The highest item level shoulder armor a level 51–60 character can wear start with Bonescythe Pauldrons (item level 86, epic). 158 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 |  Bonescythe Pauldrons | 86 | 60 | 186 | Leather | Quest: Bonescythe Pauldrons (vanilla) |
| 2 |  Cryptstalker Spaulders | 86 | 60 | 406 | Quest: Cryptstalker Spaulders (vanilla) | |
| 3 | Dreadnaught Pauldrons | 86 | 60 | 722 | Plate | Quest: Dreadnaught Pauldrons (vanilla) |
| 4 | Dreamwalker Spaulders | 86 | 60 | 186 | Leather | Quest: Dreamwalker Spaulders (vanilla) |
| 5 | Earthshatter Spaulders | 86 | 60 | 406 | Quest: Earthshatter Spaulders (vanilla) | |
| 6 |  Frostfire Shoulderpads | 86 | 60 | 97 | Cloth | Quest: Frostfire Shoulderpads (vanilla) |
| 7 | Plagueheart Shoulderpads | 86 | 60 | 97 | Cloth | Quest: Plagueheart Shoulderpads (vanilla) |
| 8 | Redemption Spaulders | 86 | 60 | 722 | Plate | Quest: Redemption Spaulders (vanilla) |
| 9 | Shoulderpads of Faith | 86 | 60 | 97 | Cloth | Quest: Shoulderpads of Faith (vanilla) |
| 10 | Glacial Mantle | 83 | 94 | Cloth | Drops from Grobbulus (Naxxramas) at 20.0% (vanilla) | |
| 11 |  Icebane Pauldrons | 83 | 60 | 698 | Plate | Drops from Grand Widow Faerlina (Naxxramas) at 20.0% (vanilla) |
| 12 | Icy Scale Spaulders | 83 | 393 | Drops from Grobbulus (Naxxramas) at 20.0% (vanilla) | ||
| 13 |  Polar Shoulder Pads | 83 | 60 | 181 | Leather | Drops from Grand Widow Faerlina (Naxxramas) at 20.0% (vanilla) |
| 14 |  Striker's Pauldrons | 81 | 60 | 384 | Quest: Striker's Pauldrons (vanilla) | |
| 15 |  Avenger's Pauldrons | 78 | 60 | 659 | Plate | Quest: Avenger's Pauldrons (vanilla) |
| 16 | Conqueror's Spaulders | 78 | 60 | 659 | Plate | Quest: Conqueror's Spaulders (vanilla) |
| 17 |  Deathdealer's Spaulders | 78 | 60 | 172 | Leather | Quest: Deathdealer's Spaulders (vanilla) |
| 18 | Doomcaller's Mantle | 78 | 60 | 89 | Cloth | Quest: Doomcaller's Mantle (vanilla) |
| 19 | Enigma Shoulderpads | 78 | 60 | 89 | Cloth | Quest: Enigma Shoulderpads (vanilla) |
| 20 | Genesis Shoulderpads | 78 | 60 | 172 | Leather | Quest: Genesis Shoulderpads (vanilla) |
| 21 | Mantle of the Oracle | 78 | 60 | 89 | Cloth | Quest: Mantle of the Oracle (vanilla) |
| 22 | Stormcaller's Pauldrons | 78 | 60 | 371 | Quest: Stormcaller's Pauldrons (Horde) (vanilla) | |
| 23 |  Mantle of Wicked Revenge | 77 | 60 | 170 | Leather | Drops from Fankriss the Unyielding (Ahn'Qiraj) at 18.0% (vanilla) |
| 24 | Pauldrons of the Unrelenting | 77 | 60 | 650 | Plate | Drops from Fankriss the Unyielding (Ahn'Qiraj) at 15.0% (vanilla) |
| 25 |  Ternary Mantle | 75 | 60 | 86 | Cloth | Drops from Lord Kri (Ahn'Qiraj) at 16.7% (+2 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 60 (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.