Equipment
Weapon Types:
Axe — The two-handed choices here are typically high crit, but beyond that there's nothing you can't get from the hammer. Military choices are greataxe and battleaxe, superior choice is the execution axe. Works with Headsman's Chop.
Flail — Not very accurate, lacking good superior choices, and limited feat support. You're probably better off with something else.
Hammer — Required by both Crippling Crush and Hammer Rhythm. Military choices are maul and warhammer, superior choices are mordenkrad and craghammer. Begs some commitment to constitution.
Heavy Blade — They're accurate, and can have top-notch damage. Feat support is also excellent. Works with Headsman's Chop. Military choices are greatsword and longsword, superior choices are fullblade and bastard sword. Begs some commitment to dexterity.
Light Blade — Since Essentials and Martial Power 2, these are a much better option. The rapier is a military weapon instead of a superior one, so you can get your +3/D8 weapon. Light Blade Expertise can make up for the small damage dice, and Deft Blade (if you're multiclassed in, say, rogue) will make your basic attacks more accurate. Requires some commitment to dexterity though.
Mace — Can be used by Crippling Crush, but the choices here are so subpar that you're really better off with the hammer.
Pick — Even less reason to go here than the mace.
Polearm — Reach is the big draw here. All of the items are also in other groups (such as the halberd being in axes, glaive being heavy blades, and longspear/greatspear being spears). The feat support is good, and some of the choices are accurate. Begs some commitment to wisdom.
Spear — You'll want either the longspear, or its superior brother the greatspear. Like the polearm, reach is the big draw. Spear Mastery requires some commitment to dexterity, and Polearm Momentum requires some commitment to wisdom.
Magic Items
Note: This section is laid out by category. After the name of the item is the level (2+ means it's first available at level and has higher level versions), then source. Items are sorted by level, then alphabetically (the order you would see them in Character Builder).
Weapons
Defensive Weapon (2+, AV): Since you'll be using second wind often, this just piles on some gravy.
Guardian's Call (2+, AV2): This enchantment is made just for you, and at that price level it's pretty good.
Pinning Weapon (2+, AV): It's pretty good, as it can keep someone basically stuck until they die or knock you away. If you can negate forced movement, it's awesome.
Staggering Weapon (2+, AV): If you like forcing movement and don't want to use a spear, you'll love this weapon.
Aura Killer Weapon (3+, AV2): As a melee weapon class, you'll be affected by auras more than anyone else in your party. This will mitigate that.
Foe Maker Weapon (3+, D 381): This item was made for you. The crit range increases against targets marked by you, which is not hard to make sure happens most of the time. You also get a large range mass mark. Unfortunately, it takes a standard action, or this would be rated higher.
Frost Weapon (3+, PHB): Two Words: Frostcheese, win. Wait until paragon to pick it up though.
Guardian's Brand (3+, AV2): Too bad the properties are fire damage or this would be better.
Warsoul Weapon (3+, EPG): Component weapon. Now you get OAs on shifts too.
Maw of the Guardian (4+, AV2): How many times can you pile on your Constitution mod to damage rolls?
Opportunistic Weapon (4+, AV): It doesn't provide a boost to all OAs, which is why it got black. Vicious weapons are cheaper.
Vengeful Weapon (5+, AV): Expensive, but perfect for defenders.
Weapon of Great Opportunity (5+, AV2): Expensive, so you probably won't find it worth it, unless you can get 2 or 4 items from the set.
Grasping Weapon (6+, AV): Polearm only, and it doesn't do extra damage on a crit. Used to be a lot better, but now it only pulls one square, regardless of how far you can reach.
Adamantine Weapon (8+, AV): Get through damage resistance as long as you do untyped damage. That should be most of the time.
Controlling Weapon (8+, AV): Polearm only. Your pushes and pulls (but not slides) just got better.
Githyanki Silver Weapon (8+, MotP): The daily banishment effect is a lot of fun. The enemy is taken out of the combat, literally. Oh, you also change the damage type to psychic, which allows you to abuse Psychic Lock. Heavy Blade only though.
Jolting Guard Weapon (8+, DSCS): Declaw a Big-Nasty for a round. And it takes an Opportunity Action to use, instead of the more crucial Immediate Actions.
Feyslaughter Weapon (9+, AV): Now your stickiness affects teleporters too.
Withering Weapon (13+, AV): As long as your enemy can't make his saves, his defenses just get worse and worse.
Chill Wind Weapon (15+, D 386): Heavy blade only. An upgraded frost weapon, this one trades in the daily item power for resistance to fire and ongoing cold damage on crits.
Hestavar Dueling Blade (18+, D 371): Light blade only, so you might want to look elsewhere. A bonus to attacks on OAs and Immediate attacks rocks though.
Death Mark Weapon (23+, AV2): When you kill your mark, you get to wander off to your next target. Killstealers are funstealers, though.
Vorpal Weapon (30, PHB): Axe or Heavy Blade only. If you like damage, and you're extremely high level, this is where you'll be looking.
Armor
Veteran's Armor (2+, AV): This is always a solid choice for any character, and is extremely cheap.
Armor of Cleansing (3+, AV): You probably care more about saves vs status effects than ongoing damage, but the bonus from this certainly won't go to waste.
Bestial Armor (3+, AV): Good if you're into charging, as it gives you a free swipe once per day.
Defensive Armor (3+, PH3): The augmentation is completely wasted, but getting something akin to the Githzerai's Iron Mind 1/day is decent.
Delver's Armor (3+, PHB): The save bonus is much more useful than the Armor of Cleansing, but only usable 1/day.
Serpentskin Armor (3+, AV): You really want to be behind the dragon, and this will do that.
Sylvan Armor (3+, PHB): The bonus to Athletics is a plus. Even the stealth can be useful, if you're party often gets caught because you're so clumsy.
