more) (vanilla) |
| 21 | Arachnidian Pauldrons | 52 | 47 | 51 | Cloth | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+525 more) (vanilla) |
| 22 |  Blessed Plate PauldronsFOREVER | 52 | 47 | 373 | Plate | Crafted: Blacksmithing |
| 23 | Imperial Red Mantle | 52 | 47 | 51 | Cloth | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+533 more) (vanilla) |
| 24 |  Lord's Pauldrons | 52 | 47 | 212 | Drops from Foulmane (Western Plaguelands) at 1.0% (+528 more) (vanilla) | |
| 25 |  Smooth Leather Shoulderpads | 52 | 47 | 92 | Leather | Drops from Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin (Blackrock Spire) at 12.5% (+645 more) (vanilla) |
Ranked by item level, then quality, among items with a known source: gear nothing drops, sells, rewards or makes yet (raids not yet open, the client's test items) is left out. The class filter keeps what the class can equip at level 50 (armor type, weapon skill, Dual Wield, the item's own class limit); the side filter drops items that only the other side's vendors and quests offer. Source: the best known drop first (a Forever rate at 10+ loots, else the vanilla 1.12 chance), then vendors, quest rewards and the profession that makes it.
Other slots: Head, Back, Chest, Wrist, Hands, Waist, Legs, Feet. Every slot and level.