Armor of Durability (4+, AV): A prime choice due to the sheer number of healing surges you'll be spending. Stacks with the Cloak of the Walking Wounded, so you regain twice the enhancement bonus when you second wind.
Battle Harness (4+, DMA 2009): Gives you effectively Quick Draw, including the bonus to initiative.
Bloodcut Armor (4+, PHB): You do have quite a large number of healing surges, so you won't have problems spending them to gain damage resistance often.
Lifefont Armor (4+, AV2): This armor is tied directly to your Font of Life class feature, so it's aimed squarely at you. Gain a bonus to all saves using the feature, plus make multiple saves once per day. That is something that will come into play often.
Deathcut Armor (5+, PHB): Expensive, but it gives multiple resistances and a free swipe when someone hits you.
Shared Suffering Armor (5+, AV): At the expensive price range for its tier, the encounter power is just so much fun.
Marauder's Armor (7+, AV2): You might take up charging just to get the bonus to AC when you do. If you like charging, this is just awesome.
Elven Battle Armor (8+, PHB): You'll never have problems moving about the battlefield.
Lifeblood Armor (10+, PHB2): You get to start every combat with temp HP, but if you wait a level you'll get a defense boost.
Trollskin Armor (15+, PHB): At the expensive end, but getting a lot of regeneration is nothing to complain about.
Great Cat Armor (19+, AV2): This should make you much more mobile.
Armor of Enduring Health (23+, AV2): This item was created for you. A must-have, for sure.
Neck Slot Items
Amulet of Mental/Physical Resolve (2+, AV): In the cheap item slot, they both give bonuses to saves against a group of statuses. The Mental version will help with stuff like Dominated, and the Physical version will help keep you mobile.
Amulet of Resolution (2+, AV): Getting to reroll a saving throw once a day just pales in comparison to what you can already do.
Cloak of Resistance (2+, PHB): Good for when you know you're going to take some hits. Too bad it's not an immediate interrupt though.
Cloak of the Walking Wounded (4+, AV): You gotta wait until you're bloodied to get the effect, but most people don't second wind until they're bloodied anyway. Also, anything that gives a bonus when you spend a healing surge is doubled. A key item to second wind optimization.
Collar of Recovery (4+, AV): This one gives a bonus to surges granted by stuff that's not second wind, so you might like this one instead of the above.
Lucky Charm (4+, AV2): Universally useful, the power is pretty awesome.
Amulet of Life (5+, D 381): Much like the Cloak of the Walking Wounded, this can allow you to spend two surges. This one is limited to once an encounter, but isn't limited to second wind. Expensive though.
Guardian's Circlets (8+, D 380): If you roll initiative like I do, give this to the rogue that likes to run out early, let him do his thing, then when they gang up on him, they find they're hitting you instead. Voila, you're in place for making sure you do your defender duties.
Amulet of False Life (9+, PHB): That's an awful lot of temp HP you get for free.
Amulet of Vigor (9+, AV2): This actually increases your surge value, but doubling your surge is more valuable when it's more often than once a day. It's trying to be a mix of the Amulet of Life and the Collar of Recovery, and just comes up short.
Medallion of Death Deferred (9+, AV): You hope you don't have to use it, but awesome when you do.
Timeless Locket (14+, AV2): This is an excellent way to get an extra standard action to use for your second wind when you really need it. The bonus to initiative isn't awful either.
Cloak of Displacement (15+, AV): The defense bonus may or may not last a while, but the daily power makes you as annoying as a halfling. Expensive though.
Shields/Arms Slot Items
Note: There's a very strong case for using a mundane heavy shield if you're going sword and board or hammer and board. A mundane shield still provides its AC/Reflex bonus even if you have a magic item in the Arms slot. So if you wanted to use something like Iron Armbands of Power, you don't have to forego the shield.
Bracers of Mighty Striking (2+, PHB): Very cheap, and a damage bonus on basic melee attacks, which you'll be making often.
Razor Shield (2+, AV): You get to autohit one of your attackers. This one goes off Con, so it's more useful than some of the others that go off Cha or Dex, but it's only once a day. It's really cheap though.
Shield of Protection (3+, PHB): I'd prefer the power be toned down and not be a standard action. Though if you really need to use it, it's rather awesome for that level.
Counterstrike Guards (4,14, AV): You'll probably be missed fairly often, so it will see use. The level 4 only gives you a free swipe as a daily, the level 14 changes it to an encounter.
Mountain Shield (4,14, AV): Keeping your buddies in place is decent, but as an encounter power it has a good amount of utility.
Shield of Eyes (4, AV): Protection against flanking is of more use to you than against OAs, but that's only a daily. The flat bonus against OAs isn't wasted though.
Shield of Speed and Evasion (4, Dun 156): I'm not sure where it got the name, but what it actually does is not even remotely connected to its name. It doesn't increase your speed or provide you the ability to evade attacks, but it does allow you to regain encounter or daily powers when you take a critical hit. The randomness of it hurts, but hopefully you'll be taking enough hits for that not to matter.
Bracers of Tactical Blows (6+, AV): If you're scared away by the cheese-level of the Iron Armbands of Power, these are a good substitute. Add extra dice of damage onto all your OAs.
Foe Fending Shield (6+, D 381): You can inflict a save ends mark as an immediate interrupt. It's just ok until paragon, where it allows you to do so at range.
Iron Armbands of Power (6+, AV): This is the item that every melee character gravitates towards, and wardens are not immune to that. It's just damage, but by epic tier that's a lot of damage.
Hammer Shield (8, AV2): An excellent choice for you hammer-wielders who don't want to go for Iron Armbands. If you pick this up, it will last you for a while. Your defense bonus lasts as long as you keep hitting.
Storm Shield (8+, AV): Gain 2 elemental resistances, and deal dual-element damage as a reaction when you're hit. You don't like to give up your immediate actions though, and the resistance comes late in the tier, so by now it's not really blocking as much of the damage as it would have been at a lower level.
Recoil Shield (9, AV): Knock your attacker on his butt once an encounter. I love encounter item powers, and this one is pretty good.
Shield of the Barrier Sentinels (9+, DMA 2009): A flat bonus to defenses while you're flanked. Keep in mind, these bonuses aren't just in effect against your flankers. The paragon completely negates the bonus from combat advantage, and the epic version goes even further, so that you're actually harder to hit when you're flanked than when you're not.
Guardian Shield (10+, PHB): Redirect attacks to you, then gain resistance accordingly. The heroic version is just adjacent, but the paragon and epic versions add to the range. Very expensive though.
Crowd Killer Shield (14, D 381): It doesn't eliminate the flank or the combat advantage for being flanked, but it does make it easier to take out your flankers. A good interim shield until you can get the paragon-level Shield of the Barrier Sentinels.
Vortex Shield (14, AV2): This shield gives you the ability to defend against area attacks that would otherwise ignore the defender punishment because they include you. Good, but wait a few levels...
Absorbing Shield (17, AV2): My warden is looking at this item herself. The power isn't quite as good as the Vortex Shield, but it's usable at-will. The trigger won't happen all the time, but being able to defend your allies against area attacks that include you is pretty awesome.
Trollhide Bracers (19+, AV): Regeneration is awesome, but this is expensive, and there's better choices.
Shield of Ultimate Protection (30, AV2): Instead of Reflex and AC, you get the shield bonus to all four defenses. The daily power to increase your defenses by a lot is also pretty huge. But good gods, is it expensive.
Feet Slot Items
Acrobat Boots (2, PHB): Dwarves can ignore this, but everyone else hates having to spend a move action to stand. You might keep these all the way through epic tier.
Boots of Rapid Motion (5, AV2): I consider this a trap, because it takes an immediate action to use, and you want to save them for attacks and not doing something that your class features already mostly do.
Spiked Soles (5, EPG): Component item. Turns a warforged into a dwarf, but requires an immediate action to do, and slows you instead.
Surefoot Boots (5, AV): Stand up as a free action, but it's only a daily.
Boots of Free Movement (6, AV): Ensure your mobility with these boots.
Boots of the Fencing Master (7, AV): Easily one of the best feet slot items for any character.
Dwarven Greaves (7, PHB): Requires an immediate action to use, and is only a daily. Still, it's a good effect.
Boots of Quickness (8+, AV): An untyped bonus to what's likely one of your worst defenses, and it has higher level versions.
Boots of Striding (9, PHB): Some of you dwarves might like this so you can keep up with enemies and allies. There's also a more expensive version that has a small bonus to jumping, but you'll probably have the Athletics to not need that.
Earthreaver Stompers (17+, AV): Tremorsense is nice, the daily power isn't very accurate though.
Boots of Speed (22, AV): Essentially the epic version of Boots of Striding, the free move action is also nice.
Zephyr Boots (24, AV): You can fly. At some point that becomes necessary to be able to get into melee.
Sandals of Avandra (25, AV): Another speed boost, this one also increases your mobility in other ways.
Boots of Teleportation (28, AV): At-will teleportation is decent, but doesn't help you get at certain enemies that are several squares above you. You should have decent mobility via other means already.
Hands Slot Items
Gloves of Piercing (3, PHB): Good through at least paragon tier, the resistance penetration is certainly nice.
Gauntlets of Blood (4+, AV2): If you're maximizing damage, this is an untyped bonus that you won't want to pass up, as it stacks with the Iron Armbands.
Parry Gauntlets (5, AV): Wow, because your defenses when you second winded weren't high enough. Excuse me while I go buy these for my warden.
Strikebacks (10, AV): The bonus to opportunity attacks make these worth it, the encounter counterattack is pretty good too.
Gloves of Ice (11+, AV2): If you're going frostcheese, you'll want these. Their use is much more limited otherwise.
Gloves of Discontinuity (13, AV2): Things that help you deal with teleporters is always useful, as you can't do it innately.
Gauntlets of Destruction (18, PHB): If you're not using a brutal weapon, this can remedy that.
Lightning Reflex Gloves (19, AV): A bigger bonus than Strikebacks, but the daily power is so extremely situational that it's not worth the upgrade.
Gloves of Camaraderie (21, AV): Since you can probably get rid of the effect much easier than your ally, you're the type of character this was designed for. Uses an immediate though.
Foe Caller Gauntlets (22, D 381): Now you too can punish like a swordmage. Only better. Did I mention that it's an encounter power?
Head Slot Items
Helm of Opportunity (4+, AV): Unlike Strikebacks, this is fairly cheap and has higher level versions. Also, good head slot items are hard to find.
Circlet of Indomitability (8+, AV): Boosts your Will defense, and has higher level versions. Not bad.
Coif of Mindiron (8, AV): Doesn't end all dazed conditions, just those that target Will, or it would be a lot better. Later versions add stunned and dominated.
Crown of the Goliath Champions (12, D 386): This is an item that has both a decent property and an encounter power. And both are good for us wardens. The encounter power gets better as the day goes on, so if you like spending surges this can get into the double digits in terms of how high the resistance can go.
Vortex Mask (12, D 381): For those times when Warden's Grasp just doesn't pull them far enough.
Crown of Eyes (16, AV): Flanking? Not on my watch.
Coif of Focus (21, AV): Dazed and Stunned are never fun, and the bonus applies to your Font of Life saves too.
Waist Slot Items
Belt of Vigor (2+, PHB): Very cheap item that increases your surge value. Other items are better at it in the long run, but they're in much more competitive item categories (Amulet of Vigor, for example). This stacks with the Amulet, though, so you can get both. Outclassed for Con-based wardens.
Ironskin Belt (5+, PHB): Now that you've got your enemies stuck to you, they're going to start swinging. This makes sure it doesn't hurt as much.
Cincture of the Dragon Spirit (6, AV): Using Strength instead of Charisma for Intimidate checks makes the skill worth training in.
Belt of Vim (8+, AV): An untyped bonus to Fortitude is never a bad thing.
Belt of Blood (10, AV): Get this instead of the Belt of Vigor if you're a Con-based warden. Since you'll be using more surges when you're bloodied anyway, this is much better when you need it the most.
Backbone Belt (11, AV): If you're Earthstrength, your defenses are nigh-unhittable at this point, and this pushes them further up that mountain.
Cincture of Vivacity (14, AV): If you're going for second wind optimization, this allows you to use your second wind when you're first bloodied instead of almost dead so you don't have to worry about healing too many hit points.
Sash of Vitality Ceaseless (14, AV2): For you Wisdom-based second wind optimizers, this can mean an awful lot of extra hit points. The Wisdom-based alternative to the Belt of Blood, just at 4 levels higher.
Belt of Mountain Endurance (18, D 365): For you Strength-based... oh, that's all of you. Much like the Sash of Vitality Ceaseless and Belt of Blood, but this one goes off your primary stat instead. Though it's more expensive, by a factor of 4. Also, this one doesn't require you to be bloodied.
Phoenix Sash (18, AV2): Another way to remain standing when you die, the dazing probably won't matter too much anyway.
Sash of Regeneration (28, AV2): Useless for Shifters, but awesome for everyone else.
Rings
Note: Remember, you get two ring slots. It's currently questionable whether you get the benefits from both, such as having two Rings of Personal Gravity reducing your forced movement by two.
Ring of Giants (13, D 378): The property is triggered off crits, but the daily power knocks them prone.
Grace Ring of Lightning (14, AV2): A bonus to saves vs some of the nastiest effects, and an encounter power that deals autodamage on a turn where you don't make an attack, which should happen at least once an encounter when you second wind. A bit less useful if you second wind as a minor.
Grace Ring of Salvation (14, AV2): The same saving throw bonuses as the Lightning version, and a huge bonus to a single save as an encounter.
Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (14, PHB): You non-dwarves get to channel your inner-beardedness to negate forced movement daily.
Ring of Invigoration (14, DMA 2009): When you fall over, you magically heal a bit. That's an awesome safety net.
Alliance Band (15, AV2): When you second wind, your ally gets healing. Since you're gonna do it often, the handing out of HP is pure icing.
Ring of Many Forms (15, AV2): I'd like to say that this applies to all attacks while you're in a guardian form, in which case this would be a must-have, but I suspect that it's not.
Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (15, AV): Only useful if you're specializing in burst and blast attacks, but if you are, Iron Armbands are useless to you anyway, so it's a good pickup. The only downside is that there's no epic version, so you can upgrade the item bonus to compete against those granted by epic tier items.
Ring of Personal Gravity (16, AV): Forced movement is further reduced for dwarves and non-dwarves alike, plus you can lock down all adjacent enemies without a save. I'll be picking this up as soon as possible.
Ring of Protection (17, PHB): A flat bonus to all saving throw, and an interrupt daily bonus to single defense. An oldie but goodie.
Ring of the Fallen (18, AV2): Another item for second wind optimization, this also gives you the same bonus to surges spent during short rests. Oh, there's also a group heal daily power.
Foe Binder Ring (19, D 381): Now you can defend against area attacks even if you're included in the area.
Ring of Flight (20, PHB): You can prone on several attacks, so this can get you up to that flying enemy to get him on the ground.
Ring of Heroic Health (21, AV2): Doesn't help on second winds, so Ring of the Fallen is better.
Ring of Regeneration (24, PHB): Your second wind optimization choice from the epic tier. Your surge value goes up, and you get a large regeneration value for an encounter.
Bloodshard Ring (26, AV2): It's a trap! The reduction of your maximum hit points reduces your surge value by 1 guaranteed, and can reduce by 2 if you are unlucky. So the property is a wash.
Avandra's Ring (27, AV2): Difficult terrain means nothing, and you can shrug off things that are hurting your mobility with ease. High level though.
Dauntless Champion's Ring (30, AV2): Your endgame second wind optimization item, as it has the highest item bonus to surge value you'll find. Level 30 item, though, so ouch.
Nullifying Ring (30, AV): Level 30 item, but it has a large bonus to all saving throws, and a large interrupt defense bonus.
Tattoos
Note: This is an oft-overlooked category, that I've just recently begun to explore. There's some pretty decent finds in here. The mechanics usually go off you taking an action point, or something based on how many surges your character has spent since their last extended rest. The latter is the ideal, of course, for obvious reasons.
Pierced Heart Tattoo (2+, D 380): I include this largely because it's the cheapest of the tattoos at level 2, and you're gonna be second winding, so getting the damage boost is worth the cheap price if you have the money and a free tattoo slot. If you've also multiclassed barbarian to pick up a rage power, it's even better.
Long Battle Tattoo (7, AV2): If you're spending 2 surges per second wind, towards the end of the day, this can be a substantial amount of damage (into the double digits). Your daily attack powers aren't your bread and butter though.
Ironheart Tattoo (8+, AV2): You'll be getting more resistance at the end of the day, which is good because that's likely when you'll need it most. Even low level characters can get resistance 10 or more against the BBEG.
Strongheart Tattoo (8+, AV2): Something to think about for second wind optimization, this one also works for non-second wind heals.
Eager Hero's Tattoo (10+, AV2): Start every combat with temporary hit points, and the amount goes up as the day grows long.
Other
Battle Standard of the Hungry Blade (9, D 381): If you can spare the standard action, this can be used to enhance whatever form you went into, by adding a black hole effect in burst 3.
Weapon Types:
Axe — The two-handed choices here are typically high crit, but beyond that there's nothing you can't get from the hammer. Military choices are greataxe and battleaxe, superior choice is the execution axe. Works with Headsman's Chop.
Flail — Not very accurate, lacking good superior choices, and limited feat support. You're probably better off with something else.
Hammer — Required by both Crippling Crush and Hammer Rhythm. Military choices are maul and warhammer, superior choices are mordenkrad and craghammer. Begs some commitment to constitution.
Heavy Blade — They're accurate, and can have top-notch damage. Feat support is also excellent. Works with Headsman's Chop. Military choices are greatsword and longsword, superior choices are fullblade and bastard sword. Begs some commitment to dexterity.
Light Blade — Since Essentials and Martial Power 2, these are a much better option. The rapier is a military weapon instead of a superior one, so you can get your +3/D8 weapon. Light Blade Expertise can make up for the small damage dice, and Deft Blade (if you're multiclassed in, say, rogue) will make your basic attacks more accurate. Requires some commitment to dexterity though.
Mace — Can be used by Crippling Crush, but the choices here are so subpar that you're really better off with the hammer.
Pick — Even less reason to go here than the mace.
Polearm — Reach is the big draw here. All of the items are also in other groups (such as the halberd being in axes, glaive being heavy blades, and longspear/greatspear being spears). The feat support is good, and some of the choices are accurate. Begs some commitment to wisdom.
Spear — You'll want either the longspear, or its superior brother the greatspear. Like the polearm, reach is the big draw. Spear Mastery requires some commitment to dexterity, and Polearm Momentum requires some commitment to wisdom.
Magic Items
Note: This section is laid out by category. After the name of the item is the level (2+ means it's first available at level and has higher level versions), then source. Items are sorted by level, then alphabetically (the order you would see them in Character Builder).
Weapons
Defensive Weapon (2+, AV): Since you'll be using second wind often, this just piles on some gravy.
Guardian's Call (2+, AV2): This enchantment is made just for you, and at that price level it's pretty good.
Pinning Weapon (2+, AV): It's pretty good, as it can keep someone basically stuck until they die or knock you away. If you can negate forced movement, it's awesome.
Staggering Weapon (2+, AV): If you like forcing movement and don't want to use a spear, you'll love this weapon.
Aura Killer Weapon (3+, AV2): As a melee weapon class, you'll be affected by auras more than anyone else in your party. This will mitigate that.
Foe Maker Weapon (3+, D 381): This item was made for you. The crit range increases against targets marked by you, which is not hard to make sure happens most of the time. You also get a large range mass mark. Unfortunately, it takes a standard action, or this would be rated higher.
Frost Weapon (3+, PHB): Two Words: Frostcheese, win. Wait until paragon to pick it up though.
Guardian's Brand (3+, AV2): Too bad the properties are fire damage or this would be better.
Warsoul Weapon (3+, EPG): Component weapon. Now you get OAs on shifts too.
Maw of the Guardian (4+, AV2): How many times can you pile on your Constitution mod to damage rolls?
Opportunistic Weapon (4+, AV): It doesn't provide a boost to all OAs, which is why it got black. Vicious weapons are cheaper.
Vengeful Weapon (5+, AV): Expensive, but perfect for defenders.
Weapon of Great Opportunity (5+, AV2): Expensive, so you probably won't find it worth it, unless you can get 2 or 4 items from the set.
Grasping Weapon (6+, AV): Polearm only, and it doesn't do extra damage on a crit. Used to be a lot better, but now it only pulls one square, regardless of how far you can reach.
Adamantine Weapon (8+, AV): Get through damage resistance as long as you do untyped damage. That should be most of the time.
Controlling Weapon (8+, AV): Polearm only. Your pushes and pulls (but not slides) just got better.
Githyanki Silver Weapon (8+, MotP): The daily banishment effect is a lot of fun. The enemy is taken out of the combat, literally. Oh, you also change the damage type to psychic, which allows you to abuse Psychic Lock. Heavy Blade only though.
Jolting Guard Weapon (8+, DSCS): Declaw a Big-Nasty for a round. And it takes an Opportunity Action to use, instead of the more crucial Immediate Actions.
Feyslaughter Weapon (9+, AV): Now your stickiness affects teleporters too.
Withering Weapon (13+, AV): As long as your enemy can't make his saves, his defenses just get worse and worse.
Chill Wind Weapon (15+, D 386): Heavy blade only. An upgraded frost weapon, this one trades in the daily item power for resistance to fire and ongoing cold damage on crits.
Hestavar Dueling Blade (18+, D 371): Light blade only, so you might want to look elsewhere. A bonus to attacks on OAs and Immediate attacks rocks though.
Death Mark Weapon (23+, AV2): When you kill your mark, you get to wander off to your next target. Killstealers are funstealers, though.
Vorpal Weapon (30, PHB): Axe or Heavy Blade only. If you like damage, and you're extremely high level, this is where you'll be looking.
Armor
Veteran's Armor (2+, AV): This is always a solid choice for any character, and is extremely cheap.
Armor of Cleansing (3+, AV): You probably care more about saves vs status effects than ongoing damage, but the bonus from this certainly won't go to waste.
Bestial Armor (3+, AV): Good if you're into charging, as it gives you a free swipe once per day.
Defensive Armor (3+, PH3): The augmentation is completely wasted, but getting something akin to the Githzerai's Iron Mind 1/day is decent.
Delver's Armor (3+, PHB): The save bonus is much more useful than the Armor of Cleansing, but only usable 1/day.
Serpentskin Armor (3+, AV): You really want to be behind the dragon, and this will do that.
Sylvan Armor (3+, PHB): The bonus to Athletics is a plus. Even the stealth can be useful, if you're party often gets caught because you're so clumsy.
Armor of Durability (4+, AV): A prime choice due to the sheer number of healing surges you'll be spending. Stacks with the Cloak of the Walking Wounded, so you regain twice the enhancement bonus when you second wind.
Battle Harness (4+, DMA 2009): Gives you effectively Quick Draw, including the bonus to initiative.
Bloodcut Armor (4+, PHB): You do have quite a large number of healing surges, so you won't have problems spending them to gain damage resistance often.
Lifefont Armor (4+, AV2): This armor is tied directly to your Font of Life class feature, so it's aimed squarely at you. Gain a bonus to all saves using the feature, plus make multiple saves once per day. That is something that will come into play often.
Deathcut Armor (5+, PHB): Expensive, but it gives multiple resistances and a free swipe when someone hits you.
Shared Suffering Armor (5+, AV): At the expensive price range for its tier, the encounter power is just so much fun.
Marauder's Armor (7+, AV2): You might take up charging just to get the bonus to AC when you do. If you like charging, this is just awesome.
Elven Battle Armor (8+, PHB): You'll never have problems moving about the battlefield.
Lifeblood Armor (10+, PHB2): You get to start every combat with temp HP, but if you wait a level you'll get a defense boost.
Trollskin Armor (15+, PHB): At the expensive end, but getting a lot of regeneration is nothing to complain about.
Great Cat Armor (19+, AV2): This should make you much more mobile.
Armor of Enduring Health (23+, AV2): This item was created for you. A must-have, for sure.
Neck Slot Items
Amulet of Mental/Physical Resolve (2+, AV): In the cheap item slot, they both give bonuses to saves against a group of statuses. The Mental version will help with stuff like Dominated, and the Physical version will help keep you mobile.
Amulet of Resolution (2+, AV): Getting to reroll a saving throw once a day just pales in comparison to what you can already do.
Cloak of Resistance (2+, PHB): Good for when you know you're going to take some hits. Too bad it's not an immediate interrupt though.
Cloak of the Walking Wounded (4+, AV): You gotta wait until you're bloodied to get the effect, but most people don't second wind until they're bloodied anyway. Also, anything that gives a bonus when you spend a healing surge is doubled. A key item to second wind optimization.
Collar of Recovery (4+, AV): This one gives a bonus to surges granted by stuff that's not second wind, so you might like this one instead of the above.
Lucky Charm (4+, AV2): Universally useful, the power is pretty awesome.
Amulet of Life (5+, D 381): Much like the Cloak of the Walking Wounded, this can allow you to spend two surges. This one is limited to once an encounter, but isn't limited to second wind. Expensive though.
Guardian's Circlets (8+, D 380): If you roll initiative like I do, give this to the rogue that likes to run out early, let him do his thing, then when they gang up on him, they find they're hitting you instead. Voila, you're in place for making sure you do your defender duties.
Amulet of False Life (9+, PHB): That's an awful lot of temp HP you get for free.
Amulet of Vigor (9+, AV2): This actually increases your surge value, but doubling your surge is more valuable when it's more often than once a day. It's trying to be a mix of the Amulet of Life and the Collar of Recovery, and just comes up short.
Medallion of Death Deferred (9+, AV): You hope you don't have to use it, but awesome when you do.
Timeless Locket (14+, AV2): This is an excellent way to get an extra standard action to use for your second wind when you really need it. The bonus to initiative isn't awful either.
Cloak of Displacement (15+, AV): The defense bonus may or may not last a while, but the daily power makes you as annoying as a halfling. Expensive though.
Shields/Arms Slot Items
Note: There's a very strong case for using a mundane heavy shield if you're going sword and board or hammer and board. A mundane shield still provides its AC/Reflex bonus even if you have a magic item in the Arms slot. So if you wanted to use something like Iron Armbands of Power, you don't have to forego the shield.
Bracers of Mighty Striking (2+, PHB): Very cheap, and a damage bonus on basic melee attacks, which you'll be making often.
Razor Shield (2+, AV): You get to autohit one of your attackers. This one goes off Con, so it's more useful than some of the others that go off Cha or Dex, but it's only once a day. It's really cheap though.
Shield of Protection (3+, PHB): I'd prefer the power be toned down and not be a standard action. Though if you really need to use it, it's rather awesome for that level.
Counterstrike Guards (4,14, AV): You'll probably be missed fairly often, so it will see use. The level 4 only gives you a free swipe as a daily, the level 14 changes it to an encounter.
Mountain Shield (4,14, AV): Keeping your buddies in place is decent, but as an encounter power it has a good amount of utility.
Shield of Eyes (4, AV): Protection against flanking is of more use to you than against OAs, but that's only a daily. The flat bonus against OAs isn't wasted though.
Shield of Speed and Evasion (4, Dun 156): I'm not sure where it got the name, but what it actually does is not even remotely connected to its name. It doesn't increase your speed or provide you the ability to evade attacks, but it does allow you to regain encounter or daily powers when you take a critical hit. The randomness of it hurts, but hopefully you'll be taking enough hits for that not to matter.
Bracers of Tactical Blows (6+, AV): If you're scared away by the cheese-level of the Iron Armbands of Power, these are a good substitute. Add extra dice of damage onto all your OAs.
Foe Fending Shield (6+, D 381): You can inflict a save ends mark as an immediate interrupt. It's just ok until paragon, where it allows you to do so at range.
Iron Armbands of Power (6+, AV): This is the item that every melee character gravitates towards, and wardens are not immune to that. It's just damage, but by epic tier that's a lot of damage.
Hammer Shield (8, AV2): An excellent choice for you hammer-wielders who don't want to go for Iron Armbands. If you pick this up, it will last you for a while. Your defense bonus lasts as long as you keep hitting.
Storm Shield (8+, AV): Gain 2 elemental resistances, and deal dual-element damage as a reaction when you're hit. You don't like to give up your immediate actions though, and the resistance comes late in the tier, so by now it's not really blocking as much of the damage as it would have been at a lower level.
Recoil Shield (9, AV): Knock your attacker on his butt once an encounter. I love encounter item powers, and this one is pretty good.
Shield of the Barrier Sentinels (9+, DMA 2009): A flat bonus to defenses while you're flanked. Keep in mind, these bonuses aren't just in effect against your flankers. The paragon completely negates the bonus from combat advantage, and the epic version goes even further, so that you're actually harder to hit when you're flanked than when you're not.
Guardian Shield (10+, PHB): Redirect attacks to you, then gain resistance accordingly. The heroic version is just adjacent, but the paragon and epic versions add to the range. Very expensive though.
Crowd Killer Shield (14, D 381): It doesn't eliminate the flank or the combat advantage for being flanked, but it does make it easier to take out your flankers. A good interim shield until you can get the paragon-level Shield of the Barrier Sentinels.
Vortex Shield (14, AV2): This shield gives you the ability to defend against area attacks that would otherwise ignore the defender punishment because they include you. Good, but wait a few levels...
Absorbing Shield (17, AV2): My warden is looking at this item herself. The power isn't quite as good as the Vortex Shield, but it's usable at-will. The trigger won't happen all the time, but being able to defend your allies against area attacks that include you is pretty awesome.
Trollhide Bracers (19+, AV): Regeneration is awesome, but this is expensive, and there's better choices.
Shield of Ultimate Protection (30, AV2): Instead of Reflex and AC, you get the shield bonus to all four defenses. The daily power to increase your defenses by a lot is also pretty huge. But good gods, is it expensive.
Feet Slot Items
Acrobat Boots (2, PHB): Dwarves can ignore this, but everyone else hates having to spend a move action to stand. You might keep these all the way through epic tier.
Boots of Rapid Motion (5, AV2): I consider this a trap, because it takes an immediate action to use, and you want to save them for attacks and not doing something that your class features already mostly do.
Spiked Soles (5, EPG): Component item. Turns a warforged into a dwarf, but requires an immediate action to do, and slows you instead.
Surefoot Boots (5, AV): Stand up as a free action, but it's only a daily.
Boots of Free Movement (6, AV): Ensure your mobility with these boots.
Boots of the Fencing Master (7, AV): Easily one of the best feet slot items for any character.
Dwarven Greaves (7, PHB): Requires an immediate action to use, and is only a daily. Still, it's a good effect.
Boots of Quickness (8+, AV): An untyped bonus to what's likely one of your worst defenses, and it has higher level versions.
Boots of Striding (9, PHB): Some of you dwarves might like this so you can keep up with enemies and allies. There's also a more expensive version that has a small bonus to jumping, but you'll probably have the Athletics to not need that.
Earthreaver Stompers (17+, AV): Tremorsense is nice, the daily power isn't very accurate though.
Boots of Speed (22, AV): Essentially the epic version of Boots of Striding, the free move action is also nice.
Zephyr Boots (24, AV): You can fly. At some point that becomes necessary to be able to get into melee.
Sandals of Avandra (25, AV): Another speed boost, this one also increases your mobility in other ways.
Boots of Teleportation (28, AV): At-will teleportation is decent, but doesn't help you get at certain enemies that are several squares above you. You should have decent mobility via other means already.
Hands Slot Items
Gloves of Piercing (3, PHB): Good through at least paragon tier, the resistance penetration is certainly nice.
Gauntlets of Blood (4+, AV2): If you're maximizing damage, this is an untyped bonus that you won't want to pass up, as it stacks with the Iron Armbands.
Parry Gauntlets (5, AV): Wow, because your defenses when you second winded weren't high enough. Excuse me while I go buy these for my warden.
Strikebacks (10, AV): The bonus to opportunity attacks make these worth it, the encounter counterattack is pretty good too.
Gloves of Ice (11+, AV2): If you're going frostcheese, you'll want these. Their use is much more limited otherwise.
Gloves of Discontinuity (13, AV2): Things that help you deal with teleporters is always useful, as you can't do it innately.
Gauntlets of Destruction (18, PHB): If you're not using a brutal weapon, this can remedy that.
Lightning Reflex Gloves (19, AV): A bigger bonus than Strikebacks, but the daily power is so extremely situational that it's not worth the upgrade.
Gloves of Camaraderie (21, AV): Since you can probably get rid of the effect much easier than your ally, you're the type of character this was designed for. Uses an immediate though.
Foe Caller Gauntlets (22, D 381): Now you too can punish like a swordmage. Only better. Did I mention that it's an encounter power?
Head Slot Items
Helm of Opportunity (4+, AV): Unlike Strikebacks, this is fairly cheap and has higher level versions. Also, good head slot items are hard to find.
Circlet of Indomitability (8+, AV): Boosts your Will defense, and has higher level versions. Not bad.
Coif of Mindiron (8, AV): Doesn't end all dazed conditions, just those that target Will, or it would be a lot better. Later versions add stunned and dominated.
Crown of the Goliath Champions (12, D 386): This is an item that has both a decent property and an encounter power. And both are good for us wardens. The encounter power gets better as the day goes on, so if you like spending surges this can get into the double digits in terms of how high the resistance can go.
Vortex Mask (12, D 381): For those times when Warden's Grasp just doesn't pull them far enough.
Crown of Eyes (16, AV): Flanking? Not on my watch.
Coif of Focus (21, AV): Dazed and Stunned are never fun, and the bonus applies to your Font of Life saves too.
Waist Slot Items
Belt of Vigor (2+, PHB): Very cheap item that increases your surge value. Other items are better at it in the long run, but they're in much more competitive item categories (Amulet of Vigor, for example). This stacks with the Amulet, though, so you can get both. Outclassed for Con-based wardens.
Ironskin Belt (5+, PHB): Now that you've got your enemies stuck to you, they're going to start swinging. This makes sure it doesn't hurt as much.
Cincture of the Dragon Spirit (6, AV): Using Strength instead of Charisma for Intimidate checks makes the skill worth training in.
Belt of Vim (8+, AV): An untyped bonus to Fortitude is never a bad thing.
Belt of Blood (10, AV): Get this instead of the Belt of Vigor if you're a Con-based warden. Since you'll be using more surges when you're bloodied anyway, this is much better when you need it the most.
Backbone Belt (11, AV): If you're Earthstrength, your defenses are nigh-unhittable at this point, and this pushes them further up that mountain.
Cincture of Vivacity (14, AV): If you're going for second wind optimization, this allows you to use your second wind when you're first bloodied instead of almost dead so you don't have to worry about healing too many hit points.
Sash of Vitality Ceaseless (14, AV2): For you Wisdom-based second wind optimizers, this can mean an awful lot of extra hit points. The Wisdom-based alternative to the Belt of Blood, just at 4 levels higher.
Belt of Mountain Endurance (18, D 365): For you Strength-based... oh, that's all of you. Much like the Sash of Vitality Ceaseless and Belt of Blood, but this one goes off your primary stat instead. Though it's more expensive, by a factor of 4. Also, this one doesn't require you to be bloodied.
Phoenix Sash (18, AV2): Another way to remain standing when you die, the dazing probably won't matter too much anyway.
Sash of Regeneration (28, AV2): Useless for Shifters, but awesome for everyone else.
Rings
Note: Remember, you get two ring slots. It's currently questionable whether you get the benefits from both, such as having two Rings of Personal Gravity reducing your forced movement by two.
Ring of Giants (13, D 378): The property is triggered off crits, but the daily power knocks them prone.
Grace Ring of Lightning (14, AV2): A bonus to saves vs some of the nastiest effects, and an encounter power that deals autodamage on a turn where you don't make an attack, which should happen at least once an encounter when you second wind. A bit less useful if you second wind as a minor.
Grace Ring of Salvation (14, AV2): The same saving throw bonuses as the Lightning version, and a huge bonus to a single save as an encounter.
Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (14, PHB): You non-dwarves get to channel your inner-beardedness to negate forced movement daily.
Ring of Invigoration (14, DMA 2009): When you fall over, you magically heal a bit. That's an awesome safety net.
Alliance Band (15, AV2): When you second wind, your ally gets healing. Since you're gonna do it often, the handing out of HP is pure icing.
Ring of Many Forms (15, AV2): I'd like to say that this applies to all attacks while you're in a guardian form, in which case this would be a must-have, but I suspect that it's not.
Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (15, AV): Only useful if you're specializing in burst and blast attacks, but if you are, Iron Armbands are useless to you anyway, so it's a good pickup. The only downside is that there's no epic version, so you can upgrade the item bonus to compete against those granted by epic tier items.
Ring of Personal Gravity (16, AV): Forced movement is further reduced for dwarves and non-dwarves alike, plus you can lock down all adjacent enemies without a save. I'll be picking this up as soon as possible.
Ring of Protection (17, PHB): A flat bonus to all saving throw, and an interrupt daily bonus to single defense. An oldie but goodie.
Ring of the Fallen (18, AV2): Another item for second wind optimization, this also gives you the same bonus to surges spent during short rests. Oh, there's also a group heal daily power.
Foe Binder Ring (19, D 381): Now you can defend against area attacks even if you're included in the area.
Ring of Flight (20, PHB): You can prone on several attacks, so this can get you up to that flying enemy to get him on the ground.
Ring of Heroic Health (21, AV2): Doesn't help on second winds, so Ring of the Fallen is better.
Ring of Regeneration (24, PHB): Your second wind optimization choice from the epic tier. Your surge value goes up, and you get a large regeneration value for an encounter.
Bloodshard Ring (26, AV2): It's a trap! The reduction of your maximum hit points reduces your surge value by 1 guaranteed, and can reduce by 2 if you are unlucky. So the property is a wash.
Avandra's Ring (27, AV2): Difficult terrain means nothing, and you can shrug off things that are hurting your mobility with ease. High level though.
Dauntless Champion's Ring (30, AV2): Your endgame second wind optimization item, as it has the highest item bonus to surge value you'll find. Level 30 item, though, so ouch.
Nullifying Ring (30, AV): Level 30 item, but it has a large bonus to all saving throws, and a large interrupt defense bonus.
Tattoos
Note: This is an oft-overlooked category, that I've just recently begun to explore. There's some pretty decent finds in here. The mechanics usually go off you taking an action point, or something based on how many surges your character has spent since their last extended rest. The latter is the ideal, of course, for obvious reasons.
Pierced Heart Tattoo (2+, D 380): I include this largely because it's the cheapest of the tattoos at level 2, and you're gonna be second winding, so getting the damage boost is worth the cheap price if you have the money and a free tattoo slot. If you've also multiclassed barbarian to pick up a rage power, it's even better.
Long Battle Tattoo (7, AV2): If you're spending 2 surges per second wind, towards the end of the day, this can be a substantial amount of damage (into the double digits). Your daily attack powers aren't your bread and butter though.
Ironheart Tattoo (8+, AV2): You'll be getting more resistance at the end of the day, which is good because that's likely when you'll need it most. Even low level characters can get resistance 10 or more against the BBEG.
Strongheart Tattoo (8+, AV2): Something to think about for second wind optimization, this one also works for non-second wind heals.
Eager Hero's Tattoo (10+, AV2): Start every combat with temporary hit points, and the amount goes up as the day grows long.
Other
Battle Standard of the Hungry Blade (9, D 381): If you can spare the standard action, this can be used to enhance whatever form you went into, by adding a black hole effect in burst 3.
